When the Sounders and St. Louis line up for battle, it’s a sure bet that St. Louis will score on it;s own goal. Since entering St. Louis MLS last year, the two teams have played four times, resulting in four wins and four own goals by St. Louis. Last night’s 2-1 victory by the Sounders had an unfamiliar beginning and a familiar ending.
The Sounders asserted their dominance in the first half, with a single clear-cut chance in the 4th minute. Paul Rothrock’s foul on the left flank led to a free kick for the Sounders. Center back Jackson Ragen’s header from Albert Rusnâk’s free kick was destined for the net, only to be miraculously cleared off the goal line by St. Louis defender Tim Parker.
CONTINUED COUNTER ATTACKING PRESSURE
Despite some offensive missteps, the Sounders’ counter-pressing was a sight to behold. Their relentless ball pressure on St. Louis led to another calamitous mistake by the visitors. Cristian Roldan’s pass from the right flank, intended for a streaking Jordan Morris, was intercepted by Parker, who inadvertently directed the ball into his own goal. The gaffe by Parker gifted the Sounders the opening goal.
St. Louis’s best chance to take the lead came in the 37th minute. Nökkvi Thórisson’s right-footed shot from the right side just missed right. The visitors never threatened, and neither did the Sounders, so the score remained 1-0 at the halftime break.
PROFESSIONAL SECOND HALF
The Sounders continued the defensive pressure and increased their tempo when in transition, forcing the visitors to play on their heels when they were not back-peddling. Rothrock drew another foul in a dangerous area two minutes into the second half. Like the previous free kick, Rusnâk played another exquisite cross; center-back Jonathan Bell levitated over his defender and headed the ball into the back of the net for the 2-0 lead.
The Sounders continued to press the issue but were unable to find a third goal. In the last ten minutes, Obed Vargas and Raul Ruidiaz had good looks at the St. Louis goal, but it was of no avail. Another sublime pass by Rusnâk freed Morris on a breakaway, only to see his shot saved by St. Louis goalkeeper Roman Būrki.
THE BIG TAKE
The Sounders are a team in form due to the players playing like-minded soccer on both ends of the pitch. Saturday’s matchup with LAFC will be a true test for the squad. While they will stumble into Lumen Field after their 1-1 draw with Real Salt Lake, LAFC is just points behind Western Conference leaders LA Galaxy, who have 46 points. With the win, the Sounders moved into sixth place with 37 points.
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POSTGAME NOTES
MATCH NOTES
- Sounders FC sits in sixth place in the Western Conference with 37 points (10-7-7), just one point shy of fourth-place Vancouver.
- Stefan Frei recorded his seventh shutout of the season and 112th of his MLS career (regular season), tying Kevin Hartman for second all-time in league history. With his next clean sheet, he would move into sole possession of second, trailing only Nick Rimando (154).
- Seattle is now 4-0-0 all-time against St. Louis since CITY SC joined MLS prior to last season.
- The Rave Green extend their winning streak to six games and are now unbeaten in seven (6-0-1). Sounders FC has lost just twice in its last 18 matches across all competitions (11-2-5).
- Seattle has won its last five matches at Lumen Field dating back to June 15.
- St. Louis’s own goal in the 27th minute marked the fourth consecutive match CITY SC has recorded an own goal against Seattle, doing so in every contest between the two sides. That number extends the MLS record for most consecutive matches with an own goal against a singular opponent.
- Jonathan Bell scored his first Sounders FC goal in the second half, his third career strike in MLS regular season play. The 26-year-old has started five of his six league appearances since signing with the Rave Green prior to the 2024 campaign.
- Albert Rusnák recorded his team-leading 11th assist of the season on Bell’s goal, tied for sixth in MLS. The Slovakian international has six assists in his last seven regular-season games.
MATCH SUMMARY
Seattle Sounders FC 2 – St. Louis CITY SC 0
Wednesday, July 17, 2024
Venue: Lumen Field
Referee: Alexis Da Silva
Assistants: Cameron Blanchard, Mike Nickerson
Fourth Official: Gerald Flores
VAR: Younes Marrakchi
Attendance: 30,032
Weather: 82 degrees and mostly sunny
SCORING SUMMARY
SEA – Own Goal (Tim Parker) 27’
SEA – Jonathan Bell (Albert Rusnák) 49’
MISCONDUCT SUMMARY
STL – Chris Durkin (caution) 4’
STL – Tomas Totland (caution) 38’
SEA – Paul Rothrock (caution) 90’ + 2’
LINEUPS & STATS
Seattle Sounders FC – Stefan Frei – Captain; Alex Roldan, Jackson Ragen, Jonathan Bell, Nouhou (Reed Baker-Whiting 64’); Cristian Roldan (João Paulo 74’), Obed Vargas (Danny Leyva 86’); Paul Rothrock, Albert Rusnák, Léo Chú (Raúl Ruidíaz 64’); Jordan Morris (Danny Musovski 87’)
Substitutes not used: Andrew Thomas, Cody Baker, Yeimar Gómez Andrade, Pedro de la Vega
Total shots: 13
Shots on goal: 7
Fouls: 8
Offside: 2
Corner-kicks: 9
Saves: 2
St. Louis CITY SC – Roman Bürki; Kyle Hiebert, Joakim Nilsson (Joshua Yaro 85’), Tim Parker, Tomas Totland; Chris Durkin, Eduard Löwen (Njabulo Blom 85’); Indiana Vassilev (MyKhi Joyner 46’), Hosei Kijima (Akil Watts 59’), John David Klein III (Jayden Reid 77’); Nökkvi Thórisson (Caden Glover 76’)
Substitutes not used: Jake Nerwinski, Benjamin Lundt, Michael Wentzel
Total shots: 12
Shots on goal: 2
Fouls: 14
Offside: 4
Corner-kicks: 5
Saves: 5
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