Sounders allow late goal draw 1-1 with LAFC

Seattle Sounders midfielder(6-6-2, 20 points) Albert Rusnak gave the home side an early second-half lead when he pounced on an errant pass by LAFC goalkeeper( (9-3-3, 30 points)) Crépeau and slammed it past the sprawling netminder in the 58th minute. LAFC equalized twenty-one minutes later when Cristian Arango headed a looping shot past Sounders goalkeeper Stefan Frei.

POST-GAME NOTES

MATCH NOTES

• Sounders FC is now 6-6-2 on the season and ranks seventh in the Western Conference with 20 points. The club is averaging 1.43 points per game and is above the playoff line, leading eighth-place Houston by two points.

• Dating back to the club’s May 15 win versus Minnesota United, Seattle is now unbeaten in five of its past six matches, compiling four wins and a draw in that span.

• Today’s match marked the third-consecutive home contest of a five-game stretch at Lumen Field for Sounders FC. The club won its first two matches of the homestand against Charlotte (May 29) and Vancouver (June 14), with home matches at Lumen Field next Sunday against Sporting Kansas City (June 25) and the following Wednesday against CF Montréal (June 29).

• Seattle midfielder Albert Rusnák scored his first MLS goal for the Rave Green in the 58^th minute of play. Rusnák started and played 90 minutes today after returning from international duty with Slovakia, who played a road match in Kazakhstan on Monday, June 13 and Azerbaijan on Friday, June 10. 

• Rusnák now has two total goals for Seattle, having also scored the club’s opening goal on April 6 vs. New York City FC in Concacaf Champions League play, a 3-1 win for Sounders FC. 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.

• In addition to Rusnák returning from international duty, teammates Jordan Morris and Cristian Roldan returned to the starting lineup from their time with the United States Men’s National Team, who earned a 1-1 draw in El Salvador on Tuesday (with Morris scoring the lone U.S. goal). Defender Nouhou also rejoined the starting group today after helping Cameroon to a 1-0 win over Burundi on June 9.

• This marked goalkeeper Stefan Frei’s 299^th career appearance for Sounders FC across all competitions since joining the club prior to the 2014 season. With his next appearance, he will become the second Sounders FC player in the MLS era to play in 300 matches across all competitions (Osvaldo Alonso). Zach Scott is the only other player in Sounders history dating back to 1974 to appear in 300 matches for the club.

• Sounders FC moves to 3-5-3 all-time in regular season play against LAFC. Seattle is 2-0-0 against LA in postseason action, most notably earning a 3-1 win in the 2019 Western Conference Final at Banc of California Stadium before capturing the 2019 MLS Cup title. Brian Schmetzer’s side eliminated LAFC the following year in the postseason with a 3-1 win in the First Round.

• At home in 2022 Seattle is now 4-2-1 in MLS play and 8-2-2 in all competitions this season (MLS regular season, Concacaf Champions League and U.S. Open Cup).

MATCH SUMMARY 

Seattle Sounders FC 1 – Los Angeles FC 1 

Saturday, June 18, 2022 

Venue: Lumen Field Stadium 

Referee: Allen Chapman 

Assistants: Logan Brown, Andrew Bigelow 

Fourth Official: Greg Dopka 

VAR: Kevin Stott 

Attendance: 34,642 

Weather: 58 degrees and cloudy 

SCORING SUMMARY 

SEA – Albert Rusnák 58’ 

LAFC – Cristian Arango (José Cifuentes) 79’ 

MISCONDUCT SUMMARY 

LAFC – José Cifuentes (caution) 16’ 

VAN – Nico Lodeiro (caution) 77’ 

LINEUPS & STATS 

Seattle Sounders FC – Stefan Frei, Alex Roldan, Jackson Ragen, Xavier Arreaga (Kelyn Rowe 74’), Nouhou, Albert Rusnák, Obed Vargas (Jimmy Medranda 74’), Cristian Roldan, Nico Lodeiro, Jordan Morris (Léo Chú 88’), Fredy Montero (Will Bruin 67’)  

Substitutes not used: Stefan Cleveland, Abdoulaye Cissoko, Dylan Teves 

Total shots: 13 

Shots on goal: 5 

Fouls: 9 

Offside: 1 

Corner-kicks: 5 

Saves: 6 

Los Angeles FC – Maxime Crépeau, Jesús David Murillo, Ryan Hollingshead (Franco Escobar 65’), Sebastien Ibeagha, Diego Palacios, Latif Blessing (Kellyn Acosta 65’), Ilie Sánchez, José Cifuentes (Francisco Ginella 80’), Kwadwo Opoku (Carlos Vela 46’), Cristian Arango, Daniel Musovski 

Substitutes not used: Cal Jennings, Doneil Henry, Danny Trejo, Mamadou Fall, John McCarthy 

Total shots: 11 

Shots on goal: 7 

Fouls: 16 

Offside: 2 

Corner-kicks: 3 

Saves: 4