Sounder at Heart

Shot (via @americansocceranalysis.com c/o @tiotalfootball.bsky.social).

Chaser — except it’s actually just a glass of pure gasoline. #RCTID

Panic Rankings: February 2026 Preseason, real games and we’re already discussing who our sixth center back is. Let the panic ensue.

We’re trying out a new monthly feature: Panic ratings.

✍️: @sfromo19.bsky.social

www.sounderatheart.com/2026/03/pani...

Leagues Cup schedule 2026: Sounders will open in Mexico Sounders will be first MLS team to play at a Liga MX opponent in Leagues Cup.

The Sounders will become the first MLS team to play a Leagues Cup game in Mexico when they visit Toluca on Aug. 5.

www.sounderatheart.com/2026/03/leag...

Defend our throne 👑

Our Leagues Cup Phase One opponents are set!

8/5 @ Toluca
8/9 v. Querétaro
8/12 v. Chivas

MORE ➡️ sndrs.com/przoliyj

The Queretaro game is the one included in season-tickets while the Chivas game is “pay as we play” and requires an opt-out if you don’t want it.

And it looks like the Toluca game is actually on the road in Mexico…

Leagues Cup schedule is out. Sounders schedule:
Aug. 5 vs. Toluca (1)
Aug. 9 vs. Queretaro (31)
Aug. 15 vs. Chivas (15)

This is a very tough draw. Toluca currently 2 in the Liga MX table, Chivas is 3. Queretaro is 17th but Sounders would almost certainly need at least six points to advance.

A big thank you to @sounderatheart.com for giving us some of their local insights on @RedSmokeRising.bsky.com! It’s much appreciated. Give them a follow.

tell me about it…

you’re right

Paul Arriola says he’s fit enough to start It has been almost exactly one year since he tore his ACL.

A year removed from his ACL injury, Paul Arriola says he’s “absolutely” fit enough to start.

www.sounderatheart.com/2026/03/paul...

Niko Moreno (sounderatheart, pulso sports) on Q13 sports with the Sounder at Heart IV magazine placement in the background

Props to @elrolonw.bsky.social for the @sounderatheart.com magazine product placement on Q13 sports reports

Tactical Rewatch: Fumbling toward ecstasy Amid an uneven away game a glimmer of welcome progress

We’re launching a new feature this week in which @joshonthesound.bsky.social rewatches games and shares tactical notes. Give it a look:

www.sounderatheart.com/2026/03/tact...

If you missed me raving about Mark Bronnik and Rafael Jauregui on Nos Audietis last week, you may want to catch up. Both got on the score sheet in their Next Pro debuts; Jauregui assisted Tacoma's first goal, then Bronnik equalized on their second.

Postgame Pontifications: Better to just move on The Sounders played fine at RSL, but history tells us that there’s not much to learn from this fixture.

Frustrating as this ongoing inability to win at RSL is, the Sounders didn’t actually play particularly bad. But @jeremiah.sounderatheart.com isn’t sure much was learned either way.

www.sounderatheart.com/2026/03/post...

First time in Rave Green 💚

Congratulations to Nikola on making his club debut over the weekend!

Defiance open 2026 season with a shootout loss Two late goals allow Defiance to force shootout, but it’s not enough.

Defiance storm back to force shootout, but can’t grab the bonus point in season-opener.

www.sounderatheart.com/2026/03/defi...

LAFC2 get the bonus point after winning the shootout 4-1. Two Defiance players had pens saved.

Oh, there are pens…

What a season-opener for the Defiance. They fall behind 2-0 and equalize on two late goals by Yu Tsukanome and Mark Bronnick (on his debut). Yu ends up with a great look at an open goal on what turns out to be game’s final play but shoots high…

The American Soccer Pyramid Problem Nobody's Talking About YouTube video by Lobbing Scorchers

We also caught up with @usltactics.com to discuss what seems to be an opening pipeline from USL to MLS.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=u84F...

Tacoma Defiance 2026 players to watch Who may be next on the Defiance to first team conveyor belt

The Tacoma Defiance open their season tonight. Once again, they’ve got a bunch of interesting players. @twimberly23.bsky.social identified some you should be paying attention to:

www.sounderatheart.com/2026/03/taco...

Another loss in Utah: Sounders fall at Real Salt Lake The Sounders run their winless streak in Utah to 16 games.

One of these days, the streak will end. This was not that day.

www.sounderatheart.com/2026/03/rsl-...

Not sure I’d agree with that. Definitely some poor defending but plenty of effort, especially in terms of chance creation.

I’m sure they looked at it, but there wasn’t any evidence it was actually off.

Schmetzer also noted that the decision to pull off Yeimar and play Alex roldan at cb was purely tactical as the Sounders were chasing a 2-0 deficit.

Schmetzer did take some blame on the second goal, noting that he wanted Sounders to press more coming out of half. Paul Rothrock was a little late to close down passer, Nouhou a bit too far forward, Yeimar slow to recover.

Brian Schmetzer talked about the save Cabral made on Yeimar, noting that there was an open goal but the shot went straight at keeper. “The story of this game is we just needed to make plays in the game both offensively and defensively and we came up short.”

Asked about the play of Kevin Cabral, Snyder Brunell insisted the RSL goalkeeper wasn’t in the Sounders’ heads. He notes if the Musovski goal were just a few feet onside or if he had hit his volley just a little to the right that it would have been very different.

He kept him on but Yeimar was pretty deep and didn’t track Piol at all.