A heavily rotated Seattle Sounders side fell 2-0 to the LA Galaxy at Lumen Field on Saturday night behind goals from Gabriel Pec and Matheus Nascimento.
The Sounders had a great look at goal in the fifth minute when Jackson Ragen played a beautiful line-breaking pass to Snyder Brunell, who turned and played another through ball into the run of Danny Musovski. The North Macedonia international’s shot was denied by J.T. Marcinkowski.
The Galaxy’s first chance came in the 10th minute when Pec dropped a pass for Marco Reus 15 yards out, but the German’s one-timed effort went over the crossbar.
Joseph Paintsil had a chance in the 15th minute when he cut inside from the left-hand side and ripped a shot on goal that Antino Lopez deflected out for a corner.
LA took the lead in the 23rd minute when Reus played an inch-perfect through ball to Pec, who was in behind the Sounders defense and deposited his shot to the near post past Andrew Thomas.
Neither team really tested the other’s goal for the remainder of the first half, but Seattle nearly equalized two minutes after halftime when Paul Arriola redirected an initial header from Lopez, but it just trickled wide of the post.
The Sounders had another great opportunity in the 56th minute when Kalani Kossa-Rienzi chested down a cross for Jesús Ferreira, whose shot was blocked. Albert Rusnák’s shot on the ensuing rebound went high and wide of the far post.
Marcinkowski made a ridiculous save on Arriola in the 59th minute after Ferreira clipped a ball to the far post. Arriola rose for a header on the doorstep, but Marcinkowski recovered and got big to deflect it out for a corner.
LA almost doubled its advantage a minute later on the counterattack when Reus’ eventual shot from a tight angle at the near post hit the side netting.
Pec was denied his brace in the 64th minute when he had his back to goal on the six-yard line and attempted an audacious backheel that caromed off the far post and out.
Rusnák ripped a free kick from 35 yards out in the 74th minute, but Marcinkowski came up big again, diving to his right to deny the effort.
Jordan Morris rose for a header in the 89th minute off a cross from Paul Rothrock, but Morris’ header was right at Marcinkowski.
The Galaxy iced the match in the second minute of stoppage time off a counterattack led by Pec, who drew out Thomas and set up Nascimento in front of an empty net.
The Sounders finish their match fourth in the Western Conference with 24 points from 12 matches (7-2-3). It was just the second defeat of the season for Seattle, which saw its nine-match MLS unbeaten run come to an end.
THREE TAKEAWAYS
Streaks end
Saturday’s loss was the first in the last 23 home matches for Seattle, dating back to last summer’s FIFA Club World Cup against reigning UEFA Champions League winners Paris Saint-Germain. The Galaxy also earned their first win in Seattle in 12 matches in all competitions since they won 1-0 at Lumen Field on July 9, 2016.
Gomez debuts
Nineteen-year-old Homegrown midfielder Sebastian Gomez made his MLS debut on Saturday when he came on in the 76th minute for Brunell. Seattle signed Gomez from MLS NEXT Pro affiliate Tacoma Defiance in January.
Final pre-World Cup test awaits
Seattle will visit LAFC next Sunday (6 p.m. PT; FOX, Apple TV) in the final MLS match before the league takes a six-week break for the FIFA World Cup. The Sounders will then return to action on July 16 for a huge Cascadia clash against the Portland Timbers.
