Score: Sounders FC 4 vs. Colorado Rapids 1
Site: CenturyLink Field, Seattle, Wash.
Records: Sounders FC (5-2-1, 16 points); Rapids (3-2-2, 11 points)
Man of the Match: Clint Demspey continues to amaze in his first full season in Seattle. He set up the first Seattle goal just before halftime, then scored two in the first seven minutes of the second half to bring his season total to a league-leading eight goals.
Telling Stat: 12. Dempsey has had a hand in 12 of Sounders FC’s 18 goals this season now with eight goals and three assists and the ball that set up an own-goal on another occasion. His eight goals already rank him among the top 10 single-season marks for Sounders FC and the U.S. National Team captain has only played six matches.
What You Missed: Sounders FC controlled most of the possession in the first half and had better attacking chances, but in the 29th minute, Chris Klute almost negated that with a run into the box up the left side. However, DeAndre Yedlin was able to slide in for a tackle right at the edge of the 18 and take the ball right off his feet and turn it the other way. It was a small incident, but a big moment in what it prevented for Colorado and what it showed about the progress being made by Yedlin on the defensive side.
So What: The win brings Seattle’s unbeaten streak to four matches at 3-0-1 and snaps a two-match home-losing skid. Getting a victory on home soil again solidifies CenturyLink Field as a difficult venue for visiting clubs after Seattle posted a 10-2-5 record at home a season ago. With two more home matches coming up before Seattle takes to the road again, the Sounders will have even more opportunities to re-establish that home dominance against the Philadelphia Union on May 3 and FC Dallas on May 7.
