Coming back from a three goal deficit is rare in global soccer. It is not supposed to happen. Within MLS, only ten teams have managed to claw back from three goals down to earn points. Seattle Sounders join Montreal Impact as the two teams to do so in 2017.
Let’s take a look at an expected goals/win probability chart. It’s the first image below.
Passmaps & xGplot for Seattle Sounders against New England Revolution. #passmap #xGplot #autotweet pic.twitter.com/7Q0KvicmnZ
— 11tegen11 (@11tegen11) April 30, 2017
New England was the better side, based on the shots they took, but not much better. A little bit of their good fortune and Seattle’s bad fortune put them with a nearly insurmountable lead.
Then life happened. Nicolas Lodeiro happened. Osvaldo Alonso happened.
In MLS era, Sounders have scored 87' or later to earn draws 8 times. Lodeiro has scored in each of the last 3. Ozzie got equalizer in two.
— Frank MacDonald (@frankmSounders) April 30, 2017
What they did wasn’t just rare in MLS (again, only 10 teams have done it), it’s rare in Sounders history.
Until tonight, no Seattle side–going back to '74–has rallied from 3 goals down to earn a result. Sounders 3:3 New England #KnowYourHistory
— Frank MacDonald (@frankmSounders) April 30, 2017
It’s not something that Brian Schmetzer wants to repeat. Even two days later he doesn’t find any satisfaction in the historic draw.
“I don’t feel any better, because that’s a game we should have won,” he said after Monday’s practice. “We gave ourselves a chance to win at least. I’m going to go on record and say this. After I watched it again the goals we’ve given up, including the first one, we could have done better as a team.”