The 2015 Seattle Sounders have truly had a season of firsts. They had their lowest points per game (ppg) since the league expanded to a 34 game season. They had the most losses ever as an MLS club. This isn't an article about all the bad firsts the Sounders have encountered. There is actually some good in this article. The Sounders also just completed a first in the MLS Cup Playoffs.

In the Sounders come from behind 2-1 win over FC Dallas in leg one of the Western Conference semifinals, this Sounders team did something that the other six incarnations could not do. They head into leg two with a lead. If you don't believe it's true, take a look at the table below. 

SEASON OPPONENT LEG ONE LEG TWO AGGREGATE
2009 Houston Dynamo 0-0 (home) 0-1 (road) 0-1 (Dynamo Advance)
2010 LA Galaxy 0-1 (home) 2-1 (road) 1-3 (Galaxy Advance)
2011 Real Salt Lake 0-3 (road) 2-0 (home) 2-3 (Real Salt Lake Advance)
2012

Real Salt Lake

LA Galaxy 

0-0 (home)

0-3 (road)

1-0 (road)

2-1 (home)

1-0 (Sounders Advance)

2-4 (Galaxy Advance)

2013 Portland Timbers 1-2 (home) 2-3 (road) 3-5 (Timbers Advance)
2014

FC Dallas

LA Galaxy

1-1 (road)

0-1 (road)

0-0 (home)

2-1 (home)

1-1 (Sounders Advance on Away Goals)

2-2 (Galaxy Advance on Away Goals)

2015 FC Dallas 2-1 (home) ? ?

As you can see, this is the first leg that they have ever led in a two-legged series. What does it mean? Nothing really, but it has to be a positive factor in the end. They won't have to enter the upcoming game against Dallas and go all out. They know that Dallas will more than likely try to get that goal back to tie the aggregate score at 2-2.

At that point, Dallas might sit back and try to advance on the away goal rule that did them in last year against Seattle. The Sounders knows how important it will be to get a goal so they can be even on away goals. If the Sounders get that all important away goal, they would be in control of the match and could determine how they want to play the rest of the game.

This is unchartered territory for the Sounders. It will be interesting on how they handle the unknown that is before them.

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About the author
Chris Blakely
Chris is an American sports journalist based out of Seattle, Washington. Co-Editor of the soccer section of VAVEL USA. He also is the leading editor of VAVEL USA's NWSL section.