Sights, sounds, and notes from Seattle Sounders 1-1 draw with Atlanta United

MATCH NOTES

• Sunday’s draw gives Seattle a new record for the best start to a season in club history (MLS era). With five wins and two draws (17 points), Brian Schmetzer’s side has now surpassed the 16 points from seven matches that the 2019 team achieved.

• Sunday result was Seattle’s first non-win at home of 2021, with the Rave Green previously having defeated Minnesota United, the LA Galaxy and LAFC at Lumen Field. Dating back to last season, Sounders FC has not lost in Seattle since September 6, 2020 (a 2-1 loss to the Portland Timbers).

• Following the draw, Seattle remains both top of the Supporters’ Shield race and MLS Western Conference standings. The Rave Green lead the New England Revolution by three points for the top record in MLS, while also maintaining a four-point lead over Sporting Kansas City in second place in the West.

• Sounders FC maintains the best goal difference in MLS (+11) while also being the top-scoring side in the league (14 goals through seven games).

• Atlanta’s goal in the 86^th minute of play was just the third strike Sounders FC has allowed in 2021, and the first at home this season. The Rave Green have not allowed a goal from the run of play yet.

• Sounders FC remains unbeaten all-time against Atlanta United, moving 1-0-3 against the Five Stripes dating back to Atlanta’s expansion season in 2017. Seattle won the previous matchup between the two sides, a 2-1 home victory on July 14, 2019. Raúl Ruidíaz and Harry Shipp provided the goals for the Rave Green on that day.

• With his goal in the sixth minute of play, Raúl Ruidíaz headed home his sixth tally of 2021, good for second in the MLS Golden Boot race, one notch behind the LA Galaxy’s Javier Hernández. The strike was also Ruidíaz’s second career goal versus Atlanta United in two games against the Five Stripes, the most of any Sounder in the short-lived series.

• Ruidíaz now has 48 strikes in 70 MLS appearances (including playoffs). Since entering the league in mid-2018, only Atlanta’s Josef Martínez has more goals in that timeframe (51 goals). LAFC’s Carlos Vela also has 47 goals in the same span.

• Brazilian midfielder João Paulo claimed an assist on Ruidíaz’s corner-kick goal, good for his team-leading fourth helper of 2021, and his ninth overall assist since joining the Rave Green prior to the 2020 season.

• Replacing the injured Stefan Frei in goal (L knee sprain), Stefan Cleveland made his second-straight Sounders FC start on Sunday, allowing his only goal thus far. Last Sunday vs. LAFC, Cleveland made his regular-season debut, recording a shutout in just his sixth overall league match.

• Atlanta forward Josef Martínez converted a penalty in the 86^th minute, good for his third goal all-time against the Rave Green. No player in the short series between the two clubs has scored more.