Securing its second win is as many games, Seattle Sounders FC (4-1-2, 14 points) defeated Western Conference foe Los Angeles FC (2-2-3, 9 points) by a final score of 3-1 on Sunday night in front of a nationally televised audience via FS1. Tonight’s match marked the first time that the Rave Green played inside CenturyLink Field since March 7, when the initial COVID-19 shutdown began. Sunday’s contest marked the second match for Brian Schmetzer’s side since returning to regular season play following the MLS is Back Tournament in Orlando, with Seattle defeating Portland one week ago by a score of 3-0.
MEDIA RESOURCES
MATCH HIGHLIGHTS: https://sndrs.com/eytvl
PHOTOS - IMAGES FOR MEDIA USE: https://sndrs.com/ctyeu
VIDEO - BRIAN SCHMETZER POST-MATCH PRESS CONFERENCE: https://sndrs.com/nmext
VIDEO - JORDAN MORRIS & CRISTAN ROLDAN PRESS CONFERENCE: https://sndrs.com/vkk2j
Ruidíaz put Seattle up 1-0 in the 11th minute, pouncing on a loose ball and hammering a bending a shot from 25 yards out past goalkeeper Kenneth Vermeer, who was caught off his line. The Peruvian striker is tied for the team lead with five goals this season, including three in his last two games after a brace at Portland last weekend.
Morris scored a pair of goals just moments apart early in the second half, first getting behind the defense in the 48th minute on a through-ball from Nicolás Lodeiro and rounding Vermeer before finishing into the back of the net. He completed his brace a minute later, getting on the end of a cross from the right wing by João Paulo and converting a volley at the far post. Morris’ five goals this season are tied for first on the squad with Ruidíaz.
Diego Rossi pulled one back for the visitors in the 60th minute, tallying his league-leading seventh goal of the season on assists from José Cifuentes and Bradley Wright-Phillips.
The Rave Green have now won both matches since the league continued MLS regular season action following the MLS is Back Tournament in Orlando. Brian Schmetzer’s club is currently amidst a three-match winning streak in regular season play, dating back to the final Group Stage match in Orlando.
Sounders FC now shifts gears to a midweek matchup with Real Salt Lake on Wednesday, September 2 at Rio Tinto Stadium (6:30 p.m. PT / JOEtv, Amazon Prime Video, 950 KJR AM, El Rey 1360 AM).
MATCH NOTES
- With tonight’s result, Sounders FC moves to 2-4-1 all-time against LAFC in all competitions. The win is the first for the Rave Green since last season’s 3-1 road victory at Banc of California Stadium in the Western Conference Championship.
- In the club’s past two matches against Western Conference rivals Portland and LAFC, Seattle has outscored its opponents by a combined margin of 6-1.
- With his half-volley goal from distance in the 11th minute of play, Raúl Ruidíaz continued his hot hand since play began following the MLS is Back Tournament. The Peruvian bagged a brace last weekend in Portland, giving him three goals in two games and five overall on the season. He know has 26 regular season goals since signing with Seattle in the summer transfer window of 2018.
- With a two-goal performance tonight, Seattle native Jordan Morris is now tied for the team lead in scoring with Ruidíaz (five goals each). Morris has 30 career MLS regular season goals since signing as Homegrown Player in 2016.
- Brazilian midfielder Joâo Paulo earned his second assist of the season on Morris’ third goal after signing prior to the 2020 season. Captain Nicolás Lodeiro earned his fourth assist of the season on Morris second goal, his 52nd helper of his Sounders FC career.
- Following tonight’s result, Seattle moves into second in the Western Conference with 14 points, two behind first-place Sporting Kansas City. The Rave Green have a game in-hand on Sporting, with a midweek trip to Real Salt Lake on the horizon on Wednesday, September 2 (6:30 p.m. PT / JOEtv, Amazon Prime Video, 950 KJR AM, El Rey 1360 AM).
MATCH SUMMARY
Seattle Sounders FC 3 – Los Angeles FC 1
Sunday, August 30, 2020
Venue: CenturyLink Field
Referee: Kevin Stott
Assistants: Andrew Bigelow, Jeremy Hanson
Fourth Official: Timothy Ford
VAR: Edvin Jurisevic
Attendance: Closed Door
Weather: 70 degrees and cloudy
SCORING SUMMARY
SEA – Raúl Ruidíaz 11’
SEA – Jordan Morris (Nicolás Lodeiro) 48’
SEA – Jordan Morris (João Paulo) 49’
LAFC – Diego Rossi (Jose Cifuentes, Bradley Wright-Phillips) 60’
MISCONDUCT SUMMARY
SEA – Kelvin Leerdam (caution) 28’
LAFC – Mark-Anthony Kaye (caution) 42’
SEA – Shane O’Neill (caution) 64’
LAFC – Latif Blessing (caution) 70’
LINEUPS & STATS
Seattle Sounders FC - Stefan Frei; Kelvin Leerdam, Yeimar Gómez Andrade, Shane O’Neill, Joevin Jones (Nouhou 72’); João Paulo (Jordy Delem 78’), Gustav Svensson, Cristian Roldan, Nicolás Lodeiro (Alex Roldan 78’), Jordan Morris (Xavier Arreaga 86’); Raúl Ruidíaz (Will Bruin HT)
Substitutes not used: Stefan Cleveland, Miguel Ibarra, Handwalla Bwana, Josh Atencio
Total shots: 10 (Morris, 3)
Shots on goal: 3 (Morris, 2)
Fouls: 13 (Five players, 2)
Offside: 2 (C. Roldan/Ruidíaz, 1)
Corner-kicks: 4 (Lodeiro, 3)
Saves: 3 (Frei, 3)
Los Angeles FC – Kenneth Vermeer; Tristan Blackmon (Adrien Perez 66’), Danilo Silva (Dejan Jakovic 39’), Eddie Segura, Diego Palacios; Latif Blessing, Jose Cifuentes, Mark-Anthony Kaye (Francisco Ginella 77’); Brian Rodriguez (Christian Torres 79’), Bradley Wright-Phillips (Danny Musovski 77’), Diego Rossi
Substitutes not used: Pablo Sisniega, Jordan Harvey, Mohamed El-Munir; Bryce Duke
Total shots: 10 (Rossi, 3)
Shots on goal: 4 (Rossi, 2)
Fouls: 7 (Kaye, 2)
Offside: 1 (Rodriguez, 1)
Corner-kicks: 8 (Cifuentes/Rodriguez, 4)
Saves: 0
