Sounders FC coach Schmetzer rues chance quality but not quantity

Alex Roldan’s shot over the bar was one of many good, but not great, chances Sounders spurned
Photo: Nate Koppelmann/Prost International

After his side’s 0-0 draw with Houston Dynamo, Sounders FC head coach Brian Schmetzer was thoughtful when asked about an old soccer adage.

Many coaches will tell you that as long as the side is creating chances, poor finishing and good opposition goalkeeping will inevitably give way to goals if, and it’s commonly a big if, coach players and fans are patient enough.

However rather than clutch at that as some form of comfort, Schmetzer pointed out that not all chances are equal.

Houston Dynamo were forced onto two early substiutions. Firstly Ethan Barlow limped off in the 21st minute to be replaced by former Sounder Daniel Steres. More disruptively, goalkeeper Jimmy Maurer left the field in the 67th minute to be replaced by Blake Gillingham.

It would be reasonable to think that losing a defender in the 21st minute and a goalkeeper any time might expose weaknesses in the defence and connectivity of a side that was already struggling.

Sadly for Seattle, both Steres and Gilingham performed heroically.

After the game, Prost asked Sounders FC coach Brian Schmetzer if he agreed with conventional soccer wisdom that as long as a side is creating chances, goals will eventually come.

His answer was somewhat nuanced.

He had no issue with the quantity of chances his side produced, but maintained they were mostly good chances but no more than that and they were certainly not all the kind of chances he would expect to lead to a goal.

“An expected goal is something funny for me. I’m more of an old school tech-type guy than stats, and more what did the team feel like.

“Yes, we had some good chances but they were from a little bit further back.

“Alex Rodan’s shot is a good example of the young goalkeeper making a save. That ball got stuck under his feet, he cut it into the back post maybe it was going wide, maybe the goalkeeper touches it.

“It really wasn’t a clear chance.

“It was a good chance so if that’s what you’re saying is we had five of those, I might disagree because we need real chances, really good chances and really hitting the ball, like Alex in the first half and JP in the second, the two I mentioned.

“Those two chances should go in. I’d likely agree that these were real chances.

“Is there any silver lining? Is the team playing well enough offensively?

“Up to a point, until the 18 (yard line). Maybe you could say that (they were playing well offensively). Maybe you could say that.

“But reality says we got two points. So my message to the team just now was exactly along those lines.”

Against San Jose last week, they amassed 26 shots with nine on target but scored just once, despite having 65% of the possession.

The story was not dissimilar.

Quakes Brazilian goalkeeper was just part of their problem. Alex Roldan headed a Paul Rothrock cross too straight and too close to the keeper in the first half.

Nouhou Tolo had three long range efforts in a short space in the second half. It was only in the 80th minute that Albert Rusnak brought an end to a goal drought six minutes over three hours.

Sounders head to San Diego on Saturday for the first ever meeting between the clubs.

The hosts are coming back off their first defeat but had amassed 11 points in their five games before that.