Link posty post:

How much was Sigi Schmid to blame for his own downfall with the Sounders? from Elliott Turner

I liked this:

What’s perplexing is that while the Sounders struggled in the MLS Cup playoffs, they won four US Open Cups. Seattle also enjoyed a few strong runs in the Concacaf Champions League. It’s not so much that Schmid couldn’t win in in knockout competition - it’s that he couldn’t win when it mattered.

Schmid’s time at Seattle, like a play, is perhaps best divided into three acts: Act One - Expansion, Act Two - Consolidation, and Act Three - Decline. Expansion clubs in MLS and other North American leagues can often struggle at the onset, but Schmid’s knowledge of both MLS and the college game allowed the Sounders to hit the ground running. Act One was an unqualified success. Unlike Toronto where a weak team killed the interest of passionate new fans, Seattle enjoyed a halo effect: success on the field led even more fans to pack into Qwest stadium.