Seattle Sounders player ratings v. Colorado Rapids
by Anna Ferkingstad

The Colorado Rapids picked up their first road loss Wednesday at Centurylink against the Seattle Sounders. The 1-0 victory propelled Seattle into first in the Western Conference and at the top of the Supporters Shield race. The win saw a goal from Marco Pappa in the 16th minute and the first career start for rookie (and former University of WA player) Christian Roldan. Pappa and Roldan are high on the list of standout performances for the Sounders against the Rapids. The match also marked Brad Evans 150th appearance for the club.

Seattle now holds a record of 7-2-3 and will face the New York Red Bulls Sunday in the final of the three games they had in a tight eight days. The match against the Rapids saw 70% possession for the Sounders but the two teams were split almost equally in shot counts. Seattle dominated the first half but then relinquished a bit of the offensive pressure in the opening minutes of the second half. Obafemi Martins returned to the starting line up for the Sounders after missing two games due to injury, with Lamar Neagle and Chad Barrett seeing minutes as late substitutes.

Starting Eleven

Stefan Frei:  7

The Rapids did not challenge goalkeeper Stefan Frei often but when they did he did well to diffuse the threat. Frei continues to prove to be a consistent presence for the Sounders in the net, with the 1-0 victory marking the team’s seventh shutout of the season.

Tyrone Mears: 8

Mears’ calm demeanor and composure distinguish him from past outside defenders of the Sounders. He may not be as fast or flashy on offense as someone like DeAndre Yedlin, but he plays smart. Against the Rapids’ this was demonstrated through the balance of his role as a defender and an outlet on the wing. His combination with Roldan in the 50th minute allowed Roldan to lay off yet another dangerous cross into the box.

Brad Evans:  8.5

Evans is settling in nicely to his position in central defense. He has shown over the years that he is an adaptable player with the passing abilities of a midfielder but recognition and intelligent composure of a defender. He had several strong tackles on Wednesday, including ushering two dangerous balls out for corners and denying Juan Ramirez in the 54th minute.

Zach Scott: 8.5

Only his third start of the season and he was able to step alongside of Brad Evans as if the two had played every game together. Sliding into a center back position that Chad Marshall normally holds, Scott brought the strength and aggression he is known for against Colorado. Several headers allowed him to clear the line and he limited the movement of the Rapid’s Luis Solignac across the 18 yd. box.

Leo Gonzalez: 7

Gonzalez struggled in the first 20 minutes to find his feet but as the game progressed, he proved to be an effective outlet for Seattle out wide. He diffused several runs from the Rapid’s midfielders Sam Cronin and Gabriel Torres. Despite missing many recent matches (due to the impressive performances of Dylan Remick), Gonzalez’ ability to integrate back into the starting line up is a testament to his experience and talent.

Marco Pappa:  9

The lone goalscorer of the evening, Marco Pappa capitalized on the sluggish defense of the Rapids’ on more than one occasion. His goal brought the Sounders to 1-0 in the 16th minute after an arching shot into the right hand corner of the net was out of reach of the Colorado keeper. Pappa continued to connect with Dempsey and Martins throughout the 90 minutes, including a combination that led to another shot (that he eventually placed high and wide) in the 52nd minute. As the season progresses, Pappa demonstrates an increasing awareness of his defensive duties helping the central midfielders to limit the transitions of their opponents.

Andy Rose: 8

The match against Colorado marked Rose’s 12th appearance and 7th start of the season. With Gonzalo Pineda out due to a sprained ankle, Rose tucked centrally to play alongside Alonso in the midfield position. His quick thinking and astute ability to recognize the off ball movement of his teammates played a large role in the Seattle’s dominant first half possession. He recovered quickly to help diffuse Kevin Doyle, Dillon Powers and Gabriel Torres but also did well to get forward and provide support to Pappa or Roldan from the wings.

Osvaldo Alonso: 7

Alonso is the heart of Seattle’s midfield (with more appearances for the club than any other player) but he can be reckless in his aggression. Wednesday night he was lucky not to leave the match with a red card after several careless tackles. He did well to both clog the midfield when Colorado had the ball, forcing quick and frequent turnovers for a Rapids side that could not hold onto possession. Alonso also played a large role in Seattle’s ability to hold about 80% of the possession in the first 20 minutes of the match.

Christian Roldan: 8

In his first MLS career start, Christian Roldan contributed largely to the Sounder’s ability to challenge the Rapids’ defensive backline. His skill on and off the ball created several crosses and through balls that just nearly missed the feet of Dempsey or Martins. His deflect cross in the 16th minute led to Pappa’s goal and he nearly grabbed a goal of his own in the 67th minute (just shortly before his substitution) when he beat Rapids player and former Sounder Mark Burch on the wing. In the oncoming months, Roldan has a lot of potential for the Sounders in the midfield.

Obafemi Martins: 7.5

Returning after missing two games due to injury, Martins’ presence in the attack was refreshing but a bit rusty. Martins and Dempsey combine like no other players in the league, let alone Seattle’s roster. Martins’ ability to hold onto the ball and drop back into the midfield remains unique with notable opportunities in the 14th minute and 85th that left Dempsey in close shooting range.

Clint Dempsey: 7.5

Dempsey did well to create attacking opportunities against Colorado for Martins and Pappa but his score isn’t higher because his own on target shots were limited. That being said, it was good to see him back alongside Martins. The combinations between the two remain refreshing and difficult for opposing defenses to handle. Dempsey’s vision continues to distinguish him from other players in the league.

Substitutes

Chad Barrett (for Roldan 70′): 6

After strong performances against Vancouver and Sporting Kansas city, Barrett did not have an opportunity to show himself in the 20 minutes he saw against the Rapids. His fresh legs aided in Seattle’s possession and he got a few crosses off but he had no notable shot opportunities.

Lamar Neagle (for Pappa 74′): 6

Neagle was present in the box on several Sounder’s crosses but a string of Colorado opportunities did not allow him to show his abilities on offense in the final moments of the game.

Michael Azira (for Dempsey 89′): N/A