Is it too much to ask for The Treble?

Growing up a fan of all things Seattle, my sense is that we tend to settle. As if that term is just an ‘a’ away from who we are. There’s rarely an outcry if sports team is stopped short of the summit.

Unlike some fan bases which shall remain nameless, web-footed western Washington supporters seem to have a comfort zone that begins with playing in bowl games your daddy watched and advancing beyond the first round of any particular playoff.

Oh, sure, we lament underachievement, and we have piques of frustration. But by and large we are OK with, say, winning 116 games but falling short of the World Series. Our passive/aggressive MO merely manifests itself in a faint cry of ‘We’ll get ‘em, next year!’

However, the Seahawks may have changed all that. This place is much more puffed-up nowadays. Russell Wilson never sleeps and Richard Sherman can’t be beat.

So how ‘bout dem Sounders?

Exactly what are the expectations for the Rave Gang? They have already one trophy on the mantle and a foot up on those chasing them for the Supporters’ Shield. Would Seattle supporters settle for that, a double of the Shield and the Open Cup? Or is it good to be greedy?

While MLS Cup is considered North America’s top prize, it’s only been lifted by the Supporters’ Shield holder on six occasions. Sigi Schmid oversaw two of them. So far, the domestic Treble has been untouchable.

To claim all three would be a testament to three massive qualities: depth, consistency and maintaining form through to the finish.

Seattle exhibited depth in its Open Cup run, with 23 players taking part. Apart from a brief August blip, Sounders FC has been sitting atop the table since April. Seattle has three unbeaten runs of five or more matches, including the current surge. That speaks to consistency.

While some nervously await the final two fixtures against L.A., that challenge may work to keep Sounders sharp. No scoreboard watching; the battle will likely be waged at close quarters with the Galaxy.

From a generation ago, I vividly recall the Sounders of ’77 and ’82 catching fire down the stretch and advancing to NASL finals. I also remember the emptiness of 1980, when after finishing with the most wins in league history Seattle succumbed in the quarterfinals despite outscoring L.A. on aggregate.

As proven then, and again in the A-League/USL days, the best club over a seven-month campaign only occasionally prevails in the playoffs. The Galaxy did the double in 2011. Otherwise it was outsiders RSL winning MLS Cup in 2009, Colorado 2010 and L.A. 2012. For sure, more upsets are likely to occur in a low-scoring sport. But simply put, in North American the postseason proves to be a crapshoot.

There’s much work to be done toward achieving the double. Yet the players, coaches and supporters are of one mind: it can be done. Most definitely.

2014 began with the Seahawks showing Seattle it’s possible to live the dream. With any luck, the Sounders can snatch the Shield. Sustaining that form another month, a marathoner finishing the race with a gut-busting sprint? It would amount to an amazing feat, the unprecedented Treble. And the guys in Rave may be just the ones to do it. As Russ would ask, Why not us?

What do you think: Possible, probable? And if you had to settle for a double, what’s your preferred companion to the Open Cup?