MATCH RECAP: Sounders FC Plays to 1-1 Home Draw With FC Dallas

SEATTLE, WASH. – Sounders FC (10-8-6, 36 points) played to a 1-1 home draw on Saturday evening with FC Dallas (8-9-6, 33 points) on the Emerald Queen Casino Pitch at Lumen Field. The result drops Seattle to fourth in the Western Conference, five points behind first-place St. Louis CITY SC and one point behind third-place Real Salt Lake and second-place LAFC. Seattle remains unbeaten in its last 17 home matches (13-0-4) in MLS play (including postseason) against FC Dallas, with its last loss at Lumen Field coming in 2011.

Seattle opened the scoring in the 32nd minute courtesy of a Dallas own goal. Albert Rusnák played a ball to a streaking Léo Chú on the left flank, who sent a cross in that deflected off Dallas' Sam Junqua into the back of the net. The visitors leveled the score in the 42nd minute when a cross by Sebastian Lletget was headed in by Bernard Kamungo.

Sounders FC and the rest of MLS now heads into a scheduled break of the regular season for 2023 Leagues Cup, a league-wide tournament featuring every team in MLS and Liga MX. Seattle heads to face Real Salt Lake next Saturday, July 22 at America First Field (6:30 p.m. PT / Apple TV, El Rey 1360 AM).

MATCH NOTES

• Following tonight’s draw, Sounders FC drops to fourth in the MLS Western Conference with 36 points, one point behind third-place Real Salt Lake and second-place LAFC. St. Louis continues to lead the conference with 41 points.

• With 24 matches played in the 2023 MLS regular season, Seattle now focuses its attention on Leagues Cup, with the Rave Green opening Group Stage play in Leagues Cup at Real Salt Lake on July 22 and July 29 vs. Monterrey.

• Sounders FC remains unbeaten in 17 straight home contests vs. FC Dallas (MLS regular-season and MLS Cup Playoffs). This streak is the longest active run of home wins in MLS against a single opponent, beating Portland’s current run over San Jose (16). FC Dallas’ last and only win at Lumen Field came in 2011.

• In the all-time series against FC Dallas, Seattle moves to 14-8-9 in regular-season play.

• Léo Chú’s hot streak in 2023 continues, with the Brazilian winger creating havoc to force an own goal in the 32nd minute of play by firing a cross into the area that was deflected into the back of the net by FC Dallas defender Sam Junqua. Through 23 matches this season, Chú has three goals and eight assists.

• Both Jordan Morris and Cristian Roldan made their returns from Gold Cup duty with the U.S. Men’s national team, with Roldan starting the match on the right wing, and Morris entering the match as a substitute in the 71st minute of play. 

• In addition to Roldan’s return to the starting lineup, Stefan Frei returned to goal for Stefan Cleveland, with the former missing in action for the past two MLS matches while being placed in the concussion protocol. Head Coach Brian Schmetzer also made two other changes to the first XI, inserting Raúl Ruidíaz and Alex Roldan into the starting line for Héber and Cody Baker, respectively.

MATCH SUMMARY

Seattle Sounders FC 1 – FC Dallas 1

Saturday, July 15, 2023

Venue: Emerald Queen Casino Pitch at Lumen Field

Referee: Nima Saghafi

Assistants: Chris Elliott, Mike Rottersman

Fourth Official: Elton Garcia

VAR: Kevin Terry Jr.

Attendance: 32,753

Weather: 80 degrees and clear

SCORING SUMMARY

SEA – Own Goal (Sam Junqua) 32’

DAL – Bernard Kamungo (Sebastian Lletget) 42’

MISCONDUCT SUMMARY

DAL – Geovane de Jesus Rocha (caution) 44’

DAL – Sebastian Lletget (caution) 46’

DAL – Tsiki Ntsabeleng (caution) 82’

DAL – Facundo Quignon (caution) 86’

SEA – Albert Rusnák (caution) 87’

LINEUPS & STATS

Seattle Sounders FC – Stefan Frei; Alex Roldan, Yeimar, Jackson Ragen, Nouhou; João Paulo (Nico Lodeiro 66’), Obed Vargas, Cristian Roldan, Albert Rusnák, Léo Chú (Jordan Morris 71’); Raúl Ruidíaz

Substitutes not used: Stefan Cleveland, Fredy Montero, Abdoulaye Cissoko, Cody Baker, Reed Baker-Whiting, Josh Atencio, Héber

Total shots: 17

Shots on goal: 2

Fouls: 20

Offside: 2

Corner-Kicks: 14

Saves: 1

FC Dallas – Maarten Paes; Geovane de Jesus Rocha (Dante Sealy 46’), Nkosi Tafari, Sebastien Ibeagha, Sam Junqua; Facundo Quignon, Edwin Cerrillo, Sebastian Lletget; Jader Obrian (Herbert Endeley 88’), Alan Velasco (Tsiki Ntsabeleng 69’), Bernard Kamungo (Eugene Ansah 69’)

Substitutes not used: Jimmy Maurer, Jose Martinez, Paul Arriola, Jose Mulato, Nolan Norris

Total shots: 3

Shots on goal: 2

Fouls: 15

Offside: 1

Corner-kicks: 1

Saves: 2

- SOUNDERS FC -