And no, the answer is not, "So we can beat them again next year."

As much fun as it is to bag on that whining snob of a soccer manager, and revel in the misery up north, I think reality tells is that Sigi is very intelligent, runs a fantastic system in Seattle, and is not to blame for the Sounders recent struggles.

The argument against Sigi really comes down to four years of playoff disappointments. While that is a pretty bad run of postseason results, I have to think that's partly a fluke, and at most, something Sigi has to have learned from.

Unfortunately for him, if he did learn anything over the past three years, he didn't really even get the chance to use it this year.

Injuries and an epic mid-season signing prevented Sigi from developing his system and core this year. Seattle backed into the playoffs without a coherent system and lineup. We could all see this collapse coming as Sigi scrambled to adjust to injuries on the fly and re-create his team around the newly arrived superstar, who himself, was injured during a key late-season stretch. The Sounders were just not ready for the playoffs this year, and that was NOT Sigi's fault. He did everything he could with the hand he was dealt. It is very difficult for me to see what Sigi could have done differently to make things better.

In my opinion, signing Dempsey is still too good an opportunity for the Sounders to pass up. It looks bad right now, but they made the right decision and it will pay off long-term. Unfortunately for them, that comes at the expense of their chances of breaking through this year.

If they keep the team, coach, and system together and have better luck health-wise next year, they WILL develop into a true force to be reckoned with in MLS. Sigi had to know signing Dempsey was a risk to the current season, not to mention that a big star like Dempsey puts Sigi at a disadvantage in terms of his job security. But Sigi is a team with his GM and ownership, took it in stride and did the best he could to make it work. Ultimately, he is a good soldier and a great coach who got a bad hand this year. He doesn't deserve to be fired, and the Sounders will be better for keeping him next year.

For now, it's really nice to know that the Timbers are clearly the better and more functional team, even if the Sounders have bigger talent. And we'll be improving on that next year, so no matter how good Seattle gets, we'll continue to be able to give them a run for their money.

But the frustrations this year for Seattle fans are not simply that the Timbers beat them, but that they beat them handily, and left little doubt who is the better team at the current time. It's embarrassing for them, and it's probably easy for them to want to look for a scapegoat, especially as we have fun trash talking them to death.

I hope the calls for Sigi's head get so loud in Seattle that management DOES relent and fire him. I don't see that being the best path forward for Seattle next year, which is GOOD for us, so I'd certainly take it! But when I try to look at it objectively, I have to admit that Sigi is probably not the reason for the Sounders short-comings, and may still be the best chance they have of reversing their fortunes next year.