Seattle, WA

Sounder Strategy: Cascadia climax

Published

1 year ago

October 19, 2024

Decision Day is here, and the Portland Timbers are in town. The largest Seattle Sounders crowd of 2024 will watch their team try to turn more than one narrative on its head as the season comes to a close.

The Sounders, who have not beaten the Timbers at home since 2017, can prove that the frustrating Gio Savarese era of underperformance against their rivals is over and done. They can lift the Cascadia Cup in front of their supporters. While ascending into the playoffs, they can send Portland tumbling in the opposite direction. Moreover, they can solidify a new storyline for the 2024 season that is less about injuries and poor starts and more about resilience and success. Let’s look at what has been working for Seattle’s attack and how they can finally turn the tide against the Timbers.

Sussing out Seattle

The most consequential turning point of the 2024 season came back in June, when Paul Rothrock entered the Seattle attack leaving Raúl Ruidíaz on the bench. Perhaps the second most significant moment came in Seattle’s last meeting with Portland when Cristian Roldan was pushed back a line to fill in for the injured João Paulo. In the six games since, Cristian has made the position his own, and Seattle’s more direct wing options playing in his stead have transformed the team.

Seattle’s top three players since August in American Soccer Analysis’ goals added (g+) metric are Jordan Morris, Cristian, and Paul Rothrock. Morris’ elite ability to receive progressive passes is well documented, but the connection between Cristian and Rothrock has helped the Sounders create danger from wide areas:

Roldan uses Rothrock as an outlet.

On the other wing, Pedro de la Vega still has not broken out as a DP-level contributor, but his play against Colorado showed undeniable improvement. In previous weeks, Pedro was clearly trying to do too much. He opted for poorly chosen shots and dribbles as if trying to make up for lost time. This match was different. Rather than try to be a hero, Pedro was a teammate. He stayed in position, received passes, and focused on beating defenders. It was sequences like this one that show how Pedro can be an asset in the remaining matches of 2024:

A beautifully crafted attacking sequence is nearly finished off by Pedro and Obed Vargas.

This is the ideal Sounders build-up sequence in 2024. Lightning quick movement from back to front gets the defense sprinting toward their own goal. Ragen breaks lines, Morris receives the ball dropping off the back line, and Rusnák is in the right place for one-touch distribution to the wing.

Too often this season, the wing was where attacking moves like this would die. Without the quickness and dribbling ability to beat defenders, the play would sputter and the Sounders would often recycle possession as the defense became organized. Between Rothrock, de la Vega, and Georgi Minoungou, that is changing. As de la Vega rounds the corner with one touch, leaving his defender in the dust, he has four targets arriving in the box with Colorado struggling to track them all. This sequence did not end in a goal, but the blueprint for success is there if Seattle can get a similar level of production on their left side that they are enjoying from Rothrock on their right.

Scouting Portland

Evander was a dark horse MVP candidate for months before the Timbers’ late-season slump all but ended those discussions. Still, there is no debate on who runs Portland’s attack, or who opposing defenders fear most. In this sequence, Evander’s movement toward the ball draws a defender, creating a hole through Dallas’ midfield. Evander then changes course, sending a one-touch pass out to the wing to continue the attacking movement:

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Seattle, WA

Detectives Investigating Drive-By Shooting in South Seattle – SPD Blotter

Published

5 hours ago

April 9, 2026

Press Room

Detectives Investigating Drive-By Shooting in South Seattle – SPD Blotter

Seattle police detectives in the Gun Violence Reduction Unit (GVRU) are investigating a drive-by shooting this afternoon that injured a young man in the Rainer Valley and shut down multiple intersections.

At about 4:40 p.m., patrol officers responded to reports of a shooting at Rainier Avenue South and South Othello Street. Officers found three related crime scenes, with the initial location being the intersection of Rainier and Othello. There, officers recovered dozens of shell casings and bullet damage to a nearby business.

Police recovered additional ballistic evidence at the second scene, near Holly Park Drive South and South Myrtle Place. Officers discovered the third crime scene directly in front of the South Precinct, where they stopped one of the involved cars, a Tesla, that sustained significant bullet damage.

The driver of this car, an 18-year-old man, did not have any injuries. The passenger, also 18, sustained a grazing gunshot wound to his head. Firefighters arrived to treat his injury, and medics took him to Harborview Medical Center (HMC) in stable condition.

Police determined that the suspects fired on the Tesla from another vehicle at Rainier and Othello. The victims sped away from the intersection and the suspect vehicle fled the area. Multiple cars drove away from the gunfire and pedestrians ran to safety. The Tesla sped off towards the precinct before being intercepted by officers.

Seattle police and King County deputies searched for the suspects but could not find them. Police did not make any arrests. GVRU detectives responded to the shooting. Police processed all three crime scenes and investigators conducted interviews at HMC. SPD’s Video Unit responded and recovered video footage from the area.

This is an open and active case assigned to GVRU. The circumstances leading up to the shooting are under investigation. Anyone with information is asked to call the Violent Crimes Tip Line at 206-233-5000. Anonymous tips are accepted.

Incident Number: 2026-96231

*Seattle police officers close down an intersection in South Seattle as they search for evidence following a drive-by shooting.*

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Seattle, WA

Who are your all-time favorite late-round Seattle Seahawks draft picks?

Published

17 hours ago

April 8, 2026

Press Room

Who are your all-time favorite late-round Seattle Seahawks draft picks?

We’re continuing our theme of Seattle Seahawks NFL Draft discussion today with a trip down memory lane.

The Seahawks have a deep history of finding some gems in the later rounds of the draft. Three Legion of Boom members were taken in the fourth, fifth, fifth, and sixth rounds, while Seattle’s first Super Bowl MVP was seventh-round linebacker Malcolm Smith. The only offensive touchdown scored in Seattle’s second Super Bowl win was by fourth-round tight end A.J. Barner, who might be on the cusp of stardom beyond the Seattle sports bubble.

We want to know your favorite Seahawks late-round draft picks of all time, but there is a clear restriction to eliminate some obvious candidates. A “late-round draft pick” is defined as no earlier than Round 4, which means Russell Wilson and Tyler Lockett are ineligible as third-rounders. Once upon a time, the NFL Draft was longer than seven rounds—the Seahawks’ inaugural season had a 17-round draft—so if you want to really choose players from before the change-over in 1994 then go right ahead! Undrafted players like Doug Baldwin do not count because, well, they were literally not drafted.

You don’t have to reason that they were legendary, all-time great Seahawks. Chris Carson is not one of the top three running backs in Seahawks history but I’ll be damned if it wasn’t a joy to watch a seventh-round pick become a quality starter whose career was cruelly cut short due to injury.

And yes, Michael Dickson (fifth-round pick) counts because punters are indeed people.

Refer to Pro Football Reference for the Seahawks’ draft history in case your memory needs jogging.

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Seattle, WA

Seattle area Iranian-Americans, activists react to ceasefire deal

Published

1 day ago

April 8, 2026

Press Room

Seattle area Iranian-Americans, activists react to ceasefire deal

SEATTLE — People from Seattle to Redmond are speaking out about the ceasefire deal between the U.S. and Iran after President Trump’s threat of massive attacks.

President Trump on Tuesday announced he would suspend the bombing and attack of Iran for two weeks as part of a temporary ceasefire brokered by the Pakistani government.

The suspension of attacks is contingent on Iran agreeing to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.

ALSO SEE | Oil prices drop and stock futures jump as US and Iran agree to a 2-week ceasefire

Iran responded by claiming victory, saying ships will be allowed to pass through the strait, but only under the management of the Iranian military.

Shayan Arya is an Iranian-American with cousins and friends in Iran, who have detailed by phone their experiences being near recent warfare.

“In the middle of our conversations, the bombing started,” Arya explained. “And so she said, ‘Can you hear the bombs dropping?’”

He said he was concerned about power plants being bombed in Iran, and is grateful they won’t be targeted, for now.

Meanwhile, on the steps of Seattle City Hall, a group rallied against the Trump Administration’s foreign policy and actions.

On the steps of Seattle City Hall, a group rallied against the Trump Administration’s foreign policy and actions. (KOMO){ }

“Perhaps we should stop bombing the cradle of civilization and calling it freedom. We should be investing in people, the communities,” one woman chanted through a megaphone.

Counter-protesters showed up, leading to heated confrontations for a short time.

Arya said he feels relief, for now, amid the ceasefire, but that there’s ongoing concern about Iran’s future under its current regime.

“It’s just a matter of time [until the regime collapses], and at what price?” he asked.

CNN reports the White House is preparing for in-person negotiations with Iran to help broker a long-term peace deal.

The developments come just hours after the president posted a message online, threatening, “A whole civilization could die tonight… Never to be brought back again.”

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