Seattle Sounders 3-Sporting Kansas City 1
On a mild day in Seattle the Sounders beat Sporting Kansas City 3-1. In a game that had a little bit if everything. Goals, cards, saying goodbye to a legend.
It started right off the kickoff for Sporting KC as they put the Sounders under immediate pressure. with the Sounders unable to clear the ball. Diego Rubio pounced on the ball and his shot from the right of the box beat Frei 1-0 Sporting in the second minute.
The game looked every bit a possible playoff matchup with every ball contested. There were a few testy challenges with nothing put of hand but Kansas City wasn’t going to allow the Sounders its eighth win in a row without a fight. The Sounders generated its first good scoring chance in the 10th with Roldan shooting from a tough angle save by Melia. The Sounders went level in the 12th minute when Chad Marshall slipped in a through ball that beats the KC defense and sent Brad Smith down the flank in acres of space. Smith’s cross beat everybody and Raul Ruidiaz had a tap in to level the score 1-1.
Sporting have some of the better chances of the half and with better finishing could have been up. But the defense as with this entire eleven match unbeaten run has bee up to the task. Diego Rubin gets saved, Daniel Salloi gets a shot blocked and another saved. Ike Opara with a winding run thru the heart of the Sounders defense goes one on one with Frei. Frei raced off his line to cut down the angle gets a piece of the shot and it goes just wide. The score remained level at the half 1-1.
The Sounders come out much better in the second half putting an emphasis on building through the middle. The pressure paid off in the 51st minute when Harry Shipp in a dangerous area has his cross/shot deflect off Graham Zusi into the net for a 2-1 lead for the Sounders. The Sounders buoyed by the own goal put on the pressure. It pays off when brad Smith’s cross in the box goes off Ike Opara’s arm for a penalty. Nicolas Loderio took the penalty and coolly slotted it past Tim Melia to make it 3-1.
Seattle clearly managing the game now getting some chances locking down the defense. That all changed in the 80th minute when after a video review Marshall was given a red card for a challenge on Johnny Russell. Confusion reigned as the crowd had no idea why the VAR was being used. One would expect the Sounders to appeal that red card.
The Sounders now down a man showed their resolve that led the team to the last two MLS Cups. Stout defense blocking shots killing off the game. After the six minutes of added time the Sounder head into the international break on a 8 game winning streak.
In a nice pre-match ceremony the Sounders said goodbye to a Clint Dempsey who announced his retirement earlier in the week.
Seattle Sounders FC
Sporting Kansas City
