The Seattle Sounders stayed top of the Western Conference with a third win in a row, this time a 2-1 win over Real Salt Lake at CenturyLink Field on Wednesday.
The first half was a fairly even affair, with both sides evenly splitting possession and recording four shots each. It was a half that lacked quality chances bar one, with the Sounders scoring the first half's only shot on target. Jordan Morris scored his second goal in as many games in the 28th minute in a play that started with Nicolas Lodeiro's pass to Cristian Roldan on the right side of the field. From there, Roldan sent a square pass to Morris, who immediately scored from right in front of the goal.
The dynamic was mostly the same in the second half, though the Sounders were a little bit better at creating scoring opportunities. The hosts got their reward for that work in the 61st minute, when Yeimar Gomez Andrade scored to double their lead. Lodeiro picked up his second assist of the night via free kick, standing barely a yard from goal and sending a cross into the box. Gomez then headed the ball, which took a quick bounce before ending up in the back of the net.
The momentum quickly shifted RSL's way, when they were on the receiving end of an own goal just seven minutes later. Maikel Chang's cross into the box was meant for a teammate, but instead Nouhou Tolo accidentally sent it into the back of his own net while making a defensive run into the box.
Goals
- 28' — SEA — Jordan Morris | WATCH
- 61' — SEA — Yeimar Gomez Andrade | WATCH
- 68' — RSL — Nouhou Tolo (OG) | WATCH
Three Things
- THE BIG PICTURE: It was hardly an impressive night for either side, but the Sounders will be happy to have done just enough to win and maintain top spot in the West. RSL never truly dominated in this match, and a performance without a single shot on goal is disappointing.
- MOMENT OF THE MATCH: The Sounders' opening goal was a clear team effort, with Nicolas Lodeiro, Cristian Roldan, and Jordan Morris combining to give their team the lead.
- MAN OF HTE MATCH: Outside of the own goal, it was a strong defensive night for the Sounders and no one performed better better than Yeimar Gomez Andrade, who kept the backline intact and capped off the strong performance with the game winning goal.
Next Up
- SEA: Sunday, October 11 at Los Angeles FC (7 pm ET | ESPN in US; MLS LIVE on DAZN)
- RSL: Saturday, October 10 at Vancouver Whitecaps (10 pm ET | MLS LIVE on ESPN+; TSN1 in Canada)
