Have the Sounders lost their identity as the league’s top-notch defending team in their quest to become an electric, dynamic attacking team? Yes, the question is a gross generalization two games into the season. Brian Schmetzer’s mantra is everyone must defend themselves no matter their position on the field if Schmetzer can demand disciplined defending from prolific scorers like Clint Dempsey. Raul Ruidiaz, Eddie Johnson, and Obafemi Martins, the likelihood of the Sounders losing their heart and soul is pretty much slim to none.
ALLURE OF THE ATTACK
What the Sounders are caught up in, I believe, is the allure of the attack. Every team wants to play dynamic, mesmerizing, and tantalizing soccer that scores goals and is pleasing to the eye. In that search for beautiful attacking soccer, the disciplined defense can and is sometimes sacrificed. It’s part of the process. In their 2-2 draw with Charlotte FC in Saturday’s MLS season opener, the Sounders played tantalizing crowd-pleasing soccer, which saw Jordan Morris score a crowd-pleasing brace , then had a sudden momentary lapse of reasoning that cost them dearly.
YOUNG TALENT SHOWED IT TALENTS
With the depth of talent at his disposal, Schmetzer was able to insert young guns Paul Rothrock and Giorgo Minoungou into the line and rest Jesus Ferreira, Pedro de la Vega, and Paul Arriola. Things went according to plan, and the Sounders had their dream start in the 19th minute when Obed Vargas slotted the ball to the right flank to an open Minoungou, who right-footed the ball into the Charlotte FC goal box to streaking Morris, who deftly half-volleyed the ball into the back of the net for the 1-0 lead.
FULL ON ATTACK
With the lead and the home crowd finding a reason to believe, the Sounders continued their attacking ways and nearly doubled the lead in the 26th minute when Albert Rusnák’s cross found Yeimer on the far post and forced a kick save from Charlotte FC goalkeeper Kristajan Kahlina last season’s goalkeeper of the year. Yeimar was ruled offside on the play, so it was all for naught.
CHARLOTTE TIES GETS ONE BACK
For all of their attacking prowess, the Sounders could not find that second goal. In the 36th minute, it was the visitors who found the equalizer via a set piece Charlotte mid Pep Biel’s corner kick was the perfect hight for defender Adilson to levitate above all players and head the ball into the back of the net for the equalizer.
A GOOD START TO THE HALF
Four minutes into the second half, Cristian Roldan collected a loose ball in the midfield and fed a leaking Rusnâk, who spotted Morris galloping towards the Charlotte goal. Morris carried the ball and blasted a shot past the onrushing Kahlina for the 2-1 lead. After the goal, the Sounders offense ran roughshod over the Charlotte defense with no results. Rusnák’s glancing header in the 61st minute forced a diving save from Kahlina. A Nifty give-and-go between Minoungo, Rusnák, and Vargas forced another Kahlina save from point-blank range. The offense onslaught continued when Arriola and Ferriera were inserted for Rothrock and Minoungou.
UNTIMELY SUBSTITUTION
In the 87th minute, Schmetzer inserted De la Vega for Rusnák and Jonathan Bell for Nouhou. De la Vega brought fresh legs but lacked the defensive physicality of Rusnák.The insertion of Bell for Nouhou is questionable. Nouhou was on a yellow card so it was prudent of Schmetzer to sub him out. The team went to a back four, with Bell playing left back.
The Sounders looked like they were on their way to victory with just five minutes of stoppage time. A non-threatening clearance by Kahlina turned into a disaster for the Sounders. Jackson Ragen’s miss-hit header bounced into the path of Charlotte forward Idan Toklomati, who galloped down the right flank and crossed the ball across the Sounder’s goal, which deflected off the foot of Yeimar for the own goal.
FOOT OFF THE BRAKE
Ragen should have made a better play on the ball. When I look back at the tape, I see that multiple players were upfield in advanced attacking positions, but very few Sounder players were behind the ball. With just three minutes to play in stoppage time, all players should have been concentrating on defending every blade of grass and seeing the game out. Even the most lethal attacking teams know there is time to close out a game by playing tough, staunch defense. A harsh lesson for the Sounders and one you want to learn early in the lesson as opposed to late in the season.
POST GAME NOTES
MATCH NOTES
• Seattle earns its first point of the MLS season with tonight’s result, with the club currently tied for fifth place in the Western Conference through matchday one (0-0-1).
• Tonight’s match officially kicked off Seattle’s 2025 MLS campaign. The Rave Green finished fourth in the Western Conference last year with 57 points (16-9-9), reaching the Western Conference Final.
• With his two goals tonight, Jordan Morris tied Raúl Ruidíaz for most all-competition goals in club history (86).
• This marks the fourth time in his career that Morris has scored a brace in the first game of the season, also doing so in 2019, 2020 and 2023.
• Tonight was Morris’ 10th regular season multi-goal game in his career, tying him with Clint Dempsey for second in club history.
• Georgi Minoungou and Obed Vargas recorded assists on Morris’ first goal. It was Minoungou’s first assist of the season and Vargas’ third in all-competitions. Vargas tallied two assists in Wednesday’s Concacaf Champions Cup victory over Guatemalan side Antigua.
• Albert Rusnák tallied an assist on Morris’ second goal, his first of the season. The Slovakian had 19 all-competition assists last season, a single-season club record.
• With tonight’s result, Seattle is now 10-5-2 in home openers since 2009, and 9-7-1 in season-opening matches.
• Brian Schmetzer rotated his lineup from Wednesday’s Concacaf Champions Cup match at Antigua, with Albert Rusnák, Georgi Minoungou and Paul Rothrock replacing Pedro de la Vega, Jesús Ferreira and Paul Arriola in the first XI.
MATCH SUMMARY
Seattle Sounders FC 2 – Charlotte FC 2
Saturday, February 22, 2025
Venue: Emerald Queen Casino Pitch at Lumen Field
Referees: Filip Dujic
Assistants: Jeremy Hanson, Adam Garner
Fourth Official: Elijio Arreguin
VAR: Greg Dopka
Attendance: 30,055
Weather: 51 degrees and raining
SCORING SUMMARY
SEA – Jordan Morris (Georgi Minoungou) 19’
CLT – Adilson Malanda (Pep Biel) 35’
SEA – Jordan Morris (Albert Rusnák) 49’
CLT – Own Goal (Yeimar) 90’+3’
MISCONDUCT SUMMARY
SEA – Nouhou (caution) 2’
CLT – Liel Abada (caution) 59’
LINEUPS & STATS
Seattle Sounders FC – Stefan Frei; Yeimar, Jackson Ragen, Nouhou (Jonathan Bell 87’); Alex Roldan, Cristian Roldan, Albert Rusnák (Pedro de la Vega 87’), Obed Vargas, Paul Rothrock (Paul Arriola 61’); Georgi Minoungou (Jesús Ferreira 79’), Jordan Morris
Substitutes not used: Andrew Thomas, Stuart Hawkins, Danny Leyva, João Paulo, Danny Musovski
Total shots: 18
Shots on goal: 8
Fouls: 12
Offside: 2
Corner-Kicks: 7
Saves: 0
Charlotte FC – Kristijan Kahlina; Timothy Ream, Andrew Privett, Nathan Bryne, Adilson Malanda; Ashley Westwood, Liel Abada (Tyger Smalls 66’), Pep Biel (Brandt Bronico 65’), Kerwin Calderon, Eryk Williamson (Djibril Diani 66’); Patrick Agyemang (Idan Toklomati 81’)
Substitutes not used: Bill Tuiloma, Benjamin Bender, David Bingham, Nikola Petkovic, Nicholas Scardina
Total shots: 7
Shots on goal: 1
Fouls: 13
Offside: 0
Corner-kicks: 4
Saves: 6
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- Sounders FC looking for a positive result in Leg One without throwing away two-legged series with Tigress
- Mariners continue to struggle hitting in 2-1 road loss to Rangers
- Mariners avoid potential disaster with All-Star Brendan Donovan
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