After the Sounders were thoroughly outplayed in the first half Sunday, yet dodged and ducked to a scoreless draw, general manager Garth Lagerway looked over at his boss. Club owner Adrian Hanauer, a kid from Mercer Island who came to wealth and then to Major League Soccer with a passion to create a team with a global brand in a global sport, was tighter than yoga pants on Santa.

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After the press gaggle ended at the Sounders' Starfire training center in Tukwila Wednesday, Brian Schmetzer was walking back to the building when I suggested to him that what he has accomplished as Sounders coach -- Sunday is his third MLS Cup appearance in four years -- rates him mention among Don James, Lou Piniella, George Karl, Mike Holmgren and Pete Carroll in Seattle sports' top modern-era coaching achievers.

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The bi-coastal relationship continues to flourish: Toronto FC vs. the Sounders on a third date at the MLS Cup. This time it's at Seattle's place.

Toronto, the Eastern Conference's No. 4 seed, secured the tickets to the title match Wednesday with a 2-1 win over homestanding Atlanta United, the No. 2 seed and defending MLS champs.

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Good as Los Angeles FC was alleged to be, they were little match Tuesday night for the badasses from Seattle.

The Sounders didn't care about LAFC's 72-point regular season, an MLS record, or its record-tying 85 goals. Didn't matter that LA gave up only 37. The facts that the second-year club held a 3-0-1 advantage in the two-year head-to-head, or that Vegas bookies pronounced it 6-1 favorites, or even that the Western Conference final was at LA's sold-out Banc of California home field, were of little consequence.

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Against the Seattle Sounders in the MLS Western Conference semifinals Wednesday night, Real Salt Lake goalkeeper Nick Rimando turned in another legendary performance -- the final one of his 20-year career. It was undone, however, by a goal from Gustav Svensson to propel Seattle to a third conference final in four years.

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BY STEVEN AGEN

Sometimes it's the move you don't make.

Sounders coach Brian Schmetzer was ready to pull Jordan Morris for fresher legs. The fact that he didn't allowed Morris to complete a hat trick with the winning goal in extra time for a 4-3 triumph over FC Dallas Saturday. Seattle moves on to the Western Conference semifinals Wednesday at the Clink against Real Salt Lake, 2-1 winner over Portland Saturday.

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The Sounders making the postseason is as sure a sign that it’s October as seeing candy at the front of the local grocery, or witnessing Starbucks customers indulge in pumpkin spice. The club is back, hosting FC Dallas (13-12-9, 48 points) Saturday (12:30 p.m., FS1) as it begins its pursuit of a second MLS Cup.

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Far be it from me to tell Russell Wilson how to drop a dime on a receiver 40 yards downfield. But when Wilson steps off the the field and moves into the world of Seattle sports business, I'm a bit more comfortable in clearing my throat for a rousing, "Ahem . . . " when he throws into coverage.

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Garrulous and bombastic, Hollywood producer Joe Roth always wanted to win, always wanted to put on a show. As Seattle Sounders part-owner from the MLS beginnings, he could be a load to handle for his partner, the more reticent and self-effacing Adrian Hanauer. But at 71, Roth wanted to be bought out of his shares. So Hanauer found 11 Seattle wealthies eager to jump into pro sports ownership.

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Celebrating their 10th anniversary MLS season, the Sounders Saturday night got the band back together. Kasey Keller, Roger Levesque, Lamar Neagle, Steve Zakuani and Brad Evans drew the biggest hoo-rahs from those in the crowd of 39,011 who went back to the 2009 launch of the most successful expansion franchise in league history.

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One of the more dubious customs of Major League Soccer has been the length of the season, roughly the equivalent of three Russian winters. Moments after the final goal is scored in the MLS Cup, teams load equipment trucks and head south for next season's training.

The Sounders in November devised a workaround: Lose in the conference semifinals. Yes, a bit of a bad look. But after a pair of maximum seasons that reached consecutive MLS Cups, getting a few days away is working out OK.

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Sigi Schmid peered over his cards and eyed the two foes still at the table during what they had all agreed was going to be the last hand of the poker party.

The players across from him stared at their cards, then at Schmid, who had been winning for most of the last hour. If he was reading the situation right, he was about to win again. He thought his three sevens would hold up.

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Sigi Schmid, the MLS expansion Sounders' first coach, died Wednesday, three weeks after being hospitalized at Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center in need of a heart transplant. He was 65. Cause of death was not disclosed.

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After 120 minutes of intense physicality Thursday, after consecutive games this week, after 43 years of rivalry, the best game ever between the Seattle Sounders and Portland Timbers came down to damnable penalty kicks.

The Timbers were better. The Sounders were aghast. The sellout crowd of nearly 40,000 was stunned.

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BY STEVEN AGEN

PORTLAND -- The Seattle Sounders knew it would be hard, but perhaps not this hard.

They emerged from the charged atmosphere of Providence Park Sunday night with playoff hopes intact, but physical health less so. The 2-1 loss in the first leg of the MLS playoff series to the Portland Timbers included injuries to Christian Roldan, Chad Marshall and Gustav Svensson.

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Beset by a suspension, injuries and age, and surrounded by a rejuvenated younger lineup, Sounders star Clint Dempsey, 35, announced Tuesday the end of one of the greatest careers in American soccer history. The three-time U.S. Soccer male athlete of the year, tied for the most goals by an American in international play, is retiring.

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The Sounders' intense pursuit of Peruvian international Raul Ruidiaz climaxed Friday with the signing of the 27-year-old striker to a deal as the club's newest designated player. He spent the past two seasons playing in Mexico with Liga MX side Morelia, but won't be eligible to play with Seattle until after MLS's secondary transfer window opens July 10, meaning his first game won't be until July 15 against league-leading Atlanta.

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Since we won't know whether Seattle will host matches in the 2026 men's World Cup until probably 2020, it's a tad early to get lathered. What can be said with more certainty is if Seattle is one of the 10 chosen from a field of 17 competing U.S. cities, interested soccer fans should begin driving right away. They likely will make it by the opener.

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A milestone game between the Sounders and Timbers, No. 100 dating back to the primordial-ooze days of American soccer, turned into a millstone for the Seattle side. An easy 86th-minute goal by Sebastian Blanco, following the departure of a key Sounders defender to injury, not only accounted for Portland's 1-0 triumph, it kept the Sounders (2-5-2) in last place in the Western Conference.

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For those who weren't playing attention, the MLS had its annual day off a while back. Nevertheless, it's easy to tell the new season is here: The Sounders are dorking around.

Knowing they were stuck playing three games in six days, they ran out a bit of an exhibition-game lineup Sunday afternoon that helped give an expansion franchise a first-game win at a place where road teams go to die.

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