Photos by Brandon Bleek, Max Aquino and Shelby Kessler
Captions by Anna Ferkingstad and Steven Agen
The Seattle Sounders returned to winning ways on Sunday, trouncing 10-man Orlando by four goals to nil. The Sounders entered their first ever games against the new expansion side, winless in their last 5 MLS matches.
It was none other than Obafemi Martins who opened the floodgates for Seattle in the 17th minute when he beat several purple jerseys to effortlessly slice the ball past Tally Hall. Sunday’s match was the first time Martins had been in the starting eleven since his injury in the Open Cup loss against the Portland Timbers back in June.
Orlando was on the back foot at 1-0 down, and things only got worse for the visitors on 40 minutes. 19 year old Tyler Turner picked up his second yellow of the afternoon for tripping up Lamar Neagle at the corner of the area. The Lions had a look or two at equalizing before Turner’s dismissal, but they didn’t look competitive with Seattle after.
When the first half ended, Seattle had outshot Orlando 10-3 and created the majority of the chances. Even with Tally Hall saving Oba Martins’ penalty attempt, Seattle were cruising up a man and a goal.
Nelson Haedo Valdez announced his arrival to Seattle with a soaring header goal in the 51st minute on a corner kick by Erik Friberg. Following the match, Coach Sigi Schmid noted that right now, “the key is service.” Friberg’s crossing abilities are refreshing for a Sounders side that has struggled all summer to connect on corners and free kicks.
Martins removed any doubt on 62 minutes, scoring one of the most audacious goals of his MLS career so far. The Nigerian trapped a redirection from Thomas in the center of the box, and found himself in behind the defense. He approached Hall, watched the goalkeeper commit, and then chipped from about six yards out. It beat Hall, but not the line. Martins ran after it and slammed the ball into the net with the bottom of his boot. While no one can be sure, it looked for all the DP left the chip short on purpose. The result was a stunning piece of control- it highlighted Seattle’s dominance on the day and Martins’ hold on MLS.
After entering the match as a substitute in the 56th minute, Thomas brought Seattle’ scoreline to 4-0 in stoppage time. The Brazilian finally opened his account with Seattle after coming close several times during the Sounders’ dry run. With the game in garbage time, Thomas collected at the top of the area, danced around several defenders, and struck low to the far post. It caught Hall wrong-footed, and Seattle had their exclamation point.
Martins’ triumphant return coupled with a goal from Valdez on his Sounders debut marked a successful weekend for the club’s several new signings. Roman Torres never faced any real pressure at the back, while Erik Friberg pulled all the strings that made Seattle go on Sunday. Nelson Valdez tried to set Martins up, and vice versa. It was the perfect introduction for two of Seattle’s marquee signings. All eyes turn now to Andres Ivanschitz, the last Sounder acquired this window yet to make his debut. He could get his chance on Wednesday, when Seattle host Olimpia in Champions League.
Orlando City created a 3 on 3 moment in the first half, with the score at 1-0. Larin received the ball inside the 18 with his back to goal several times. None of those moments turned into threatening chances. At the end of the day, it was more of the same from the Lions who next travel to Toronto on Saturday.
