The Seattle Sounders became just the second team ever and the first team since the league’s earliest days to qualify for four MLS Cup finals in five seasons, scoring a historic comeback against Minnesota United to win 3-2. The Sounders became the first team to win a playoff game in regulation after trailing in the 88th minute and were just the seventh team to erase a two-goal deficit. They’ll now face the Columbus Crew on Dec. 12 for a chance to become just the fourth back-to-back MLS Cup winner and the third team to win three league titles.
Seattle Sounders FC 3 – Minnesota United FC 2
Monday, December 7, 2020
Venue: Lumen Field
Referee: Ismail Elfath
Assistants: Corey Rockwell, Cameron Blanchard
Fourth Official: Joseph Dickerson
VAR: Timothy Ford
Attendance: Closed Door
Weather: 53 degrees and clear
SCORING SUMMARY
MIN – Emanuel Reynoso 29’
MIN – Bakaye Dibassy (Emanuel Reynoso 67’)
SEA – Will Bruin 75’
SEA – Raúl Ruidíaz 89’
SEA – Gustav Svensson (Nicolás Lodeiro 90’+3’)
MISCONDUCT SUMMARY
SEA – Alex Roldan (caution) 9’
SEA – Shane O’Neill (caution) 27’
MIN – Bakaye Dibassy (caution) 62’
LINEUPS & STATS
Seattle Sounders FC – Stefan Frei; Alex Roldan (Kelvin Leerdam 70’), Yeimar Gómez Andrade, Shane O’Neill, Nouhou (Brad Smith 70’); Cristian Roldan, João Paulo (Will Bruin 73’), Joevin Jones (Gustav Svensson 77’), Nicolás Lodeiro, Jordan Morris; Raúl Ruidíaz
Substitutes not used: Stefan Cleveland, Román Torres, Xavier Arreaga, Jordy Delem, Jimmy Medranda
Total shots: 24 (Ruidíaz, 8)
Shots on goal: 5 (Ruidíaz, 2)
Fouls: 11 (A. Roldan, 4)
Offside: 3 (Lodeiro, 3)
Corner-kicks: 10 (Lodeiro, 10)
Saves: 3 (Frei, 3)
Minnesota United FC – Dayne St. Clair; Romain Metanire (Hassani Dotson 40’), Michael Boxall, Bakaye Dibassy, Chase Gaspar; Jan Gregus, Osvaldo Alonso, Ethan Finlay (Kei Kamara 70’), Emanuel Reynoso, Kevin Molino; Robin Lod (Aaron Schoenfeld 90’+4’)
Substitutes not used: Adrian Zendejas, Brent Kallman, Jose Aja, Marlon Hairston, Jacord Hayes, Thomas Chacon
Total shots: 7 (Molino, 2)
Shots on goal: 5 (Five players, 1)
Fouls: 15 (Six players, 2)
Offside: 0
Corner-kicks: 5 (Reynoso, 5)
Saves: 2 (St. Clair, 2)
POST-MATCH QUOTES & SOUNDBYTES: SOUNDERS FC 3 – MINNESOTA UNITED FC 2
MONDAY, DECEMBER 7, 2020
LUMEN FIELD – SEATTLE, WA
SOUNDERS FC HEAD COACH BRIAN SCHMETZER – LINK TO SOUNDBYTES
On what the subs provided when they came on:
“Well look, Brad [Smith], Gustav [Svensson], Will [Bruin] I mean I’m pretty blessed to have a bench where I can bring those guys off the bench. But Will brought exactly what this game needed. I mean, look, we were in and around and had some half-chances and there were some things that were going well, but at halftime we talked about getting more numbers inside the penalty box. When we got into the prime assist zone, we needed to have one more guy inside the box to help Raúl [Ruidíaz]. And then, you know, as soon as Will stepped on the field, he wins a couple headers, he holds the ball up really well, the ball goes wide, all the sudden Raúl is free to do kind of he does, float off the back shoulder, all of that. I mean, Will’s contribution to the game was tactical, mental, statistical, it was a lot. And then Gustav coming on, welcome back Gustav, I mean he’s always been good at set pieces. Coaching staff, give credit to them, everybody thought the game was heading to overtime, the guys on my right were saying ‘no, no, no we got this, we got this, we are going to get one more chance, we are going to get one more chance.’ And sure enough we get a corner kick and Nico [Lodeiro] delivery, here it is. Up steps Gustav, so credit to those guys ready to come in, make a difference, play for their teammates, and those are two of the most humble guys we got. Will and Gustav are two of the most humble professionals that I’ve worked with.”
SOUNDERS FC MIDFIELDER GUSTAV SVENSSON – LINK TO SOUNDBYTES
On what was going through your head when on the bench:
“There’s a lot going through your head when you’re on the bench, when you’re not playing. You obviously want to play as much as you can, you want to come in and help the team. You know, everybody out on the field was running, was fighintg, but we couldn’t score, we couldn’t get the momentum to pen them in, even though we had some chances. But you know there’s a lot of thoughts going in your head. But mostly you just want to help out, that’s just the main one.”
SOUNDERS FC FORWARD WILL BRUIN – LINK TO SOUNDBYTES
On if Minnesota looked tired down the stretch:
“I think so, I think the halftime we said ‘they look tired.’ And like we’ve been saying we had that feeling that if we got the first one maybe you would see their heads go down a little bit, and I think that was the case. I think we got on top of them, you could see that they were trying to find outlets and get out of our pressure on their backs and they couldn’t really get out. Our centerbacks and midfielders did good at compressing space and so that’s tough on any team when you’re winning balls and always up your backside. But to answer your question yes I think they got a little tired.”