SEATTLE – The final time the Seattle Sounders and Vancouver Whitecaps met, rivals Cascadia shared the factors, with the Sounders settling for a 2-2 draw at Lumen Area. In a means, it hinted at a summer time of combating the place they solely gained 2 out of 9 at residence.
The Sounders have since turned their residence type and the postponed sport on Saturday resulting from their promotion within the Leagues Cup was one thing of a check. Might the Sounders preserve their present type and safe a playoff spot whereas lacking half of their starters and dealing with a scorching opponent?
The Sounders wasted little time answering these questions, arrange a breakneck tempo with two objectives within the first 25 minutes and had been apparently on their solution to the races. The knockout hit needed to wait, nevertheless, and so they took an honest blow of their very own earlier than half-time after shedding vigilance within the last quarter-hour of the primary interval.
The Sounders had been capable of regroup early within the second half and restore their two-goal lead because of a high-quality teamwork between Fredy Montero and Will Bruin, with the latter receiving his honest reward for one more energetic efficiency. When Leo Chu closed the gate together with his first objective in a Sounders jersey within the 90s, it was celebration time at Brougham Finish.
Listed here are 5 issues we appreciated from the sport:
A efficiency like this is perhaps imminent. Kelyn Rowe spoke about his time on the Sounders after coaching on Wednesday and was requested to be signed as a free piece first within the low season. No less than that is what we thought. Rowe is the one participant who has appeared in each sport and this was one among his finest. Rowe was used as the proper full-back and was concerned in nearly every thing the Sounders did on Saturday. He began with a lovely cross, which Shane O’Neill nodded residence within the fifth minute, his first of three assists credited. As necessary as his flank was, his defensive work, disrupting the Whitecaps assault on both aspect of the pitch and offering a bodily presence that gave their attackers seizures all through the night.
If there may be one participant who’s in style with each his teammates and followers, it’s Nicolas Benezet. Benezet got here from Colorado for nearly free and appeared like insurance coverage in case Nicolas Lodeiro’s restoration did not go in line with plan. This deal now appears significantly forward-looking as Benezet put in a improbable efficiency, particularly within the first half when he was rampant and will have scored a number of objectives. The one he truly scored turned out to be the sport winner within the 14th minute, taking an awesome observe from a break from Will Bruin and driving the shot between Thomas Hasal’s legs. As on your celebration, it’s higher to indicate than inform.
If anybody deserved a objective for his or her work, it was certainly Bruin. His work – pitching teammates, holding the ball, battling center-backs – has all the time been appreciated. However he is a striker and strikers need to rating objectives. After half a season of frustration, the objectives are lastly coming. His objective within the fifty fifth minute was nice, the spotlight of a pleasant workforce objective wherein Bruin shot the ball previous Hasal. With Raúl Ruidíaz’s standing within the air, Bruin will doubtless get an opportunity to high the road for a minimum of a couple of extra video games and the Sounders could be positive he can do the job.
The Sounders aren’t strictly a high-press workforce, however they definitely confirmed that side of their sport, particularly within the first half-hour once they flashed the whitecaps and threatened to kill the sport proper there. The Sounders attacked the Whitecaps in packs and all the time appeared to have two defenders. The tactic labored nearly completely, leaving the Whitecaps out of motion for a very long time to save lots of the interval earlier than they scored a objective. It wasn’t good, however having that choice of their arsenal will certainly show invaluable when the playoffs arrive.
The Sounders didn’t all the time take the prospect to reap the benefits of the alternatives offered to them, be it making the most of video games in hand or coping with opponents who appeared overwhelmed on paper. Just like their usually cited Heimatform, the Sounders put these particular speaking factors in mattress. With Sporting Kansas Metropolis idling, the Sounders took benefit and expanded their lead over the Convention to five factors. Equally, the Sounders appear to have lastly discovered a solution to bridge the seemingly inconceivable hole between them and the New England Revolution. With the Revs 18 days between video games, the Sounders have gained two of their hand video games and are actually inside 8 factors of the Supporters’ Defend. The race hasn’t been that shut for the reason that starting of September. The Revs are nonetheless clearly favorites to take that trophy, however the Sounders nonetheless have a sport and may a minimum of make it attention-grabbing.
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