MLS road games are almost always difficult, especially against good teams. Seattle found this out last weekend as they traveled to Colorado to play the Rapids. In a cagey affair, the stylistic difference between the teams was vast, but the end result was the same. A 1-1 draw featured two teams with good defense but a lack of offense. Much of Seattle’s struggle originated in the midfield, where they were unable to control possession, were outplayed by an old friend, and had to deal with a stingy back line. This severely limited the Sounders from stretches of positive play in this midfield grudge match, and both teams took their biggest opportunity well to ensure at least a draw. In the end, the points being split was probably the deserved result.
Hot: Seattle’s first half wasn’t pretty, but they broke open a solid defense and finished their chance clean. They also defended stoutly all match, allowing few opportunities for Colorado to get back into the match.
Not: This season’s struggle with set pieces came to a head as the Rapids repeatedly created danger on dead balls, eventually scoring. The second half momentum was dreary for Seattle and the addition of supposed starters didn’t coalesce into anything impressive.
Verdict: Take the point and run in an ugly game, the sort that happens every season in MLS.
Goalkeeper
Stefan Frei – 7 | Community – 6.9 (MOTM)
Frei had some work to do against the Rapids, who created danger in the 60th and a number of nervy moments late. While only credited with two saves, Colorado looked the more dangerous team for a large part of the match, and Frei was busy clearing things away so the defense could reset.
Hot: There was a clear opportunity for the Rapids to take all three points late. It took Frei’s excellent 95th minute save followed by a no-nonsense punch-out seconds later to ensure that the Sounders earned a point.
Not: It’s unclear whose decision it is whether people go behind a wall, or if players should jump during specific set pieces, but the team blundered and the goal could have been prevented.
Verdict: Frei is doing well, but he remains reliant on the defensive capabilities of those in front of him.
Defense
Nouhou – 6 | Community – 6.2
This game was mostly played in the central areas, and while Nouhou had the third-most touches for Seattle (63), there weren’t a ton of open spaces to look at. He tried to push the ball via dribble and connected up his wing to Paul Rothrock frequently, but the space and cohesion was lacking across the entire back line.
Hot: With nine passes into the final third, Nouhou was one of the few people pushing the ball deeper into the attack. Winning his only tackle combined nicely with seven recoveries as he was solid defensively. An 83rd minute run forward drew a yellow card for Colorado.
Not: A dismal 1/11 on long balls meant Nouhou was trying things but not connecting them. This added up to 70 percent passing, and he wasn’t a meaningful part of buildup.
Verdict: Nouhou was basically solid, with smart decision-making and consistent defensive play.
Kim Kee-hee – 6 | Community – 6.4
Seattle finally conceded a goal with Kim on the field, although it didn’t come during the run of play, but on a set piece. His defense was again good, and the team played solid but unremarkably with him guiding things from the middle. Kim had 84 percent passing on 57 touches while winning four headers.
Hot: It’s been under the radar, but KKH is playing fantastic defense, showing range and speed that meshes with those around him. Seattle is even better at limiting counter attacks due to this range. When the opponent does have opportunities (such as in the 37th minute 2-v-1), Kim shut the play down expertly, in solid defensive work against multiple opponents.
Not: Seattle clearly missed the more dynamic passing and verticality that Jackson Ragen brings, and Colorado was able to pressure the Sounders through the center. An example was in the 16th minute, where Kee-hee had Moose available, but was unable to make the pass and stretch the opponent center out.
Verdict: For the better part of KKH’s three matches, the team didn’t allow anything substantial. He covers for teammates while Seattle looks around for creative push elsewhere.
Yeimar – 5 | Community – 4.9
Yeimar struggled against Colorado, due to personal mistakes and decisions and poor support from teammates around him. He had excellent numbers of four tackles and eight clearances defending, but was often forced into reactionary defense as his outside right was free reign for Colorado to explore. Having Yeimar get the most touches on the field isn’t optimal.
Hot: It was Yeimar who found the incisive, vertical pass that started Seattle’s goal sequence. His ability to play heads up and find Jesús Ferreira in a free pocket was excellent. He also chipped in an impressive 17 defensive actions.
Not: This was an uncharacteristically sloppy match for Yeimar. A terrible 23rd minute dribble and lost possession was rough, and Seattle was lucky to not be penalized. Multiple other times he was beaten, played the ball poorly, and made inexplicable decisions that didn’t bode well for Seattle. Maybe the two new pieces around him put more pressure on Yeimar to do things.
Verdict: Yeimar has been mostly awesome since the opening match of the year, and it’s best to dwell on those great matches rather than the bad couple.
Midfield
Paul Rothrock – 5 | Community – 5.9
Paul returned for another start on the left and looked okay in the first half before fading, like a majority of his Sounders teammates. Dreadful 65 percent passing explained a lot of his struggles, as did his inability to consistently connect with teammates. He had a shot and a key pass on 49 total touches.
Hot: In the 35th minute, Paul was back by Nouhou as Kim got the ball centrally. Even before a vertical pass found Obed, Paul sprinted forward with impressive pace. When Vargas found a nifty through ball toward Paul and Jesús, it was Paul’s incredible effort that got him through on goal after a 50-yard sprint.
Not: That 35th minute play shows how Paul does great, then follows it up with poor decisions and worse execution. A cross had two waiting back post runners, but instead he forced a poor shot that was easily handled. He constantly missed better options in this match.
Verdict: Rothrock plays well in limited doses, but his inconsistency still suggests he may fit better as a bench option.
Cristian Roldan – 7 | Community – 6.3
Cristian did his best on the evening, keeping up with the strong Colorado core and carrying a lot of the midfield on his own. He had 64 touches and was the most progressive passer. He was also a bulldog centrally, defending time and again as the Rapids were forced into long-range half chances and Roldan was often left alone in this role.
Hot: In the 6th minute, Cristian was in the right spot to save a corner kick header that was going to goal, and his intervention likely saved Seattle from a long evening. It was Roldan who repeatedly guarded across the deep central areas directly in front of the centerbacks.
Not: With only 72 percent passing, it was tight and cramped in the middle, as Cristian was unable to find clean control and Seattle’s possession was limited. His only shot was blocked and his 2/8 long ball success rate meant that Roldan wasn’t creating offense from deep-lying areas in Colorado.
Verdict: Cristian can defend across the middle and support the central structure, but midfield success relies on combination play that was lacking in this one.
Obed Vargas – 5 | Community – 6.1
With only 45 touches, Obed had a small impact on this match, overshadowed by others on both teams who played better centrally. A lack of presence (a single tackle was his only recorded defensive action) combined with a lack of offense, as he failed to create for himself or others.
Hot: After pushing forward and to the left sideline in the 35th minute, Obed received a forward line-breaking pass from Kee-hee. Feeling the impressive run from Rothrock or looking to find Jesús, Obed cut a vertical pass back that was perfectly weighted, putting Paul in on goal in a moment that Seattle ultimately squandered. This kind of brilliant connection is showing up every match.
Not: Cristian Roldan had to do a ton of work to support spaces that Obed had vacated. Part of this was Vargas attempting to aid a flagging attack, but often he was outrun to proper shape by the opposing Josh Atencio. Obed was badly beaten multiple times on corner kicks.
Verdict: Vargas can be exceptional when moving forward to add to the attack, but when he fades from relevance like in this match, it limits Seattle’s success.
Kalani Kossa-Rienzi – 6 | Community – 6.1 (off 55’ for A. Roldan )
KKR had another start and showed the highs and lows of the wing back in this Seattle formation. He created Seattle’s goal with smart movement, but was otherwise mostly a non-factor as the Seattle right was underrepresented in the attack for long stretches. He had 30 total touches, showing that you only need one big moment to positively impact the game.
Hot: For the second time this year, Kalani burst through the lines on the right side with a perfectly timed run. In the opponent’s penalty area he made the exact right play, this time finding a perfect cross to ensure a simple finish for Danny Musovski. This is the massive attacking upside KKR brings, and his calm in these pressure moments shines through.
Not: Consistently high and involved in the attack, Kossa-Rienzi was much more “wing” than “back” and at times left Yeimar out to dry, forcing him to defend massive swaths of real estate. This positioning may be by design, but it was sometimes too much for the right side of defense to handle.
Verdict: This game encapsulated what Kalani offers: cultured offensive movement and calm attacking, but with questionable defensive positioning and decision making.
Attacking Midfield
Jesús Ferreira – 6 | Community – 5.8 (off 71’ for Kent)
Jesús started in the middle as a playmaker who switched off a lot with Pedro de la Vega and worked in the half spaces centrally. Very accurate with his passing (20/23), Ferreira used his excellent vision to set up the lone Sounders goal and a number of other quality chances, but he only managed a single shot of his own.
Hot: Receiving a central pass from Yeimar right before half, Jesús controlled and put a wonderful through ball onto the charging run of KKR. The vision to see the pass was fantastic, and the touch on the service was exactly what was needed. Seattle took a 1-0 lead from this moment, and Ferreira is now quietly leading the team with five assists.
Not: Jesús squandered a number of the biggest chances for Seattle. A bad cross in the 13th minute was down to a lack of technique. An awful miss on a wide open shot five minutes later showed a lack of composure. Set pieces were repeatedly poor.
Verdict: Ferreira’s assist and an early excellent dummy to Rothrock show that he’s heating up and finding more success as a distributor, rather than a goal threat.
Pedro de la Vega – 6 | Community – 6.3 (off 55’ for Rusnák)
PDLV continues to get solid minutes and is a creative force, but he still doesn’t show enough cohesion with teammates. Ninety-four percent passing was excellent, but this was another match where he wasn’t creating big moments. He had 25 touches and a key pass before subbing out in the second half.
Hot: The creativity is there, often off amazing control combined with strong dribbling instincts. He made a half chance in the 18th as he created for others. Right before Seattle scored, the underrated defensive work from Pedro made an appearance with a crucial tackle won.
Not: Dribbling is nice, but again there wasn’t a payoff. Pedro ended up an underwhelming 2/4 on dribbles and was overshadowed by the overlapping Kossa-Rienzi while de la Vega drifted inside looking for combinations.
Verdict: You can see Pedro’s vision in a few DP-level plays every match, but the teamwork and effectiveness are only apparent in spurts.
Forward
Danny Musovski – 7 (MOTM) | Community – 6.8 (off 46’ for Morris)
Another game, another Musovski goal to propel Seattle to points. With Jordan Morris out, Danny has created big moments for himself, and recently has been finishing those chances. He now has three goals in the last three matches. He had 21 touches and three total shots against Colorado and continues to push Seattle onto the scoreboard.
Hot: Understanding where to be on the field is often the most important part of soccer, and especially vital for strikers. Moose not only understood that right before half, but also showed surprising pace to get to the exact spot for a KKR cross. Once presented with the opportunity, the suddenly clinical Musovski finished the ball and earned Seattle a point.
Not: Danny needs others to create for him, and he had a few frustrating turnovers in possession, while also earning a dumb yellow card.
Verdict: With the unfortunate re-injury to Morris, Musovski will likely continue to get big minutes, and that idea isn’t as scary as it was a few weeks ago.
Substitutes
Jordan Morris – 5 | Community – 5.1 (on 46’ for Musovski, off 91’ for Bell)
Morris earned a halftime sub versus Colorado, subbing in with a lead and a chance to bring fresh speed to the match. Unfortunately, he came off under his own power due to another injury, right at the end of the game. With 11 touches and 43 percent passing, it was clear that Jordan wasn’t on the same page as many of his teammates.
Hot: There were glimpses of Morris bursting through the lines, and his diagonal runs and connection with Ryan Kent and Albert Rusnák showed potential.
Not: It’s incredibly disappointing as a fan, and must be horrifying for a player of his caliber, to continue to fight injuries.
Verdict: Morris is an incredible striker who hopefully can return to the lineup soon and remain healthy thereafter.
Albert Rusnák – 5 | Community – 5.3 (on 55’ for de la Vega)
Rusnák returned from injury himself and struggled to find the game on a Sounders team that did not look good in the second half. He had only 14 touches as Seattle was on the back foot for much of that time.
Hot: The set piece delivery was better after Albert subbed in, and he immediately looked to stretch the field for Morris in the few moments when he had the opportunity.
Not: An 81st minute open volley was a chance for Seattle to take all three points, and it dropped to Rusnák. He wasn’t up to the task, shanking badly in a moment that would have been massive for the team.
Verdict: The second half subs didn’t work, whether on their own merits or combined team fatigue, and Seattle is still looking for the right lineup combination.
Alex Roldan – 5 | Community – 5.2 (on 55’ for Kossa-Rienzi)
Roldan returned from injury but didn’t bring a lot to a team that needed more impact from subs. His 68 percent passing was aggressive, but not in line with what teammates were trying to do.
Hot: With 37 touches, an interception, and three recoveries, Alex was active and supported the defensive effort to hold on to a point.
Not: A free kick attempt was nicely worked on a pre-planned play to get Alex the ball in the 85th minute, and he responded with an awful cross.
Verdict: Kossa-Rienzi has a goal and an assist in this position. While Alex plays it very differently, the contrast is worth keeping an eye on.
Ryan Kent – 5 | Community – 5.9 (on 71’ for Ferreira)
Kent again earned sub minutes, this time coming in for Jesús and playing on the right. His positioning was less aggressive than his runs in the previous match, but he had 88 percent passing and won an excellent contested header.
Hot: Ryan does some of everything. Against Colorado he looked comfortable, whether casually doing an 80th minute backheel or adding great defense in the 94th to ensure the result.
Not: Only getting small bits of time so far this year, Kent was less effective on the right against Colorado and only had 11 touches. He didn’t complete his single dribble attempt and didn’t add offensive push.
Verdict: Already a fan favorite, Kent looks the part. His composure is impressive and he should get more time to develop in-game cohesion with teammates.
Jonathan Bell – 5 | Community – 5.5 (on 91’ for Morris)
Bell got some added-time minutes due to the late Morris injury.
Verdict: With only two touches, it wasn’t a match to evaluate Bell. He completed his only attempted pass.
Referee
Alexis da Silva – 4 | Community – 4.7
For half of the match, the referee had decent control. He called fouls, although he didn’t give yellow cards when a few seemed warranted. This reared its head in the second half when an ungiven card led to legitimate Sounders complaint. Not to be outdone, Colorado had their own complaint on a call late, and neither team was happy.
Hot: An 11th minute offsides call was impressive, and for long stretches of a physical match, the game flowed around 23 called fouls, evenly dispersed between the teams.
Not: In the 47th minute, the game changed irrevocably with the lack of courage from this referee. A blatant yellow card foul was committed by Jackson Travis from Colorado, so obvious that after the whistle the referee started to pull the card out. Apparently realizing that would send off the offending player, he put the card away, keeping the Rapids at full strength in an appalling dereliction of duty.
Verdict: You have to ref the match in front of you, not the gamestate or the score or the fans or the coaches, and that failure was ridiculous.
Colorado Rapids MOTM
Free Kick Djordje did the thing, connivingly sweeping his opportunity into the back of the net in the 54th minute. This brought his side level as they continued to surge in the second half in search of all three points. Djordje also chipped in with six key passes, including effective corner kick deliveries throughout. In particular, his delivery in the 5th minute resulted in Cristian Roldan scraping a headed effort off the line.
Upcoming: A return to Lumen Field where Seattle has played well this season, against St. Louis City SC, a team with two points from their last six matches.
