Are the Sounders peaking at the right time?

The Sounder’s unbeaten streak on paper now matches the playoff of the team on the field. A  confusing opening statement but hear me out. The Sounders late season unbeaten run stands at 10 games.  Take away the team’s last two wins that late-season unbeaten streak was a decent but unimpressive three wins and five draws.  The  Rave Green’s  2-0 win opening-round MLS  Playoff win over FC Dallas was by far its best team effort in the unbeaten streak. The 2-0 win over St. Louis in St. Louis to close out the regular season and secure second play was impressive but lacked the cohesiveness in all three blocks the team showed in the win over FC Dallas. The point here is that the Sounders have won the last two games and improved with each win.

FAST START FOCUSED

As has been the case in several games during the regular season the Rave Green came out of the gates breathing fire and hell-bent on scoring and taking the game by the scruff of its neck  Head coach Brian Schmetzer is on record demanding a fast-paced, free-flowing, and entertaining game when playing at home. Where the team has fallen short is at the 20-25  minute mark of the game.  Regardless of the scoreline, the Sounders allow the opposition to get a foothold in the game. 

Monday was no different.   Josh Atencio, Albert Rusnak, and Leo Chu all had chances in the first twenty minutes of the contest to give Seattle an early lead. Cristian Roldan’s shift from the right side of the field to the left side stretched the FC Dallas defense. Lacking was any type of combination play between Albert Rusnak, Jordan Morris, and  Chu.  The latter was slow to get into the game and was tentative when it came to taking on defenders.

FC DALLAS FINDS FOOTHOLD IN THE GAME

  FC Dallas was able to find its footing in the game by taking advantage of some bad decision-making and poor passing between the backline and midfield.  Were it not for a couple of Jackson Ragen blocks, a  Stefan Frei signature save the Rave Green could have easily found themselves down 1 nil. A team in form is bound to have patches of bad play.  Bad teams are unable to overcome them good teams learn from them and make quick in-game adjustments.  CRoldan continued to stretch the FC Dallas defense and  Rusnack stayed central causing an imbalance in the visitor’s defense. Chu stayed wide and when he cut inside he was more decisively.

BREAKTHROUGH

The continued runs into the box by Rusnak, Chu, CRoldan, and Morris left the  Dallas backline and holding midfielders scrambling and chasing shadows.  CRoldan’s run into the box two minutes before halftime drew a penalty.  Runsack blasted the spot kick past FC  Dallas goalkeeper Maarten Paes who correctly guessed the direction of his kick but was unable to stop it.

SLOW START TO THE SECOND  HALF

A sluggish start to the second half saw the team swap roles with the visitors on the front foot looking to equalize quickly.  A retreating  Sounders squad played into FC Dallas’s strategy.  With his side on its backfoot and willing to concede space Schmetzer made a tactical move and urged his side to push up and employed a high press.  The strategy worked twofold, the Sounders regained the middle of the pitch, and the high press stifled  FC Dallas’s attempts to play the ball out of their half of the field.  The constant pressure resulted in Rave Green’s second goal.

After receiving a pass from Joao Paulo Nouhou streaked down the left side and whipped a cross that found a streaking Morris who headed it home to double the Sounder’s lead and seal the win in the 73^rd minute.

A TEAM IN FORM

Credit Schmetzer for his understanding that a good defense is key to winning championships and his ability to have each player’s buy-in. Forwards,  Clint Dempsey,  Morris  Raul Ruidiaz, and Leo Chu all understand that playing defense is the first step in staying on the field.  Consistency and scoring are the other two skill sets required. The Sounders were tied with  St. Louis for the least amount of goals conceded.  FC Dallas was third. For the Rave Green to score two effortless goals against Dallas shows the Sounders are in their best form of the season.

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POST GAME NOTES

• 
  Sounders FC opened its Audi 2023 MLS Cup Playoffs campaign with a 2-0 win against FC Dallas at Lumen Field. Game two of the three-match series is set for November 4 at Toyota Stadium. Should a series-deciding third match be needed, Sounders FC is set to host that contest at Lumen Field on November 10.

• Following the win, Sounders FC’s postseason record moves to 23-13-7 dating back to the club’s 2009 inaugural MLS season.

• Tonight’s match marked Seattle’s ninth all-time postseason contest against FC Dallas. The Rave Green are now 5-2-2 in those contests. Prior to tonight, the two sides most recently played in the 2020 Western Conference Semifinals, with Seattle winning that match 1-0. 

• Sounders FC has not lost to FC Dallas in 18 matches in all competitions at Lumen Field, with its last defeat at home against the Texas side coming on May 25, 2011.

• Seattle’s late-season unbeaten run continues and now stands at 10 matches (5-0-5). This is now the club’s longest unbeaten run in all competitions since Sounders FC rattled off 13 matches without a defeat to open the 2021 season.

• Slotting home his 43^rd-minute penalty kick to open the scoring for Seattle, midfielder Albert Rusnák recorded his first goal in the MLS Cup Playoffs for the Rave Green and his second postseason tally all-time.

• Jordan Morris’ headed goal in the 74^th minute of play was his seventh postseason goal dating back to his rookie year in 2016. The Mercer Island native is fourth among active players in MLS in postseason scoring, with former Sounder Will Bruin (9) and current teammates Raúl Ruidíaz (9) and Nico Lodeiro (8) in front of him on that list.

• Nouhou’s assist on Morris’ goal was his first helper in the MLS Cup playoffs. The Cameroonian has eight assists in MLS regular-season action.

• Nico Lodeiro earned a secondary assist on Morris’ goal, building upon his club record. The Uruguayan now has 95 total assists, 43 ahead of the next closes player in team history (Fredy Montero, 52 assists). Eleven of those assists have come in the MLS Cup Playoffs, the most among active MLS players.

• Getting the starting nod tonight at right wing, Cristian Roldan equaled former Sounder Osvaldo Alonso’s career high for postseason appearances by a Rave Green field player. Goalkeeper Stefan Frei leads all Sounders with 29 appearances in the postseason.

• Roldan’s 25 postseason appearances are also good for fourth in MLS among active field players. Entering the match tonight as a second-half substitute, Nico Lodeiro is tied for sixth all-time in this category, as well, with 23 postseason appearances.

• Stefan Frei’s 29 appearances in the MLS Cup Playoffs are fourth all-time in league history. Former MLS stalwart Kevin Hartman leads this category with 49 all-time appearances.

• Frei also hit another major club milestone this evening, becoming the first Sounder in club history to record 350 appearances in all competitions for the club. He added to his single-season high in shutouts in the process, capturing his 15^th clean sheet of 2023 (MLS regular season and postseason).