That thud you heard all the way from Texas was the Seattle Sounders blowing a match they should have won against Austin FC. The 2-1 defeat perfectly encapsulated their recent struggles. Two massive defensive mistakes allowed Austin’s goals, but it was the offensive chances squandered that kept Seattle from putting this one away early. The final score was extremely disappointing, because Seattle controlled the flow of play for significant periods, created a number of big opportunities, and yet were only able to find the back of the net a single time.

After riding high from the Leagues Cup, the Sounders are suddenly dropping points. They’ve earned one point out of their last nine available, blowing defensive assignments late in two winnable matches. The once-sturdy defense that was a hallmark of Seattle’s success now looks porous and prone to critical errors at inopportune moments. At the same time, their attack lacks the clinical finishing touch required to convert chances into goals. This combination of defensive fragility and offensive inefficiency has the Sounders sliding down the Western Conference standings, and it could derail their playoff aspirations if not addressed quickly and decisively.

Great Expectations: Only weeks ago, the Sounders were the...