Sounders FC brilliant passing display leads to 3-1 victory over New York FC in Leg One of CONCACAF Champions League Semi-Final match

GAME NOTES

MATCH NOTES

• Sounders FC now heads into next Wednesday’s second leg with a two-goal advantage. A win or draw would see the Rave Green advance, as would a loss by less than two goals. A two-goal defeat could still send Seattle through if the club score twice in the second leg, as away goals are the first tiebreaker.

• Seattle is now 5-2-3 across all competitions this season. The club is currently riding a six-match unbeaten streak (4-0-2) across MLS and Concacaf Champions League play.

• Albert Rusnák scored his first Sounders FC goal with the match’s opening strike. The Designated Player signed with Seattle this offseason after five years at Real Salt Lake, where he tallied 41 goals and 39 assists in MLS play.

• After recording his first assist of 2022 against Minnesota over the weekend, Jordan Morris tallied a goal and an assist in the first half this evening against NYCFC. The Mercer Island native has three SCCL goals this year, tied with Fredy Montero for the team lead. He is third overall in the 2022 tournament in scoring.

• Nico Lodeiro scored his first goal of the 2022 campaign via penalty kick in the second half, his fourth career tally in SCCL play.

• Cristian Roldan’s assist on Morris’ goal gives him five helpers in 2022 SCCL play, leading the tournament in assists.

• With the start on Wednesday Raúl Ruidíaz made his 100^th career appearance for Sounders FC across all competitions since joining the club in 2018.

• Sounders FC leads the 2022 SCCL with 15 total goals scored.

• This marked the sixth all-time meeting between Seattle and NYCFC across all competitions, with the series even at 3-3-0. The two clubs last met on July 3, 2019, a 3-0 loss for the Rave Green.

• Coach Schmetzer deployed a 4-2-3-1 formation today with one change to the starting XI from the Minnesota match on April 2, with forward Ruidíaz replacing Will Bruin up top.

MATCH SUMMARY

Seattle Sounders FC 3 – New York City FC 1

Wednesday, April 6, 2022

Venue: Lumen Field

Referee: Enrique Santander

Assistants: Alberto Morin, Christian Espinosa

Fourth Official: Diego Montano

VAR: Fernando Guerrero

Attendance: 31,074

Weather: 56 degrees and clear

SCORING SUMMARY

SEA – Albert Rusnák (Jordan Morris) 16’

NYC – Thiago Martins (Valentin Castellanos) 27’

SEA – Jordan Morris (Cristian Roldan) 34’

SEA – Nico Lodeiro (penalty) 68’

MISCONDUCT SUMMARY

NYC – Alfredo Morales (caution) 79’

SEA – Xavier Arreaga (caution) 80’

LINEUPS & STATS

Seattle Sounders FC – Stefan Frei; Alex Roldan, Jackson Ragen, Xavier Arreaga, Kelyn Rowe; João Paulo (Fredy Montero 87’), Albert Rusnák, Cristian Roldan, Nico Lodeiro (Obed Vargas 85’), Jordan Morris (Jimmy Medranda 84’); Raúl Ruidíaz (Will Bruin 87’)

Substitutes not used: Stefan Cleveland, Léo Chú, Abdoulaye Cissoko

Total shots: 12

Shots on goal: 6

Fouls: 13

Offside: 2

Corner-kicks: 7

Saves: 4

New York City FC – Sean Johnson; Thiago Martins (Nicolas Acevedo 77’), Alexander Callens, Malte Amundsen, Tayvon Gray; Alfredo Morales, Valentin Castellanos, Keaton Parks (Gedion Zelalem 85’); Thiago Andrade, Santiago Rodriguez, Talles Magno

Substitutes not used: Luis Barraza, Christopher Gloster, Heber Araujo, Vukashin Latinovich, Gabriel Pereira

Total shots: 9

Shots on goal: 5

Fouls: 10

Offside: 0

Corner-kicks: 0

Saves: 3