Give the Colorado Rapids (6-18-6, 24 points) a little bit of credit, the visitors put up a fight for about the first ten minutes in the Rapids 4-0 loss to the Seattle Sounders (14-11-5, 47 points) Saturday afternoon at CenturyLink Field. While it took the Sounders a few minutes to get their shooting boots laced up and ready to go, once said boots were laced up the Sounders wasted no time in getting on the scoreboard.
Find a way to be goal dangerous, create chances and be clinical in finishing opportunities that presented themselves in front of the goal. It is no coincidence that the Sounders were goalless in their last two games which were both loses. On Saturday the Sounders were goal dangerous and clinical in their finishing.
Forward Raul Ruidiaz gave the home side the 1-0 lead in the 22nd minute after receiving an exquisite pass from midfielder Nicolas Lodeiro. The Sounders continued to push the ball upfield by using width that was created by midfielder Victor Rodriguez and Right back Kelvin Leerdam. Despite multiple looks and near misses in front of goal, the Rave Green went into the halftime break with the 1-0 lead.
The Sounders relentless attacking pressure came to fruition in the 52nd minute when Seattle was awarded a penalty kick after Rapids forward Kellyn Acosta brought down Lodeiro in the Rapids penalty box. Lodeiro’s converted spot-kick gave the Sounders the 2-0 lead they never relinquished. Ruidiaz bagged his second goal of the game in the 73rd minute when Rodriguez fed Lodeiro who was speeding towards the Rapids goal and managed to flick the ball to Ruidiaz while he was falling to the turf.
A classic give and go play between Leerdam and Rodriguez gave the Spaniard his first goal since June 30th and the Sounders fourth of the day.
- Sounders FC is now 14-11-5 on the season, and currently sits in fourth place in the Western Conference with 47 points, level with Portland but holding the total-wins tiebreaker. Seattle sits six points shy of first-place FC Dallas with just four matches remaining in the 2018 MLS regular season.
- The win snapped a two-match losing streak for Seattle and gets Brian Schmetzer’s club back on track for the home stretch of the 2018 campaign. Prior to the losing skid, Sounders FC achieved a league-record nine consecutive matches and a 12-match unbeaten run (10-0-2) dating back to July 4.
- Dating back to the club’s loss to Sacramento Republic FC in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup on June 6, Sounders FC has accumulated a 12-4-3 record in MLS action.
- Seattle’s 14 wins this season match its total from each of the past two seasons when the club has reached the MLS Cup Final.
- Sounders FC won its fourth straight against Colorado and now leads the MLS regular season series at 17-5-2, including a 10-2-1 record at CenturyLink Field. Including its three wins in the postseason, Seattle has 20 wins against the Rapids in MLS play, its most against any opponent.
- Raúl Ruidíaz recorded his second brace for Sounders FC since signing this summer, giving the Peruvian seven goals in 12 MLS appearances, second on the team behind Lodeiro’s eight. Seattle is now 10-2-0 in matches in which Ruidíaz has appeared.
- Nicolás Lodeiro recorded a goal and two assists on Saturday, extending his team lead in each category to eight and 11, respectively. His eight goals establish a new career high with Sounders FC, while his 11 assists are one shy of his MLS career high set last season, and two shy of the club’s single-season club record of 13 held by Mauro Rosales (2011, 2012) and Obafemi Martins (2014). His 31 career regular-season assists for Seattle are three shy of the club’s all-time record of 34 held by Rosales and Fredy Montero.
- Cristian Roldan recorded his seventh assist of the season, second on the team and increasing his career high.
- Víctor Rodríguez scored his second goal of the season on Saturday in just his 10th start. The Spaniard now has five goals and five assists in 26 appearances (including postseason) since signing with Seattle last summer.
- Stefan Frei needed just one save to record his seventh shutout of the season and 66th in his MLS career. His 1.00 goals against average this season leads MLS is a current career high for seasons in which Frei has made at least 20 appearances.
- Seattle’s 32 goals allowed this season is tied with the New York Red Bulls for the fewest in MLS this season.
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