There was a stretch not too long ago when the MLS playoffs were a time of torture in Seattle. For seven straight years and despite consistent regular season quality, the Sounders failed to reach the MLS Cup final, falling to lower-seeded sides on three occasions and advancing past the quarterfinals only twice.
Then in 2016, fueled in part by a miracle extra-time save by Stefan Frei in an upset win over Toronto FC, the Sounders eventually broke through. Since then, they’ve claimed a second MLS title and been back to the final three more times.
