| 2023 season | |||
|---|---|---|---|
 | |||
| General manager | Craig Waibel | ||
| Head coach | Brian Schmetzer | ||
| Stadium | Lumen Field | ||
| Major League Soccer | Conference: 2nd Overall: 7th | ||
| MLS Cup playoffs | Conference semifinals | ||
| U.S. Open Cup | Round of 32 | ||
| FIFA Club World Cup | Second round | ||
| Leagues Cup | Group stage | ||
| Top goalscorer | League:Jordan Morris (11) All: Jordan Morris (14) | ||
| Highest home attendance | League: 42,054 (June 3 vs.Portland)[1] | ||
| Lowest home attendance | League: 30,011 (Mar. 4 vs.Salt Lake)[1] | ||
| Average home league attendance | 32,161[1] | ||
| Biggest win | League: 4–0 vs.Colorado (Feb. 26)[1] | ||
| Biggest defeat | League: 1–4 atPortland (Apr. 15)[1] | ||
The2023 season was the 40th season ofSeattle Sounders FC, a professionalsoccer team based inSeattle, Washington, United States. It was their 15th year inMajor League Soccer (MLS), the top flight of American soccer, and the 40th season played by a professional team bearing the Sounders name, which originated in 1974 with thefirst incarnation of the franchise. The team was under the management ofBrian Schmetzer in his seventh full MLS season as head coach of the Sounders.
Seattle had won the2022 CONCACAF Champions League and qualified for theFIFA Club World Cup, which was played in early February. Following a preseason camp in Spain, the team traveled to Morocco and played Egypt'sAl Ahly in the second round, where they lost 1–0. The Sounders returned to the United States and played in the MLS regular season from February to October; they finished second in theWestern Conference and qualified for theMLS Cup Playoffs for the first time since the2021 season. In the playoffs, the Sounders eliminatedFC Dallas in abest-of-three series but lost to defending championsLos Angeles FC in the Western Conference Semifinals.
The team entered the2023 U.S. Open Cup in the third round and defeatedSan Diego Loyal SC of theUSL Championship before losing to theLA Galaxy in the round of 32. The Sounders also played in the2023 Leagues Cup, which featured every MLS andLiga MX team, and finished third in their group behindCF Monterrey andReal Salt Lake.Jordan Morris led the team in scoring with 14 goals across all competitions. At their home stadiumLumen Field, the Sounders drew anaverage attendance of 32,161 during the regular season, the third-best figure in MLS.
Early in the 2022 season, the Sounders won theCONCACAF Champions League by defeatingUNAM ofLiga MX. They became the first Major League Soccer team to win the CONCACAF Champions League and third to win an international CONCACAF competition.[2] The season ended with the team missing theMLS Cup Playoffs for the first time since joining the league, snapping a 13-year streak—among the longest in professional North American sports at the time.[3][4] Four Sounders players were called up to international teams for the2022 FIFA World Cup: forwardJordan Morris and midfielderCristian Roldan for theUnited States; defenderNouhou forCameroon; and defenderXavier Arreaga forEcuador.[5]
The 2023 season was the first with jersey sponsorProvidence Health & Services.[6] The choice of Providence as sponsor was criticized by fans and several organizations, including theEmerald City Supporters and the Sounders FC Alliance Council, due to the healthcare system's policies on abortion and transgender care, as well as its treatment of low-income patients.[7] A new secondary kit to honorBruce Lee was unveiled during preseason; it was primarily red with a dragon pattern as an homage to his final film,Enter the Dragon, and included the seal of Lee'sJeet Kune Do martial art.[8] It was also the first under a broadcast contract withApple TV+, which offered all league matches through itsMLS Season Pass streaming platform. The club's television play-by-play commentator,Keith Costigan, joined Apple's national broadcast team while other members moved to the retained radio broadcast or other roles.[9] A limited number of MLS matches were also broadcast on U.S. television byFox Sports, including six that featured the Sounders.[10]
Following the end of the 2022 season, general managerGarth Lagerwey departed Seattle to become president ofAtlanta United FC. He was replaced by technical directorCraig Waibel on November 30.[11] During the offseason, the Sounders exercised their contract options on most of their roster with the exception of forwardWill Bruin and midfielderAlfonso Ocampo-Chavez; defenderJimmy Medranda was also released intofree agency.[12] The club had 11 players with guaranteed contracts through the 2023 season, including most of their veteran squad.[13] In late December, the club acquired forwardHéber through a trade withNew York City FC.[14] Seattle also signed twoHomegrown Players, midfielderSota Kitahara and goalkeeperJacob Castro.[15] The club's twoSuperDraft picks, forwardEythor Bjørgolfsson and defenderBlake Bowen, were signed by reserve sideTacoma Defiance after training with the first team.[16]
The Sounders opened their training camp atStarfire Sports inTukwila on January 4, 2023, with a full roster of healthy outfield players following the return ofJoão Paulo andObed Vargas from their 2022 injuries.[17] The team played several intra-squad scrimmages during their Seattle training camp due to difficulty finding MLS andUSL Championship teams with open schedules.[18][19] The Sounders moved toMarbella, Spain, in late January as part of preparations for theFIFA Club World Cup hosted in Morocco the following month.[20] There, the club was split into separate teams for scrimmages on January 28 against two European teams: a scoreless draw withWolfsberger AC of Austria and a 3–2 loss to Swedish sideHammarby IF.[21][22]
Seattle entered the Club World Cup in the second round and lost 1–0 to Egypt'sAl Ahly, conceding a deflected goal in the 88th minute.[23] They were the first MLS team to play in the Club World Cup and earned $1 million in prize money as a participant.[24] The team were eliminated from the tournament, but a month later qualified for the expanded2025 FIFA Club World Cup as one of four CONCACAF entrants—all recent Champions League winners.[25] Following their return from Morocco, the Sounders played a closed-door scrimmage againstLouisville City FC of the USL Championship and won 2–1 with a set of rotated lineups.[26] Several players remained in limited training through the end of February due to injuries and fatigue, including Vargas and strikerRaúl Ruidíaz.[27]
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The Sounders opened their MLS regular season campaign on February 26 at home against theColorado Rapids. The team earned a 4–0 win—Cristian Roldan scored the opening goal of the season and was followed byJordan Morris' pair of headers. Héber also scored in his MLS debut for the club.[28] Morris and Héber scored a goal each in the following week's 2–0 victory overReal Salt Lake at home.[29] Héber later suffered a hamstring injury during training and was replaced in the starting lineup byFredy Montero, who had returned to the Sounders on a renewed one-year contract. Seattle's first away match of the season ended in a 1–0 loss toFC Cincinnati despite the home side earning ared card. A late equalizing goal byYeimar Gómez Andrade was called off by thevideo assistant referee due to a foul in the build-up.[30]
The team earned their third homeshutout in a scoreless draw with reigningMLS Cup 2022 championsLos Angeles FC. Ruidíaz returned to the starting lineup, but was substituted early due to injury concerns.[31] The Sounders played againstSporting Kansas City with several positional changes due to the absence of six players who had been called up to international teams. Jordan Morris became the first Sounders player to score four goals—all assisted byLéo Chú—in the club's 4–1 victory, their first on the road since July 2022.[32][33] Morris was moved from the wing to the center forward position to compensate for the loss of Ruidíaz and Héber, but their recovery left the Sounders with more offensive options. In an interview, manager Brian Schmetzer stated that "Sounders fans should be happy because we've got a really freakin' good team."[34]
Morris scored his fifth consecutive goal for the club in a 2–1 win over theLA Galaxy atDignity Health Sports Park inCarson, California. The goal was assisted by Chú, who also scored from outside the 18-yard box in the first half.[35] The Galaxy cut the lead by a goal and made several unsuccessful attempts to score an equalizer; the team appealed for a penalty following an allegedhandball byNouhou in stoppage time, but were denied.[36] GoalkeeperStefan Frei finished the match with seven saves and tiedOsvaldo Alonso for the most MLS starts in club history at 322 matches.[35]Brian Schmetzer also became the third-fastest coach in MLS history to reach 100 wins, having done so in 212 matches.[35] During a home match the following week, the Sounders earned a 3–0 victory over expansion teamSt. Louis City SC to replace them atop the Western Conference.Josh Atencio scored his first career MLS goal, while Raúl Ruidíaz returned as a substitute and scored his first goal since September 2022.[37][38]
The Sounders traveled to Portland and faced theirlocal rivals, theTimbers, without starting midfielders Cristian Roldan andAlbert Rusnák, who were both injured. Ruidíaz scored the opening goal of the match in the 58th minute, but the Timbers scored four goals to earn their fourth consecutive win against the Sounders.[39] After the match, Schmetzer called the result an "emotional punch to the jaw" and said that the Sounders "have to get back to understanding that this is a rivalry"; he also attributed the shift in momentum to his substitution of Léo Chú for Héber and uncharacteristic defensive mistakes.[40][41] Ruidíaz suffered a hamstring strain during the match and was later ruled out for four to five weeks;[42] Cristian Roldan, still underconcussion protocols, and left-backNouhou were also unavailable for the next match at home againstMinnesota United FC.[43] Rusnák scored his first goal of the season in the 1–0 victory over Minnesota in the 79th minute, ending a defensive deadlock that had limited scoring chances for the Sounders.[43]
The club entered theU.S. Open Cup in the third round along with other lower-ranked MLS teams and hostedSan Diego Loyal SC of the second-divisionUSL Championship atStarfire Sports in Tukwila. The Sounders fielded a lineup of reserves with eight players making their 2023 debuts—including several players from reserve sideTacoma Defiance on temporary contracts—to rest starters for upcoming league matches.[44] The hosts took a 2–0 lead over San Diego in the opening half-hour, but conceded a penalty in the 53rd minute that was converted byJoe Corona. The Sounders reclaimed their two-goal lead but conceded twice—a free kick from Corona and a long-distance strike byKyle Adams in stoppage time—to finish regulation time at 3–3. In extra time,Reed Baker-Whiting scored from outside the box for Seattle, but San Diego'sJackson Kasanzu headed an equalizer shortly after entering as a substitute. Kasanzu conceded a penalty in stoppage time that was converted byFredy Montero for his second goal of the game as the Sounders won 5–4 and advanced in the U.S. Open Cup for the first time since 2017.[44][45]
The Sounders returned to MLS play with a scoreless draw against Real Salt Lake in Utah, where the team had only won once in fifteen previous regular season matches. DefenderKelyn Rowe started the match and left in stoppage time with a knee injury; he had replaced Nouhou after the latter contractedmalaria.[46][47] Defiance defenderCody Baker was signed to a short-term contract to replace Rowe ahead of the next match at home against Sporting Kansas City, which the Sounders would play without the injured Roldan and Ruidíaz, as well as João Paulo for yellow card accumulation.[48][49] Sporting Kansas City earned their first win of the season after scoring twice in the opening half-hour; Montero earned a penalty for the Sounders in the second half that was converted by Lodeiro, but the team lost 2–1, their first loss and non-shutout at home in 2023.[49] The Sounders were eliminated from the U.S. Open Cup in the round of 32, played a few days later, by losing 3–1 on the road to the LA Galaxy. The club fielded six reserve and youth players alongside Fredy Montero andXavier Arreaga, but conceded two goals toMemo Rodríguez in the second half.Paul Rothrock scored his second goal of the tournament for the Sounders from a header in the 68th minute, shortly after Rodríguez's first goal.[50]
A few days after their elimination from the U.S. Open Cup, the team traveled to play theHouston Dynamo with both Baker and Rothrock signing an additional short-term contract to fill in for injured first-team players. The match was disrupted in the first half by a weather delay and included two red cards shown to Dynamo players; the sole goal in the 1–0 away victory was scored by Rothrock in the 87th minute.[51] A total of eight players who appeared during the match against the Dynamo had been developed in the Sounders academy, setting a club record.[52] The Sounders returned home to playAustin FC, who snapped an eight-match winless streak with a 2–1 midweek win at Lumen Field; after several substitutions, Fredy Montero scored for Seattle in the 79th minute and the team unsuccessfully pushed for an equalizer.[53] The Sounders then lost 2–0 on the road toVancouver Whitecaps FC, conceding a goal toPedro Vite in the first half and anown goal by Stefan Frei in the second; the result dropped the team to second in the Western Conference.[54]
The Sounders began a three-match homestand with a 1–0 win against theNew York Red Bulls, who they played for the first time in four years. Morris scored the lone goal of the match in the 22nd minute, but was substituted three minutes later due to a groin injury; Seattle maintained a shutout despite losing João Paulo, who was sent off after receiving a second yellow card in the second half.[55] In a midweek home match, the Sounders lost 1–0 to theSan Jose Earthquakes, who broke a 14-match away winless streak.Jeremy Ebobisse scored early in the second half as the hosts made 23 shots that forced eight saves out of Earthquakes goalkeeperDaniel.[56] The team finished May still atop the Western Conference standings and only one home win in four matches at Lumen Field.[57]
On June 3, the Sounders and women's teamOL Reign held adoubleheader event at Lumen Field, their shared home venue, against their respective Portland rivals.[58] The clubs sold 42,054 tickets to the doubleheader, which began with a scoreless draw between the Sounders and Timbers; it was the 100th MLS shutout for Frei and also marked the return of Cristian Roldan following his concussion.[59] After the match, Schmezter stated that the team had "dropped points" but he "believe[d] in the process that we have" especially as players returned from injuries; the Sounders had only scored four goals over an eight-match stretch that included four losses.[60] The team then traveled to playCharlotte FC with Roldan and Ruidíaz returning to the starting lineup for the first time since early April. The Sounders took the lead three times through a first-half goal by Roldan and a brace from Ruidíaz, but the match ended in a 3–3 draw.[61]
The team took a break from play during the mid-June international window and lost Jordan Morris, Cristian Roldan, and Alex Roldán to national team call-ups ahead of theCONCACAF Gold Cup. The Sounders played mid-week on the road against Los Angeles FC and lost 1–0 after conceding a goal in the first minute and struggled to find a chance to equalize.[62] They returned home and playedOrlando City SC to a scoreless draw to continue their month-long winless streak; Ruidíaz was absent for the match to attend a family funeral.[63] The five-match winless streak for the Sounders ended on July 1 with a 1–0 win at home against the Houston Dynamo, who again had a player sent off. Rusnák scored the lone goal of the match in the 67th minute.[64]
The Sounders traveled to Vancouver for their next match but would play with goalkeeperStefan Cleveland replacing Stefan Frei, who had a concussion during training. The team won 3–2 after trailing twice against the Whitecaps and not earning a penalty for a potential handball in the box. Léo Chú scored two equalizing goals in the 60th and 76th minutes from set-pieces that were assisted by defenderJackson Ragen's headers. The winning goal was created in stoppage time by Chú's cross into the box, which was deflected to reachYeimar Gómez Andrade, who scored from inside the box.[65] In their second away match of the week, the Sounders lost 2–0 to the San Jose Earthquakes, who won theHeritage Cup as a result. San Jose scored from a penalty kick in the 19th minute and a volley shot off a corner kick in the second half, while Seattle were limited to two shots on goal.[66] The Sounders returned home to faceFC Dallas with their full contingent of starting players after the conclusion of the Gold Cup. The teams played to a 1–1 draw that began with anown goal by Dallas defenderSam Junqua and was followed by aBernard Kamungo header to equalize in the first half. Seattle entered the Leagues Cup break at fourth place in the Western Conference.[67]
In July and August, MLS play halted for theLeagues Cup, an international competition withLiga MX clubs hosted in the United States and Canada.[68] The Sounders were drawn into group West 2 alongsideReal Salt Lake and Liga MX'sMonterrey.[69] They opened the tournament on the road with a loss to Real Salt Lake after a scoreless first half. The Sounders made several half-time substitutions and called for a penalty early, but instead conceded from a counter-attack while disputing the referee's non-call. Real Salt Lake defenderMarcelo Silva was shown a red card in the 60th minute for a foul, but the hosts won 3–0.[70] The Sounders hosted Monterrey in the final matchday of the group stage and scored two goals in the first ten minutes, but then conceded four goals—including ahat-trick byGermán Berterame—to lose 4–2. The team were eliminated from the Leagues Cup and finished third in group West 2; their next match would be 20 days later in mid-August.[71]
The Sounders returned to regular season play on August 20 by hostingAtlanta United FC at Lumen Field under hazy conditions due tonearby wildfires. The team lost 2–0 as Atlanta'sGiorgos Giakoumakis scored in the 11th and 65th minutes to beatStefan Frei, who had been named captain and set a new club record for appearances in all competitions with his 340th match. The Sounders had several chances in the second half, but were unable to convert them.[72] In their next match, on the road againstMinnesota United FC, the Sounders made several positional changes and earned a draw. Both goals in the 1–1 draw were created through headers by Yeimar—a 17th-minute goal for the Sounders and anown goal in the second half—and Frei made three saves in the last minutes of the game.[73]
The team ended their six-match run without a win by defeatingAustin FC 2–1 during an away game at the end of August. The Sounders took the lead early in the second half through Jordan Morris while Frei made several saves to prevent Austin from scoring a second goal; both Morris's goal and a Frei save minutes later were reviewed by the video assistant referee but allowed to stand. The winning goal was scored at the beginning of stoppage time by Albert Rusnák after he received a rebound from an earlier shot byObed Vargas.[74] The Sounders then hosted the Portland Timbers in their penultimateCascadia Cup fixture of the season; the home side took a 2–0 lead in the first half through goals by Raúl Ruidíaz and Léo Chú, who was sent off in the 53rd minute for his second yellow card of the match. The Timbers equalized through a pair of goals three minutes apart, but were held to a 2–2 draw after several saves from Frei. The two goals were the most the Sounders had scored at Lumen Field since April but extended a six-year home winless streak against the Timbers.[75][76]
The Sounders began a three-match road trip by playingFC Dallas to a 1–1 draw that saw the return of Cristian Roldan following his concussion treatments. Dallas took the lead in the first half, butAlex Roldán's volley off a cross byReed Baker-Whiting in the 57th minute tied the score.[77] The team traveled to play the Colorado Rapids later in the week and won 2–1 to maintain their second-place rank in the Western Conference. Chú returned from his suspension to score the opening goal in the 34th minute, which was followed by Rusnák's header in the second half from a Cristian Roldan cross; the Rapids scored in the 80th minute, but were unable to find an equalizer and lost to the Sounders at home for the first time since 2018.[78] After a one-weekbye, they finished the road trip with a scoreless draw againstNashville SC. Héber's goal for the Sounders in the 58th minute was disallowed after video review due to an offside.[79]
The team clinched a playoff berth on October 4 with their 2–1 defeat of theLA Galaxy, their first home win since July. The Sounders took the lead in the ninth minute through a header from Jordan Morris, but conceded an equalizer early in the second half; Cristian Roldan scored the winning goal in stoppage time off a throw-in by Alex Roldan that was headed towards him byJosh Atencio.[80] Seattle's final home regular season match was played three days later against Vancouver Whitecaps FC with 33,666 in attendance. It finished in a scoreless draw as Vancouver goalkeeperYohei Takaoka made five saves. The result dropped the Sounders to third in the Western Conference.[81]
OnDecision Day, the Sounders defeated conference leadersSt. Louis City SC 2–0 on the road and clinched second in the Western Conference;[82] with a loss, the team could have finished as low as sixth.[83] Both goals were scored in the first half, beginning with Rusnák's shot from distance in the 23rd minute, which was followed by Reed Baker-Whiting's attempt that was deflected byTim Parker as an own goal.[82] St. Louis were awarded a penalty kick for a foul by Cristian Roldan onNiko Gioacchini in the 66th minute, but it was rescinded after video review due to the lack of contact.[84]
Seattle finished the regular season with a 14–9–11 record and were undefeated in their final nine matches.Stefan Frei set a team record for the most shutouts in a season at 14, surpassing his total in the2017 season.[82] Jordan Morris was the top goalscorer during the regular season with 11 goals in 26 matches.[85] The Sounders had an average attendance of 32,161 spectators per home match, the third highest in the league.[86]
As the second-place team in the Western Conference, the Sounders were paired with seventh-placedFC Dallas in the first round of the playoffs, which would be played as abest-of-three series.[85] The team hosted the opening match at Lumen Field and won 2–0 with Rusnák's penalty kick before half-time and a header by Morris off Nouhou's cross in the 74th minute. Stefan Frei made four saves to keep a shutout after several turnovers gave Dallas opportunities to shoot on goal.[87] In the second game, the Sounders lost 3–1 after a penalty kick was awarded to Dallas by the video assistant referee in the 13th minute and a second goal five minutes later. Morris scored after half-time and had another goal that was ruled offside; a foul on Ruidíaz in the 75th minute was recommended for a potential penalty kick by the video assistant referee but was not awarded.[88] A berth in the Conference Semifinals was clinched on November 10 with a 1–0 home victory, giving the Sounders a 2–1 result in the best-of-three series. Rusnák scored the lone goal of the match in the 36th minute amid several Seattle chances that missed or were saved by Dallas goalkeeperMaarten Paes.[89]
The playoffs paused for three weeks due to an international break and resumed with the Conference Semifinals.[90] The Sounders hosted defending MLS Cup champions Los Angeles FC in the Western Conference Semifinals on November 26 and lost 1–0 after they conceded a goal toDenis Bouanga in the 30th minute. The Sounders had the majority of chances to score but failed to beat goalkeeperMaxime Crépeau, who made seven saves.[91] RefereeTed Unkel was criticized by media and fans for his officiating during the match, particularly missed calls that would have been in Seattle's favor. The defeat marked the end of a 19-match unbeaten streak at home in the playoffs for the Sounders and was their first home playoff loss since 2013.[92]
Win Draw Loss Void Upcoming fixture
| January 28 | Seattle Sounders FC | 0–0 | Wolfsberg | Marbella, Spain |
| 4:30 a.m.PST | Nouhou 85' | Report | Stadium:Dama de Noche Football Pitches Attendance: 0 (Behind closed doors)[93] |
| January 28 | Seattle Sounders FC | 2–3 | Hammarby | Marbella, Spain |
| 7:30 a.m.PST | Report | Stadium:Dama de Noche Football Pitches Attendance: 0 (Behind closed doors)[93] |
| February 18 | Seattle Sounders FC | 2–1 | Louisville City FC | Tukwila, Washington |
| 10:30 a.m.PST | Report | Mares 74' | Stadium:Starfire Sports Attendance: 0 (Behind closed doors) |
Win Draw Loss Void Upcoming fixture
The19th edition of theFIFA Club World Cup took place from February 1 to 11 in Morocco. The Sounders entered in the second round and were drawn against the winner of the first match, to be played between theOFC championAuckland City FC of New Zealand and theCAF Champions League runners-upAl Ahly of Egypt.[94] The winner of the second round match would playReal Madrid CF, the winners of theUEFA Champions League.[95]
v
Al Ahly| February 4Second round | Seattle Sounders FC | 0–1 | Al Ahly | Tangier,Morocco |
| 9:00 a.m.PST | Report | Stadium:Ibn Batouta Stadium Attendance: 30,589 Referee:Anthony Taylor (England) |
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | L | T | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | St. Louis City SC | 34 | 17 | 12 | 5 | 62 | 45 | +17 | 56 | Qualification forround one and theCONCACAF Champions Cup Round One |
| 2 | Seattle Sounders FC | 34 | 14 | 9 | 11 | 41 | 32 | +9 | 53 | Qualification forround one |
| 3 | Los Angeles FC | 34 | 14 | 10 | 10 | 54 | 39 | +15 | 52 | |
| 4 | Houston Dynamo FC | 34 | 14 | 11 | 9 | 51 | 38 | +13 | 51 | |
| 5 | Real Salt Lake | 34 | 14 | 12 | 8 | 48 | 50 | −2 | 50 |
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | L | T | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | Philadelphia Union | 34 | 15 | 9 | 10 | 57 | 41 | +16 | 55 | Qualification for theCONCACAF Champions Cup Round One[a] |
| 6 | New England Revolution | 34 | 15 | 9 | 10 | 58 | 46 | +12 | 55 | Qualification for theCONCACAF Champions Cup Round One[b] |
| 7 | Seattle Sounders FC | 34 | 14 | 9 | 11 | 41 | 32 | +9 | 53 | Qualification for theU.S. Open Cup Round of 32[c] |
| 8 | Los Angeles FC | 34 | 14 | 10 | 10 | 54 | 39 | +15 | 52 | |
| 9 | Houston Dynamo FC(U) | 34 | 14 | 11 | 9 | 51 | 38 | +13 | 51 | Qualification for theCONCACAF Champions Cup Round One andU.S. Open Cup Round of 32[d] |
| Overall | Home | Away | |||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD |
| 34 | 14 | 11 | 9 | 41 | 32 | +9 | 53 | 7 | 6 | 4 | 19 | 11 | +8 | 7 | 5 | 5 | 22 | 21 | +1 |
Last updated: October 21, 2023.
Source:MLS
| Matchday | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | 32 | 33 | 34 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stadium | H | H | A | H | A | A | H | A | H | A | H | A | H | A | H | H | H | A | A | H | H | A | A | H | H | A | A | H | A | A | A | H | H | A |
| Result | W | W | L | D | W | W | W | L | W | D | L | W | L | L | W | L | D | D | L | D | W | W | L | D | L | D | W | D | D | W | D | W | D | W |
| Position | 1 | 1 | 6 | 6 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 9 | 8 | 8 | 6 | 8 | 10 | 11 | 10 | 9 | 8 | 9 | 8 | 9 | 8 | 9 | 7 |
The Major League Soccer schedule was released on December 20, 2022.[10] The Sounders played 34 matches—mostly against opponents from the Western Conference—during the regular season from February 26 to October 21.[96]
| February 261 | Seattle Sounders FC | 4–0 | Colorado Rapids | Seattle, Washington |
| 5:00 p.m.PST | Report | Cabral 87' | Stadium:Lumen Field Attendance: 30,032 Referee:Alex Chilowicz |
| March 42 | Seattle Sounders FC | 2–0 | Real Salt Lake | Seattle, Washington |
| 7:30 p.m.PST | Report | Ojeda 62' | Stadium:Lumen Field Attendance: 30,011 Referee: Victor Rivas |
| March 113 | FC Cincinnati | 1–0 | Seattle Sounders FC | Cincinnati, Ohio |
| 4:30 p.m.PST | Report |
| Stadium:TQL Stadium Attendance: 25,513 Referee: Joseph Dickerson |
| March 184 | Seattle Sounders FC | 0–0 | Los Angeles FC | Seattle, Washington |
| 1:00 p.m.PDT |
| Report | Stadium:Lumen Field Attendance: 32,515 Referee:Ismail Elfath |
| March 255 | Sporting Kansas City | 1–4 | Seattle Sounders FC | Kansas City, Kansas |
| 5:30 p.m.PDT | Report |
| Stadium:Children's Mercy Park Attendance: 18,629 Referee:Alex Chilowicz |
| April 16 | LA Galaxy | 1–2 | Seattle Sounders FC | Carson, California |
| 4:30 p.m.PDT | Report |
| Stadium:Dignity Health Sports Park Attendance: 22,008 Referee:Allen Chapman |
| April 87 | Seattle Sounders FC | 3–0 | St. Louis City SC | Seattle, Washington |
| 7:30 p.m.PDT | Report | Stadium:Lumen Field Attendance: 31,789 Referee: Rubiel Vazquez |
| April 158 (Cascadia) | Portland Timbers | 4–1 | Seattle Sounders FC | Portland, Oregon |
| 7:30 p.m.PDT | Report |
| Stadium:Providence Park Attendance: 25,218 Referee:Drew Fischer |
| April 229 | Seattle Sounders FC | 1–0 | Minnesota United FC | Seattle, Washington |
| 7:30 p.m.PDT | Report | Stadium:Lumen Field Attendance: 30,025 Referee:Armando Villarreal |
| April 2910 | Real Salt Lake | 0–0 | Seattle Sounders FC | Sandy, Utah |
| 6:30 p.m.PDT |
| Report | Stadium:America First Field Attendance: 20,714 Referee: Nima Saghafi |
| May 711 | Seattle Sounders FC | 1–2 | Sporting Kansas City | Seattle, Washington |
| 1:30 p.m.PDT | Report | Stadium:Lumen Field Attendance: 31,620 Referee: Victor Rivas |
| May 1312 | Houston Dynamo FC | 0–1 | Seattle Sounders FC | Houston, Texas |
| 5:30 p.m.PDT | Report | Stadium:Shell Energy Stadium Attendance: 14,061 Referee: Rubiel Vazquez | ||
| Note: The match was paused in the 9th minute due to a weather delay and resumed at 6:50 p.m. PDT.[97] | ||||
| May 1713 | Seattle Sounders FC | 1–2 | Austin FC | Seattle, Washington |
| 7:30 p.m.PDT |
| Report | Stadium:Lumen Field Attendance: 30,026 Referee: Rosendo Mendoza |
| May 2014 (Cascadia) | Vancouver Whitecaps FC | 2–0 | Seattle Sounders FC | Vancouver, British Columbia |
| 7:30 p.m.PDT | Report | Stadium:BC Place Stadium Attendance: 19,108 Referee: Joe Dickerson |
| May 2715 | Seattle Sounders FC | 1–0 | New York Red Bulls | Seattle, Washington |
| 7:30 p.m.PDT |
| Report | Stadium:Lumen Field Attendance: 31,032 Referee: Jon Freemon |
| May 3116 (Heritage) | Seattle Sounders FC | 0–1 | San Jose Earthquakes | Seattle, Washington |
| 7:30 p.m.PDT | Report | Stadium:Lumen Field Attendance: 30,013 Referee: Ramy Touchan |
| June 317 (Cascadia) | Seattle Sounders FC | 0–0 | Portland Timbers | Seattle, Washington |
| 1:30 p.m.PDT | Ragen 90+2' | Report | Stadium:Lumen Field Attendance: 42,054 Referee: Allen Chapman | |
| Note: Part of adoubleheader withOL Reign andPortland Thorns FC.[98] | ||||
| June 1018 | Charlotte FC | 3–3 | Seattle Sounders FC | Charlotte, North Carolina |
| 4:30 p.m.PDT | Report | Stadium:Bank of America Stadium Attendance: 31,563 Referee: Lukasz Szpala |
| June 2119 | Los Angeles FC | 1–0 | Seattle Sounders FC | Los Angeles, California |
| 7:30 p.m.PDT | Report |
| Stadium:BMO Stadium Attendance: 22,125 Referee: Ted Unkel |
| June 2420 | Seattle Sounders FC | 0–0 | Orlando City SC | Seattle, Washington |
| 7:30 p.m.PDT | Report | Stadium:Lumen Field Attendance: 30,693 Referee: Pierre-Luc Lauziere |
| July 121 | Seattle Sounders FC | 1–0 | Houston Dynamo FC | Seattle, Washington |
| 7:30 p.m.PDT | Report |
| Stadium:Lumen Field Attendance: 31,840 Referee: Rosendo Mendoza |
| July 822 (Cascadia) | Vancouver Whitecaps FC | 2–3 | Seattle Sounders FC | Vancouver, British Columbia |
| 7:30 p.m.PDT |
| Report | Stadium:BC Place Stadium Attendance: 16,399 Referee: Ramy Touchan |
| July 1223 (Heritage) | San Jose Earthquakes | 2–0 | Seattle Sounders FC | San Jose, California |
| 7:30 p.m.PDT | Report | Stadium:PayPal Park Attendance: 13,577 Referee: Fotis Bazakos |
| July 1524 | Seattle Sounders FC | 1–1 | FC Dallas | Seattle, Washington |
| 7:30 p.m.PDT | Report |
| Stadium:Lumen Field Attendance: 32,753 Referee: Nima Saghafi |
| August 2025 | Seattle Sounders FC | 0–2 | Atlanta United FC | Seattle, Washington |
| 7:30 p.m.PDT |
| Report |
| Stadium:Lumen Field Attendance: 31,149 Referee: Allen Chapman |
| August 2726 | Minnesota United FC | 1–1 | Seattle Sounders FC | St. Paul, Minnesota |
| 1:30 p.m.PDT | Report |
| Stadium:Allianz Field Attendance: 19,812 Referee: Timothy Ford |
| August 3027 | Austin FC | 1–2 | Seattle Sounders FC | Austin, Texas |
| 5:30 p.m.PDT | Report | Stadium:Q2 Stadium Attendance: 20,738 Referee: Drew Fischer |
| September 228 (Cascadia) | Seattle Sounders FC | 2–2 | Portland Timbers | Seattle, Washington |
| 7:30 p.m.PDT |
| Report | Stadium:Lumen Field Attendance: 37,031 Referee: Jon Freemon |
| September 1629 | FC Dallas | 1–1 | Seattle Sounders FC | Frisco, Texas |
| 5:30 p.m.PDT | Report |
| Stadium:Toyota Stadium Attendance: 19,096 Referee: Allen Chapman |
| September 2030 | Colorado Rapids | 1–2 | Seattle Sounders FC | Commerce City, Colorado |
| 6:30 p.m.PDT |
| Report | Stadium:Dick's Sporting Goods Park Attendance: 12,548 Referee:Filip Dujic |
| September 3031 | Nashville SC | 0–0 | Seattle Sounders FC | Nashville, Tennessee |
| 5:30 p.m.PDT | Report | Stadium:Geodis Park Attendance: 28,291 Referee:Chris Penso |
| October 432 | Seattle Sounders FC | 2–1 | LA Galaxy | Seattle, Washington |
| 7:30 p.m.PDT | Report | Stadium:Lumen Field Attendance: 30,495 Referee: Victor Rivas |
| October 733 (Cascadia) | Seattle Sounders FC | 0–0 | Vancouver Whitecaps FC | Seattle, Washington |
| 7:30 p.m.PDT | Report | Stadium:Lumen Field Attendance: 33,666 Referee: Nima Saghafi |
| October 2134 (Decision Day) | St. Louis City SC | 0–2 | Seattle Sounders FC | St. Louis, Missouri |
| 6:00 p.m.PDT |
| Report | Stadium:CityPark Attendance: 22,423 Referee:Jair Marrufo |
The 2023 edition of theMLS Cup Playoffs was contested by the top nine teams in each conference beginning on October 25 and culminating with theMLS Cup final on December 9. The top seven teams in the conference qualified for Round One, a best-of-three series, along with the winner of awild card match between the eighth and ninth seeds. The remaining rounds weresingle-elimination matches.[99]
| October 30Game 1 | Seattle Sounders FC | 2–0 | FC Dallas | Seattle, Washington |
| 6:00 p.m.PDT | Report | Stadium:Lumen Field Attendance: 30,741 Referee: Joseph Dickerson |
| November 4Game 2 | FC Dallas | 3–1 | Seattle Sounders FC | Frisco, Texas |
| 6:00 p.m.PDT | Report | Stadium:Toyota Stadium Attendance: 19,096 Referee: Rosendo Mendoza |
| November 10Game 3 | Seattle Sounders FC | 1–0 | FC Dallas | Seattle, Washington |
| 7:00 p.m.PST |
| Report | Stadium:Lumen Field Attendance: 33,048 Referee: Fotis Bazakos | |
| Note: Seattle Sounders FC won the series 2–1. | ||||
| November 26 | Seattle Sounders FC | 0–1 | Los Angeles FC | Seattle, Washington |
| 6:30 p.m.PST |
| Report | Stadium:Lumen Field Attendance: 33,649 Referee: Ted Unkel |
The Sounders entered the2023 U.S. Open Cup in the third round as part of the lower tranche of MLS teams, as determined by their final position in the 2022 regular season. The third round's matchups were decided in a regionalized draw on April 6.[100]
| April 26R3 | Seattle Sounders FC | 5–4 (a.e.t.) | San Diego Loyal SC | Tukwila, Washington |
| 7:00 p.m.PDT |
| Report | Stadium:Starfire Sports Stadium Attendance: 3,728 Referee: Cristian Campo Hernández |
| May 10Ro32 | LA Galaxy | 3–1 | Seattle Sounders FC | Carson, California |
| 7:30 p.m.PDT | Report |
| Stadium:Dignity Health Sports Park Attendance: 8,412 Referee: Matt Geringer |
The2023 Leagues Cup, an expanded version of the inter-league competition between MLS andLiga MX hosted in the United States and Canada, began on July 21. All MLS matches were paused until the end of the tournament on August 19. The Sounders were drawn into group West 2 alongsideReal Salt Lake and Liga MX'sMonterrey;[69] the schedule for the tournament was announced on March 9, 2023.[101] MLS teams played a minimum of two matches in the tournament, of which they hosted at least one.[102]
v Seattle Sounders FC| July 22GS | Real Salt Lake | 3–0 | Seattle Sounders FC | Sandy, Utah |
| 6:30 p.m.PDT | Report |
| Stadium:America First Field Attendance: 10,507 Referee: Guillermo Pacheco Larios |
v
Monterrey| July 30GS | Seattle Sounders FC | 2–4 | Monterrey | Seattle, Washington |
| 6:00 p.m.PDT | Report | Stadium:Lumen Field Attendance: 33,508 Referee: Bryan López |
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | PW | PL | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification | MON | RSL | SEA | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Monterrey | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 2 | +5 | 6 | Advance toknockout stage | — | 3–0 | 4–2 | |
| 2 | Real Salt Lake | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 3 | — | — | 3–0 | ||
| 3 | Seattle Sounders FC | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 7 | −5 | 0 | — | — | — |
For the 2023 season, the Sounders were permitted a maximum of 30 signed players on the first team, of which 10 roster positions were designated for supplemental and reserve players.[103] A basesalary cap of $5.21 million applied to the non-supplemental players with exceptions for certain categories, including the club's three designated players—Nicolás Lodeiro,Raúl Ruidíaz, andAlbert Rusnák—who each counted for a reduced amount.[103][104] Seattle's player wages at the end of the season totaled approximately $19.2 million, ranking seventh among MLS teams.[105] The Sounders were allocated eightinternational slots that could be filled by players from outside the United States who did not have agreen card.[106] By the end of preseason, the team had three remaining open slots and two occupied slots; the other three were sold to other teams.[107]
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined underFIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality. Squad includes all players who had first team contracts or appearances during the 2023 season across all competitions. Ages listed for each player is calculated from February 26, 2023, the first matchday of the MLS regular season.
Players called up to the first team fromTacoma Defiance for matches outside the regular season and playoffs, such as theU.S. Open Cup andLeagues Cup, are listed here.
| No. | Name | Nationality | Position | Age | Previous club | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 31 | Travian Sousa | United States | DF | 21 | Tacoma Defiance (USA) | Called up forU.S. Open Cup[109] |
| 93 | Georgi Minoungou |  Ivory Coast | MF | 20 | Tacoma Defiance (USA) | Called up forU.S. Open Cup[110] |
| No. | Name | Nationality | Position | Age | Signed | On loan to | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 26 | Andrew Thomas |  Russia | GK | 24 | 2021 | New Mexico United (USA) | Loaned until the end of the USLC season[111] |
| 75 | Danny Leyva | United States | MF | 19 | 2019 | Colorado Rapids (USA) | HGP; loaned until the end of the season[112] |
A total of 27 players made at least one appearance for the Sounders during the 2023 season across all competitions. MidfielderNicolás Lodeiro and defenderYeimar Gómez Andrade appeared in the most matches (40);Stefan Frei made the most appearances as goalkeeper, at 38 matches.[113][114]Jordan Morris was the team's leading goalscorer in 2023 with 14 goals, while captainNicolás Lodeiro had the most assists at 11 in the regular season and playoffs.[114][115]
| No. | Player | Nat. | Pos. | Regular season | Playoffs | Leagues Cup | U.S. Open Cup | Club World Cup | Total | Discipline | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals |  |  | ||||
| 3 | Xavier Arreaga |  ECU | DF | 14 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 16 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 5 | Nouhou Tolo |  CMR | DF | 28 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 35 | 0 | 8 | 0 |
| 6 | João Paulo |  BRA | MF | 31 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 39 | 0 | 8 | 1 |
| 7 | Cristian Roldan | USA | MF | 16 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 22 | 3 | 2 | 0 |
| 9 | Raúl Ruidíaz |  PER | FW | 18 | 5 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 24 | 5 | 1 | 0 |
| 10 | Nicolás Lodeiro |  URU | MF | 33 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 40 | 2 | 6 | 0 |
| 11 | Albert Rusnák |  SVK | MF | 32 | 5 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 39 | 7 | 5 | 0 |
| 12 | Fredy Montero |  COL | FW | 17 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 20 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| 13 | Jordan Morris | USA | FW | 26 | 11 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 33 | 14 | 0 | 0 |
| 16 | Alex Roldán |  SLV | DF | 28 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 35 | 1 | 5 | 0 |
| 19 | Héber | BRA | FW | 22 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 25 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 21 | Reed Baker-Whiting | USA | MF | 19 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 23 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 22 | Kelyn Rowe | ECU | MF | 9 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 23 | Léo Chú | BRA | MF | 32 | 5 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 39 | 5 | 6 | 1 |
| 24 | Stefan Frei |  SUI | GK | 32 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 38 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 25 | Jackson Ragen | USA | DF | 32 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 39 | 0 | 9 | 0 |
| 26 | Andrew Thomas | RUS | GK | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 28 | Yeimar Gómez Andrade | COL | DF | 33 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 40 | 2 | 7 | 1 |
| 29 | Jacob Castro | USA | GK | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 30 | Stefan Cleveland | USA | GK | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 31 | Travian Sousa | USA | DF | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 32 | Hal Uderitz | USA | DF | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 33 | Cody Baker | USA | DF | 12 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 15 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| 35 | Paul Rothrock | USA | MF | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| 38 | Eythor Bjørgolfsson |  NOR | FW | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 39 | Stuart Hawkins | USA | DF | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 45 | Ethan Dobbelaere | USA | MF | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 73 | Obed Vargas | USA | MF | 22 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 27 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 77 | Sota Kitahara | USA | MF | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 84 | Josh Atencio | USA | MF | 22 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 31 | 1 | 5 | 0 |
| 92 | Abdoulaye Cissoko |  FRA | DF | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 93 | Georgi Minoungou | CIV | MF | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 99 | Dylan Teves | USA | FW | 13 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 16 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Technical staff | |
|---|---|
| Head coach | Brian Schmetzer (USA) |
| Assistant coach | Preki (USA) |
| Director of goalkeeping | Tom Dutra (USA) |
| Assistant coach | Freddy Juarez (USA) |
| Assistant coach |  Andy Rose (ENG) |
The MLS season has twotransfer windows during which teams could register new players from outside of the league and those who required an International Transfer Certificate. The primary window was scheduled from January 31 to April 24; it was followed by a secondary window from July 5 to August 2 and a roster freeze date of September 15.[103] Between the transfer windows, teams are allowed to signfree agents or other U.S.-based players, including those traded between MLS teams for other players,general allocation money, or various league slots.[103][117]
For transfers in, dates listed are when Seattle Sounders FC officially signed the players to the roster. Transactions where only the rights to the players are acquired are not listed. For transfers out, dates listed are when Seattle Sounders FC officially removed the players from its roster, not when they signed with another club. If a player later signed with another club, his new club will be noted, but the date listed here remains the one when he was officially removed from the Seattle Sounders FC roster.[118]
| No. | Pos. | Player | Previous team | Notes | Date[118] |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 77 | FW | Sota Kitahara (USA) | Tacoma Defiance (USA) | Homegrown signing | October 28, 2022[119] |
| 29 | GK | Jacob Castro (USA) | San Diego State Aztecs (USA) | Homegrown signing through 2023 | December 13, 2022[120] |
| 19 | FW | Héber (BRA) | New York City FC (USA) | Trade for $400,000 ingeneral allocation money (GAM) and $150,000 in potential GAM based on performance | December 29, 2022[14] |
| 33 | DF | Cody Baker (USA) | Tacoma Defiance (USA) | Short-term loan[121] Signed full contract on May 16[122] | May 2023 May 16, 2023 (full contract) |
| 35 | MF | Paul Rothrock (USA) | Tacoma Defiance (USA) | Short-term loan[51] Signed full contract on August 15[123] | May 13, 2023 August 15, 2023 (full contract) |
| 32 | DF | Hal Uderitz (USA) | Tacoma Defiance (USA) | Short-term loan[124] | July 1, 2023 |
| 39 | DF | Stuart Hawkins (USA) | Tacoma Defiance (USA) | Homegrown signing through 2026 with options for 2027 and 2028 | September 13, 2023[125] |
Draft picks were not automatically signed to the team roster. Only those who are signed to a contract were listed as transfers in. Only trades involving draft picks and executed after the start of the2023 MLS SuperDraft are listed in the notes.
| Player | Round[126] | Pick[126] | Pos.[126] | Previous team[126] | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eythor Björgolfsson (NOR) | 2nd | 38 | FW | Kentucky Wildcats (USA) | Signed withTacoma Defiance.[16] |
| Blake Bowen (USA) | 3rd | 59 | DF | San Diego State Aztecs (USA) | Signed withTacoma Defiance.[16] |
| No. | Pos. | Player | New team | Notes | Date[118] |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 17 | FW | Will Bruin (USA) | Austin FC (USA) | Option declined | October 25, 2022[12] |
| 87 | FW | Alfonso Ocampo-Chavez (USA) | Austin FC (USA) | Option declined | October 25, 2022[12] |
| 94 | DF | Jimmy Medranda (COL) | Columbus Crew (USA) | Out of contract | October 25, 2022[12] |
| 14 | FW | Samuel Adeniran (USA) | St. Louis City SC (USA) | Trade for $100,000 in general allocation money | December 15, 2022[127] |
| 75 | MF | Danny Leyva (USA) | Colorado Rapids (USA) | On loan until end of season; traded for2025 MLS SuperDraft pick and $92,000 in general allocation money | April 24, 2023[112] |
| 26 | GK | Andrew Thomas (RUS) | New Mexico United (USA) | On loan until end of the USLC season | September 1, 2023[111] |
Two Sounders players were finalists for MLS's year-end individual awards: Yeimar Gómez Andrade forDefender of the Year and João Paulo forComeback Player of the Year for his recovery from a 2022anterior cruciate ligament injury. Stefan Frei, who had the mostshutouts in the 2023 regular season, was not nominated forGoalkeeper of the Year.[128] No Sounders players won league awards or were named to theMLS Best XI.[129] Frei was named the Sounders'most valuable player and humanitarian of the year in the team's annual awards, which were announced in December 2023.[130]
| Week | Player | Opponent |
|---|---|---|
| 5 | Jordan Morris[131] | Sporting Kansas City |
| 24 | Léo Chú[132] | Vancouver Whitecaps FC |
| Week | Player | Opponent | Score (Result) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7 | Josh Atencio (USA)[133] | St. Louis City SC | 1–0 (3–0) |
The Sounders finished the season with the best defense in MLS but one of the worst scoring records, blamed on an inability to finish goalscoring chances. The team is expected to make several major offseason transactions to replace players who have left or had their contracts expire.[149][150] Among the departures was captainNicolás Lodeiro, who became a free agent and signed withOrlando City SC during the offseason.[151] The2024 season marks the club's 50th anniversary and includes the use of a new crest and the opening of theSounders FC Center at Longacres, a new training facility inRenton, Washington.[152]
| Eastern Conference | |
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| Western Conference | |
| Former teams |
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| Personnel | |
| Competition | |
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| Other | |
