Seattle Sounders forward Raul Ruidiaz’s brace on Sunday not only gave the Rave Green an improbable come back win, the Peruvians’s delightful double coupled with the Colorado Rapids surprising 2-1 win over FC Dallas catapulted the Sounders into finishing the regular season as the second best team in the Western Conference and earned them a first-round bye in the playoffs.
Here are the sounds, quotes and sights from Sundays thrilling match.
QUOTES
SAN JOSE EARTHQUAKES HEAD COACH STEVE RALSTON
On the match:
“It wouldn’t have been an Earthquakes 2018 game if it didn’t end that way, right? That’s just the way that things have gone for us. I thought we actually played pretty well. We got a little bit lucky the way we scored our first goal. I maybe thought that luck was on our side, but at the end of the day, mentally we made a few mistakes and it cost us.”
On the season overall:
“It’s disappointing, to say the least. Obviously we had much higher expectations coming into the season. There’s a lot to improve on for sure. For me, it’s been an interesting few weeks, but a great experience. I’m thankful that the guys gave me everything they had.”
On the talent they have moving forward into next year:
SAN JOSE EARTHQUAKES GOALKEEPER JT MARCINKOWSKI
On the match:
“I was just trying to help out with the team when I’m called upon. Obviously it was kind of a kick in the stomach at the end. Overall, I thought it was a decent game. I thought we played pretty well, especially in the first half. Second half we kind of held our own for a little bit there, pressing and attacking. For the most part, I think there were a lot of positives to take away. Time for the offseason.”
On the season overall:
“Definitely a lot of positives to take away. You kind of look at it, I’m going to recap probably in the next couple weeks and look back. There were a lot of great things that happened. Obviously, as with the first team, it is not good enough results. I am really happy with my time with Reno. I though it helped me a lot. Kind of unfortunate for them last night. At the end, just to make a few starts and help out the team, I thought it was great.”
SOUNDERS FC MIDFIELDER OSVALDO ALONSO
On the overall feeling of the win:
“We didn’t feel like losing 1-0. We fight until the end and we win and find a way to get three points. Then they told us that Colorado was winning, 2-1, and that’s why we decided to bring the second [striker on].”
On the importance of Ruidíaz, Lodeiro, and Rodríguez:
“They’ve been so great. They showed great play today and in the past, and we are happy for the performance today and hopefully they can get ready for the playoffs.”
On the slow start to the season:
“I can’t believe [that we are here now]. We just started to score and now we are second place in the West. It’s crazy, it’s part of the game, now we have one week rest.”
SOUNDERS FC MIDFIELDER NICOLÁS LODEIRO
On the overall feeling of the win:
“I feel happy. Happy. Because we won the game and the other result helped a lot, we feel very happy.”
On Raúl’s performance:
“I’m very happy [for him]. Because he worked every day for this. When he came he helped a lot and was really good and we are happy for Raúl and for the team, too.”
On the awareness of the other scores around the league:
“Nothing. I was focused on just our game because the most important is the final, the three points for us. When we finished I asked about the other games, and it was very good news for us.”
SOUNDERS FC FORWARD RAÚL RUIDÍAZ [THROUGH TRANSLATOR]
On overall feeling of the win:
“Super, super happy. Very, very happy. In fact, coming back here into the locker room it was all crazy and just to now savor it… it was very good.”
On the two goals he scored:
“The first goal was a very, very quick play. Cristian [Roldan] had the ball and he sent it over and it came a little low and I was able to put it in. The second one I was able to read Nico’s pass well. I’m always looking for those because he is always trying those types of things, and I was trying to put it in.”
On the winning streak and overall feeling since coming to the club:
“When I came, the team was in a bad moment, but we all knew that it was all up to us, that we had to change the situation that we were in. We have an excellent team, really a family, so we knew that it was all up to us. So, we were able to achieve that and I am super happy about that.”
