Raul Ruidiaz converted an 88th-minute penalty for his eighth goal of the season and the Seattle Sounders extended their club-record unbeaten start to 10 matches with a 2-1 victory over Real Salt Lake on Wednesday night at Lumen Field.
Ruidiaz's spot kick — a coolly taken Panenka — canceled out Albert Rusnak's converted penalty 10 minutes earlier and helped Seattle win its second straight after returning from the international break.
Some 20 minutes before that, Cristian Roldan opened the scoring when he scored the match's only goal from open play, putting away a rebound after David Ochoa saved Will Bruin's initial attempt.
The Sounders continued on the front foot for most of the next 20 minutes before RSL leveled (more on both penalties below), but could not find an insurance tally. Ruidiaz came closest but had a goal rightly disallowed for a poor Hand of God imitation.
Goals
Three Things
- THE BIG PICTURE: Both penalties were upheld following a Video Review, even though each defense vehemently protested Ted Unkel's decision when he pointed to the spot in their own end. The first penalty came when Unkel ruled Sounders 'keeper Stefan Cleveland had clipped Rubio Rubin with his late challenge. On the second, substitute defender Anderson Julio was ruled to have handled the ball after it deflected off Ruidiaz.
- MOMENT OF THE MATCH: Ruidiaz had converted only one of his two previous penalties this season. So perhaps no one in the stadium -- and certainly not Hernandez -- would've expected this devastatingly casual but effective approach.
- MAN OF THE MATCH: Cristian Roldan, who continues growing into whatever Seattle needs from him as they continue to await the return of Nicolas Lodeiro. He scored moments after Ochoa's save spoiled his gorgeous layoff for Bruin, and also won 75% of his seven duels.
Up Next
- SEA: Saturday, June 26 vs. Vancouver Whitecaps (9 pm ET | MLS LIVE on ESPN+ in the US and DAZN in Canada)
- RSL: Saturday, June 26 vs. Houston Dynamo (8 pm ET | MLS LIVE on ESPN+ in the US and DAZN in Canada)
