Category:

Seattle Sounders

Seattle Sounders

Sounders win Champions League in Style

by Michael Martinez
written by Michael Martinez

They’ve done it. The Seattle Sounders have finally done what no other MLS team could in the modern iteration of this tournament. They managed hostile terrain, historic Mexican sides, the reigning MLS Cup champions, and the usual array of Concacaf-ing to become the league’s first continental champions. Time to be insufferable.

Lineups:

Seattle Sounders: 4-2-3-1

Pumas:

Match Report

Although the Sounders ultimately beat Pumas UNAM 3-0 in the second leg of the Concacaf Champions League — 5-2 on aggregate — and looked pretty comfortable doing it, the opening half provided more than enough reason to worry. Seattle created chances early but lost Nouhou in the 11th minute and João Paulo in the 29th to injuries. After that, both sides pushed, but Stefan Frei stood up to the challenge at each turn to keep Pumas out.

Then in the final minute of first-half regulation time, Raúl Ruidíaz did what we all knew he would: hammered a ball in the area that beat the goalkeeper after a deflection. After that, Lumen Field exploded, and while we didn’t know it then, nothing was ever the same again.

Pumas only had one decent chance in the second half, which drew an excellent save from Frei.

The final 45 minutes were effectively all Sounders, and the payoff came in the final 10 minutes. Ruidíaz doubled his tally on an excellent team goal in the 80th minute, finishing off a sequence that included a ball from Alex Roldan that released Jordan Morris down the wing. Morris drove at the penalty area before playing a drop pass to the top of the box for Nico Lodeiro, who found Ruidíaz running into the box.

Minutes later, Lodeiro hammered the ball home, finishing the rebound following a great play by Morris to create space and get a shot off from the right side. 

That settled any questions about a possible Pumas comeback as the Sounders took their final steps into glory. The Seattle Sounders, Concacaf Champions. History has been made.

Post Match Thoughts

Sounders Striker, Ruidiaz, scores in the final

Image via Steph Chambers/Getty Images

I have never heard Lumen Field this loud. Seattle came out to party and the stadium was BOOMIN. You could even feel the noise and vibrations in the press box! The atmosphere was euphoric, to say the least. I would even compare it to some of the biggest games in Europe. Who would have thought we’d be saying that 10 years ago?

The Sounders deserved to win.

One of the talking points coming into this match was how the Sounders would deal with the pressure of a championship match at home, with the expectations of seemingly the entire league on their shoulders. The last time the Sounders hosted a final was the 2019 MLS Cup, where they started slowly before finishing strong. Unfortunately for Pumas, that wasn’t the case here, as the Sounders dominated for the overwhelming majority of play. That isn’t to say Pumas didn’t have their opportunities, but thanks to another stellar performance from Stefan Frei, they couldn’t breach the Sounders’ net, and the Sounders defense kept Pumas mostly at bay.

A title run for the ages

While the Sounders didn’t face off against Tigres or Club America, they ran through serious competition for the title. The Sounders went undefeated during the run, including twice in Mexico and on the road in New York. Tossing in their opening series against Motagua, they had a dominant run. Four road draws with four dominating wins at home sealed the deal.

Ruidiaz shows up when we need him.

One of the nerviest situations for a soccer team — aside from hosting the Biggest Match in Team History — is when you’re dominating play and don’t have anything to show for it. One misplay or bad bounce could mean heartbreak. But when the tension is at its highest, teams need their stars to shine. Enter Raul Ruidiaz, who always seems to show up when, and where the Sounders need him most. While his first tally won’t win any Goal of the Year nominations, it did give the Sounders the advantage, significant in Concacaf matches, where deficits mean time-wasting and cynicism.

Sounders’ midfield maestros

Much of the credit for the Sounders’ dominant display has to go to the midfield. In particular, Nicolas Lodeiro and Albert Rusnak gave Pumas fits with their dribbling ability and close control, helping the Sounders keep the ball when they needed to or spring attacks when the opportunities presented themselves. Rusnak was instrumental in the opening goal, dribbling several defenders and centering the ball to Arreaga, who laid it off for Ruidiaz’s deflected finish. And what is there to say about Nicolas Lodeiro, who capped off a fantastic game with the third goal of the match late in the game. And the celebration at Lumen was well and truly on.

MOTM

While the official Man of The Match went to Raul Ruidiaz for his brace to lead the Sounders to a historic victory, I feel that Rusnak should have deserved it. The newest DP signing struggled a tad bit in his first few games as a Sounder, but his form leading up to the final has been superb. His form continued into the final as he was KEY in every aspect of the midfield. The game went through him at every opportunity and his work rate was insane. Every player did their part today, but Rusnak was on another level.

 

The Sounders will get a crack at Liverpool, Real Madrid, or Palmeiras in the FIFA Club World Cup in the nearish future. First, however, they’ll look to recover from a slow MLS start to keep their playoff streak alive. Unfortunately, they may have to accomplish a feat without the services of João Paulo. He received his champions medal on crutches after leaving the match with a season-ending ACL injury midway in the first half.

0 comment
0 FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail
Captain Nico celebrates a Sounders win
Seattle Sounders

Sounders Advance to CCL Final

by Michael Martinez
written by Michael Martinez

The Sounders have done it! For the first time in club history, the Sounders advanced to the CONCACAF Champions League final after a 1-1 draw last Wednesday against NYCFC. The Sounders withstood heavy pressure from NYCFC in the second half to advance to the final against Pumas UNAM.

Seattle is looking to become the first MLS team ever to win the tournament after the previous four sides from the MLS failed in the final. The top-tier Mexican soccer league, a club from Liga MX, has won the last 16 CONCACAF Champions League finals.

The Sounders have been dominant in this year’s tournament, scoring 13 goals and allowing just three goals in six fixtures.

Lineups:

Seattle Sounders: 4-2-3-1

New York City FC: 4-2-3-1

Match Report

The Sounders took the lead through yet another beautifully worked team goal that included a gorgeous diagonal ball from Jackson Ragen to Nouhou and a great cross into the box from Nouhou that Raúl Ruidíaz knocked home.

NYCFC tied the game, bringing the aggregate deficit back to two early in the second half. Seattle had an excellent opportunity to close the door minutes later as Jordan Morris and Cristian Roldan got out on the counter. Still, when Roldan found Morris with a great look inside the area, his shot was right at the one defender standing on the goal line.

NYCFC continued to push for more goals to get back into the series, but try as they might, they weren’t going to beat Stefan Frei. As New York racked up 25 shots, Frei recorded seven saves, with more than a few stops coming spectacularly. With Frei making his best brick wall impression and the rest of the squad doing their best to limit the danger of the shots that New York got off, Seattle held off the Pigeons for the better part of an hour and secured their place in the finals.

After that, they will face UNAMs on the road before hosting them in the second leg for a chance to lift another trophy at Lumen Field. Finally, the dates are confirmed, with the first leg on April 27th in Mexico and the second leg at home on May 4th. Tickets for the home leg sold out within an hour!

Key moments

1’ — Taty Castellanos slams into Xavier Arreaga as the Sounder wins a header to draw a yellow.

28’ — Sounders goal! Raúl Ruidíaz opens the scoring with a first-time finish after an excellent pass from Nouhou. 1-0 (4-1) Sounders

44’ — Nico Lodeiro wins the ball outside NYCFC’s area and finds Ruidíaz inside the box. Ruidíaz takes a touch to create space, which leads to nothing.

51’ — New York pulls one back. After hitting the post twice, Alex Roldan gets beat coming into the box, allowing a cutback and a finish through traffic. 1-1 (4-2)

60’ — Jordan Morris and Cristian Roldan play a fantastic sequence down the field, and Roldan finds Morris for a great chance, but the shot hits a body on the goal line.

63’ — Another good chance for NYCFC, but Stefan Frei stands his ground and blocks the shot before the ball goes out for a goal kick.

73’ — Stefan Frei! Talles Magno with another great look on a New York counter, but Frei drops and blocks the shot from point-blank range!

88’ — Another close one for NYCFC, but Frei dives across the goal and paws the ball away, then Kelyn Rowe draws a foul to stop the danger.

Post Match Thoughts

Sounders celebrate Ruidiaz's goal in CCL

Image via Seattle Sounders FC Twitter

STEFAN FREI. ENOUGH SAID. Everyone outside the Greater Seattle Metro area has criminally underappreciated and underrated Stefan Frei. He’s been one of, if not the best goalkeeper in MLS for years. He passes the eye test, too, frequently making highlight-reel saves and repeatedly ruining MLS attackers’ lives.

He rightfully won the MLS Cup Final MVP in 2016 but has little love for Goalkeeper of the Year. After missing time to injury in 2021, there were questions about how he’d do in his return. Tonight’s performance was no indication that Stefan Frei’s decline was exaggerated. However, this could finally get the glory that he deserves.

There have been plenty of complaints about the Sounders’ slow start or poor record to begin the MLS season. But fans have every reason to be okay with that because the Sounders are cruising through the Champions League. While they’ve gone 2-2-1 with a goal differential of 0 in MLS play, Seattle has yet to lose a game in CCL play, outscoring their opponents 13-3 while going 3-0-3.

Despite that, they’ve done it while rotating players in and out of the lineup. This is a team built for great things, for making history. As they advance to the CCL Finals, they’ll get to do it at home in front of their fans.

0 comment
0 FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail
ECS reveals memorable TIFO in Sounders home opener
Seattle Sounders

Sounders Extend League Winless Streak

by Michael Martinez
written by Michael Martinez

The conditions for the season opener may have been straight from the Sounders’ playbook. But it was Nashville SC who basked in the “Seattle Sunshine” at the end of 90 at Lumen Field. Nashville showed they were up for the fight from the get-go, strategically pressing into turnovers. And while they didn’t create many opportunities, they certainly kept the Sounders from doing much to start the game.

Lineups

Seattle Sounders: 4-2-3-1

Nashville SC: 4-2-3-1

Match Report

The city of Seattle had set the scene. The mood surrounding the Seattle Sounders was about as good as you could ask following a disappointing end to last season. They were coming off a resounding win over Motagua in Concacaf Champions League, seemingly shaking off the frustration that had carried over.

Nashville SC came out with a game plan to frustrate the Sounders and execute it flawlessly. However, their press was compelling enough that the Sounders struggled to get out of their end. The Sounders eventually started connecting passes, but it was mainly through their two fullbacks and rarely through the middle of the park.

After Nashville broke through for the game’s first goal in the 80th minute, the Sounders applied sustained pressure. And it wasn’t until the 87th minute that they put a shot on frame. A 0-0 score probably would have been a fair result, but it’s hard to argue the Sounders deserved any better than the 1-0 loss.

“Yeah, that’s an organized team; they are very cohesive in the way they play,” Sounders midfielder Cristian Roldan said of Nashville. “We didn’t get too many opportunities to run in behind the backline because of the way they play. It’s always frustrating to play a game like that, but I didn’t think we played very well. I felt that we were lacking a little bit today.”

Perhaps the best illustration of the Sounders’ struggles was the degree to which their two most attack-oriented starters were limited. Sam Adeniran replaced the injured Raúl Ruidíaz at forward. Jordan Morris combined for just 33 touches, one-shot, and zero dribbles inside the penalty area in 119 combined minutes.

Nashville deserves credit for executing their game plan. They were committed to not letting the Sounders break them down through the middle of the park and did an excellent job defending the zones in and around the penalty area.

What’s most frustrating is that it feels like a continuation of what happened through much of last year. When the Sounders had their worst-ever home record during the MLS era, they failed to win their final three home games.

The Sounders mostly rejected this concern. Similarly, they were unwilling to pin this result on having just played in the Champions League. Although, it does seem notable that the three other MLS teams who played a midweek CCL game all lost their openers as well.

Post Match Thoughts

The consensus post-match was Nashville’s defensive qualities aside was that the Sounders didn’t do themselves any favors. The lack of tempo from the Sounders was evident for most of the match. The failure to test Nashville early meant they were in for a grind. 

The Sounders were missing Raúl Ruidíaz and Nicolás Lodeiro starting on the bench certainly hurt. But hoping for a moment of magic as opposed to a consistent dynamic attack will leave you disappointed more often than not.

The Sounders’ home form was the subject of much consternation last season, and dropping the opening match in 2022 won’t do much to quell those concerns. Still, neither the players nor Schmetzer was overly concerned about the early-season loss. But, of course, one or two hiccups are bound to happen, though laying an egg in the opener doesn’t make that reality any easier to swallow.

Sounders will move on and try to right things on the road next weekend in a place they rarely have success, with a Champions League home-and-away series to navigate besides. After that, the team has a week to regroup and prepare for the next game to face Real Salt Lake. That game starts a 10-day run where the team will play four games against Leon in CCL, RSL, and a home game against the LA Galaxy.

0 comment
0 FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail
Seattle Sounders

Cascadia Clash ends with the Timbers on Top

by Michael Martinez
written by Michael Martinez

It was another beautiful Pacific Northwest night as the Seattle Sounders took on the Portland Timbers again in another Cascadia Cup clash. Last time out, fans saw an absolute beating from the Sounders as they topped their rivals 6-2 at Providence Park. Every match between these two is always a fun battle, so it was interesting to see who would come out on top this time.

Unfortunately for Sounders fans, the Timbers would get their revenge in the end. Thanks to horrible luck, poor finishing, and the post, the score would end 0-2 favor the visiting Timbers. So while the Sounders are still at the top of the table, things are potentially looking problematic for the would-be champions.

Lineups: 

Seattle Sounders: 5-2-2-1

Portland Timbers: 4-3-2-1

Match Report

“We are going to try and push past it. We have to. The team is not going to sit back and dwell on that.”

The setting was beautiful for this Cascadia Cup clash with the Portland Timbers. The prematch festivities were grand; Reign beat the Thorns, tributes for Jimi Hendrix and his family, and record-setting crowds in the stadium. Everything was setting up a potential Sounders win. So, what happened? 

The match started with the usual intensity you would expect with a Cascadia rivalry game. However, it looked like it could have gone either way. The Timbers began with the match’s first chance six minutes in as Dairon Asprilla lets off a wicked shot off the crossbar but ultimately leads to nothing. 

Only minutes later, tragedy struck the Timbers as defender Eryk Williamson suffered an ACL tear after getting his feet caught in the turf. From there, there was not much else that happened the rest of the half. A couple of decent chances for either team, but it was far from a dull fest. 

The second half was a bit of a different story. The Sounders came out ready to fight, but the Timbers came out wanting it. 

Overall, the Sounder’s defense, especially Xavi, was playing well. That was until the Timbers got their first goal after a disastrous back-pass from Yeimar. After that, Cleveland had no good choices to make as Blanco finished off a pass from Mora into an empty net to give Portland the lead in the 58th minute. 

That was when the Sounders turned it on. Seattle took control of the half and had a couple of great chances courtesy of Shane O’Neil and Raul in the 61st and 86th minutes. Unfortunately, O’Neil’s header hit off the post, and Clark stopped Raul’s rocket of a shot. Things were not going their way all night. 

Caught sleeping once again, the defense and Yeimar left Clevland alone with Mora. Cleveland came out to win a ball in the air but misjudged the bounce. As a result, Mora was able to gain control and chip the goalkeeper to double Portland’s lead in the dying minutes of the game. 

Post Match Thoughts

Sounders centerback, Yeimar, clears the ball despite a Timbers push in the first half of this Cascadia Cup clash.

Image via Max Aquino

While the Sounders created decent chances, their overall performance was relatively poor for significant game stretches. Considering their usual standard, this was a poor result. Seattle struggled to connect passes, and players seemed to show an uncharacteristic lack of familiarity. 

This loss feels like quite the letdown after coming off of an exceptional three games away from home. To add to the frustration, Lumen Field was the fullest it’s been since Seattle hosted the 2019 MLS Cup Final, and the stadium played host to an OL Reign 2-1 win over the Portland Thorns earlier in the day with over 27,000 in attendance to make history and set an NWSL record.

The Sounders won the Cascadia Cup series thanks to two wins earlier in the season at Providence Park, but the loss tonight continues a strange trend. You have to go back to May  2017 to find Seattle’s last regular-season win at home against the rags. They’ve had five such successes at Providence Park in that time. It almost certainly doesn’t mean anything, but that won’t make anyone feel better about it. For now, it’s just an oddity.

0 comment
1 FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail
Seattle Sounders

The kids are alright – baby Sounders bring home unlikely win

by Taylor Bartle
written by Taylor Bartle

Okay, yes, I realize this is probably the 400th time you’ve seen a similar headline. But what else can be said? The Sounders trotted out the youngest starting lineup in MLS history and, thanks to some Ruidiaz magic off the bench, brought home three points that seemed out of the realm of reality.

The Starting XI had an average age of 22.5 and included an MLS record six players who can’t yet enjoy an alcoholic beverage. Three of whom can’t vote and one who can’t even drive. Two of them were even hardship signings from the Tacoma Defiance to make up for the injuries to (deep breath) Jordan Morris, Will Bruin, Nicolas Lodeiro, Jordy Delem, Shane O’Neill, Nouhou, and Stefan Frei, plus the Roldan brothers, who are away on international duty with the United States and El Salvador respectively.

Image

Even backup keeper Stefan Cleveland, who has been steady bordering on solid, got the night off in favor of Seattle native Spencer Richey. Over all, it looked like coach Brian Schmetzer was basically punting this game, hoping for a draw at least, to give his starters some rest and perhaps see what the next generation of Sounders could do. Turns out, they could hold their own.

Through 51 minutes, the youngsters were able to keep form and looked to be able to at least get that 0-0 tie. Then… Rui happened. Ruidiaz came into the game in the 52nd minute, along with Kelyn Rowe and Jimmy Medranda, and really unlocked the offense. While it still wasn’t exactly a flurry of shots and dazzling artistry, the Sounders suddenly looked more dangerous and less like they were just parking the bus. Of course, it took a little bit of luck for them to finally find the back of the net, but when you have a goal scorer like Raul Ruidiaz, luck sometimes comes easy.

In the 67th minute, Rowe tried to sneak a pass in to Raul, but it was blocked by a defender. However, the ball still fell right to Ruidiaz’s feet, who blasted a shot from 41 yards out, curling just past the defender and over goalkeeper Brad Stuver’s outstretched arm.

Twenty or so minutes later, Austin was gifted with a dangerous free kick on a questionable foul call on Kelyn Rowe. Julio Cascante was able to get a head on it and put it past Richey, but a look at the VAR determined Cascante was well offside and the goal was disallowed. Seattle also had a goal disallowed in the 80th minute, when it appeared Ruidiaz had netted another but the side ref called him offside.

After seven minutes of stoppage time for some reason, the final whistle blew and the fledgling Sounders had picked up the victory. “That was a massive team performance,” said Schmetzer. “The message to the group for the last day and a half was, ‘We didn’t come down here to play a bunch of young kids, to make it a good story.’ That was never our intention. Our intention, and the winning culture of this club, is, ‘I don’t care who we put out on the field.’

“The culture of what this club is about is about winning,” he continued. “Those young kids did a great job of demonstrating to all of you that that’s what they believe. Those kids believed they could win.”

0 comment
0 FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail
Seattle Sounders

Seattle Sounders Offer For Wesley Turned Down

by Doug Mellon
written by Doug Mellon

According to reports out of Brazil, Copa Libertadores side Palmeiras have declined an offer from the Seattle Sounders for striker Wesley. Niko Moreno of Sounder at Heart originally reported the details with Head coach Brian Schmetzer confirming the club’s interest during an interview with KJR.

Reports are surfacing that the board has decided not to accept an offer of $6.5million with add-ons for the 22-year-old. The striker currently has a contract that has him at the club until the end of 2024.

The Sounders have a long history of making summertime additions to their roster including those of Raul Ruidiaz and Nicolas Lodeiro so it wouldn’t be out of character for them to continue the hunt – whether they continue discussions with Wesleys camp or not.

0 comment
1 FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail
Seattle Sounders

Why Weren’t The Sounders Favorites for MLS Cup?

by Michael Martinez
written by Michael Martinez

The Seattle Sounders are first in the Supporter’s Shield race, first in the Western Conference, and they have yet to lose a game this season. So why did it take so long for the Sounders MLS Cup odds to go up? You would think they would have been favorites from the start.

The Sounders are having an excellent start to the season, their best ever in fact.  This has not come as a surprise because the Sounders are synonymous with winning. They have arguably been one of the best teams in MLS over the last 5 years. 

This year specifically has been great for the team. Best goal difference (+11), least goals allowed (3, ZERO from open play), and the second best goal scoring team on top of that (14 goals to SKC’s 15). 

So with all that in mind, you would think that they would have had the best odds to win MLS Cup right? Well, it took the bookies 7 games to finally put them at the top. Why? 

You could argue they should have been at the top from the beginning but it seems others have had their doubts. The reason for this could have been our injury problems to some key players. Many of which are out for a longer while.  

 We have yet to see Nico, our DP #10,  all season due to knee issues, JMO out for the season after picking up another torn ACL in Swansea, Delem out with an ACL tear, and now Frei out for the foreseeable future due to complications with his knee injury. All such key components to the team. 

For most teams, when you lose important players like that, your form has a tendency to take a big dip. That has to be exactly what they were thinking when the season started. That is why the Sounders were second on the list. No one knew what to expect, including Sounders fans. 

Thankfully, the team has stepped up so immensely in the absence of these players. Brian Schmetzler has changed the formation up and the team is performing. Playing a 5-3-2 has paid off immensely. Every single player has stepped into new roles and are playing with a tenacity I have not seen in a while. 

Image via Seattle Sounders FC Twitter

Even without Nico and JMO, the team is still creating plenty of chances and scoring goals. The new emergence of the kids is paying off as they look like they have been part of the team for years. I am excited to see how the team plays when Nico comes back, but for now fans can sleep comfortably knowing the team will still perform. 

As we speak, the Sounders are now getting the best odds in the league at +400 to win the MLS Cup, according to Sports Betting Dime. That’s higher than what LAFC had at the start of the season! 

Things can only get better from here for the Sounders. If they stay on this path, then there is no reason to believe that they won’t win the cup. They’ll also break some league records along the way. Let’s hope the bookies agree with us.

The Sounders now head into the upcoming FIFA international break, with the club pausing from league duty until Saturday, June 19 when they play LA Galaxy (6:00 p.m. PT / JOEtv, Prime Video, ESPN +)

0 comment
0 FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail
Seattle Sounders

Sounders gain three points, lose two players

by Taylor Bartle
written by Taylor Bartle

The Sounders left PayPal Park the way they came in, at the top of the table. However, they had to limp out after losing two key players.

Seattle was 3-1-0 when they kicked off against the San Jose Earthquakes on Wednesday. The Quakes were right on their tail at 3-0-1. The Sounders interestingly deployed a 3-4-3 formation, with young players Danny Leyva and Ethan Dobelaare getting their first starts of the season.

In just the fourth minute, defender Jordy Delem went down hard and immediately clutched his knee. Delem, who was playing in the backline instead of his usual midfield position due to a short break between games, had to be helped off the field and was immediately subbed out for Shane O’Neill. While there has been no official word from the team on the severity of the injury, Delem’s tweet from yesterday doesn’t sound promising.

In the 17th minute, it looked like the Sounders may be looking at another penalty kick given when referee Baldomero Toledo called a handball in the box on Yeimar Gomez Andrade. However, after a video review, it appeared the ball hit Yeimar… well let’s just saw slightly lower than the hand, and the penalty was waved off. It didn’t take long for the Sounders to fire back, as in the 18th minute, Seattle had a decent shot on goal that was halted by San Jose but cleared very poorly directly to Christian Roldan. Roldan took one touch and fired a rocket that whizzed past goalkeeper JT Marcinkowski and found the back of the net.

This would ultimately be the only goal on the night, but it was enough to give Seattle the win and three more points. However, it wasn’t all sunshine in the Golden State. The Earthquakes had several near misses, including a clever shot by 17 year-old Cade Cowell that forced Stefan Frei into a diving save. There was also a bad giveaway by Yeimar right in front of goal that Frei luckily was sent over the bar.

Speaking of Frei, the biggest news of the night came in the 91st minute when Shane O’Neill collided with the veteran keeper, causing his leg to contort and keep Frei down for several minutes. He had to be helped off the pitch and didn’t appear to be able to put much weight on the injured leg. Due to the early substitution of Delem, the Sounders had already used their three sub windows and thus, Alex Roldan was forced into goal. While the Rave Green faithful chewed at their cuticles, Roldan was never truly tested but did come up with an almost immediate diving save (one which was the defender collide into him and not get called but we’ll talk more about Toledo in a moment). He then had two other saves that came directly into his arms.

As far as Frei, it sounds like his injury may not be as bad as feared (or as Delem’s), but he is most likely going to miss a few weeks. Backup keeper Stefan Cleveland is expected to step between the sticks in Frei’s absence. The Sounders also have Seattle native Spencer Richey available, who was Frei’s backup on Wednesday.

This game was a head-scratcher at times. There were many long spells of little to nothing happening and the two teams just kicking the ball around the midfield. There were also some very questionable decisions made by both defenses, particularly on clearances. Then there was the officiating.

Baldomero Toledo was wildly inconsistent with his calls. At one point, Joao Paulo had his jersey tugged and then his arms yanked backwards, as if the defender was actually trying to get called for a foul to stop the play, and there was no whistle. On the other hand, there were yellows given to Raul Ruidiaz on his first foul, Nouhou on a typical Nouhou-like play, and Frei for timewasting with no warning preceding it. At one point I thought Toledo may have lost his whistle completely because there were blatant calls on both teams going unchecked. As usually happens with refereeing like that, the game got a little chippy at the end but thankfully when the final whistle blew, cooler heads prevailed and so did the Seattle Sounders.

The Sounders next play LAFC at Lumen Field on Sunday.

0 comment
0 FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail
Portland TimbersSeattle Sounders

Timbers suffer brutal 2-1 loss to Seattle in Providence Park

by Charlie Folkestad
written by Charlie Folkestad

After a disappointing week that saw the Timbers concede four times to FC Dallas and thrice to Club América, Portland returned home to Providence Park for a date with their bitter rivals, the Seattle Sounders. 

Portland missed chance after chance, including two from the penalty spot, before Seattle put two second-half goals in. Bill Tuiloma’s late free-kick made it close, but not close enough to threaten a result. The match would end 2-1 to the Sounders. 

Match Recap

Portland were without regular starting goalkeeper Steve Clark, as well as would-be starters Sebastián Blanco and Jarosław Niezgoda. Forward Jeremy Ebobisse made his return to the starting XI but would be replaced by Felipe Mora after an hour. Playmaker Nicolas Lodeiro was out for the Sounders, though it hadn’t meant much so far this season. 

Portland were on the front foot in the first half, but missed a series of chances in the 30th to 42nd minutes—and by a “series” I mean four or five half-chances and three more legitimate ones. The worst miss came from Ebobisse in the 40′, slipping as he fired a left-footed shot wide. 

The first major moment of the match came in the 55′ as Ebobisse was brought down by Shane O’Neil in the box for a penalty. Valeri stepped up and had his attempt saved by Frei, but was awarded a second chance after Nouhou encroached and Frei came off his line. 

Valeri’s second attempt offered no added joy for Timbers fans. His penalty smacked off the post and while his rebound went in, it would have required Frei touching it to count. Valeri was immediately subbed off for Dairon Asprilla, and the match continued at 0-0. 

Ebobisse was also replaced by Felipe Mora in the exchange, and Andy Polo would replace Marvin Loría shortly after. 

Portland’s attack struggled mightily without Valeri. His creativity and oversight of attacking combinations usually out Portland in successful positions, but post-60′ the Timbers resorted to getting the ball wide before stalling and losing it. 

Few minutes passed before the deadlock was broken. Ruidiaz stumbled over Tuiloma and Attinella on the other end, culminating in a penalty for the Sounders. Ruidiaz took the pen and slid it to Jeff’s right, opening the scoring in the 62′. 

Not a minute after the ensuing kickoff, disaster would strike once more for Portland. Attinella went down with a non-contact injury after playing the ball with his left foot and needed to be replaced by 19-year-old Hunter Sulte. 

“How many times do you see three goalkeepers going down at the start of the season?” lamented Giovanni Savarese post-match. While he praised Sulte’s performance (one save, 3/5 accurate passes) he also noted that it was an exceptionally tough spot to be put in. 

Ruidiaz nearly drew another penalty in the 76′ and Williamson couldn’t get on the end of a cross at the other end. It would be punished in due time. 

A Seattle free kick from the right side of Portland’s defense found the head of a barely-onside Fredy Montero, who beat Sulte to give Seattle a 2-0 lead in the 79′. 

Halfway through the six minutes of added time, Bill Tuiloma (of all people) blasted a beautiful curling free kick past Stefan Frei. Tuiloma’s fourth goal for the club was his most impressive, but the Timbers couldn’t muster another one. The match ended 2-1 to the visitors in a match that looked like it was Portland’s to lose. 

“You don’t get some things in your favor that you’re supposed to get,” said Gio. “Unfortunately, the score doesn’t show what we gave to the game today.” 

Other Notes

  • Joao Paulo was showing his quality in the middle of the field for Seattle, stopping numerous attacks with well-timed challenges and springing the Sounders forward in the same role Diego Chará has historically played for the Timbers. 
  • Nouhou Tolo and Diego Chará were locked in a battle during the first half, with Chará getting the better of the always-unpredictable Nouhou early. A caution was issued to Nouhou after taking down Diego as he broke away down the right. 
  • Portland’s overall passing play was amazing, building up and transitioning well from defense-to-attack. Now the focus shifts back to finishing chances, a la 2019 pre-Brian Fernández. 

Follow @doublepostpod for total coverage of tonight’s match (and every match!), including our postgame reaction podcast later this evening.

As always, RCTID!

0 comment
0 FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail
Seattle SoundersVancouver Whitecaps

Fredy Heads Back Home: What this means for Whitecaps and Sounders

by Michael Martinez
written by Michael Martinez

Here we go!! Freddy Montero is officially signing for his former team, the Seattle Sounders. He will be signing a one year contract with options for 2022 and 2023. He will be joining in on preseason training after the mandatory quarantine and testing protocols. There had been rumors circulating his move to Seattle once contract talks stalled for the Whitecaps late last year. 

Everything about the move just makes sense for him. The Sounders were the first team in MLS to give him a platform to build on, scoring 60 goals in his time there. He has his coffee business, which to be fair it’s pretty damn good. Then lastly, his family. They love it in Seattle and can frequently be found residing there during the offseason. 

This tweet just says it all…

Sounders Head Coach Brian Schmetzler on Fredy coming back, 

I have a lot of fond memories of Fredy Montero in a Sounders jersey, and I’m pleased to welcome him back to the club,

He has always been a dynamic attacker with a strong finishing touch. I’m always happy to have players that can score goals and am looking forward to getting him on the training pitch as our 2021 preparations ramp up.

Montero spent the last 3 seasons in Vancouver tallying 24 goals and 14 assists in all competitions. While his second stint at the club did not go as well as the first, his contribution to the team will not be forgotten. He was arguably the most creative player this last season and helped get that spark back in the team.

What does this mean for the Whitecaps?

In case you guys can’t tell by my writing, I am a HUGE fan of Fredy Montero, so this move away from the Whitecaps does sting a little bit. It just means I can’t write about him anymore… But beyond that, depending on who is making their way to Vancouver, this could be detrimental to the team.  

While the numbers don’t speak for themselves, Fredy did a lot for the Whitecaps, especially in this last season. In the absence of a #10, he would be the creative outlet up top to help create space for Cavallini to get a shot on net. He would also drop in deeper to start the run of play. Whenever he was on the pitch, the team just played that much better. 

Like I said above, this all depends on how the Whitecaps spend and where they spend it. They have made some good signings thus far and some solid rumors have come through, but nothing is concrete. If they they don’t find a #10 to replace what Fredy brought, then it will be another disappointing season for the Whitecaps.

How about for the Sounders? 

This move could mean a lot for the Sounders. Montero is going to Seattle on a free transfer; because of this, there is still plenty of cap room for other marquee signings. It is a very low transfer and they are bringing in a player with some excellent experience. He is also a club legend and it is always fun seeing players come back to former clubs. He will be fighting for a place as the second striker behind Ruidiaz. 

Fredy Montero is still a goal scoring threat. He can easily create something out of nothing. With the Sounders he will not have to worry about that though. They are one of the most creative teams in the league in front of goal. This still doesn’t answer the question, what does Fredy coming home for the Sounders? It’s quite simple. 

Not only is he getting the chance to potentially retire with the club that started it all, but he is bringing that much needed experience in the team. He is also bringing some excellent depth into a title chasing team. Fredy is a natural leader and combine that with everything else, there is no reason but to expect him to make an immediate impact. 

The Sounders have blessed us with a little goal compilation via twitter so have at it!

0 comment
0 FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail
Newer Posts
Older Posts