Seattle Sounder head coach Sigi Schmid is confident his side can fire into the playoffs now they have pulled off the massive Clint Dempsey coup.
The former Fulham star has joined the Sounders from Tottenham in the prime of his career and Schmid feels his presence will motivate his squad to improve their current standing of seventh in the Western Conference.
"I think everybody realizes that we have the potential to get to the playoffs - that's where we need to get to," he said after Saturday's 3-0 win over FC Dallas.
"We need to get to the playoffs to put ourselves in a good position and then make noise. Last year, the two fifth-place teams (LA Galaxy and Houston Dynamo) ended up playing for MLS Cup.
"Technically right now point-wise, we're not in the playoff picture. When you figure points per game, we're pretty close. We just now have to make sure we get into the playoffs.
"Adding a player like Clint is going to be very important for our team."
