The Seattle Sounders faced their biggest test of the season in hosting the Supporters’ Shield-leading LAFC and came out with a 1-1 tie on Saturday. They’ll likely be dissatisfied with the result after grabbing a lead and giving up a somewhat soft goal but can also come away feeling like they stood toe-to-toe with the league’s best team despite missing a few key starters.

MATCH SUMMARY

Seattle Sounders FC 1 – Los Angeles FC 1

Saturday, June 18, 2022

Venue: Lumen Field Stadium

Referee: Allen Chapman

Assistants: Logan Brown, Andrew Bigelow

Fourth Official: Greg Dopka

VAR: Kevin Stott

Attendance: 34,642

Weather: 58 degrees and cloudy

SCORING SUMMARY

SEA – Albert Rusnák 58’

LAFC – Cristian Arango (José Cifuentes) 79’

MISCONDUCT SUMMARY

LAFC – José Cifuentes (caution) 16’

VAN – Nico Lodeiro (caution) 77’

LINEUPS & STATS

Seattle Sounders FC – Stefan Frei, Alex Roldan, Jackson Ragen, Xavier Arreaga (Kelyn Rowe 74’), Nouhou, Albert Rusnák, Obed Vargas (Jimmy Medranda 74’), Cristian Roldan, Nico Lodeiro, Jordan Morris (Léo Chú 88’), Fredy Montero (Will Bruin 67’)

Substitutes not used: Stefan Cleveland, Abdoulaye Cissoko, Dylan Teves

Total shots: 13

Shots on goal: 5

Fouls: 9

Offside: 1

Corner-kicks: 5

Saves: 6

Los Angeles FC – Maxime Crépeau, Jesús David Murillo, Ryan Hollingshead (Franco Escobar 65’), Sebastien Ibeagha, Diego Palacios, Latif Blessing (Kellyn Acosta 65’), Ilie Sánchez, José Cifuentes (Francisco Ginella 80’), Kwadwo Opoku (Carlos Vela 46’), Cristian Arango, Daniel Musovski

Substitutes not used: Cal Jennings, Doneil Henry, Danny Trejo, Mamadou Fall, John McCarthy

Total shots: 11

Shots on goal: 7

Fouls: 16

Offside: 2

Corner-kicks: 3

Saves: 4

FotMob.com

Postgame quotes

SOUNDERS FC HEAD COACH BRIAN SCHMETZER

On the team’s performance:

“Well, it’s a little quiet in the locker room. I think we are disappointed not been able to close it out…you know, that hurts a little bit but overall it was a good game, two good teams. We are a good team. Good teams create chances. We are overall disappointed, we dropped a couple of points but it’s MLS, it’s hard league and there’s plenty of more games to come.”

SOUNDERS FC MIDFIELDER ALBERT RUSNÁK

On his goal:

“You can’t press a quality team like LAFC for 90 minutes because they’ll get out of situations and then if they beat the press, they are going four versus three or five versus four. It’s the same thing that we try to do when they press us. Sometimes we lost the ball cheaply and they had a chance. Sometimes we would beat the press and then we would go on the attack. So it’s tough, but that was one of the moments that was right to press, I felt like we did it well up top starting with [Nicolás Lodeiro] and [Fredy Montero]. I’m sure the goalkeeper knows it wasn’t the best pass but it was the right pass to make because if that pass is good and they connect the next pass, then they’re out. So a game of presses is tricky and it doesn’t work all the time but of course it is something we want to apply more when we play at home.”

SOUNDERS FC GOALKEEPER STEFAN FREI

On his saves today:

“I felt like the goal wasn’t big enough for LA today. They were hitting most from [close range] and sometimes from close range it’s difficult to hold your ground. You almost end up moving out of the way and I was happy I was able to stay balanced, hold my ground and take the shots and react. Unfortunate that we weren’t able to get three points. But difficult game against a good opponent. That’s why they’re in the position they’re in. Some things to build on, maybe look at and get better with. But good fight today.”