By Mazvita Maraire Posted on

STUDS and DUDS from Sounders’ 1-0 win over Dynamo FC

It is early days in the season, but give credit to Sounders head coach Brian Schmetzer for his Midas touch coaching.  Every move he has made has turned into gold despite early-season injuries. It’s really been about the how, not so much the what.  Schmetzer and his staff have instilled a friendly but competitive environment. When Yeimar went down, Alex Roldan stepped in temporarily at center back until Antino Lopez, a former Tacoma Defiance player, seized the moment and has now started the Sounders’ last three  MLS games and earned a first-team contract in the process.  Lopez helped anchor a defense that was instrumental in the Sounders earning a fifth shutout in six games.

STUDS

ANDREW THOMAS

Thomas was credited with just three saves, but all three were game-changing saves. He put an end to Guilherme Augusto’s slalom run through the Sounders’ defense in the 28th minute and denied the Brazilian a second time minutes into the second half. His third save in the  64th  minute looked routine but was anything but as he stopped Bogusz’s attempt to beat him on the near post.  Statistically, Thomas had 32 touches, two clearances, and three throws.  His communication with the backline was key to the defense being compact and patient.

JACKSON RAGEN

 Similar to Thomas, Ragen was clear in his communication with backline and the midblock during set pieces. He was quick to react in the box to crosses and ground passes, thanks to his superior positioning.  Ragen had 106 touches, seven clearances, four of which were headers,  one block, and four defensive recoveries.

CRISTIAN ROLDAN


Roldan did not practice with the team during the week because he was with the USMNT and met the Sounders in Houston in time to participate in his 400th game as a  Sounder.  In his 90 minutes played, Roldan sat deeper in the Sounders’ formation and ended the game with 97 touches and 11 passes into the final third.  His pass to Arriola down the left flank in the 56th minute should have resulted in a Sounders goal. Arriola crossed Roldan’s pass into the Houston Dynamo box to Danny Musovski. The striker was unable to make a play on the ball, and the chance was wasted.

PAUL ROTHROCK

 Pauletime was in full effect with the game-winning goal. The goal was his fifth of the season, which leads the team. Before his late-game heroics, Rothrock was active in his runs inside the box, switching from left to right and back to left when the game warranted it.  In the 90 minutes played, Rothrock had 61 touches, four of which were inside the goal box, and eight defensive recoveries, which showed his commitment to both ends of the pitch.

DUDS

KOLANI KOSSA -REINZE

Kossa-Reinze was on skates all night trying to keep up with Dynamo superstar Guilherme. He was often out of position and ball-watching while man-marking, resulting in several turnovers. In his 90 minutes played, Kossa-Rienzi completed 37 of 44 passes and had 65 touches, two interceptions, two clearances, and a total of five defensive contributions.  Despite struggling against one of the top players in MLS, Kossa-Rienze managed a hockey assist on the game-winning goal. It was his pass to Jordan Morris, who then flicked the ball to Rothrock.

DANNY MUSOVSKI

Similar to Roldan  Musovski, who did not practice with the team due to International duties, Made way for Jordan Morris in the 61st minute

His chance of the game came in the 56th minute when he received a pass from  Arriola after a lofting pass by Cristian Roldan. The North Macedonia International played 61 minutes and was replaced by Morris, who was credited with the game-winning assist.  In his 61 minutes played, Musovski had nine touches, was four for four on accurate passes, and had one big chance. Musovski had a slow preseason due to a back injury and has been struggling to find his rhythm up front.

PAUL ARRIOLLA

Was substituted for by Hassani Dotson in the 61 st minute. Had a an exquisite pass to Musovski in the 56th minute that should have been the game-opening goal.  Overall, Arriola had a decent game, completing 17 of 23 passes on 31 touches, but had just one touch inside the Dynamos’ goal box. While he was active, he was not goal-dangerous. That is, he did not take on defenders when in possession, and his runs were more conservative; they were wider than they were direct.

Discover more from Cascadiasports.net

Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.

Leave a Reply