Seattle's 2-2 Draw at San Diego Shows a Squad Still Searching for 2016 Balance

Seattle Sounders FC left Snapdragon Stadium with a 2-2 draw against San Diego FC on Sunday, a result that keeps the club unbeaten in 10 of its last 11 MLS matches but does little to settle the larger question hanging over its season. Dejan Joveljić put Seattle ahead in the 50th minute, Sebastian Gomez doubled the lead five minutes later, and Anders Dreyer missed a penalty for San Diego before the hour. San Diego replied through Anders Dreyer on 60 minutes and Cédric Bakambu in the 90th, salvaging a point that the raw numbers suggest they deserved.

San Diego finished with 59 per cent possession, 13 shots to Seattle's 12, four shots on target to three, and four big chances to one. Their expected goals figure of 2.37 dwarfed Seattle's 1.35. By those measures, the home side created the better opportunities and the draw was a fair reflection of the run of play. Yet Seattle scored twice from relatively little, a return of 0.65 goals above their expected goals in this match, against an average of 0.0 across their earlier 2026 matches in all competitions. That is one match, not a trend, but it captures the shape of Seattle's season: competitive, occasionally clinical, rarely dominant.

The comparison that matters is not with San Diego but with Seattle's own past. In 2016, under Brian Schmetzer, the Sounders took 2.08 points per game over 13 league matches, a return of 8 wins, 3 draws and 2 losses. In 2026 so far, over 30 league games, that figure stands at 1.4 points per game from 11 wins, 9 draws and 10 losses. The gap is not marginal. It is the difference between a side that consistently turned draws into wins and one that has made a habit of dropping points.

Cristian Roldan called a recent home draw against last-place Montreal "unacceptable," stressing that the team must play with extreme urgency over its final four regular-season games to secure a playoff spot. That word, urgency, is telling. A club with 2.08 points per game does not need to speak of urgency in October. A club with 1.4 does.

The temptation is to frame this as a tactical problem, but the available evidence points elsewhere. The club exercised 2026 contract options on several players, putting it at 22 contracted players heading into next season. Obed Vargas and Travian Sousa are listed among significant departures since the summer, though the research does not specify how their absences have affected the midfield or the flanks.

Defensive depth is a particular concern. Centre back Yeimar has been limited to five starts this season due to a quad injury and left practice early on Thursday. His availability for the remaining regular-season matches is an open question. Against San Diego, Seattle conceded twice and allowed four big chances, a defensive profile that suggests the back line is not yet settled.

Seattle's recent form is not poor. The run before this match included a 3-1 win over Minnesota, a 2-1 win over Sporting KC, a 3-0 win at New England, a 1-0 loss at Dallas and a 1-1 draw with Montreal. Unbeaten in 10 of 11 is a respectable stretch. But respectability is not the standard this club set in 2016, and the points-per-game gap is the clearest measure of how far it has drifted.

Whether that drift is a temporary consequence of turnover or a more lasting shift is the question the final four matches will answer.