Clint Dempsey was the X-Factor on Sunday with a goal and an assist against the LA Galaxy.
By Ivan Yeo
It took just 15 minutes for the Seattle Sounders.
That was the amount of time the Sounders needed to assert themselves on a hot, muggy day in front of a national audience against one of its most bitter rivals. Seattle scored three goals inside a 15-minute span in the first half that left the Galaxy and its fans shell-shocked Goals from Clint Dempsey and Jordan Morris as well as an own goal enabled the Sounders to waltz out of Carson with a 3-0 win over the Los Angeles Galaxy at StubHub Center.
“Well, when you talk about the first half, as a team I’m very proud of them,” Sounders head coach Brian Schemtzer said. “what I was most happy about is that they rewarded themselves for work that they did during the week. All the training that we do, the belief in how we train and why we train.”
The win will surely be a much-needed boost for Seattle, which hasn’t exactly had the kind of slow start it had last year when it replaced Sigi Schmid as head coach. Yet still, Seattle, which was 1-2-3 heading into Sunday’s match, felt it could use the boost of having a big win on the road against a bitter rival, especially with back-to-back home games on the horizon.
“It’s huge, getting a win like that on the road against a good team is very important,” Morris said. “Now its important to keep the momentum going and get three points at home.”
Seattle started things off in the 29th minute. Joevin Jones played a short pass into the penalty area to Nicolas Lodeiro, who crossed just before the endline and it was a perfect cross, as Dempsey headed a past a scrambling Brian Rowe and Ashley Cole into the back net near post to open the scoring for Seattle.
The Sounders’ next goal in the 35th minute came courtesy of the Galaxy themselves. Morris played a ball out wide to Jones, who then sent a ball into the box, Will Bruin made a run, LA left back Ashley Cole attempted to cut off the pass, which he did, but the ball went the wrong way for the Galaxy, which was forward and into the back net. The Sounders put the finishing touch on its torrid first half in the 44th minute, Jordy Delem sent a cross towards Lodeiro, but he dummied the ball for Clint Dempsey. Dempsey played Morris into the penalty area and Morris sent the shot past Rowe far post.
“We were just off for today,” Galaxy defender Jelle Van Damme said. “I think all around the field there were – I can raise my hand and I’m sure other guys will – just little passes here or there defensively just losing the ball in a bad spot and shape wise we were getting countered…just little things that add up to us having to run back and defend for long stretches.”
The Sounders now get to get a little more cozy at home in a season that has seen the reigning MLS champs play just twice at home since the start of the season. Seattle starts off its home stretch against New England next Saturday, followed by a juicy rematch of the MLS Cup final against Toronto on May 6.
