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  "description": "During the unbeaten run they're playing with verve and an attacking vibe that's been unusual during Schmetzer's reign",
  "path": "/2026/04/how-did-the-sounders-start-dominating-at-home/",
  "publishedAt": "2026-04-25T18:37:02.000Z",
  "site": "https://www.sounderatheart.com",
  "tags": [
    "five counter-attacking goals at home",
    "Use our affiliate links",
    "Pre-order IV magazine: World Cup edition",
    "Opposition scouting report: FC Dallas",
    "Under The Lights: Previewing FC Dallas with Sam Hale!",
    "Andrew Thomas growing comfortable with starter status",
    "Jesús Ferreira has enjoyed showing off playmaking abilities",
    "Peter Kingston breaks down his journey",
    "Realio’s Ratings: Home Cooking",
    "Sounders set a pair of team records in win over St. Louis",
    "Lobbing Scorchers: FIFA's decision will DESTROY the game",
    "Full Pull Wines",
    "Join their mailing list",
    "Victory +",
    "Jess Fishlock will retire at the end of the 2026 season",
    "The Cooler Guild: USWNT vs. Japan (x3) bonus",
    "Valkyratings: Summiting deferred",
    "MLSNextPro.com",
    "Ballard FC and Salmon Bay FC Reveal the 2026 Artist Kit",
    "Support Sounder at Heart",
    "How Seattle became a soccer city and earned its place as a World Cup host",
    "Sound Transit to keep light rail prices steady during World Cup in Seattle",
    "Spokane to host Egypt and world superstar during World Cup",
    "A Guide to Seattle Beer and Breweries for FIFA World Cup Fans",
    "Trump envoy seeks to replace Iran with Italy at World Cup, says report",
    "Italian sports minister dismisses plan for Azzurri to replace Iran at 2026 World Cup",
    "We designed the turf for soccer’s biggest World Cup ever – here’s how we created the same playing experience across 3 countries",
    "The 2026 World Cup could supercharge soccer in the U.S. — or slow its rise",
    "FIFA struggling to sell tickets for USMNT's World Cup opener vs. Paraguay",
    "World Cup final tickets listed for more than $2m on Fifa’s resale site",
    "US hotels slash summer room rates as World Cup demand falls short",
    "A calendar flip away from summer could do more harm than good for the NWSL",
    "NWSL awards expansion team to Columbus for record $205 million fee",
    "NWSL, players association team up on Project ACL initiative",
    "Longshot: Peter Kingston's comeback pathway to Seattle Sounders",
    "Former Unión player Yeimar Gómez Andrade spoke about a possible return: \"Hopefully our paths will cross again.\"",
    "22 Under 22: An early look at the best group of young talent in MLS history",
    "Everett seeks $10.6 million to finish stadium design",
    "The Vancouver Whitecaps are MLS’s best team this season. Why are they on life support?"
  ],
  "textContent": "First off, if you’re superstitious, you may want to skip this portion of the story. For better or worse, we’re going to talk about the Seattle Sounders’ unbeaten run because it’s amazing. Going the equivalent of a full season unbeaten at home while banging in massive amounts of goals is wonderful for the fans and the team.\n\nSecond off, it’s not just this run. That makes any chances of a jinx pretty poor. In 2025, the Sounders lost only 4 of 28 games at home (Minnesota 3–2, Botafogo 2–1, Atletico Madrid 3–1 and Paris St. Germain 2–0). There’s no shame in losing to those four especially when only one was a shutout.\n\nBut the past two years are quite different from the previous post-pandemic home seasons.\n\n  * In 2023, the Sounders’ home record was a middling 7–4–6, +8 good for 9th in the West.\n  * In 2022, they were a mediocre 9–5-3, +10 and 7th in the West.\n  * In 2021, the club was again mid at 8–4-5, +13 and 8th in the West.\n\n\n\n### What’s changed?\n\nTeams are still defending Seattle in deep blocks and preventing the counter, just as they did in those three average-at-best home seasons where they put up goal-scoring performances that were 28th, 14th and 14th, respectively.\n\nIn the current season-plus of strong home performances, the attack bursts forth much better than it did. There’s an energy and insistence that the opposition not be able to get set. Last year, they pushed in five counter-attacking goals at home and already have one this year. During those three mediocrities, there were only four total home counterattack goals.\n\nThe demand to go around set defenses is also backed up by the number of throughballs and big switches during the Fortress Lumen era. Sounders players are dribbling the opposition more. They were in the top third in 2025 and top three at home in 2026 (small sample size). In the mediocre home years, they were never in the top half for throughballs, switches or dribbles.\n\nWhen playing at home from 2025 to the present, the Sounders are playing with more risk, too. Where they were once afraid to lose the ball (bottom half of dispossessed and unsuccessful touches) they are now willing to take more risks – part of that is confidence in a stronger defense behind the attack and part of that must be the confidence that risk will be rewarded.\n\nThe Horseshoe of Death was reforged into a sleek Sabre of Skill, slicing and thrusting through defenses via risk, flash and fun. It’s paying off.\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\nPre-order IV magazine: World Cup edition\n\n### Sounders\n\nNext match: Saturday, April 25 vs. FC Dallas |7:30 pm PT | Apple TV\n\n  * Opposition scouting report: FC Dallas\n    * Under The Lights: Previewing FC Dallas with Sam Hale!\n  * Andrew Thomas growing comfortable with starter status\n  * Jesús Ferreira has enjoyed showing off playmaking abilities\n  * Peter Kingston breaks down his journey\n  * Realio’s Ratings: Home Cooking\n  * Sounders set a pair of team records in win over St. Louis\n  * Lobbing Scorchers: FIFA's decision will DESTROY the game\n\n\n\nSPONSORED\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\n                            Join their mailing list\n                        \n\n### Reign\n\nNext match: Sunday, April 26 vs. Utah Royals FC at Lumen Field | 5 pm PT | Victory +\n\n  * Jess Fishlock will retire at the end of the 2026 season\n  * The Cooler Guild: USWNT vs. Japan (x3) bonus\n  * Valkyratings: Summiting deferred\n\n\n\n### Defiance\n\nNext match: Sunday, April 26 vs. LAFC II at Starfire | 8 pm PT | MLSNextPro.com, OneFootball\n\n  * Ballard FC and Salmon Bay FC Reveal the 2026 Artist Kit\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  * How Seattle became a soccer city and earned its place as a World Cup host (Seattle Times)\n    * Sound Transit to keep light rail prices steady during World Cup in Seattle (FOX 13)\n    * Spokane to host Egypt and world superstar during World Cup (Spokeman Review)\n    * A Guide to Seattle Beer and Breweries for FIFA World Cup Fans(Washington Beer Blog)\n    * Trump envoy seeks to replace Iran with Italy at World Cup, says report (The Guardian)\n    * Italian sports minister dismisses plan for Azzurri to replace Iran at 2026 World Cup (The Guardian)\n    * We designed the turf for soccer’s biggest World Cup ever – here’s how we created the same playing experience across 3 countries (The Conversation)\n    * The 2026 World Cup could supercharge soccer in the U.S. — or slow its rise (Yahoo)\n      * FIFA struggling to sell tickets for USMNT's World Cup opener vs. Paraguay (New York Times)\n      * World Cup final tickets listed for more than $2m on Fifa’s resale site (The Guardian)\n      * US hotels slash summer room rates as World Cup demand falls short (Financial Times)\n  * A calendar flip away from summer could do more harm than good for the NWSL (The Guardian)\n  * NWSL awards expansion team to Columbus for record $205 million fee (Yahoo)\n  * NWSL, players association team up on Project ACL initiative (ESPN)\n  * Longshot: Peter Kingston's comeback pathway to Seattle Sounders (MLS Next Pro)\n  * Former Unión player Yeimar Gómez Andrade spoke about a possible return: \"Hopefully our paths will cross again.\" (Airede Santa Fe)\n  * 22 Under 22: An early look at the best group of young talent in MLS history (Tactics Free Zone) Only Snyder, the fifth Seattle DM to make these lists over the past few years.\n  * Everett seeks $10.6 million to finish stadium design (Everett Herald)\n  * The Vancouver Whitecaps are MLS’s best team this season. Why are they on life support? (The Guardian)\n\n",
  "title": "How did the Sounders start dominating at home",
  "updatedAt": "2026-04-25T21:12:49.532Z"
}