MLS coaches view each tournament participation differently. League Cup, Champions League, and U.S. Open Cup are meaningful trophies. Injuries, league form, and scheduling play a pivotal role in each coach’s lineup decision. Of the three the U.S . Open has the most desperate. The Sounders have used the U.S. Open to jump-start a season and rally the fan base.
GALAXY FIRST TEAM
When a struggling LA Galaxy team rolled out a strong lineup that was littered with first-teamers against a Sounders line void of its first-team players there was no outcry. The Galaxy needed a win and were rested. The Sounders needed a win as well but were hit with injuries and an important MLS match was just three days away. As expected more talented and experienced Galaxy squad took care of the match early and never let up. Galaxy defender Julian Aude gave the home side the lead three minutes into the game.
EXCITING SECOND HALF
Memo Rodriguez expanded the lead to two goals in the 66th minute after receiving a backheel pass from Jalen Neal off of a corner kick. Sounders forward Paul Rothrock scored his second consecutive US Open Cup goal in the 66th minute to half the Sounders deficit Rodriguez completed his brace to widen the lead back to two goals in the 84th minute.
The scoring ended there and the Galaxy advanced to the round of 32 with a 3-2 victory. Head coach Brian Schmetzer started six Tacoma Defiance Players
Sounders FC continues its two-match road trip this week and returns to MLS action with a matchup against Houston Dynamo FC on Saturday, May 13 at Shell Energy Stadium (5:30 p.m. PT / Apple TV, iHeartMedia, El Rey 1360 AM).
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MATCH NOTES
- Sounders FC’s all-time record in Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup play moves to 24-7-5 dating back to 2009. The Rave Green are now 4-5-3 on the road in that span.
- Seattle is now eliminated from 2023 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup play. Sounders FC is a four-time winner of the Open Cup (2009-2011, 2014), tied with the Chicago Fire and Sporting Kansas City for the most titles among MLS Clubs.
- Wednesday’s match was Seattle’s second contest in 2023 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup play, and the Rave Green’s second meeting against LA in 2023. Sounders FC defeated the Galaxy 2-1 in MLS regular-season action on April 1.
- The Rave Green advanced to the Round of 32 following a 5-4 win over San Diego Loyal SC in the Third Round on April 26. This marked the first Open Cup fixture for the Galaxy, who entered the tournament in the Round of 32.
- The last time these two teams met in Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup play was back in 2016, with the Galaxy defeating Seattle 4-2 in the Quarterfinals in Southern California.
- With the goal this evening, Paul Rothrock has scored in both of his First Team appearances this season. The Tacoma Defiance midfielder tallied a strike in Sounders FC’s 5-4 Third Round win over San Diego Loyal SC on April 26.
- João Paulo and Nico Lodeiro both came on as late substitutes, marking the first career Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup appearance for each player.
- Six Tacoma Defiance players were eligible for tonight’s match via short-term agreements. Cody Baker and Paul Rothrock were in today’s starting XI, while Eythor Bjørgolfsson, Travian Sousa and Georgi Minoungou came on as second-half substitutes. It marked the First Team debuts for both Bjørgolfsson and Minoungou.
MATCH SUMMARY
Seattle Sounders FC 1 – LA Galaxy 3
Wednesday, May 10, 2023
Venue: Dignity Health Sports Park
Referee: Matt Geringer
Assistants: Chris Elliott, Eduardo Jeff
Fourth Official: Servando Berna Rico
Attendance: 8,412
Weather: 62 degrees and mostly sunny
SCORING SUMMARY
LA – Julián Aude 3’
LA – Memo Rodríguez(Tyler Boyd)66’
SEA – Paul Rothrock(Ethan Dobbelaere)68’
LA – Memo Rodríguez(Dejan Joveljic)84’
MISCONDUCT SUMMARY
LA – Chicharito (caution) 41’
SEA – Cody Baker (caution) 54’
LA – Raheem Edwards (caution) 80’
SEA – João Paulo(caution) 86’
LA – Gastón Brugman (caution) 87’
LINEUPS & STATS
Sounders FC – Stefan Cleveland; Reed Baker-Whiting, Abdoulaye Cissoko, Xavier Arreaga, Cody Baker* (Travian Sousa* 64’); Josh Atencio, Sota Kitahara (João Paulo 77’); Ethan Dobbelaere (Georgi Minoungou* 77’), Dylan Teves (Eythor Bjørgolfsson* 64’), Paul Rothrock* (Nico Lodeiro 83’); Fredy Montero
Substitutes not used: Andrew Thomas, Hal Uderitz*
*Tacoma Defiance player on short-term agreement
Total shots: 8
Shots on goal: 3
