The Chicago Fire travelled to the Pacific Northwest for a late-season interconference clash with big playoff implications on Wednesday night in front of 39,269 at CenturyLink Field. Chad Marshall glanced in Andreas Ivanschitz’s corner on 24 minutes as Sounders jumped above the red line for the first time in 2016.
Sounders Player Ratings
By Mark Lee
Stefan Frei – 7. Frei was only called upon twice tonight, and came up with two key saves to preserve the Sounders’ shutout. He wasn’t tested until the 85th minute in the second half, when he got a goal-saving hand on the chance from David Arkshakyan to keep it from sneaking into the bottom corner. Arturo Alvarez nearly caught out Frei at the near post on a free kick attempt in the first half, but Frei will claim he had his angles covered as it went just wide of the target.
Fire would threaten several times throughout the half, mainly via David Accam. The speedster found himself in useful positions in the area on a number of occasions, but he missed high once and saw two other efforts blocked away. The visitors had little else to offer going forward other than what the Ghanaian provided.
Tyrone Mears – 6. Mears lost David Accam in the box on a couple of occasions in the first half, and was lucky that Accam’s poor finishing let him off the hook. Outside of those brief occurrences, the Sounders’ right back kept Chicago’s leading scorer bottled up and served as a steady attacking outlet up the right wing.
Román Torres – 6. It has been great to see Torres’ recovery and re-integration into the back line with Chad Marshall. He was a big part of the defensive unit that marked the Fire’s forward, Luis Solignac, completely out of the game. Torres’ more aggressive nature led to a few big gaps that a better team might have exposed, but that comes with the territory of pairing a more assertive center back with the calmer Marshall. Did relatively little in the second half, but that’s only because Chicago didn’t test the back line until late in the match.
Chad Marshall heads home his fifth goal of the season to put the Sounders up 1-0.
Chad Marshall – 9. Marshall’s goal in the 24th minute proved to be the difference in the game, the crown jewel on his complete Man of the Match performance. He won nearly every aerial duel, and partnered well with Román Torres to limit Chicago to 2 shots on goal. Marshall chipped in with a couple of key tackles and interceptions throughout the game, most notably a tackle on Accam at the edge of the penalty area midway through the second half.
Joevin Jones – 6. Joevin Jones mirrored Tyrone Mears’ game but on the opposite wing, contributing in both defense and attack. His attacking tendencies opened up space for Chicago down the left side in the first half, which contributed to Torres being sucked out of position and helped the Fire create their most dangerous chances for Accam. That’s the risk you run with attacking-minded outside backs – Seattle will have to continue to work on their defensive shape to avoid having that space exploited by better attacking teams.
Osvaldo Alonso – 7. This was a typically gritty performance from Alonso. He shielded the back line well, won a handful of tackles, intercepted passes, and helped launch counter attacks when given the chance to push forward. Osvaldo was also tidy in possession, misplacing very few passes and helping to keep the ball against a deflated Fire side.
Cristian Roldan – 7. Cristian Roldan continues to grow into this season and provide excellent defensive cover for a back line with two attacking fullbacks. His partnership with Osvaldo Alonso is a major key to the Sounders’ recent success, both defensively and in the attack. Roldan’s usually high work rate and pressure were paired well with his clean passing on the night.
Alvaro Fernandez – 5. Fernandez showcased his pace and work ethic, but didn’t have much to show for it in terms of production in the final third. He worked back well to help Mears’ in defensive duties and pressed high to force mistakes from the Chicago left back, but was subbed off in the second half after picking up a couple of knocks. Alvaro may not be the biggest threat going forward, but he certainly isn’t a defensive liability and will continue to see time until proven otherwise.
Nico Lodeiro finally got the match started in earnest on 11 minutes, forcing Sean Johnson to save low to his left from the top of the box.
Nicolás Lodiero – 6. Lodiero didn’t have his best game, but his influence on play was still apparent. He had two or three passes that were inches away from splitting the back line, and his work rate was a joy to watch. He did well to find space in the midfield in between Chicago players, and could still be seen sprinting back to recover defensively in the final 5-10 minutes of the game. The biggest blemish on his night was the silly yellow card picked up in the 58th minute for encroachment. This means Lodiero misses the rivalry game against Vancouver this coming weekend, which has implications for both the playoff race and Cascadia pride.
Andreas Ivanschitz – 5. Ivanschitz’s set piece service continues to reap rewards as Chad Marshall headed home yet another corner delivered by the Austrian David Beckham. From open play, however, Ivanschitz was too intricate with the final ball and tried to force incisive passes that weren’t necessary. He was responsible, along with Jones, for the abundance of space the Fire had on the left side during the first half. Set piece service aside, this was a very average game for the Austrian.
Jordan Morris – 6. Jordan Morris was often isolated up top, but his work rate and opportunism led to a few chances for the young striker. He will be disappointed to not have scored in the 41st minute, but did very well to create the chance in the first place and didn’t have much of an angle to work with. Morris’ pressure on the opponent’s back line often goes unheralded, but it sets the tone and shape for defending as a unit and often results in errant passes from opposing defenders.
Substitutes:
Eric Friberg – sub in the 57th minute for Alvaro Fernandez. Friberg had little impact on the game after coming on, but it was good to see him play after recovering from a sprained ankle.
Nelson Valdez – on in the 71st minute for Andreas Ivanschitz. Held the ball up and combined well with Lodiero and Morris, but still can’t find that finishing touch.
Herculez Gomez – on in the 90th+2 for Jordan Morris.
About Mark: Grew up in a family that only followed baseball, basketball, and football – quickly converted them all to soccer fans. Played soccer growing up, played soccer in college at Pacific Lutheran University, and still play soccer in multiple Seattle leagues. Have been an Arsenal fan since The Invincibles, and a Sounders fan since their founding as an MLS team.
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