The Sounders Season, Ugh

After another disappointing and poorly contested lose on Saturday, it is pretty obvious the Sounders miss Obafemi Martins. Losing their best player and leading scorer has essentially rendered the offense sterile. They are incapable of a sustained attack and nobody on the team appears to have any moves capable of beating a defender one on one. Nobody has been able to recreate the chemistry that Martins had with Dempsey.

Nelson Valdez is supposed to be a good offensive player, but so far this season he has been a complete non-factor. He has been late on nearly every cross and he has mis-hit the few he makes it too. He is not the answer. Jordan Morris and Oalex Anderson  are highly regarded and show flashes of raw talent. They could both turn into good players in the future. However, at this point in their careers they can't be relied on. Neither is playing at a high level currently. In the present the Sounders need somebody to provide a spark and jump-start this offense into mediocrity.

The Sounders are now 2-4-1 in their first seven games and if not for a miraculous last second goal against Houston they would have one win on the season. I know it is beating a dead horse, but it is important to reiterate, the offense has been putrid. There is only one stat needed to show just how bad they have been. In seven games they have scored just seven goals. That is worst in the Western Conference.

All the blame can't be placed on the attack. The defense has played inconsistently. They have been great at times and poor at others. The Sounders players are making key mistakes when it matters most. They give up way to many shots and force Stefan Frei into tough saves. With an offense playing as poorly as the Sounders it is important that the defense keeps the score really low. Giving up 10 goals in 7 games is usually fine, but not when you have only scored 7.

At this early stage in the season it looks like the Sounders string of consecutive playoff appearance is in grave danger. They are not out of it when you just look at the standings, but if you watch the team play you can tell they just aren't that good.  The attack is terrible and the defense is susceptible to lapses. Sigi Schmid and the Rave Green need a major change of direction if they are going to save this season.