Sounders, who have hole in midfield, open vs. Rapids

The Seattle Sounders figured to have pretty much the same lineup this season as they did last year.

Then La Liga powerhouse Atletico Madrid made an offer earlier this month for 20-year-old midfielder Obed Vargas that the Sounders couldn't refuse.

The Sounders (15-9-10, 55 points last season) still will have stalwarts such as Jordan Morris and Cristian Roldan in the lineup on Sunday when they open the MLS season against the visiting Colorado Rapids (11-15-8, 41 points).

"The fun begins," said Roldan, who is vying for a spot on the U.S. World Cup roster. "I think we're all excited for the real games to come."

Seattle-area native Hassani Dotson, who spent the past seven seasons with Minnesota United, likely will replace Vargas in the central midfield.

The other big change for the Sounders could be in goal, where Andrew Thomas appears set to take over for 39-year-old Stefan Frei.

Thomas backstopped the Sounders to a Leagues Cup title last year, shutting out Lionel Messi and Inter Miami in the final, and was named the goalkeeper of the tournament.

The Sounders finished fifth in the Western Conference last season and sustained a pair of penalty-kick losses on the road at Minnesota in failing to reach the conference semifinals for just the third time in their 17-year history.

The Rapids missed the playoffs in 2025 and have hired English Premier League assistant Matt Wells from Tottenham Hotspur as their new coach.

"The opportunity, when it came up, was one that piqued my interest," Wells said. "And when I spoke to the guys here, it felt like a really good fit in terms of the types of personalities. And they're ambitious, I'm ambitious, so yeah, I decided to make the move. And I'm very glad that did."

The Rapids traded midfielder Cole Bassett to the Portland Timbers but still feature midfielder Paxten Aaronson, defenders Sam Vines and Reggie Cannon and goalkeeper Zack Steffen.

Rafael Navarro is Colorado's top returning scorer, having produced 12 goals and five assists last season.

Wells' goal for the Rapids?

"Win everything except the Fair Play Award," he said.

--Field Level Media