The 2024 season was the sixteenth season for Seattle Sounders FC in Major League Soccer (MLS), the top flight of professional club soccer in the United States. It was the 41st season for a professional team bearing the Sounders name, which had originated in 1974 with the first incarnation of the franchise. The team remained under the management of Brian Schmetzer in his eighth full MLS season as head coach of the Sounders.
The club finished with an overall record of 22 wins, 13 losses, and 12 draws in their 47 competitive matches in 2024, which included regular season, Leagues Cup, U.S. Open Cup, and MLS Cup playoffs matches. The Sounders finished as runners-up in the Western Conference Final in the playoffs and semifinalists in the U.S. Open Cup.[2] In their final 11 matches of the season (including four playoff matches), the team conceded only six goals.[3]
The Sounders finished second in the Western Conference during the 2023 regular season and qualified for the MLS Cup playoffs after missing the 2022 edition.[4] The team were eliminated in the Conference Semifinals by Los Angeles FC, which ended a 19-match home unbeaten streak in the playoffs.[5] Throughout the year, Seattle had one of the best defenses in MLS but were unable to produce many goals, especially during the absence of Cristian Roldan.[6] The roster had not changed significantly during the year due to salary cap constraints and largely was retained from the 2022 season.[7]
The 2024 season was the first for the Sounders under their updated logo, unveiled in September 2023 as part of the club's 50th anniversary celebrations.[8] It was also the first season at their new headquarters and training facility, the Sounders FC Center at Longacres in Renton, which opened in February 2024 and replaced the Starfire Sports complex in nearby Tukwila.[9][10] The new facility, shared with the Tacoma Defiance and academy teams, includes four full-size fields, a dedicated kitchen and lounge, and a players' clubhouse.[9]
Summary
Preseason
The team was expected to undergo major roster changes after the expiration of contracts for key players according to Craig Waibel, who entered his second year as general manager.[11] Among the departures was former captain and midfielder Nicolás Lodeiro, who has a Designated Player contract that expires during the offseason.[12] He entered free agency on December 12, 2023.[13][14] Seattle's two other Designated Players, Raúl Ruidíaz and Albert Rusnák, have contracts that run through the season.[15][16]
On December 4, 2023, the club announced that they would retain 22 players from the 2023 roster and declined the contract options for backup goalkeeper Stefan Cleveland, midfielder Ethan Dobbelaere, and forward Héber.[17] Goalkeeper Stefan Frei signed a new two-year contract the following day.[18] The Sounders selected three players in the 2024 MLS SuperDraft, including two from colleges in the Pacific Northwest, and acquired defender Jonathan Bell in the Re-Entry Draft.[19][20] Bell was signed on January 12 alongside forward Braudílio Rodrigues, a former Tacoma Defiance player.[21] With the return of Danny Leyva from his loan to the Colorado Rapids, the Sounders entered preseason with three young center midfielders who would compete to play alongside João Paulo.[22] On January 24, the team announced the signing of Argentinian forward Pedro de la Vega to four-year Young Designated Player contract—the first in Sounders history.[23]
The Sounders opened their training camp in the Seattle area on January 16 and then traveled to Marbella Football Center Spain for preseason friendlies and additional training.[24][25] The team played their first preseason opponent, Serbian club FK TSC, on January 31 and won 3–2 over the course of two hour-long scrimmages with two different lineups.[26] The Sounders then defeated Swedish side IFK Norrköping and lost to Danish side Odense BK in two matches; all three matches in Marbella were played without the team's starting defenders due to injuries and national team call-ups.[27][28] The team returned to Seattle and opened the new Longacres training facility on February 13.[9] The Sounders played their final preseason friendlies against Sacramento Republic FC and reserves from the Tacoma Defiance at Longacres on February 17; the team lost the first match against Sacramento and won the second match, which was split between Sacramento and Tacoma players. Following the matches, Schmetzer said that the Sounders "didn't play up to their potential" but said that new signing Pedro de la Vega's abilities "are as advertised".[29]
February–April
The first home match of the season for Seattle Sounders FC, a scoreless draw with Austin FC
The first match of the season, against MLS Cup runners-up Los Angeles FC, was played on the road due to the installation of new FieldTurf at Lumen Field.[13] The Sounders traveled without several injured starters, including goalkeeper Stefan Frei, defender Yeimar Gómez Andrade, and midfielder Albert Rusnák. The team played with a modified two-forward formation and conceded two goals by the 55th minute; back-up goalkeeper Andrew Thomas made four saves in his debut. Pedro de la Vega scored from a penalty kick in the 72nd minute that was awarded by the video assistant referee for a foul on Jordan Morris; the match ended in a 2–1 loss for Seattle.[30]
Former captain and midfielder Osvaldo Alonso returned to retire with the Sounders and signed a one-day contract on February 29, 2024.[31] The team's home opener ended as a scoreless draw with Austin FC; the Sounders outshot their opponent 24–3 but were unable to score from their chances.[32] Pedro de la Vega left early in the second half with a right hamstrung injury, which the Sounders later announced would prevent him from playing for six to eight weeks.[33] The team traveled across the country to face the Philadelphia Union at Subaru Park, but the match was suspended in the sixth minute due to the waterlogged field. After an evaluation, the match was postponed to a later date; the Union's planned trip to Mexico for the CONCACAF Champions Cup made a next-day rematch infeasible.[34] Back at home, the Sounders faced the Colorado Rapids in a match that ended with a 1–1 draw.[35] The Sounders then experienced consecutive losses on the road with a 3–2 loss to the San Jose Earthquakes and a 1–0 loss to the LA Galaxy.[36][37] With a record of 0 wins, 3 loses, and 2 draws, it was also the Sounders' worst season start since 2018 when they began with 0 wins, 3 loses, and 1 draw.[38]
The Sounders began April at home with their first win of the season in a 5–0 defeat of CF Montréal.[39] Striker Raúl Ruidíaz, who had scored two goals and one assist against Montreal, was named Player of the Matchday for his performance.[40] On the road, the Sounders faced off against FC Dallas for a match ending in a scoreless draw while Frei made his 300th regular season appearance.[41] The Sounders experienced another pair of consecutive losses after losing 2–0 at home to the Vancouver Whitecaps, their Cascadia Cup rivals, and 2–1 on the road against D.C. United.[42][43] On April 23, the Sounders traded defender Xavier Arreaga to the New England Revolution in exchange for a 2025 international roster slot and $75,000 in general allocation money.[44] The Sounders returned to Subaru Park to face the Union in a continuation of the match that had been previously suspended in March. During the first half, the Sounders took the lead with a brace from Ruidíaz and a goal from Obed Vargas, the first of his MLS career. Early in the second half, defensive errors allowed the Union to score two goals but the Sounders held on for a 3–2 win.[45]
May–July
Back at home in May, the Sounders faced the LA Galaxy in a rematch that ended in a scoreless draw despite the Sounders outshooting the Galaxy 11–3.[46] In a midweek match at the Starfire Sports Complex, the Sounders advanced to the round of 16 in the U.S. Open Cup after defeating Louisville City FC on penalties. Thomas, who had been signed to a new three-year contract on May 6, made the match-winning penalty kick.[47][48] On the road in a rivalry match against the Portland Timbers, the Sounders won 2–1, ending a run of six losses against the Timbers.[49] The Sounders then traveled to play Real Salt Lake in a midweek fixture that ended in a 2–0 loss for Seattle.[50] Back at home, the Sounders were held to a 1–1 draw against Vancouver in a match that featured the return of Pedro de la Vega who had been dealing with hamstring injuries since the first two games of the year.[51] In the round of 16 for the U.S. Open Cup, the Sounders defeated USL Championship club Phoenix Rising FC 2–1 at Starfire.[52] Following a 2–1 win away against St. Louis City SC, the Sounders improved their standings to place them above the playoffs qualification line.[53] At home, Rusnák scored his first goal of the season in a 1–1 draw against Real Salt Lake.[54]
In June, the Sounders lost 2–1 on the road against Sporting Kansas City after conceding a late goal.[55] The Sounders celebrated their fiftieth anniversary in a home match against Minnesota United FC. They won 2–0 with goal contributions from Morris and forward Paul Rothrock, his first of the season.[56] On the road, the Sounders were held to a 2–2 draw against the Houston Dynamo FC that saw defender Jackson Ragen score his first goal of his MLS career.[57] The Sounders then began a three-game homestand with a 3–2 victory over FC Dallas that featured a brace from Morris.[58] Rusnák then scored his own brace against Chicago Fire FC by converting penalties for a 2–1 win, putting Seattle above the playoff line in ninth place.[59] Prior to the match against Chicago Fire, Schmetzer announced Ruidíaz and Nouhou had been banned from training with the team for a week due to an "internal matter".[60]
Note: Sacramento was replaced by Tacoma Defiance players for the second half of the match.[62]
Competitions
In addition to league play, the Sounders also participated in several cup competitions. In July and August, MLS play halted for the Leagues Cup, an international competition with Liga MX clubs hosted in the United States and Canada.[63] Seattle was one of eight MLS clubs that played in the U.S. Open Cup based on the 2023 Supporters' Shield standings; other MLS teams were represented by MLS Next Pro squads as part of a compromise between MLS and U.S. Soccer.[64] MLS had previously announced their intention to not send any senior MLS squads to the competition due to fixture congestion and other factors.[65]
Source: MLS A = Away; H = Home; W = Win; D = Draw; L = Loss
Regular season
The 2024 regular season schedule was released on December 20, 2023. The Sounders played 34 matches during the regular season from February 24 to October 19. Of those regular season matches, 28 were played against teams in the Western Conference; the six matches against teams from the Eastern Conference were all played before the Leagues Cup break in July.[63]
On March 1, 2024, the Sounders were confirmed as one of eight MLS clubs that would enter the 2024 U.S. Open Cup in the round of 32 with their full senior squad, while other MLS clubs were represented by their MLS Next Pro counterparts. Seattle qualified as one of the top seven clubs in the 2023 regular season standings that is not participating in the 2024 CONCACAF Champions Cup.[68]
The 2024 Leagues Cup, the second edition of the expanded inter-league competition between MLS and Liga MX hosted in the United States and Canada, began on July 26. All MLS matches were paused until the end of the tournament on August 25. The Sounders were drawn into group West 6 alongside Minnesota United FC and Liga MX's Club Necaxa; the competition's schedule was released on March 14, 2024.[70] MLS teams played a minimum of two matches in the tournament, of which they hosted at least one; matches did not include extra time and proceed directly into a penalty shootout if tied after regulation time.[71]
For the 2024 season, the Sounders were permitted a maximum of 30 signed players on the first team, of which 10 roster positions were designated for supplemental and reserve players.[72] Additional homegrown players are eligible to be signed to off-roster slots and are able to appear in MLS matches through short-term agreements.[73] A base salary cap of $5.47million applied to the non-supplemental players with exceptions for certain categories, including up to three Designated Players who counted for a set amount in the cap.[72] The Sounders were also allocated six international slots that were filled by players from outside the United States who did not have a green card. Two of these slots were traded in January 2024 to Los Angeles FC for general allocation money to be used in 2025.[74]
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality. Squad includes all players who had first team contracts or appearances during the 2024 season across all competitions. Ages listed for each player is calculated from February 24, 2024, the first matchday of the MLS regular season.
For transfers in, dates listed are when Seattle Sounders FC officially signed the player to the roster. Transactions where only the rights to the players are acquired are not listed. For transfers out, dates listed are when Seattle Sounders FC officially removed the players from its roster, not when they signed with another club. If a player later signed with another club, his new club will be noted, but the date listed here remains the one when he was officially removed from the Seattle Sounders FC roster.[78]
One-year contract with options for 2025 and 2026; college priority rights traded from New York City FC for natural third-round pick in 2025 MLS SuperDraft[82]
Draft picks were not automatically signed to the team roster. Only those who are signed to a contract were listed as transfers in. Only trades involving draft picks and executed after the start of the 2024 MLS SuperDraft are listed in the notes.
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