Western Conference Semifinals, Leg Two
Score: Sounders FC 0 vs FC Dallas 0
Site: CenturyLink Field
Man of the Match: Chad Marshall made his presence known on both sides of the pitch Monday night. Along with keeping Dallas off the scoreboard with stout defending, the veteran won two headers off Seattle corners that were redirected toward the net and nearly led to goals. Marshall’s coaches and teammates have been promoting him as the MLS Defender of the Year, and the 30-year-old showed why on Monday.
Telling Stat: 2. Twice in the past few weeks have the Sounders needed a clean sheet to secure their desired result, and they were able to do it on both occasions. Stefan Frei recorded the first playoff shutout of his career and will now play in a Conference Finals series for the first time.
What You Missed: There were plenty of pregame festivities at CenturyLink Field to celebrate Seattle’s first home playoff match of the year. The National Anthem was performed by Mike McCready, the lead guitarist of Pearl Jam. McCready appeared on behalf of Treehouse for Kids, a local organization dedicated to giving foster kids a childhood and future. After McCready’s performance, there was a stadium-wide, coordinated display in which fans held up green and black cards.
So What: Sounders FC moves on to the Western Conference Finals for the second time in three years. The club’s opponent will be the LA Galaxy, a side that Seattle outdueled in the final two weeks of the regular season to clinch the Supporters’ Shield. After a two-week break, LA will host the first leg on November 23 before the series comes to CenturyLink Field for the second leg a week later. Seattle is three matches away from becoming the first team to achieve the American treble of a U.S. Open Cup title, Supporters’ Shield, and MLS Cup in the same year.
