Second-half goals from Morris and Jones propel Sounders FC to 2-0 win over D.C. United

WASHINGTON, D.C. – After 78 minutes of scoreless action, late strikes from Jordan Morris and Joevin Jones led Sounders FC (5-7-1, 16 points) to a 2-0 win over D.C. United (4-6-4, 16 points) Wednesday evening at RFK Stadium, giving the Rave Green a crucial three points ahead of a two-week break from MLS action for the 2016 Copa America Centenario. Morris found the net for a team-leading fifth time this season, a new Sounders FC rookie record. Jones scored his first goal for the Rave Green since coming to Seattle via trade with Chicago in the offseason.

Despite a scoreless first half, the midweek clash was full of chances for both sides in the opening 45 minutes – including goal-line clearances at both ends of the field. Dylan Remick kept United off the board midway through the half by clearing the danger from Seattle’s goalmouth on a D.C. corner-kick. Toward the end of the period, Morris ran the center channel before putting a shot on-frame, with the Homegrown Player’s attempt barely cleared off the line by United’s defense to keep the match scoreless heading into the break.

Jones made an instant impact after entering as a substitute for Andreas Ivanschitz in the 74^th minute. Five minutes after coming on, the speedy Trinidad & Tobago international made an impressive run up the left wing and combined with Morris to get a clean shot on-frame that was saved by D.C. United goalkeeper Bill Hamid. After a mis-clearance inside the area, Morris gathered the loose ball and calmly buried a shot past Hamid for the 1-0 lead and his team-leading fifth goal of the season, giving the Mercer Island native the Sounders FC rookie scoring record.

Not five minutes later, Jones made it 2-0 when he got behind the defense on a through ball from Osvaldo Alonso and snuck a well-placed shot past Hamid for his first Sounders FC goal. The assist was the second of the season for Alonso, good for second on the team.

Sigi Schmid’s side now heads into a two-week break from MLS play for the 2016 Copa America Centenario, but Sounders FC returns to action on Wednesday, June 15 with its first Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup match of the season. The Rave Green are set to face the winner of tonight’s Sacramento Republic FC and Kitsap Pumas contest in a Fourth Round matchup at Starfire Stadium (kickoff TBA; live-streamed on SoundersFC.com, KIRO Radio 97.3 FM, El Rey 1360 AM). Seattle resumes MLS regular season play on Sunday, June 19 with a nationally televised road match against the New York Red Bulls at Red Bull Arena (4:30 p.m. PT / FS1, KIRO Radio 97.3 FM, El Rey 1360 AM).

MATCH SUMMARY

Seattle Sounders FC 2 – D.C. United 0

Wednesday, June 1, 2016

Venue: RFK Stadium

Referee: Jose Carlos Rivero

Assistants: Matthew S. Nelson, Jose J. Da Silva

Fourth Official: Sorin Stoica

Attendance: 15,174

Weather: Cloudy and 78 degrees

SCORING SUMMARY

SEA – Jordan Morris 79’

SEA – Joevin Jones (Osvaldo Alonso) 83’

MISCONDUCT SUMMARY

SEA – Andreas Ivanschitz (caution) 38’

SEA – Aaron Kovar (caution) 64’

DC – Fabian Espindola (caution) 73’

LINEUPS & STATS

Seattle Sounders FC – Stefan Frei; Tyrone Mears, Zach Scott (Tony Alfaro 40’), Brad Evans – captain, Dylan Remick; Osvaldo Alonso, Cristian Roldan, Erik Friberg; Aaron Kovar (Herculez Gomez 86’), Jordan Morris, Andreas Ivanschitz (Joevin Jones 74’)

Substitutes not used: Tyler Miller, Oniel Fisher, Nathan Sturgis, Darwin Jones

Total shots: 14 (Morris, 4)

Shots on goal: 8 (Morris, 4)

Fouls: 10 (Four players, 2)

Offside: 3 (Morris, 2)

Corner-kicks: 0

Saves: 1 (Frei, 1)

D.C. United – Bill Hamid; Sean Franklin, Kofi Opare, Bobby Boswell, Taylor Kemp; Lamar Neagle (Miguel Aguilar 65’), Jared Jeffrey, Marcelo Sarvas, Nick DeLeon (Alhaji Kamara 81’); Luciano Costa (Julian Buescher 71’), Fabian Espindola

Substitutes not used: Travis Wora, Jalen Robinson, Luke Mishu, Rob Vincent

Total shots: 15 (Neagle, 5)

Shots on goal: 1 (Espindola, 1)

Fouls: 13 (Acosta/Franklin, 4)

Offside: 2 (Espindola/Opare, 1)

Corner-kicks: 4 (Espindola, 4)

Saves: 6 (Hamid, 6)

MATCH NOTES

• The win brings snaps a three-match losing streak for Sounders FC and brings the club’s overall record to 5-7-1. At 16 points, Seattle currently sits seventh in the Western Conference, just four points behind a three-way tie for fourth place in the West.
• Wednesday’s result extends the Rave Green’s six-match unbeaten streak against D.C. United (5-0-1). Sigi Schmid’s side is 7-2-2 all-time against the Black-and-Red, including a 4-1-1 record at RFK Stadium. Sounders FC also captured the 2009 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup with a 2-1 win over D.C. United at RFK Stadium.
• With his team-leading fifth goal of the season, Homegrown Player Jordan Morris has set a new franchise mark for goals scored by a rookie, topping Steve Zakuani’s previous record of four in 2009. The Stanford product led the team with four shots on Wednesday, all of which were on-frame.
• Joevin Jones scored his first Sounders FC goal with an 83^rd minute strike. It was the second career MLS tally for Trinidad & Tobago international, who found the net for the Chicago Fire on April 4, 2015 against Toronto FC.
• Seattle is now 4-1-0 against Eastern Conference teams this season, including a 1-1-0 mark during its current five-match stretch against the East.
• D.C. United forward Lamar Neagle led his team with five shots and in his first appearance against Seattle since being traded to the Black-and-Red in January. The Federal Way native played for Sounders FC in 2009, 2011 and from 2013-2015 and ranks fourth in club history with 26 goals and fifth with 116 MLS regular season appearances.
• Seattle goalkeeper Stefan Frei made one save en route to his fourth clean-sheet of the season. Frei now has 246 saves in MLS regular season play for Sounders FC, just 24 shy of Kasey Keller’s club record. The Swiss netminder also ranks second in club history with 39 wins and 23 shutouts, both nearing Keller’s all-time marks of 44 and 30, respectively.
• Rookie defender Tony Alfaro made his second-straight appearance as an injury substitute when he came on for Zach Scott in the 40^th minute. The University of California-Dominguez Hills product made his MLS debut on Saturday when he replaced the injured Brad Evans in the 40^th minute against the New England Revolution.