Seattle Sounders midfielder Cristian Roldan called his team's remarkable turnaround and push for the MLS postseason "crazy" after scoring the match-winner against Real Salt Lake on Decision Day Sunday.

Roldan, 21, scored his fourth goal of the season for Seattle in the 31st minute of a 2-1 win against RSL, who also qualified for the playoffs.

The Sounders have had a tumultuous season that was marked by a slow start in the spring and the loss of head coach Sigi Schmid, who was fired, and veteran striker Clint Dempsey, who was diagnosed with an irregular heartbeat at the end of September.

Of the bounce-back end to the season, Roldan said: "It's commitment. Commitment from the fans and the front office to the players and the coaches it's a big family and a big team and we are very happy to be in the situation we are in.

"It's crazy how things have changed but we owe it to the fans and ourselves and we are just trying to make it happen in the playoffs now."

Roland's teammate and U.S. national team player Brad Evans said he hoped the postseason push -- which marks Seattle's eighth consecutive MLS playoff appearance -- would silence some of the team's critics after the challenging season.

"We expect to make the playoffs no matter what," Evans said. "It feels good to overcome certain odds, of course. It feels good to silence those who left what they would have called a sinking ship midway through the season.

"We'll be happy to have them at the stadium [on Thursday] to root us on. But every season has a different story. You can't jump off the ship when things aren't going your way. It's a family and we don't leave family behind."

Schmid's interim replacement Brian Schmetzer agreed with both players, saluting the team's fight and adding that this team was meant to be in the playoffs.

"I personally think that the guys in that locker room deserved more than just us to fail this year," Schmetzer said. "I think the fans deserved more. You add to that the expectations of this club are to make the playoffs, to win games, to win championships. Those are the expectations and we live with those. That's the message those guys have heard from day one."

Seattle hosts Sporting Kansas City in a knockout-round match on Thursday, Oct. 27. (10 p.m. ET on FS1 and UniMas).