Sounders credit grit, formation and "special" Bwana for unlikely TFC win

TORONTO – Against the odds, and the run of play, Seattle Sounders FC came into BMO Field on Wednesday night and earned a massive three road points with a 2-1 win over Toronto FC.


Without the services of Clint Dempsey, Ozzie Alonso and Nicolas Lodeiro, to name but a few of those left at home, the Sounders leaned on a new look and supreme efficiency to pull out the result.


ā€œThe boys put it in tonight,ā€ said head coach Brian Schmetzer. ā€œThey worked, they ran, they covered a lot of ground. They had to because Toronto was good at what they do. But [we] stuck to the game plan [and the] scoreline was in our favor.ā€


Schmetzer explained his decision to go with a 5-4-1 formation as a product of preseason.


ā€œWe were toying with a secondary formation we could use in situations like this,ā€ he said. ā€œThat was when we had Jordan Morris, wanted to play with two forwards, had a good result against Portland.


ā€œThen Jordan goes down [with a season-ending knee injury]. We had to change that up a little bit. Will [Bruin] is a classic lone striker for a situation like this; we have a good crop of center backs. That formation works for us.ā€


Bruin scored the first goal on a quick counter in the 25th minute, collecting a pass from Magnus Wolff Eikrem before blasting a left-footer past Alex Bono. It was Seattle's first shot on goal.


ā€œIt's tough to defend for 90 minutes,ā€ said midfielder Cristian Roldan. ā€œOnce you can get that lead, it's much nicer. Will was massive in that way, he took his first chance and scored.ā€


Jonathan Osorio would level before halftime, but 18-year old Homegrown rookie Handwalla Bwana would rise to the occasion come the 54th minute, latching onto a Bruin through ball to score the game-winner.


ā€œHe was great: came on, scored his first professional goal,ā€ said Schmetzer. ā€œI'm very proud of him. He finished that one well.

ā€œHe had a really good performance against Chivas [in Concacaf Champions League] at home when we beat them 1-0, then he tailed off a little bit. He had to regroup, catch his bearing,ā€ explained Schmetzer. ā€œYou can tell he has quality, he just needs to understand MLS is a durable league. You've got to be a little stronger, a little tougher at times. He has the technical ability; he belongs in this league.ā€


Added Roldan: ā€œBwana was special. He adds that bit of brilliance at times. He's still young and can learn, but he was effective tonight. He came ready to play.ā€


For his part, the rookie credited the pass from Bruin.


ā€œThe ball from Will; perfect ball, all I had to do was finish it,ā€ said Bwana. ā€œI had a good finishing session the day before, so I was feeling it.


ā€œUnbelievable moment. A kid's dream: to score your first professional goal,ā€ he continued. ā€œBut I couldn't do it without my teammates, the most important thing is getting the three points.ā€


The congratulatory phone calls and texts, however, will have to wait until they're back across the border.


ā€œI don't get service in Canada,ā€ said Bwana. ā€œI left my phone in the hotel, so maybe once we get to the US.ā€


The win comes at an excellent time for Seattle, who have struggled to find their footing in the league after their CCL exertions.


ā€œThis club is a proud club,ā€ said Schmetzer. ā€œWe always fight, we never give up. Results like this come from that mentality, that mindset. That will always be there.ā€


With a Cascadia Cup clash against their rivals the Portland Timbers on Sunday (4 pm ET | ESPN - Full TV & streaming info), they will look to carry that moment into the derby.


ā€œIt's fantastic,ā€ said Roldan of the boost from Wednesday’s result. ā€œWe're playing one of the best teams in the history of MLS, with the lineup that came out: a dedicated group that was committed to getting the result from the first minute. It plays into our next game, against another big team, a rival. We've got to rest our bodies and build off this win.ā€