Brian Schmetzer believes the Seattle Sounders need reinforcements in the transfer market to end their historic seven-game losing streak in MLS, ahead of hosting Austin FC.

Seattle were beaten 2-0 by their Cascadia Cup rivals, the Vancouver Whitecaps, on Saturday, to extend their losing run to seven consecutive games.

It is their longest regular-season losing run and the worst by any MLS team in 2026, with the last longer one being an eight-game drought by Nashville SC in 2024.

Seattle face a swift turnaround ahead of their next game, taking on Austin – who are second from bottom in the Western Conference and under the management of interim head coach Davy Arnaud – at Lumen Field on Wednesday.

Asked if 19-year-old striker Mark Bronnik could be a solution for Seattle, Schmetzer said they needed more and admitted general manager Craig Waibel and majority owner Adrian Hanauer are feeling the heat.

"As far as Craig and Adrian feeling the pressure... yeah, they feel it," Schmetzer said. "I don't need to say anything.

"We need a little bit more. Bronnik is a nice kid... I know who he is. He's got some good starting points, he's a good young talent, but [MLS] is a bit much of a jump, in my opinion."

Defender Alex Roldan added: "It's a tough moment for us right now. 

"I think at the end of the day, we as a team still need to stick together, and I think that's what we're trying to do right now.

"This club has high expectations; the city, the fans have high expectations, and we're not meeting them right now. The fans in the city don’t deserve this. We need to look at ourselves and do a better job."

Seattle are 11th in the Western Conference with 24 points from 18 matches, putting them one point outside the wild-card spots.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Seattle Sounders – Paul Rothrock

Rothrock's five goals in MLS play this year are the most by a Seattle player, and his expected goals overperformance (netting those goals from 2.6 xG) is also a team-best figure.

He also boasts the best conversion rate for the Sounders, at 21.7%, ahead of Cristian Roldan's 18.8%.

Austin FC – Christian Ramirez

Austin's last goal on the road came on May 10, when Ramirez netted an equaliser in a 2–2 draw with Minnesota United. 

The Verde's four straight away matches without a goal is their longest-ever road stretch without a goal. Can Ramirez be the man to end their drought?