The Seattle Sounders FC (13-9-11, 50 points) secured their ninth consecutive playoff appearance courtesy of a second-half offensive explosion that was aided by Wil Bruin’s brace. After a sluggish first twenty minutes in which the Sounders passing was spotty, discombobulated and downright awful, but the club was able to settle into a rhythm with short tight passes that led to the games the first goal in the 31st minute.
Clint Dempsey fed Victor Rodriguez with a pass to space the Spaniard was able to one touch and beat onrushing FC Dalla goalkeeper Jesse Gonzalez for the early lead as the Sounders never looked back in the 4-0 win over FC Dallas.
- With 50 points (13-9-11), Sounders FC is tied for second place in the Western Conference, level with Portland and two points behind Vancouver for the top spot. With the win, Sounders FC secured its ninth-consecutive berth in the Audi MLS Cup Playoffs, the longest active streak in MLS. Sounders FC concludes the 2017 regular-season campaign next Sunday, October 22 against the Colorado Rapids (1:00 p.m. PT / JOEtv, Univision-Seattle, 107.7 The End, El Rey 1360 AM).
- Sunday’s win puts Seattle in control of its own destiny for a first-round bye in the postseason, as a Decision Day home win against Colorado next Sunday would secure second place in the Western Conference.
- Seattle continued its home success against FC Dallas, with the club’s winning streak against the Hoops at CenturyLink seven games, with Seattle holding a 24-4 goal advantage in those games. Sounders FC has outscored FC Dallas 12-0 in the last three regular-season meetings at CenturyLink Field.
- Víctor Rodríguez scored his second Sounders FC goal with the match’s first tally in the 31st minute. Sunday marked the Spaniard’s seventh MLS appearance since signing with Sounders FC on August 2.
- With a brace on Sunday, Will Bruin has 10 goals on the season, two behind Clint Dempsey for the team lead. 2017 marks the fourth double-digit scoring campaign in Bruin’s career, and his first since 2015. In all, the University of Indiana product has 60 goals in 208 career appearances.
- Lamar Neagle scored his third goal of 2017 – second with Sounders FC – and brought his career total to 28 tallies for the Rave Green, fourth in club history.
- Stefan Frei recorded his league-leading 12th shutout of the season, eclipsing the previous club record set by Kasey Keller in 2010. Two shutouts ahead of the next-closest goalkeeper in MLS, Frei has clinched the league’s 2017 shutout crown.
- With an assist on Neagle’s strike, Nicolás Lodeiro now has 12 assists on the season, first on the team and one shy of the club record held by Mauro Rosales (2011, 2012) and Obafemi Martins (2014).
- Sunday marked Clint Dempsey’s 100th regular-season appearance for Sounders FC. The Nacogdoches native recorded his fourth assist of the season on Rodríguez’s opening strike.
Substitutes not used: Chris Seitz, Cristian Colman, Ryan Hollingshead, Walker Zimmerman