Going into Saturday’s game with MLS darlings San Diego FC , Seattle Sounders head coach Brian Schmetzer was looking for some player makers. San Diego is the latest wonder franchise to join MLS. Like the Sounders in their first year in 2009, San Diego built a solid roster that came flying out of the games. Going into the contest, San Diego was third in the Western Conference with ( 3-3-1, 11th) record. The Rave Green (1-3-3, 6pts) were looking to snap a game three-game winless and show the upstarts life in MLS is not all wine and roses.
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SLUGGISH START
Well, rather than taking the fight to the upstarts, it was the upstart Californians who threw the first blow. Less than 90 seconds into the contest, the home side took a 1-0. The dream goal came on a short corner that saw the Sounders sleepwalking to defend. A pass from the left side of the box by Chucky Lozano found a wide-open Jesper Tverskov, who had time and space to blast the ball past a bewildered Stefan Frei. In all fairness, the Sounders never recovered from the early punch to the jaw .
NO ROOM TO BREATHE
The home side smelled blood in the water and stayed on top of the Sounders with their 4–3-3 press. Things went from bad to worse when Alex Roldan went down with an injury and was replaced by Kaplan Kalani Kossa-Rienzi at left wing-back in the 33rd minute. A full frontal attack on the counter saw San Diego double its lead nine minutes later. A loss of possession by the Sounders resulted in a clinical counter between Lozano, Anders Dreyer and a deft finishing touch by Anibal Godoy.
KNOCK-OUT PUNCH BEFORE THE BREAK
Any chance the Sounders had of salvaging the contest in all reality vanished when the home side scored their third goal of the game in the third minute of the first-half stoppage time. Coming back from a three-nil deficit has been done countless times in soccer.
The lack of vision, awareness, and commitment was evident in San Diego’s third goal. Another turnover led to an unmarked ball carrier who found a streaking teammate between the Sounders center-back duo of Jackson Rage and Yeirmar. The Lozano goal broke the spirit of the Sounders, in the way it was scored and when it was scored.
“ You can’t make a good decision unless you see the entire field, both defensively, first minute of the game, when they’re taking a short corner and you’ve turned your back and your job as outlined is to watch for short corners,” said Sounders head coach Brian Schmetzer after the game.
HALFTIME ATTITUDE ADJUSTMENT
If the scoreline wasn’t bad enough, the insult was literally added to injury when Danny Leyva replaced midfielder Albert Rusnáck due to a leg injury at the break. In the 61st minute, Schmetzer replaced Danny Musovski for Jesus Ferreira and Pedro de la Vega for Georgi Minoungou. De la Vega’s insertion into the game was a positive sign for the Argentinian, who had been sidelined for several weeks due to multiple muscle injuries. The Sounders settled down in the second half and shut out the home side, who controlled the game and were never challenged as they cruised to their fourth win of the season.
BIG TAKE
There is no doubt the injuries have stagnated the Sounders, who are off to another slow start. Yes the team can overcome another slow start as the seem to do every year.
“ We had a slow start last year. came within eight minutes of getting to overtime against the galaxy. So I’m not concerned about that,” said Schmetzer when asked about the teams slow start. “But I did remind them after the game of where we are and, you know, the challenges that we face with, you know, the next man has to step up when injuries happen, we still have to make plays.”
The Sounders are a good team that is lacking conviction. Each has to look in the room and make a commitment to make sacrifices for the betterment of the team. Making the extra run when in possession to create space for other players on defense, be committed to being resolute, aware, and gritty. The Sounders need to take the game, not let the game come to them.
POST GAME NOTES
MATCH NOTES
- With the result, Seattle sits in 12th place in the Western Conference with 12 points (1-3-3).
- Saturday marked the first-ever matchup between Seattle and San Diego, with the Southern California side joining MLS as an expansion side this year.
- Nouhou made his 250th appearance in all competitions tonight, the only defender to reach that mark in club history. He now sits in fifth place in club appearances, breaking a tie with Brad Evans.
- Brian Schmetzer kept nearly the same lineup as last week against San Jose, with Georgi Minoungou replacing João Paulo as the only change.
- Seattle now finishes its three-match road stretch with a trip to FC Dallas on Saturday, April 12 at Toyota Stadium (5:30 p.m. PT / Apple TV, iHeartMedia Seattle, El Rey 1360 AM).
MATCH SUMMARY
Seattle Sounders FC 0 – San Diego FC 3
Saturday, April 5, 2025
Venue: Snapdragon Stadium
Referee: Malik Badawi
Assistants: Jason White, Felisha Mariscal
Fourth Official: Rosendo Mendoza
VAR: Armando Villarreal
Attendance: 28,228
Weather: 66 degrees and clear
SCORING SUMMARY
SD – Jeppe Tverskov (Chucky Lozano) 2’
SD – Anibal Godoy (Anders Dreyer, Chucky Lozano) 41’
SD – Chucky Lozano (Jasper Loffelsend, Jeppe Tverskov) 45’+3’
MISCONDUCT SUMMARY
SD – Franco Negri (caution) 60’
SD – Luca de la Torre (caution) 64’
SEA – Danny Leyva (caution) 68’
SD – Alex Mighten (caution) 80’
LINEUPS & STATS
Seattle Sounders FC – Stefan Frei; Yeimar, Jackson Ragen, Nouhou; Alex Roldan (Kalani Kossa-Rienzi 34’), Obed Vargas, Cristian Roldan, Paul Rothrock (Reed Baker-Whiting 80’), Georgi Minoungou (Pedro de la Vega 61’), Albert Rusnák (Danny Leyva 46’); Jesús Ferreira (Danny Musovski 62’)
Substitutes not used: Andrew Thomas, Jonathan Bell, Kim Kee-hee, João Paulo
Total shots: 14
Shots on goal: 4
Fouls: 10
Offside: 5
Corner-Kicks: 5
Saves: 1
San Diego FC – CJ dos Santos; Jasper Loffelsend (Willy Kumado 55’), Paddy McNair, Christopher McVey, Franco Negri (Hamady Diop 67’); Anibal Godoy, Jeppe Tverskov, Luca de la Torre (Alejandro Alvarado 81’); Anders Dreyer (Tomas Angel 80’), Onni Valakari, Chucky Lozano (Alex Mighten 67’)
Substitutes not used: Pablo Sisniega, Andres Reyes, Heine Bruseth, Ian Pilcher
Total shots: 9
Shots on goal: 4
Fouls: 22
Offside: 3
Corner-kicks: 3
Saves: 4
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