Sounders get a tie for the road | OneFootball

When I played basketball on the middle school team I went to an away game wearing shorts and a T-shirt in December in New England. The coach was upset and demanded that I wear pants to away games. Even the Lakers started requiring that the players wore ties on the road. Is a tie on the road a good idea? For the Sounders, it will have to be.

The Sounders came away with a point after playing their last-season nemesis, Minnesota. Both teams came away with clean sheets. While they failed to come away with 3 points, and they were close a couple of times, is that good enough in the MLS?

The Sounders have a long road trip with their home field being closed for putting grass on the field in preparation of the World Cup. They have numerous injuries and the Concacaf tournament to contend with with multiple games each week.

Jordan Morris did return to the pitch, but Sounders Nation is still waiting for the return of Pedro de la Vega and Yeimar, among others. With all those things being in the balance, Brian Smetzer has a lot to factor in.

On the road, the Sounders have stepped up their defense and have performed well so far. They have advanced in the Concacaf tournament and take on the Mexican team the Tigres next on April 8th. As players return from injury and rest in between performances, the Sounders have also allowed some of their younger players to gain meaningful game experience. The early optics for the younger players and the new additions to this season's squad has looked promising.

While failing to win on the road, that isn't required for the Sounders to set themselves up for a better position for the playoffs as well as contending for the various tournaments that the Sounders have found so much success in making them a premier team in the league. Don't get me wrong, I still cursed the post when Christian Roldan's shot caromed off the crossbar and over the goal in the first half.

Nouhou was the defensive star in this game, locking down Minnesota on the right side of the attack. Alex Roldan suffered from a hip-pointer that drew an end to his day, but Kalani Kossa-Rienzi showed his improvement over the off-season and stepped up when called upon.

Moving forward, Minnesota has still provided a puzzle for the Sounders that they have yet to solve. For now, the Sounders have their next game on April 4th against Houston. They have another busy month in April, so they will need their rest and recovery time. Then maybe they can suit up and sport more than a tie for the road!

As a side note, Georgi Minoungou has been sold to the Colorado Rapids. Minoungou came up in the Sounders system and dazzled Sounders Nation as he regularly blew past defenders 1-on-1. His creative play will be missed, but hope the best for him... as long as it doesn't come at the expense of the Rave Green!