Sounders’ playoff streak continues, will host midweek
Published 3:28 pm Sunday, October 23, 2016
The streak continues.
Seattle Sounders FC’s streak of making the MLS playoffs in every season of its existence was extended thanks to a 2-1 victory over Real Salt Lake on Sunday at CenturyLink Field. Seattle was one of four teams battling for the Western Conference’s last three playoffs spots on the final day of the season. The results of Sunday’s games involving the relevant teams:
Seattle Sounders 2, Real Salt Lake 1
Sporting Kansas City 2, San Jose Earthquakes 0
Vancouver Whitecaps 4, Portland Timbers 1
That made the final Western Conference standing (top six qualify for the playoffs):
4. Seattle, 48 points
5. Kansas City, 47 points
6. Salt Lake, 46 points
7. Portland, 44 points
The Sounders reaching the playoffs seemed an unlikely prospect in late July, when Seattle was one point off the bottom of the Western Conference standings and head coach Sigi Schmid was dismissed. However, the Sounders finished the season by going 8-2-4 in their final 14 games to make it eight straight trips to the postseason.
Seattle didn’t just qualify for the playoffs, Sunday’s victory means the Sounders have home-field advantage for the first round. Seattle finished as the fourth seed and will host fifth-seeded Sporting Kansas City on either Wednesday or Thursday night at CenturyLink Field. The winner of that game advances to the conference semifinals against either top-seeded FC Dallas or the second-seeded Colorado Rapids, which will be a home-and-home set.
