The final Seattle Storylines of the season; I think we’re all glad to hear that. There’s something about playing a team five times in the same season that just takes the mystery out of the whole ordeal. By now, we know exactly what to expect from Saturday’s visitors: dynamic movement, crisp passing, and some speedy second-half substitutes to freshen things up when the standard drops. It’s like clockwork, and even though we can see it coming, stopping it is easier said than done. Though it’s the players that execute this game plan, let’s give credit where credit is due: Well done, Brian Schmetzer.
For those unfamiliar with Seattle’s skipper, let me tell you, the guy is a legend. The more you dive into his story, the more you come to appreciate just how good he is at what he does, and while I hope he comes up short this weekend, I feel it’s my duty to make sure the whole Legion of Loons appreciates the impact he’s made on soccer in America.
Yeah, that means Storylines is all about the opposing coach this week: Just what you wanted, right?
Emerald City Through and Through
Schmetzer grew up playing soccer in the city of his birth, Seattle, Washington. He turned a successful youth career into a professional contract immediately after high school, joining the original Seattle Sounders of the North American Soccer League in 1980. It was the start of the kind of journeyman professional career that defined American soccer at the time, with teams and leagues cropping up and folding faster than contracts could be seen all the way through.
His playing career took him to different cities across the country for more than a decade, eventually leading to a stint as both a player and an assistant manager with the Tacoma Stars. While he’d play a few seasons longer, this shift in responsibility was the first sign of what was to come for the Washington native. He hung up his boots in 1996, transitioning to a full-time assistant manager role for the Seattle Seadogs, an indoor team in his hometown.
A Loyal Servant
Following his time with the Seadogs, Schmetzer took a break from the professional game, but he stayed involved in local soccer. A man of his experience and talents couldn’t stay out of the limelight for long, and when soccer started growing in Seattle again, he was tapped to become the head coach of the Sounders while they played in USL.
In his first season, a 23-4-1 record saw Schmetzer earn USL Coach of the Year honors. The success didn’t stop there, as he’d go on to claim two league titles (2005 and 2007) between 2002 and 2008. His time in charge of the team was nothing short of dominant, as Schmetzer embraced a recruitment strategy that complemented his tactics and the league itself. He went on to hit the 100-win mark before the team was called to join MLS, and while he was in the running to keep the head coaching job in the new league, he ended up becoming Sigi Schmid’s top assistant instead.
From 2009 to 2016, Schmetzer remained a crucial piece in Seattle’s efforts to establish themselves in first division soccer. He was there for the club’s three consecutive U.S. Open Cup triumphs from 2009 to 2011, coached the likes of Clint Dempsey and Obafemi Martins, and generally contributed to what remains one of the most successful expansion team introductions in league history.
When Schmid left the club in 2016, Schmetzer was an easy choice for the interim replacement. Now, I don’t know why they didn’t just give him the job outright, but he eventually earned the permanent spot after putting together a fantastic regular season. How did he repay the club? By winning the 2016 MLS Cup, of course.
Since then, it’s been nothing but success in Seattle. Schmetzer has led his team to four MLS Cups, winning two (2016 and 2019). He won the 2022 Concacaf Champions League, becoming the first MLS team to win the competition. He hit 100 MLS wins at the third-fastest rate in history in 2023, behind only Bob Bradley and Bruce Arena (not bad company). Even this season, he led his side to a Leagues Cup triumph over Inter Miami, a few months after showcasing American soccer at the Club World Cup.
To talk about Seattle soccer — or American soccer as a whole, for that matter — without mentioning Brian Schmetzer’s name would be, frankly, doing a disservice to whomever you’re talking to. He’s a serial winner who bridges generations of soccer in our nation in a way that few people can, and he’s still operating at a high level. As a soccer fanatic myself, I’m a big admirer of your work, Coach Schmetzer. Please don’t hold it against me when I cheer against you this weekend.
