It wasn’t going to last forever, but the Seattle Sounders finally saw their streak of not allowing a goal from the run of play end at 949 minutes on Saturday. That it was the Vancouver Whitecaps who did it, however, will likely sting. In fact, the Whitecaps scored two goal about seven minutes apart to force the Sounders to play from behind for the first time this year at Lumen Field.
To their credit, however, the Sounders were able to find the equalizer through Jimmy Medranda and continue their league-best start to the season.
MATCH SUMMARY
Seattle Sounders FC 2 – Vancouver Whitecaps FC 2
Saturday, June 26, 2021
Venue: Lumen Field
Referee: Guido Gonzales Jr.
Assistants: Eric Weisbrod, TJ Zablocki
Fourth Official: Luis Guardia
VAR: Ramy Touchan
Attendance: 25,603
Weather: 90 degrees and sunny
SCORING SUMMARY
SEA – Raúl Ruidíaz (Brad Smith, Josh Atencio) 40’
VAN – Cristian Dájome (Caio Alexandre) 49’
VAN – Lucas Cavallini (Cristian Dajome, Andy Rose) 56’
SEA – Jimmy Medranda (Fredy Montero) 71’
MISCONDUCT SUMMARY
VAN – Lucas Cavallini (caution) 22’
VAN – Caio Alexandre (caution) 45’+4’
VAN – Maxime Crepeau (caution) 89’
LINEUPS & STATS
Seattle Sounders FC – Stefan Cleveland; Alex Roldan (Kelyn Rowe 86’), Yeimar, Shane O’Neill, Abdoulaye Cissoko (Jimmy Medranda 68’), Brad Smith; Josh Atencio (Danny Leyva 61’), João Paulo, Cristian Roldan; Will Bruin (Fredy Montero 71’), Raúl Ruidíaz
Substitutes not used: Spencer Richey, Ethan Dobbelaere, Reed Baker-Whiting
Total shots: 19
Shots on goal: 5
Fouls: 9
Offside: 0
Corner-kicks: 2
Saves: 2
Vancouver Whitecaps FC – Maxime Crepeau; Cristian Gutierrex, Andy Rose (Ranko Veselinovic 74’), Erik Godoy, Deiber Caicedo (Leonard Owusu 74’); Caio Alexandre, Janio Bikel, Russell Teibert (Ryan Raposo 85’), Michael Baldisimo (Patrick Metcalfe 81’); Lucas Cavallini, Cristian Dájome (Brian White 85’)
Substitutes not used: Thomas Hasal, Evan Newton, Derek Cornelius, Theo Bair
Total shots: 11
Shots on goal: 4
Fouls: 13
Offside: 2
Corner-kicks: 1
Saves: 3
SOUNDERS FC HEAD COACH BRIAN SCHMETZER
On being scored on in the run of play for the first time this season:
“Well, number one, we all knew that this was going to happen at some point. That a team was going to score from the run of play. That was going to happen. You can call it an individual mistake; you can call it good play by Vancouver depending on what side of the fence you’re on. I’m going to try to be positive here. Look [AB] Cissoko did a really good job under tough circumstances. They played the ball in behind him, Stef Cleveland has done a great job. His save at the end of the first half was an unbelievable save to keep that scoreless streak going a little bit longer. But I’m sure if those guys, I know that Tommy [Dutra] is going to work with Stef and Djimi [Traoré] will work with AB. You know, we will learn and just keep moving forward. Because we understood that a goal from the run of play was going to happen.”
On the recent home results:
“Yeah, I’m a hate to lose guy. We as a coaching staff certainly are looking inward first to see what we did, what we perhaps didn’t do, to prepare the team in those moments. I thought our preparation for this game certainly came fast and furious after the Wednesday game. Did we do all the recovery, did we message them right, did we show them the film? Did we actually understand Vancouver’s tactics with two wingers playing very wide and how that was going to impact us, playing with three center backs? I mean [AB] Cissoko and Yeimar [Gómez Andrade] does a little bit better job but having a center back out on the wing channels isn’t good for us. So did we as coaches give the players the tools to be successful? That’s what I’ll be reflecting on, and we will just keep moving forward. Because as [Jeremiah Oshan] said, the 7-0-4 start is still our best start in club history, still by far. Still undefeated. What complimented the team at after the game was they never quit. A lot of teams in MLS, they go down and you end up losing all the points. So, for us to come back, fight back. And Jimmy [Medranda’s] goal was there. We had that chance, [Maxime] Crépeau made a good save on Raúl [Ruidíaz] and then Fredy [Montero] had the rebound. Kellyn Rowe came in and put some dangerous balls in at the end. We were fighting. We were going for all three. So that’s what I’m most proud of, but I will do some reflection to make sure we get them ready.”
SOUNDERS FC MIDFIELDER JIMMY MEDRANDA
On being able to score and being back on the pitch:
“The reality was that these were a tough eleven months, being out because of many different reasons the pandemic and injuries and things like this. So, this is good to be getting back after all this, it’s the first year that I’ll be able to get some more continuity. [It was] good to be able to score, I’m happy about this sequence of two matches, on Wednesday and now today, I’m happy about that.”
On keeping the unbeaten record alive:
“So we always want to win at home. Today was a very difficult game. We dropped two points, but we still are unbeaten and we are confident that we will keep fighting and find a way to come back to the win.”
SOUNDERS FC MIDFIELDER JOSH ATENCIO
On the heat during the match:
“The weather, it always plays somewhat of a factor. If it’s raining, if it’s hot, but we knew it was going to be hot coming into the game so we did everything we could to prepare for the heat for today and I think for the most part we did what we could. It was definitely hot, it was in the 100s, yeah? But like I said we all prepared the best we can, we all hydrated the second we walk in the locker room today. We were getting handed electrolyte drinks left and right.”
On his communication with his teammates and earning his first career assist
“The play played in my favor, allowing me to get involved in the attack a little bit more since I was the one who stepped in to win the ball. We sprung the counterattack and I was able to join it whereas sometimes in my position you’re not able to. But I don’t think I got the assist there, [Brad Smith] got the assist. [He then found out he got credited with an assist]. It was great to play a part in the goal.”