The Seattle Sounders have had incredibly successful mid-season signings over the last couple years. In 2016, Nicolás Lodeiro burst onto the scene to win MLS Newcomer of the Year en route to helping Seattle lift its first MLS Cup trophy. Last year, Kelvin Leerdam and Víctor Rodríguez had instant impacts as well, spurring a great second-half run and leading the Sounders back to MLS Cup. And in 2018, Raúl Ruidíaz has been as good as advertised.
In the 19 MLS matches before Ruidíaz started his first game on July 25 at San Jose, the Sounders had won just five times. They had a winning percentage of 26 percent and had scored just 18 goals, fewer than once per contest.
But in the 11 matches since Ruidíaz entered the XI, the Sounders have won nine times, eight of which came in Ruidíaz’s first eight starts as part of an MLS-record nine-match winning streak. The Sounders have won at an incredible 82-percent clip in that time frame. He has seven goals in 918 minutes (0.69 goals per 90 minutes), and the team as a whole has scored 23 times (2.09 goals per game).
A combination of factors has led to the Sounders massive turnaround, a run that has them primed to make the postseason for the 10th consecutive season, but Ruidíaz’s impact is undeniable. Even when he’s not scoring, he draws so much attention that he frees up more space for teammates. In Ruidíaz’s 11 starts, Lodeiro has been on a tear of his own, contributing four goals and six assists.
The Sounders have another chance to continue their ascent of the Western Conference on Monday, Oct. 8, when they host the Houston Dynamo (7:30 p.m. PT; JOEtv, YouTube, 950 KJR AM, El Rey 1360 AM | TICKETS).
