2023 MLS Regular Season Record: 14W - 11D - 9L
What I said last winter:
Héber won’t start but should help in the attack
They’ll rely on academy talent for depth
If Seattle stay healthy they should have a successful season
What happened:
Héber had the lowest performance in Goals minus Expected Goals in the league and the club struggled with scoring
They did rely on former academy players quite often this season in lieu of injuries
Even with injuries, they finished second in the West
Key Takeaways from 2023
Attacking isn’t all that Matters
The Seattle Sounders have been one of the most successful clubs over the past decade in MLS, and despite missing the playoffs in 2022, they seemed poised for a bounce-back in form this past year.
The Sounders predominantly lined up in a 4-2-3-1 formation this year. However, injuries to key players like Nicolás Lodeiro and Raúl Ruidíaz necessitated frequent adjustments in their attack. Ruidíaz, in particular, has missed significant playing time over the past couple of years. In Lodeiro's absence, Albert Rusnák took over the CAM role, while Obed Vargas and Josh Atencio stepped into midfield alongside João Paulo. Jordan Morris also shifted from the wing to centre-forward in place of Ruidíaz, opening a spot for Léo Chú.
Seattle struggled in their attack this year with several players unable to find consistent scoring form. Despite registering the second-most penalty area entries, the Sounders ended up in the bottom ten for shots on-target and goals. Additionally, they both created and squandered the seventh-most big chances.
Their Goals minus Expected Goals performance ranked fourth lowest in the league. While I've been critical of other teams in this stat, I believe Seattle is the most likely team to bounce back from a season of generally poor shot-taking.
While they generated a high volume of chances and shots across multiple players, Seattle also had two of the lowest performers of G - xG: Héber (2 goals vs. 7.3 xG) and Lodeiro (1 goal vs. 4.3 xG). Unfortunately, Héber finished with the worst difference in MLS.
Morris emerged as the club’s top goal scorer with 11 goals compared to an expected 9.3 xG. He was followed by Ruidíaz (5 goals vs. 5.7 xG), Chú (5 goals vs. 4.7 xG), and Rusnák (5 goals vs. 4.3 xG).
The Sounders tend to dominate possession, doing so in 27 of their 39 total regular season and playoff matches. In these games, they averaged 58% possession, consistently ranking in the top ten in possession stats or close to it. However, they did register the third most missed passes, but this could be a result of consistently having majority possession.
Stefen Frei once again demonstrated why he's among the league's top goalkeepers, delivering a stellar season between the posts. Across his 32 starts, he maintained one of the highest save percentages and ended with a post-shot expected goal performance of +3.1.
The Sounders' defensive line, led by defender of the year finalist Yéimar Gómez Andrade, conceded the second-lowest number of shots on target. This, combined with their emphasis on controlling possession, made for a great counterbalance to their frustrating attacking performance.
Seattle finished second in the Western Conference table with 41 goals for and 32 goals against. Just picture their standing if their scoring was more consistent.
This offseason will bring about a few major changes in their lineup, and Seattle are already making headlines with their first major transfer of the year. It's clear they're building an exciting squad for 2024.
Top Sorare Fantasy Performers
Goalkeeper: Stefan Frei | L15: 47 | 60+ pts games: 16 | Clean sheets: 16 | Penalties saved: 0
Defender: Yéimar Gómez Andrade | L15: 48 | 60+ pts games: 18 | Goals: 2 | Assists: 0 | Clean sheets: 16
Midfielder: João Paulo | L15: 43 | 60+ pts games: 19 | Goals: 0 | Assists: 4
Forward: Jordan Morris | L15: 49 | 60+ pts games: 10 | Goals: 14 | Assists: 0
Extra: Alex Roldan | L15: 49 | 60+ pts games: 11 | Goals: 1| Assists: 2
2024 Outlook
Last Updated 2/4/2024
GIF Rating:
Outgoing Players
Stefan Cleveland - Goalkeeper - Option Declined
Ethan Dobbelaere - Right Midfielder - Option Declined
Héber - Centre-forward - Option Declined
Abdoulaye Cissoko - Centre-back - Option Declined
Nicolás Lodeiro - Attacking Midfielder - Out of Contract
Fredy Montero - Centre-forward - Out of Contract
Kelyn Rowe - Central Midfielder - Out of Contract
Incoming Players
Pedro de la Vega - Winger - Transfer from Lanús
Jonathan Bell - Centre-back - Signed via re-entry draft
Nathan Cardoso - Centre-back - Signed as a free agent
David Musovski - Centre-forward - Signed as a free agent
A New Era for the Sounders
There were murmurings about, but Seattle legend Nicolás Lodeiro wansn’t offered a new contract by the club and has since joined Orlando City SC. His departure leaves a big gap in the team, especially considering his immense contribution to the club's success. It’s a tough decision, but, as mentioned, both he and Raúl Ruidíaz missed significant time last season, and both were designated players. The club is aiming to infuse fresh talent, which unfortunately means parting ways with others.
Seattle’s biggest offseason move is the transfer of Pedro de la Vega from Club Atlético Lanús as a designated player. I really like this signing as a means to bolster their attack. Ruidíaz will remain with the club this season, but it’s unclear if he or Jordan Morris will take the starting centre-forward spot. Another option is to buyout Ruidíaz’s contract and sign a new DP.
Additionally, Seattle signed Nathan Cardoso, who previously played for the San Jose Earthquakes and is returning from a season-long ACL injury. When healthy, Nathan excelled as a top-quality centre-back for San Jose and fits well into Seattle’s backline alongside Yéimar. However, the question remains about how quickly Seattle will reintegrate him into the starting lineup after such a long absence.
Overall, if Seattle can regress to the mean in goal scoring while maintaining their defensive form, this team has the potential to challenge for the top spot in the Western Conference and perhaps even contend for the Supporters’ Shield. The latter outcome may depend on the results of a notably strong Eastern Conference.