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Nicolas Lodeiro was left fuming after Seattle Sounders went down 1-0 to Chicago Fire at Soldier Field, courtesy of a goal by Rafael Czichos. Sounders are going through a rough patch of form in MLS and have failed to score in three straight matches for the first time since 2018.
They are currently languishing in ninth with 26 points from 20 matches, which means that they are two places off the Western Conference's playoff spots.
Sounders looked disjointed and fractured as they suffered their third straight defeat without scoring in eight days and are struggling to replicate the form that helped them to win the Concacaf Champions League in May.
What did Lodeiro say after the defeat to Chicago Fire?
The attacking midfielder was not all pleased with the efforts of his teammates against Chicago. Although they have suffered major injury setbacks, in Joao Paulo and striker Raul Ruidiaz, Lodeiro believes that the problem is not restricted to missing personnel but far more deep-rooted.
“We’re not the same team,” Lodeiro said. “We’re definitely not the same team that played at the Concacaf tournament. Not only on these games but also on all the other games. We feel tired, without inspiration.”
The 33-year-old feels that the team lacks the hunger to win and needs to change the attitude to turn around its fortunes.
"Attitude. Attitude,” Lodeiro added. "We have to change our attitude. We have to be more aggressive. We have to have the ball. We have to want to have the ball. Of course, we are the team [people want to beat].
"We won the Concacaf championship and everyone looks [forward to] playing us and beating us. Nobody is going to give us anything. No teams are going to be giving us gifts or anything. So we have to improve.”
What did coach Schmetzer say about his team?
The manager echoed the thoughts of his No.10 and admitted that his troops have been lacklustre on the pitch.
Obed Vargas is another player who remains side-lined with a back fracture and youngster Danny Leyva slotted in the No.6 role at the start. However, Lodeiro had to drop back and play as a defensive midfielder in the final stages of the game as Schmetzer threw in all his attacking resources in search of an equaliser.
“I believe that we need to find some consistency in that position,” said Schmetzer. "I think towards the end of the game when I brought Nico back there, it was okay, but we need to have some stability in that area of the field.
"So we’ll assess the game, we’ll assess Danny’s performance, and we’ll make some decisions as to the right combination of players in that vital part of the field.”
Can Seattle Sounders make it to the MLS playoffs?
The Sounders have reached 13 successive MLS Cup Playoffs and have won the tournament in 2016 and 2019.
The top seven teams qualify for the playoffs and the Sounders are currently ninth. However, they have 14 games to get back their form which should be a relief to Schmetzer.
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