BRIDGEVIEW, ILL. - Seattle Sounders FC (2-4-4, 10 points) lost 4-1 to the Chicago Fire (4-3-3, 15 points) at Toyota Park in front of a capacity crowd of 20,153 on Saturday evening. Clint Dempsey scored his team-leading fourth goal of the season, but Seattle surrendered a season-high four tallies in the club's second loss in as many matches. Following tonight's contest, Seattle concludes its two-match road trip with a midweek fixture against Sporting Kansas City on Wednesday, May 17 (5:30 p.m. PT / ESPN, El Rey 1360 AM). The Rave Green then cap the week at home on the Xbox Pitch at CenturyLink Field, as Seattle hosts Western Conference foe Real Salt Lake on Saturday, May 20 (4:00 p.m. PT / JOEtv, Univision-Seattle, KIRO Radio 97.3 FM, El Rey 1360 AM).
Sounders FC conceded an early lead in front of a boisterous home crowd in the 25th minute, when Seattle defender Tony Alfaro was whistled for fouling Nemanja Nikolic inside the area, resulting in an ensuing Chicago penalty. Seattle goalkeeper Stefan Frei was up to the initial challenge, calmly saving a David Accam spot-kick, only for referee Nima Saghafi to whistle for encroachment. Nokolic took the follow-up attempt, burying his shot into the right corner of Seattle's goal to give his side a 1-0 lead.
The visitors responded almost immediately, as Dempsey bagged his team-leading fourth strike of 2017 in the 28th minute. The Texan got inside of Chicago's backline before unleashing a lethal left-footed strike roughly 30 yards from goal. Cristian Roldan - slotting in at right-back on the evening for the suspended Jordy Delem - provided the assist to Dempsey on the play.
With the two sides deadlocked at one goal apiece heading into the halftime intermission, it was Chicago that earned the go-ahead goal, as Michael de Leeuw provided a pass to an onrushing Accam in the 60th minute of play. The Ghanaian slotted home at Frei's near post, giving the home side a 2-1 advantage with a third of the match remaining.
Chicago added two insurance tallies in the 73rd and 76th minutes, respectively. On the Fire's third goal of the night, Luis Solignac found the back of the net on a Chicago counterattack. Nikolic and Brandon Vincent earned assists on the play. On the fourth strike, Nokolic bagged his brace, converting a pass from Accam. Johan Kappelhof was also credited with an assist on the play.
Seattle now prepares for a midweek match at Sporting Kansas City on Wednesday, May 17 (5:30 p.m. PT / ESPN, El Rey 1360 AM). The Rave Green then cap the week at home on the Xbox Pitch at CenturyLink Field, as Seattle hosts Western Conference foe Real Salt Lake on Saturday, May 20 (4:00 p.m. PT / JOEtv, Univision-Seattle, KIRO Radio 97.3 FM, El Rey 1360 AM).
MATCH SUMMARY
Seattle Sounders FC 1 - Chicago Fire 4
Saturday, May 13, 2017
Venue:
Toyota Park
Referee:
Nima Saghafi
Assistants:
Jason White, Brian Dunn
Fourth Official:
Alejandro Mariscal
Attendance:
20,153
Weather:
65 degrees and clear
SCORING SUMMARY
CHI -
Nemanja Nikolic (penalty) 25'
SEA -
Clint Dempsey (Cristian Roldan) 28'
CHI -
David Accam (Michael de Leeuw, Bastian Schweinsteiger) 60'
CHI -
Luis Solignac (Nemanja Nikolic, Brandon Vincent) 73'
CHI -
Nemanja Nikolic (David Accam, Johan Kappelhof) 76'
MISCONDUCT SUMMARY
SEA -
Stefan Frei (caution) 26'
CHI -
Matt Lampson (caution) 48'
CHI -
Brandon Vincent (caution) 78'
SEA -
Joevin Jones (caution) 87'
SEA -
Joevin Jones (caution, ejection) 89'
LINEUPS & STATS
Seattle Sounders FC - Stefan Frei; Cristian Roldan, Chad Marshall, Tony Alfaro, Joevin Jones; Osvaldo Alonso - captain (Alvaro Fernandez 77'), Gustav Svensson, Harry Shipp (Will Bruin 71'), Nicolás Lodeiro; Clint Dempsey (Brad Evans 81'), Jordan Morris
Substitutes not used: Bryan Meredith, Oniel Fisher, Zach Mathers, Seyi Adekoya
Total shots:
12 (Dempsey, 5)
Shots on goal:
2 (Dempsey/Svensson, 1)
Fouls:
13 (3 players, 2)
Offside:
3 (Morris, 2)
Corner-kicks:
3 (Lodeiro, 2)
Saves:
2 (Frei, 2)
Chicago Fire - Matt Lampson; Drew Conner (Jonathan Campbell 71'), Johan Keppelhof, Joao Meira, Brandon Vincent; Bastian Schweinsteiger, Dax McCarty, Luis Solignac, Michael de Leeuw (Matt Polster 71'), David Accam (Daniel Johnson 88'); Nemanja Nikolic
Substitutes not used: Stefan Cleveland, Michael Harrington, Arturo Alvarez, Djordje Mihailovic
Total shots:
15 (Accam, 5)
Shots on goal:
6 (Nikolic, 3)
Fouls:
15 (Conner, 4)
Offside:
3 (Nikolic, 3)
Corner-kicks:
3 (Accam, 2)
Saves:
1 (Lampson, 1)
MATCH NOTES
- Sounders FC is now 2-4-4 this season and sits in eighth place in the Western Conference. The match was the lone meeting between the two sides of the 2017 MLS season.
- Seattle is now 7-2-3 all-time against Chicago in regular-season play, including a 3-2-2 mark at Toyota Park.
- Seattle forward Clint Dempsey scored his team-leading fourth goal of the season, bringing him within nine goals of Fredy Montero's all-time club record of 47 goals for the Rave Green.
- Defender Brad Evans made his first appearance of 2017 season, coming on as a substitute in the 81st minute.
- Saturday marked the 12th time in club history that Sounders FC has allowed at least four goals in a single match.
