Title elevates Sounders to rightful place among MLS royalty

Outshot 19-3. Zero attempts on target. No scoring chances created in 120 minutes.

Maybe it wasn’t Seattle Sounders FC’s most convincing effort, but given the crazy nature of the Sounders’ season, could there have been a more appropriate way to claim the first MLS championship in franchise history?

Seattle lifted the MLS Cup when the Sounders defeated Toronto FC in penalty kicks on Saturday at BMO Field in Toronto. And though it wasn’t an imperious performance by Seattle, it still — at long last — served to elevate the Sounders into their rightful place among MLS royalty.

Since the moment Seattle entered MLS as an expansion team in 2009, the Sounders and their supporters have strived to transform themselves into one of the league’s elite franchises. Seattle quickly nurtured the largest and most enthusiastic fan base in the nation. The Sounders leveraged the resources generated by their large crowds into bringing in high-priced stars. The team made the playoffs every season, and it claimed all the peripheral baubles by winning four U.S. Open Cups and a Supporter’s Shield.

But none of that truly elevated the Sounders to royal status. No, Seattle was merely the upstart nobleman trying to muscle himself into the king’s court, only to be dismissed by the inner circle as the youngster trying too hard to make an impression.

But by claiming the MLS Cup, the Sounders have earned their seat at the round table.

It sure didn’t seem like this was the season in which Seattle would join the league’s aristocracy. Indeed, this was by far the most tumultuous season in the franchise’s eight years. The team was 6-12-2 and in ninth place in the 10-team Western Conference when head coach Sigi Schmid, the only coach in franchise history, was dismissed in late July. Forward Clint Dempsey, the team’s most decorated knight, was lost for the season in August because of an irregular heartbeat. Even the most devout supporters seemed resigned to the franchise’s first losing season, as well as watching the playoffs from afar.

But the Sounders, behind Schmid’s successor Brian Schmetzer, proved the importance of maintaining faith, no matter how dark the horizon may seem. Seattle turned its season around in epic fashion to put itself into the playoffs, then the Sounders carried that momentum through the playoffs and into the title tilt.

Saturday’s game against Toronto was further evidence of the importance of keeping the faith. Seattle was comfortably outplayed by Toronto through the scoreless 90 minutes of regulation, as well as the two goal-less overtime periods. In the battle of star players, Toronto’s Italian international Sebastian Giovinco had far more influence than Seattle’s Uruguayan international Nicolas Lodeiro. Sounders sniper Jordan Morris was all but invisible, while Toronto target man Jozy Altidore was a constant presence in and around Seattle’s penalty box.

But Seattle dug in its heels on defense. Central defenders Roman Torres and Chad Marshall stood tall under Toronto’s constant pressure. And goalkeeper Stefan Frei, playing against the team he played for from 2009-13 before joining the Sounders, was the game’s most pivotal figure. His save in the 108th minute, when he flew to his left and reached his left arm behind him to claw Altidore’s looping header out of the goal, was the moment that saved the game for Seattle.

In the end it came down to penalty kicks. It may not be the most satisfying way to crown a champion, given its random nature. But credit the Sounders’ players for keeping their cool under the most intense of pressures, as five of Seattle’s six penalty-kick takers converted. Torres thumped home the decider, and the Sounders were champions.

No, 2016 won’t be remembered as the smoothest of seasons for the Sounders. Nor was Saturday’s victory the most scintillating way in which to claim a championship.

But don’t expect the Sounders to apologize for the path they traveled to claim the title. After all, they’re a member of MLS royalty now.

For more on the Seattle sports scene, check out Nick Patterson’s Seattle Sidelines blog at www.heraldnet.com/tag/seattle-sidelines, or follow him on Twitter at @NickHPatterson.