What Went Wrong, Playoff Edition: Set-Piece Defense Undid Sounders
What Went Right: July, August and September. Nothing could go wrong it seemed. Fredy Montero went from good to grand, and while the Sounders struggled in the CCL they dominated League Play and again won the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup. Seattle developed pairings in the middle during that stretch as well. At defense they settled on Jeff Parke and Patrick Ianni, in midfield it was Osvaldo Alonso and Nathan Sturgis and the forward pairing of Montero and Blaise Nkufo. Each of these three sets was much stronger than any other that the Sounders tried earlier. While they weren't perfect in this stretch many started to think of them as a challenger for the MLS Cup.
What Went Wrong: Set-play defense. It sucked to start the season and allowed too many teams into games. The biggest signal of how bad that could be was an extra time draw at Rio Tinto to Real Salt Lake. The first 10 games of the season were marred with this. It was fitting that the Sounders' season ended on the same note.
What we learned: Sigi develops favorites. Whether it be players; in this case Sanna Nyassi. Or formations, a traditional 4-4-2. Sigi sticks with what he knows and likes, at least when he finds it working. So despite struggles in passing, or having a central midfield get occaisionally dominated Seattle was locked into a formation and lineup that got results, despite having holes.
Core 11: (As I voted on the Protectinator) Montero, Nkufo, Mike Fucito, Steve Zakuani, Alvaro Fernandez, Alonso, Brad Evans, Parke, Ianni, former MLS Best XI Jhon Kennedy Hurtado and Kasey Keller. While this leaves James Riley and Leo Gonzalez available, it wouldn't be an expansion draft without the right back dangling out there.
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