Unfortunately soccer games consist of two halves. The Seattle Sounders started a greatly reduced XI and yet looked the stronger side in the first 45 minutes. Unlike most of the Brian Schmetzer era, the second half was filled with misfortune. Gerso Fernandes scored his three goals from 56’ to 69’ (nice).
There was little that Stefan Frei could do on the first one, as the Sounders keeper was screened from the shot. The second tally came after a series of flubbed clearances and Frei couldn’t reasonably be expected to snag it. The third goal was also a failure of the entire defense.
It's a 14-minute hat trick for Gerso! #SKCvSEA https://t.co/Hs2kWdnxak
— Major League Soccer (@MLS) May 18, 2017
Schmetzer benched Clint Dempsey in order to rest him ahead of Saturday’s game against Real Salt Lake. Osvaldo Alonso also didn’t start, but for health reasons. The fullbacks continue to be replacement-level players Jordy Delem and Oniel Fisher (on the left, not his primary position).
And yet that lineup, with Will Bruin up top and Jordan Morris wide left, looked fully capable of a draw or even a win until half. In most circumstances Brian Schmetzer wins the half. In this game — and the Chicago game — he did not.
Sporting Kansas City was far and away the more energetic and tactically-sound team in the final 45 minutes. They continued to dominate possession and started to capitalize on it. Gerso, and the KC possession game, dominated. As the reserve-heavy lineup tired, the Sporks took advantage.
The Sounders fall to 2-5-4, -4. The 2017 season is rapidly falling apart as Seattle falls to less than a point a game.
- Brad Evans came off the bench for the second game straight for some of his first minutes of 2017, at right back.
- Homegrown Player Seyi Adekoya made his MLS debut.
Seattle hosts Real Salt Lake at 2 PM on Saturday, May 20.