Bruin Stoppage Time Goal Earns Sounders Points in 1-1 Tie With Timbers

All that mattered for Sounders head coach  Brian Schmetzer was the point earned . The Sounders (9-4-5-32)  and the visiting Timbers ( 9-5-5 32) splitting of the points kept the Sounders atop of the Western Conference Standings. The Sounders have a game in hand and an 18 plus goal differential compared to the Timbers 8.

A  FORGETTABLE FIRST HALF

The Sounders were slow coming out of the gate and the Timbers took full advantage of their opponent’s foggy mind and heavy legs. Sounders goalkeeper Stefan Frei saved Yimmi Chara’s right-footed shot and the deflated ball found it’s way to Timbers midfielder Andre Flores. Flores rifled the ball past a sprawling Frei to give the visitors the 1-0 lead just ten minutes into the game.  Instead of waking up the Sounders, the early deficit put the Rave Green into a deep stupor.  Sounders midfielder Jordy Delem had to leave the game in the 30th minute after an accidental elbow from the referee. It was that kind of half for the Sounders who ended the first half without a single shot on goal.

UP TEMPO SECOND HALF

The Sounders switched to an up tempo game in the second half. Players created space for the man with the ball by running at the Timbers defense. In turn the ball carrier made short and quick passes which forced the Timber defenders to move from their stationary positions. The quick ball movement and runs by  the Sounders player spread out the Timbers defense creating scoring opportunities.

“ At halftime we just reset and said, ‘No, this is how we play, this is how we line up, this is where you guys need to be.’ And I think it worked. I mean we scored the goal late and I’m very, very, very pleased for Will Bruin, he deserved it because he’s been working his butt off, said Schmetzer after the game.”

“ But if you look at some of the other chances, we had Kelvin [Leerdam’s] header. Jordan [Morris] had a breakaway where Nico [Lodeiro] chested the ball, maybe he could have laid it back. Nouhou, I know a lot of people want Nouhou to score, I understand that, and you know Nico does a good job, swings the ball in, it comes back to [Nouhou] he shoots, but Cristian Roldan was there top of the box. Shane [O’Neill’s] header on another delivery by Nico that was very good. Some transition moments where we just, we couldn’t find Jordan, or we picked the wrong pass, or they intercepted the pass. So, I thought the second half was better for us. And, you know, tough team to play against, and just happy that we were able to stay in first place.”

PERSEVERANCE PAYS OFF

While there were scoring opportunities the Sounders were unable to capitalize. The Sounders had nine second-half shots that were off target. A tremendous improvement from the first halves two shots off target.  Unlike the first half, the Sounders stayed committed to their strategy of selfless run and quick passes. The result was a stoppage-time goal on the Sounders lone shot on goal. A  Bruin header off a set piece in the 93^rd minute.

“Yeah, got to make it dramatic. You know, that was, I believe my first full 90 [minutes]. That’s why I get frustrated sometimes when I sub out, because I know there’s always a chance at the very end, and you know that play, that corner kick, that was something that [Brian Schmetzer] was really telling me, he was like, ‘Make sure you get back post because a ball always end up falling there.’ And as long as you have somebody there you see a lot of goals scored in that area, and it ricocheted over there and I was just in the right spot at the right time and, you know, I’ll take any goal.”

Sounders forward Will Bruin on his stoppage time goal