By Steven Agen
Troy Perkins (6)
In his first start at CenturyLink Field (in home colors, anyways), the veteran shot-stopper had little to do but pick the ball out of his net. That goal is on Zach Scott and Chad Marshall for getting split by Doyle. The Rapids forward put it right in the corner, and Frei wouldn’t have gotten there either. A baseline score is accurate.
Tyrone Mears (7) (MotM)
When the Sounders need a goal, the first thing they do is push Mears very high. At times, particularly after the goal, Seattle possessed in a 4-2-4 of sorts. Alonso dropped deeper, and Mears stayed up on the right wing to compliment the three forwards. It didn’t work on Saturday, but the message from Schmid is clear- Mears is key to the Sounder attack, more so than the average outside back normally is. He led the team in touches and total passes on the night, and perhaps Dempsey or Martins would’ve gotten on the end of one of the myriad of crosses the Englishman delivered.
Chad Marshall (5.5)
A very average performance from Marshall. As the weeks go by with Brad Evans away at the Gold Cup, it’s becoming more apparent that Zach Scott is dragging Marshall down. Several moments stood out in the Rapids loss where the reigning Defender of the Year couldn’t focus solely on his man, as Scott’s mark became Marshall’s concern as well. He’s less culpable than his partner on Doyle’s goal, but loses a half point for it nonetheless.
Zach Scott (4.5)
Two weeks straight, he’s looked less-than-stellar. It’s often said that reserves can step in for a match or two and look like starters, but that doing so for an extended run is a different story. When Kevin Doyle muscled past Scott and fired low past Perkins, it was clear enough that Evans can’t get back soon enough.
Leo Gonzalez (4.5)
Getting a rare start in place of Dylan Remick, Gonzalez showed why he’s too old to be the week-to-week left back for Seattle. The Costa Rican completed a team-low 55.6% of his passes, and remained isolated for large swaths of the match. Tyrone Mears’ involvement going forward naturally meant that Gonzalez had to hang back more often than not. However, Seattle clearly missed the balance Remick brings- with his pace, he keeps opposing wingers honest. Remick is fast enough to help out in the attack while still being able to race back and defend the counter. Gonzalez is too slow to even attempt going forward (except when Sounders are desperate) and it hurt Seattle on Saturday.
Erik Friberg (Subbed off 59′) (6)
A quiet second debut. Sigi Schmid mentioned that the organization likes Friberg’s vertical passing ability, but it wasn’t on display Saturday. The Swede kept his game simple, complete one and two touch passes in the center of the park. His hustle and effort to win the ball back was a noticeable upgrade over Pineda’s work rate. The creativity will come as the chemistry and fitness do. Give him time and he’ll be a solid starter by the playoffs.
Osvaldo Alonso (6)
Uncharacteristically turned the ball over in his own half several times. He’s so good at turning away from trouble, but it’s almost certainly a great chance for the opponent when it doesn’t work out. He completed 93.2% of his 44 passes, though, which is insanely perfect. It all washes out to an average night.
Andy Rose (6)
Rose was tasked with more of a creative role than normal. Friberg didn’t have the chemistry to link up with the forwards, and Seattle was only playing with three in midfield. Alonso sits deep, so someone had to step up to connect him to Neagle & co. Rose did so, and did alright. His pace and energy made him a better option than Pineda in the 4-3-3 and, despite his quiet game, I think Schmid made the right choice to start him. At the same time, Sounders were held without a goal, so that offensive impact must’ve been limited even if it was better than normal.
Cristian Roldan (7)
He looks great without defensive responsibilities. A couple months into the season, he’s finally starting to look comfortable running at defenders one v one. His skillset worked on the right wing- he can dribble at you, towards the endline to cross, or he can cut in and threaten to shoot. Without the box-to-box duties to deal with, Roldan seemed less hesitant to take risks and create chance. Schmid should give the rookie another chance in the 4-3-3- Roldan, along with Thomas, look like the two most likely fresh faces to carry Seattle out of this dark spell.
Lamar Neagle (Subbed off 78′) (6)
He’s not a target forward. Seattle lumped long balls at him like he was Obafemi Martins with his back to goal, but he isn’t. That central position hamstrings Neagle’s best asset, which is running at his defender on the wing (think of Roldan on Saturday). Neagle didn’t look goal dangerous, and didn’t get close to any of Seattle’s 17 open play crosses. In the 4-3-3, Sounders would be better off to drop Neagle for Barrett from the get-go.
Thomas Jaguaribe (Subbed off 64′) (6.5)
Thomas had a great first half. His shot from distance inside 40 seconds was Seattle’s best chance on the night. Every week, the Brazilian showcases more of his great first touch and mazy runs through the defense. It looks like it’s only a matter of time before that translates to goals. Thomas’ second half was less stellar- in 18 minutes after the break, he took only 6 touches. His first half performance was a 7 or 7.5. When he had the fitness to make an impact in the second period, his overall scores will hit that range.
Substitutes
Gonzalo Pineda (Subbed on 59’) (6.5)
He gets a half-point bump for completing 86.7% of his passes. Couldn’t help Seattle break down the Rapids, though, and one wonders where he fits into the lineup after seeing Friberg’s comparatively massive work rate.
Marco Pappa (Subbed on 64’) (6)
Pappa dropped too deep into the midfield after coming on. Schmid mentioned it in his postgame interview, and it’s disappointing that Pappa didn’t get close to goal. With all the unfinished crosses on the night, maybe Seattle just needed a quality delivery from Pappa to take advantage. As it was, his distribution came from so deep that he looked like an outside midfielder version of Alonso. He still played well, but you should do what your coach tells you to.
Chad Barrett (Subbed on 78’) (Incomplete)
Not enough minutes to judge Barrett, who came on just in time to see the calamity.
