Sounders Earn Tough 1-1 Draw Against Pesky Rapids

The  Seattle Sounders  ( 17-6-7, 58 points) 1-1 draw with the Colorado Rapids 9 14-6-10,52 points) were points earned rather than dropped? All was the cards were stacked against the Sounders. The Sounders limped into  Colorado after a disappointing 2-1 loss to the Houston Dynamo just four days earlier. The loss to the Dynamo snapped a four-game win streak for the Rave Green.  Playing in Colorado is always a c daunting challenge due to the high altitude and that challenge is magnified when you stroll into Colorado dragging your heels with blank stares on your face.

COLORADO WAITING FOR WEARY SOUNDERS

As can be expected the Rapids started the game on top of the Sounders with a high relentless pressure designed to force the Sounders into making a  mistake. While the Sounders stayed away from making an egregious error the Rapids pressure affected the Sounders. The visitors spent the first 15 minutes in scramble mode, blocking shots, clearing balls inside their own goal box. The Sounders caught their breath, came to their senses, and grew into the game after the 20-minute mark.  To their credit, the Rave Green showed why they are first in the Western Conference. Once settled the Sounders played with discipline, patience, and intentionality. The  Sounders finished the half with more shots on goals than the Rapids.  With a nil, nil halftime score both teams went into the break with confidence and hope of bagging all three points.

ADJUSTMENTS  FAVORS SOUNDERS

With both coaches confident of a positive result in the remaining 45 minutes, the sides played to their strengths. The Rapids continued to overload the  Sounders flanks while the Rave Green countered by pushing Freddy Montero up the field and giving Cristian Roldan free rein to move from left to right.  The tug-of-war match continued until the 66th minute when the Rapids Auston Trusty headed home a Jack Price corner kick for the 1-0 lead. Both coaches make substitutions Colorado’s Robin Fraser going for a more defensive strategy.

GOING FOR BROKE

 Brian Schmetzer threw caution to the wind inserting Kelyn Rowe for  Joshua Atencio and Will Bruin for Nicolas Benezet. Schmeltzer’s 75-minute introduction of Leo Chu for Jimmy Medranda paid the most dividend. Six minutes after his insertion into the game Chu rambled down the left side juked, jived, swirled between two defenders, and found a streaking Cristian Roldan for the equalizer.

BATTLE FOR THE WEST

With the win, Seattle maintains its first-place standing in the Western Conference with 58 points (17-6-7), six points clear of Sporting Kansas City and Colorado with four games remaining in its 2021 regular-season campaign. Sounders FC and Sporting face off at Lumen Field on Saturday at 12:30 p.m. PT. The win also assures the Rave Green of a top-four finish in the Western Conference.

UP NEXT GAME NOTES