SEATTLE, WASH. - Goals from Chad Marshall and Clint Dempsey propelled Seattle Sounders FC (11-7-7, 40 points) to a 2-1 victory over Minnesota United FC (6-14-4, 22 points) in a primetime Sunday night matchup on the Xbox Pitch at CenturyLink Field. With the win, Seattle extends the club's unbeaten streak to nine games (6-0-3), equaling the club's all-time record in this category. The victory also cements Seattle's place atop the MLS Western Conference, with the Rave Green equal with Sporting Kansas City on 40 points, but ahead of Peter Vermes' side via the total wins tiebreaker (11 to 10). Seattle now prepares for a two-match week with heavy implications in both the race for the MLS Cup Playoffs and the 2017 Cascadia Cup, as the Rave Green travel to BC Place for a midweek matchup with Vancouver Whitecaps FC on Wednesday, August 23 before playing host to the Portland Timbers on Sunday, April 29.
Minnesota drew first blood in the contest, ending Seattle's club record shutout streak at 421 MLS minutes. Previously the Rave Green had not conceded a goal for their past four league matches, but summer signing Ethan Finlay put the Loons on the board in the 21st minute. The former Columbus Crew SC winger received a through ball from Minnesota teammate Ibson, slotting a shot past Stefan Frei for Finlay's second goal of the season.
Seattle found its equalizer 10 minutes later, as Nico Lodeiro bagged his ninth assist of 2017 during a free-kick at an acute angle to the immediate right of Minnesota 18-yard-box. The Uruguayan's left-footed dead-ball found an onrushing Marshall, who headed home at Bobby Shuttleworth's near post for his first goal of 2017.
Deadlocked at one goal apiece deep into second-half stoppage time, Dempsey broke through to claim all three points for the home side, continuing his hot scoring streak. The Texan converted from the spot for his team-leading 11th goal of the season.
Prior to the match, Adrian Webster and Davey Butler were honored with a Golden Scarves before kickoff, while the entire alumni group from the 1977 NASL Sounders team led "Scarves Up" with the crowd. The group included Webster, Butler, Jimmy Gabriel, Dave Gillett, Bobby Howe, Denny Buck, Paul Mendes, Darrell Oak, Ward Forrest and David D'Errico. Former team executive Gary Wright and goalkeeper Kasey Keller were also honored prior to kickoff for the pair's recent induction into the Washington State Sports Hall of Fame. Wright, a longtime executive with both Sounders FC and the Seahawks, has left an indelible mark on the Seattle sports landscape, having helped lead the Rave Green's MLS launch and the Seahawks' public relations efforts as an original employee beginning in 1976. Keller, who played for Sounders FC from 2009-2011, is one of the most accomplished goalkeepers in U.S. Men's National Team history and was the first American goalkeeper to become a regular fixture in Europe's topflight leagues, having played in the English Premier League, German Bundesliga and Spanish La Liga.
Seattle has little time to rest following Sunday's match, as Brian Schmetzer's side hits the road for a pivotal midweek match north of the border at Vancouver Whitecaps FC on Wednesday, August 23 (JOEtv, KIRO Radio 97.3 FM, El Rey 1360 AM). Seattle and Vancouver last met on April 14, with the Rave Green dropping a 2-1 result against their Cascadia Cup rival. Sounders FC rounds out a busy month of August with its fourth and final matchup with the Portland Timbers across all competitions on Sunday, August 27. Seattle is 2-0-1 against Portland in 2017, including the June 13 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup win over Caleb Porter's side. Kickoff for the contest is slated for 6:30 p.m. PT, with Seattle once again appearing on FOX Sports 1.
MATCH SUMMARY
Seattle Sounders FC 2 - Minnesota United FC 1
Sunday, August 20, 2017
Venue:
Xbox Pitch at CenturyLink Field
Referee:
Ismail Elfath
Assistants:
Ian Anderson, Eric Boria
Fourth Official:
Daniel Radford
VAR:
Drew Fischer
Attendance:
40,312
Weather:
72 degrees and sunny
SCORING SUMMARY
MIN -
Ethan Finlay (Ibson) 21'
SEA
- Chad Marshall (Nicolás Lodeiro) 31'
SEA
- Clint Dempsey (penalty) 90'+4'
MISCONDUCT SUMMARY
MIN -
Abu Danladi (caution) 25'
MIN
- Jermaine Taylor (caution) 90'+3'
LINEUPS & STATS
Seattle Sounders FC - Stefan Frei; Kelvin Leerdam, Román Torres, Chad Marshall, Joevin Jones; Osvaldo Alonso - captain, Gustav Svensson (Will Bruin 65'), Nicolás Lodeiro, Clint Dempsey, Cristian Roldan; Jordan Morris (Nouhou 83')
Substitutes not used: Tyler Miller, Tony Alfaro, Victor Rodriguez, Harry Shipp, Jordy Delem
Total shots:
21 (Dempsey, 7)
Shots on goal:
5 (Dempsey, 2)
Fouls:
6 (Alonso, 2)
Offside:
2 (Leerdam/Morris, 1)
Corner-kicks:
8 (Lodeiro, 7)
Saves:
0
Minnesota United FC - Bobby Shuttlesworth; Jerome Thiesson, Michael Boxall, Brent Kallman, Francisco Calvo - captain; Sam Cronin, Ibson (Collen Warner 90'), Ethan Finlay, Kevin Molino (Jermaine Taylor 77'), Sam Nicholson (Miguel Ibarra 82'); Abu Danladi
Substitutes not used: Patrick McLain, Collin Martin, Ismaila Jome, Brandon Allen
Total shots:
8 (Finlay/Danladi, 2)
Shots on goal:
1 (Finlay, 1)
Fouls:
20 (Danladi, 3)
Offside:
3 (Danladi, 2)
Corner-kicks:
4 (Nicholson, 4)
Saves:
3 (Shuttlesworth, 3)
MATCH NOTES
- With 40 points (11-7-7), Sounders FC sits atop the Western Conference table, even with points with Sporting Kansas City but holding the total wins tiebreaker (11 wins for Seattle to SKC's 10). Nine matches remain in the 2017 campaign.
- Seattle finishes its regular season series with Minnesota United FC 2-0-0, having previously defeated the expansion side 4-0 on August 5, 2017.
- Sounders FC currently has a nine-match unbeaten streak (6-0-3), with the club's last regular-season loss coming on June 17. The current mark is tied with the previous club record set from May 28 - July 16, 2011.
- According to Opta, Seattle has lost just one of its last 20 regular season MLS matches at CenturyLink Field, going 14-5-1 in that span.
- With his stoppage-time penalty for Seattle, Clint Dempsey now has seven goals in his last six games and leads the team with 11 tallies on the season. His 45 career regular-season goals for Seattle are now two shy of Fredy Montero's all-time club record.
- By conceding a first-half goal, Sounders FC's club record shutout streak came to an end at 421 MLS minutes. Previously the Rave Green had not conceded a goal for their past four league matches, and the old shutout streak of 379 minutes was eclipsed on August 12 versus Sporting Kansas City. The club's previous record in this category was set from July 25 - August 28, 2010.
- Prior to the match, Adrian Webster and Davey Butler were honored with a Golden Scarves before kickoff, while the entire alumni group from the 1977 NASL Sounders team led "Scarves Up" with the crowd. The group included Webster, Butler, Jimmy Gabriel, Dave Gillett, Bobby Howe, Denny Buck, Paul Mendes, Darrell Oak, Ward Forrest and David D'Errico.
- Former team executive Gary Wright and goalkeeper Kasey Keller were also honored prior to kickoff for the pair's recent induction into the Washington State Sports Hall of Fame. Wright, a longtime executive with both Sounders FC and the Seahawks, has left an indelible mark on the Seattle sports landscape, having helped lead the Rave Green's MLS launch and the Seahawks' public relations efforts as an original employee beginning in 1976. Keller, who played for Sounders FC from 2009-2011, is one of the most accomplished goalkeepers in U.S. Men's National Team history and was the first American goalkeeper to become a regular fixture in Europe's topflight leagues, having played in the English Premier League, German Bundesliga and Spanish La Liga.
