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  "description": "Sounders start an early-season defining road trip with their most challenging road opponent.",
  "path": "/2026/02/road-to-good-intentions-trophies/",
  "publishedAt": "2026-02-28T16:58:09.000Z",
  "site": "https://www.sounderatheart.com",
  "tags": [
    "win nearly 60% of their home games",
    "Use our affiliate links",
    "Order IV magazine",
    "Changing narratives",
    "Contract, roster designation, injury updates and win at RSL challenge",
    "Three Questions with Sounder at Heart",
    "Realio’s Ratings: Paulie Hustle",
    "Jordan Morris will be out four weeks with quad strain",
    "Fans React to Seattle Sounders Season Opener vs. Colorado Rapids!",
    "The new Mr. Sounder?",
    "Brian Schmetzer shares the secrets to his longevity",
    "MLS roster profiles reveal some unannounced Sounders extensions (before removal)",
    "Sounders will face Whitecaps in Concacaf Champions Cup",
    "Lobbing Scorchers: Seattle Sounders Concacaf Champions Cup Opponent REVEALED",
    "Full Pull Wines",
    "Join their mailing list",
    "a new free-to-view partner of the NWSL",
    "Seattle Reign train through the international break",
    "Madison Curry has become a top defender by trusting her gut",
    "Seattle Reign unveils new third kit",
    "OneFootball",
    "YouTube",
    "Four additional players signed by Defiance",
    "Joe Dale among three Defiance signings from college",
    "Ballard FC’s Nordic Kit: Hyperlocal with global roots",
    "Support Sounder at Heart",
    "Cristian Roldan’s MLS Training Blueprint for Elite Soccer Performance - Vitamin Rush",
    "USLPA authorizes strike with season kickoff looming",
    "How the USL’s expansion-first business model is breeding instability in American soccer",
    "Lionel Messi tackled by pitch invader during chaotic friendly in Puerto Rico",
    "World Cup host cities warn Congress over security concerns",
    "European countries fear playing in World Cup will mean financial loss",
    "Mexico cartel violence: Could Fifa World Cup hosting be compromised?",
    "Mexico president says 'no risk' for 2026 World Cup fans",
    "Minnesota United fans embrace rebel loon logo to help community hurt by ICE",
    "Megan Rapinoe says USA hockey allowed themselves to be used by Donald Trump",
    "Do USWNT newbies at SheBelieves Cup have a shot at World Cup next year?",
    "Women's World Cup qualifying: Wales grateful to have Jess Fishlock on board - Carrie Jones",
    "Claire Hutton has arrived: The youngest USWNT player to wear the armband is leading sooner than expected",
    "Why Are So Many Teen Girls Still Tearing Their ACLs?",
    "Atlanta NWSL Club Signs Women’s Record $28M Jersey Deal With Aflac",
    "West Brom sack head coach Ramsay after nine games"
  ],
  "textContent": "Winning home games is fun. It's nice to see a victory in comfort around your soccer friends. But it's expected. MLS teams win nearly 60% of their home games. That's higher than most leagues (EPL is in the upper 40%s).\n\nWinning home games isn't the path to winning trophies, though. The exceptional teams win their road games. Every team ahead of the Sounders in the 2025 Western Conference earned 1.47 points per match or more on the road. Seattle was at 1.11. In 2024 and 2023 the Sounders' strong road performance earned them a top-4 seed.\n\nShield winners are road winners – last year's Philly team was a poor road-performing Shield winner with only 1.5 ppm – often in the 2.00 ppm space.\n\nAnd, as Sounder at Heart readers know, no one wins MLS Cup on the road. Since the shift to higher seed hosting only one away team took the Cup with an outright win (Portland in 2015) and only two have won via kicks from the spot (Seattle and NYCFC).\n\nA club with ambitions for an MLS trophy must, **must** win on the road in order to host the playoffs at home.\n\nThis reminder comes because the Sounders start a five-match road swing at their absolute worst road stadium. Facing Real Salt Lake in Sandy, Utah to start that swing probably starts the Sounders on the wrong foot.\n\nRSL won five of their last six hosting Seattle, keeping clean sheets in each match. In fact their unbeaten run when hosting is at 16 matches in all competitions.\n\nThis early season test is as massive as the Wasatch Range.\n\nThe quality of the two teams hasn't mattered. For much of this run the Sounders have been the better side in the full standings, in trophies. Some of it is justified by the higher elevation (not quite a mile up, but the Sounders don't struggle as much at Colorado or even in Mexico's highlands!), but much of it can come down to mythology at this point.\n\nThe best way to rewrite a myth is to take its foundation, rip it apart and rebuild it. The Sounders once thought they'd done that – Lamar Neagle and Mario Martinez should have broken the legend.\n\nIt didn't happen.\n\nFor Seattle to be in the running to win the West or even more magically win the Shield, seeing 9 or more points from the road run would be a great sign.\n\nThat has to start tonight.\n\n> Use our affiliate links __ to support your bloggers when buying merch and tickets.\n\n* * *\n\n## Enjoying this content?\n\nSign up to get it delivered to your inbox everyday.\n\nSubscribe\n\nEmail sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup.\n\nNo spam. Unsubscribe anytime.\n\n## Catching up on Sounder at Heart\n\n> Here's what you missed on the site this week.\n\nOrder IV magazine\n\n### Sounders\n\nNext match: Saturday, February 28 at Real Salt Lake | 4:30 pm PT | Apple TV\n\n### **Training reports and previews**\n\n  * Changing narratives\n  * Contract, roster designation, injury updates and win at RSL challenge\n  * Three Questions with Sounder at Heart (Wasatch Soccer)\n\n\n\n### Recaps\n\n  * Realio’s Ratings: Paulie Hustle\n  * Jordan Morris will be out four weeks with quad strain\n  * Fans React to Seattle Sounders Season Opener vs. Colorado Rapids!\n\n\n\n### IV features\n\n  * The new Mr. Sounder?\n  * Brian Schmetzer shares the secrets to his longevity\n\n\n\n### Contract updates\n\n  * MLS roster profiles reveal some unannounced Sounders extensions (before removal)\n\n\n\n**Other stories**\n\n  * Sounders will face Whitecaps in Concacaf Champions Cup\n  * Lobbing Scorchers: Seattle Sounders Concacaf Champions Cup Opponent REVEALED\n\n\n\nSPONSORED\n\n\n\nThis newsletter was made possible through the support of Full Pull Wines, a boutique wines reseller that has been sponsoring us since 2011.\n\n Join their mailing list \n\n### Reign\n\nNext match: Sunday, March 15 at Orlando Pride | 1 pm PT | Victory+ (a new free-to-view partner of the NWSL)\n\n  * Seattle Reign train through the international break\n  * Madison Curry has become a top defender by trusting her gut\n  * Seattle Reign unveils new third kit\n\n\n\n### Defiance\n\nNext match: Sunday, March 1 vs. LAFC II | 7 pm PT | OneFootball, YouTube\n\n  * Four additional players signed by Defiance\n  * Joe Dale among three Defiance signings from college\n  * Ballard FC’s Nordic Kit: Hyperlocal with global roots\n\n\n\nSupport Sounder at Heart\n\n* * *\n\n## Looking back at the news\n\n> Everything else you need to know\n\n  * Cristian Roldan’s MLS Training Blueprint for Elite Soccer Performance - Vitamin Rush (Vitamin Rush)\n  * USLPA authorizes strike with season kickoff looming (ESPN)\n    * How the USL’s expansion-first business model is breeding instability in American soccer(Backheeled)\n  * Lionel Messi tackled by pitch invader during chaotic friendly in Puerto Rico (The Guardian)\n  * World Cup host cities warn Congress over security concerns (ESPN)\n    * European countries fear playing in World Cup will mean financial loss (The Guardian)\n    * Mexico cartel violence: Could Fifa World Cup hosting be compromised? (BBC)\n    * Mexico president says 'no risk' for 2026 World Cup fans (Reuters)\n  * Minnesota United fans embrace rebel loon logo to help community hurt by ICE (Pioneer Press)\n  * Megan Rapinoe says USA hockey allowed themselves to be used by Donald Trump (Awful Announcing)\n  * Do USWNT newbies at SheBelieves Cup have a shot at World Cup next year? (ESPN Insider)\n  * Women's World Cup qualifying: Wales grateful to have Jess Fishlock on board - Carrie Jones (BBC)\n  * Claire Hutton has arrived: The youngest USWNT player to wear the armband is leading sooner than expected (CBS Sports)\n  * Why Are So Many Teen Girls Still Tearing Their ACLs? (New York Times)\n  * Atlanta NWSL Club Signs Women’s Record $28M Jersey Deal With Aflac (Sportico)\n  * West Brom sack head coach Ramsay after nine games (BBC)\n\n",
  "title": "Road to good intentions (trophies)",
  "updatedAt": "2026-02-28T16:58:11.619Z"
}