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Albert Rusnák

Sounders Celebrate after a Ruidiaz goal
Seattle Sounders

Ruidiaz Scores Worldie in Comeback Win

by Michael Martinez
written by Michael Martinez

On Sunday, the Sounders started their five-game home stretch with a fantastic come-from-behind victory over league newcomers Charlotte FC. Charlotte grabbed an early lead, scoring off a set-piece, and looked to be on their way to their first-ever road win. But, thanks to a Jordan Morris goal in the 71st minute, followed by an unreal goal from Raúl Ruidiaz, the Sounders secured all three points. 

They have now moved within two points of the playoff line with two games in hand.

Lineups

Seattle Sounders: 4-2-3-1

Charlotte FC: 4-1-4-1

Match Report

The Sounders started the match with an important message that was 1000% necessary and crucial for the future of this country.

The Sounders seemed destined to be left ruing missed chances for much of the night, having created plenty of opportunities but lacking the finishing touch. Ultimately it was Charlotte that opened the scoring in the 21st minute. Albert Rusnák committed a foul on the edge of Seattle’s penalty area, and Jordy Alcívar stepped up to take the free kick. His shot went around the wall and came off the post. The young Ben Bender was first to the rebound and put the visitors in front. 

Seattle continued to push but found no luck came in the first half.

In the opening stages of the second half, it even looked like Charlotte might be most likely to get the next goal. Although, everything shifted in the 71st minute.

Alex Roldán got the ball on the right-wing and cut it back to his left before sending in a beautiful weak-footed cross that found Jordan Morris unmarked in the box. Morris headed the ball in the back of the net, making it even at 1-1. From there, the search for a winner was on.

Seattle kept probing, and in the 80th minute, Raúl Ruidiaz took it into his own hands. Nico Lodeiro found Ruidíaz with a tricky free-kick from the right edge of the penalty area, and the Charlotte defense blocked Ruidiaz’s initial shot. But, after the initial block, he wheeled to the top of the box and sent an arcing blast to the top corner for the winner. 

While the Sounders had to fight back from a frustrating deficit, three points still count the same at the end of the season.

Post Match Thoughts

Ruidiaz after scoring the winning goal

Image via Seattle Sounders FC

Jordan Morris’ return to glory

It’s fair to say that so far in 2022, Morris has not quite looked like himself. Or at least he hasn’t quite looked like himself at his peak. He’s shown flashes, burning players down the wings, or putting in an instinctual finish or pass here and there, but he hasn’t put it all together since his return from the ACL injury.

Despite that, he’s put together six goals and one assist in 18 total appearances this season. He’s averaging about .40 goals per 90, which isn’t exactly elite, but it’s better than his career average, and it’s exciting to think of how much better he could be down the stretch.

Yeimar is our rock

Yeimar’s absence during the early stages of the season may prove to be a blessing down the road, as it provided Jackson Ragen with valuable experience. Ragen was impressed during his run with the first team and certainly earned himself further opportunities, but against Charlotte, Yeimar reminded all of us why that starting spot is his until someone takes it from him.

He put in a Man of the Match quality performance, winning 6 of 7 duels — 5 of 5 on the ground — 2 of 2 tackles attempted, and adding eight interceptions and recoveries. He was everywhere, closing down attacks and more than ably contributing with the ball at his feet.

Raul Ruidiaz in form

After last night, Raul has now scored three goals in the previous four league matches. The man is on FIRE. In addition, in those games he scored, the Sounders have won. This good run of form started from the CCL final after scoring himself a brace on that glorious night.

Ruidiaz got off to a slow start thanks to an injury at the beginning of the season, but he is back to his usual self. On the wrong side of 30, most pundits and writers would write him off. If anything, he has found his footing even more than before. If Raul can keep this form, he can easily catch up with the rest of the top scorers in the league. Let’s hope he wants to stay in Seattle for the rest of his career. In my eyes, he’s already a legend. I’m sure most Sounders fans would agree with me as well.

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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.

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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.

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Portland Timbers

Expectations, predictions for Timbers-RSL

by Kevin Nesgoda
written by Kevin Nesgoda

The Portland Timbers will face Real Salt Lake at 6:30pm PT on Wednesday, October 14th from Rio Tinto Stadium in Sandy, Utah. The match will be broadcast locally on Root Sports and streaming nationally on ESPN+.

The match will be blacked out on ESPN+ for those in Root’s Northwest “geographic region,” which includes all of Oregon, Washington, Alaska, Montana, and most of Idaho. Plan accordingly.

Odds and Prediction

Let’s jump straight to the point here: As has been the case for the last few matches, we can unequivocally say that Portland should win this match. The Timbers have won their last five, with 17 goals scored in that span.

With all that said, Portland are NOT the favorites to win tonight—RSL are.

  • RSL: +135

  • Draw: +260

  • Portland: +175

Despite RSL’s awful run of form (last win was against LA Galaxy on Sept. 23rd, D-L-L-L since then), and despite their best player (Albert Rusnák) away on international duty (shoutout Slovakia), there could be a few explanations for this:

  • RSL are at home

  • Gio will be rotating the squad heavily

  • Eryk Williamson is suspended via yellow card accumulation (learning well from Diego Chará)

With all that being said, this line is still pretty poor (in my humble opinion). Without a reasonable explanation, Portland will win 4-1, and I think Niezgoda finds a way to get on the scoresheet again tonight. I’d love to see him start.

Follow @doublepostpod for live coverage and postgame quotes.

And, as always, Go Timbers!

[cover image via @TimbersFC]

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Portland Timbers

Timbers vs Real Salt Lake Preview: 8/31/19

by Kevin Nesgoda
written by Kevin Nesgoda
Fanendo_Adi_Portland_Timbers_vs_RSL_2016-09-10_29613806605.jpg

The Portland Timbers (11-4D-11, 37 pts, 8th in West) and Real Salt Lake (13-4D-10, 43 pts, 2nd in West) will meet in a classic late-season Saturday night showdown at Providence Park. 

Match Info

  • Time: Saturday, August 31st @ 7:30pm PT
  • Location: Providence Park, Portland, OR
  • TV: FOX 12 Plus (channel 49)

As you probably know, this match has huge implications beyond simply extending a mini unbeaten streak or avenging the legendary 2013 squad. A quick look at the Western Conference standings reveal 8th place Portland trails 2nd place RSL by only six points. I feel like a broken record when I mention Portland’s game in hand, but it only means something if they can capitalize on it. Two straight home defeats on national television and an injuries to both starting center backs didn’t do much to help that cause. 

Standings provided by Sofascore LiveScore

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A couple weeks ago, I looked at FiveThirtyEight’s MLS predictions for the Timbers, which gave them a 90% chance to make the playoffs. While that number is down, 83% is still a pretty good shot. The bigger question lies in what position the Timbers will finish. An expanded playoff format guarantees home field advantage for the top four teams in each conference, but Portland still has work to do:

Timbers final position in Western Conference standings FiveThirtyEight Probability (%)
2nd* 13%
3rd* 16%
4th* 15%
5th** 14%
6th** 12%
7th** 12%
8th or less (missing playoffs) 18%

  • *=home playoff match guaranteed
  • **=away match in 1st round

This only adds to the stress of the match for the Timbers, who already need this win badly.

On the Iron Front front

As you also probably know, there has been a much bigger issue raging in the background of these last few matches: while the Iron Front ban protest was certainly noticed, neither the league nor the Timbers Army seem keen to give up their side. Owner Merritt Paulson mildly evaded a question about fan safety to re-hash the issue of the flag’s political nature during a Portland Thorns Q&A, while the TA has stated they are in “ongoing talks” with the Timbers front office. This writer stands with the Timbers Army and hopes that the ban is rescinded soon.

Other Noteworthy Matches

Before we get to the match at hand, there are a couple of other critical matches you might want to be aware of before the Timbers kick off at 7:30. If college football isn’t your thing (and you have ESPN+), definitely check out these first two:

  • Cincinnati @ Dallas, 4:00 PT
    • FC Dallas is currently sitting on 40 points (three ahead of the Timbers), but they have also played two more matches. This should be an easy win for Dallas at home against the worst team in MLS, but we’ve seen crazier things happen in MLS. Root for Cincy!
  • Houston @ Kansas City, 4:30 PT
    • Don’t look now, but if Portland slips up in the remaining matches, these two sides will be nipping at their heels, especially Kansas City. SKC is within three points of the Timbers, and although Portland does have a game in hand, two remaining meetings with KC could make the playoff race trickier than expected. Root for a draw or Houston win!
  • Orlando City @ San Jose, 7:30 PT
    • This match will start at the same time as Portland’s, but keep an eye on San Jose, who are one of the teams Portland are chasing in the Western Conference standings. Root for Orlando!
  • LA Galaxy @ Seattle, 2:30 PT Sunday
    • Take a look at this matchup if you find time Sunday. The performances of both these teams will be critical to Portland’s playoff position. Root for a draw, although seeing either of these teams lose will surely bring a wry smile.

Match Primer

Ok, onto the match itself. In order to win this match, Portland will need to stop Albert Rusnák. The Slovak #11 pulls the strings for RSL’s attack, and if RSL sits deep to absorb pressure (more on that later), his creativity is deadly on the counter-attack. Luckily, the Timbers have Diego Chará, who is more than capable. Who they won’t have, though, is Larrys Mabiala and Julio Cascante. During the bulk of the regular season, this duo was the preferred starting center back pairing for head coach Giovanni Savarese—although I still prefer Tuiloma over Cascante when both are healthy.

Replacement Claude Dielna has had his fair share of mistakes, but he has also had some solid matches, most notably against NYCFC, Orlando City, and Colorado. It should be noted that Dielna’s weakness, though, is his lack of pace. This was exploited quite easily by Mason Toye and Minnesota United earlier this month. If RSL does end up finding space on the counter, things will be a lot more nervy for Portland’s back line. 

Lineups

What curveball will Gio throw us this week? Last week we had Marvin Loría starting over Jeremy Ebobisse and Zarek Valentin getting the nod over an injured Jorge Moreira. Now, Valentin is questionable with a hamstring injury and the Timbers find themselves with four healthy players on the back line (at least it makes my prediction easier). In the midfield, Cristhian Paredes should get the start next to Chará, but there have been rumblings of a leg injury that would undoubtedly see Renzo Zambrano get the start. In the attack, there have been some proponents of seeing Brian Fernández play out on the wing, but these pipe dreams were mostly dismissed by Gio’s comments in training. With rest no longer a factor (for now), I expect the lineup to look like this:

There have been suggestions of moving Fernández out to the wing, but Savarese does not seem too keen about the idea

Keys

  • Scoring against a low block: It’s no secret that Portland has had their fair share of trouble against defenses that stay compact and look to counter-attack. It’s how the Timbers made it to MLS Cup last year, and it’s how teams have been grabbing points from them this year. Hopefully getting Moreira back will help attack wide areas and exploit a back line that has given up only 34 goals this season.
  • Scoring the first goal: I know, duh. You want your team to score all the goals, not just the first one. But conceding the first goal buried the Timbers in their last two losses. I guess this key should read: Score before the other team, or if you don’t, don’t let yourself keep playing poorly.
  • Keeping things tidy on the back line: The last (and only) time Dielna and Tuiloma started together, it was part of a 5-man back line designed to stop Zlatan Ibrahimovic that went…poorly. This will be a big experiment, and I wouldn’t be that surprised to see a—dare I say it—back three at some point on Saturday. Salt Lake will be licking their chops at the thought of attacking this back four, and it could be a massive game for Steve Clark between the sticks.

RSL’s strategy should be to sit back and take what the Timbers give them on the counter. They are facing a pair of questionable center backs in Cascante and Dielna, and suddenly Sam Johnson’s nine goals in 20 appearances look even more impressive. HOWEVER, I think Portland wins this match because Real Salt Lake comes out of their shell and tries to compete. As long as the back line avoids any egregious errors, I think this should be a classic home win for the Timbers. 

And finally…

After a lengthy delay, my friend Reece and I have finally released the first episode of the Double Post Podcast! Check us out on Soundcloud and Twitter to keep up with all the hottest takes in the Timbers community.

As always, thanks for reading and go Timbers!

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