By Charles Hamaker
Seattle, WA – If there was a momentary panic about the Seattle Sounders following their ugly leg two loss to FC Dallas during their first round MLS Cup Playoffs matchup, it was silenced quickly into the first half of tonight’s deciding contest. From the moment tonight’s leg three of round one began to the very end, the Sounders controlled the play and pacing against Dallas and reminded their opponent and themselves who they are at their core: a winning club. Seattle dictated pace and pressure throughout the course of this game, putting a defensive stranglehold on Dallas’ attacking, and punching their ticket to the Western Conference Semifinal against a familiar opponent in LAFC. The old adage about getting at the right time coming into the playoffs, across any sport, remains true as the Sounders continue to chug along since their late regular season surge secured them the second overall seed in the Western Conference.
Seattle Sounders FC goalkeeper Stefan Frei and his backline recorded a 16th clean sheet on the year, between regular season and playoffs. Photo by Paul Kahl
Focused first half sets the stage for Seattle
A noted issue in the Sounders Leg Two loss on the road against Dallas was their sluggish start to the match, as their opponent quickly took advantage of the fact that Seattle dragged their boots out of the gate. Dallas quickly put away two goals on the Sounders before we had reached that 20th minute mark, and by then it was too big of a hole for Seattle to climb out of, especially on the road. Returning home to Lumen Field, there appeared to be a sense of calm confidence about the Sounders, and it showed on the pitch. From the moment this contest kicked off, Seattle was in control of possession and any sort of major play. Dallas failed to get their attack in sequence, especially considering the absence of Jesus Ferreira and Marco Farfan, and the Sounders were more than ready to control the game because of that.
In the 35th minute, Dallas was attempting to build out of the back, but an errant pass by defender Sebastien Ibeagha was easily intercepted by Seattle’s Joao Paulo right around the midfield area on the pitch. With urgency, Paulo re-entered the Dallas half and looked up field to take advantage of the turnover he had created. The Brazilian midfielder found Albert Rusnák on a through ball in behind the Dallas defense, and the Slovakian was able to get his shot just enough under goalkeeper Maarten Paes’ left leg to bounce off and into the back of the net. Despite the two key players they were without due to injury, Dallas kept their composure and did their best with the roster that they had, but one mistake became just the sort of opportunity that Seattle could jump on to give themselves the upper hand.
“That pass, on turf to Albert, that’s about as good of a pass as you’re gonna get,” Brian Schmetzer, Seattle Sounders FC head coach, on Joao Paulo’s assist on Albert Rusnák’s goal.
Seattle Sounders FC midfielder Joao Paulo recorded the assist on the matches lone goal, his first postseason assist in his MLS career. Photo by Paul Kahl
Intensity rises, but Sounders remain calm to advance
Seattle very well had the momentum going into the halftime break considering how well they had played defensively, having not surrendered a shot through those first 45 minutes, and the Rusnák goal that gave them the lead. The Sounders backline and midfield got in the way of passing lanes and prevented any sort of runs from the Dallas attack, with that lone shot that the visiting side got not coming until the 89th minute. Even that attempt, a header from Nkosi Tafari, was easily saved by Stefan Frei, and Seattle was able to burn out the rest of the clock that remained in this deciding match of round one. It was a clinic defensively for the Sounders, as defender of the year finalist Yeimar intercepted numerous crosses and headers as if he was an air traffic controller. In a hostile environment, without two of their best players, and against a focused Seattle squad, Dallas didn’t stand a chance tonight.
“Just came down to making plays. Our guys made a play when we needed to, and their guys that made the plays down in Dallas did the best they could but unfortunately for them, they couldn’t find a goal,” Brian Schmetzer, Seattle Sounders FC head coach, on key differences between the last match and this match.
Seattle Sounders FC defender Yeimar Gomez Andrade was a big factor late, clearing away several crosses and winning aerial duels. Photo by Paul Kahl.
What’s next?
Following tonight’s Round One, Leg Three victory over FC Dallas, the Sounders advance on to the Western Conference Semifinals against LAFC. The exact date of that singular match (getting back to normal, after the new three matches in the opening round) playoff is unclear, as the league says that the entirety of both Eastern and Western Conference Semifinal matches will be played between the dates of November 25th and 26th. While they won’t strictly dictate when the Sounders host LAFC, as Seattle is the highest remaining seed in the Western Conference with St. Louis getting eliminated, the University of Washington Football team plays on the 25th and the Seahawks play on the 23rd. There are traffic aspects and field preparation aspects at play here, but it’s up to the league on whether they’ll factor those into their decision making. Regardless, considering the history between these two clubs overall and in the postseason, the Semifinal is sure to be a must watch.
Check out photographer Paul Kahl’s photos from the match here
