Playing an FC Dallas team who were missing multiple key players, Seattle had an opportunity to make a statement at home. They made a statement alright, although it was likely not the one they hoped to make. For a majority of the match, the Sounders controlled the ball and had the best chances, yet they again failed to break through and convert those chances. It took a late penalty from some sustained pressure to give the Sounders a deserved three points. The 1-0 win means Seattle remains undefeated at Lumen Field, however this match should not have been as hard to win as it was.
Concerning: Failing to put that team away for 85 minutes, when they were missing their top two strikers, is a huge red flag. Against a set defense, the Sounders struggled to find answers, although they supposedly have all these dynamic attacking players.
All’s well that ends well: Enough consistent pressure eventually forced a critical mistake from the opponent, and Seattle converted a penalty. This was a quality result, regardless of how we got there, and the makeshift defense showed excellent composure to ensure the shutout.
Up next: Midweek game and Seattle is potentially missing a bunch of players, requiring rotation: seems dicey.
Goalkeeper
Stefan Frei – 7 | Community – 7.3
Frei was excellent in this match, earning a shutout and commanding his box well. He saved all five shots on frame, and had a number of key catches and punches to deny Dallas chances on set pieces. His fiery leadership was also on display, consistently and assertively communicating with teammates.
Concerning: A rather innocuous looking buildup saw Dallas have a free shot in the 57th minute that nearly beat Frei near post.
All’s well that ends well: Frei stopped that dangerous shot and every other one that came near him, turning his 403rd appearance into yet another shutout.
Up next: Game #404, as you will.
Defense
Nouhou – 6 | Community – 6.6 (off 82’ for RBW)
Nouhou continued his defensive mastery on the left, continually forcing Pedrinho inside, destroying Dallas’ cohesive shape, and forcing possession attempts away from his side. He added some strong offensive connection work, combining with Ryan Kent and others to get into position and deliver dangerous crosses. He had 85 percent passing.
Concerning: A bad pass in the 11th minute was Nouhou trying to do way too much, and Obed Vargas had to rescue the Sounders. Nouhou’s offense is improving, but a few times in this match we saw Nouhou being over confident.
All’s well that ends well: The Nouhou/Kent/Ferreira combo was working well, as these three moved off each other’s spacing and created a number of early moments.
Up next: Nouhou will be needed midweek, especially with Yeimar now injured.
Kim Kee-hee– 7 | Community – 6.8
With 90 percent passing and the second-most touches in the match at 94, Kim was a big part of Seattle’s control. Consistent safe decision making and distribution helped the Sounders dominate for long stretches. Surprisingly, he had 12 passes into the final third, pushing the offense forward.
Concerning: Only winning 3/7 duels showed a physical struggle all afternoon for Kim. He ended with zero completions on long balls, failing to stretch the field from deeper areas.
All’s well that ends well: The versatility of Kim Kee-hee was on full display; he played well on the left, then switched seamlessly to the right.
Up next: Kim has been so valuable with these back line injuries. Hopefully Jackson Ragen is back soon, but if he’s not, it’s another multiple match week for Kim.
Yeimar – 5 | Community – 5.8 (off 16’ injured for Bell)
The big story is Yeimar pulling up lame while chasing down a defensive play early in this match. Prior to that he was strong, winning all of his duels and combining vertically up the right side. His speed and size cut down Dallas counter attacks, such as the one he was injured on.
Concerning: Getting injured in the first 15 minutes was a huge blow to Seattle, and seeing the Sounders’ best defensive player immediately signal for a sub was painful to watch.
All’s well that ends well: Before being hurt, Yeimar did his thing, stuffing all the Dallas offensive attempts down his side and adding a beautiful forward pass in the 7th minute to Pedro de la Vega.
Up next: Get well very soon, Yeimar.
Alex Roldan – 6 | Community – 6.1
With 82 touches and 89 percent passing, Alex showed good recovery defense and possession. His connection with PDLV isn’t where you might want it to be, and Roldan wasn’t a part of the offense, once again failing to register a shot or key pass.
Concerning: A 36th minute foul gave Dallas a set piece against the run of play. Alex’s lack of connection forward makes Nouhou look dynamic, a sentence I never thought I would write.
All’s well that ends well: Once again, Alex had an impactful match without appearing to do a lot. Time and again his defensive support stopped critical counter attack attempts from Dallas, notably in the 27th and 53rd minutes. Eight recoveries showed an active defensive night.
Up next: Alex’s offense doesn’t appear to be returning any time soon, so using Kalani Kossa-Rienzi as a change of pace is likely.
Defensive Midfield
Cristian Roldan – 8 (MOTM) | Community – 8.1 (MOTM)
Cristian Roldan filled up the stat book with a massive 101 touches, a shot, a key pass, and 88 percent passing. That isn’t even listing his defensive work, which was near-perfect. Six tackles and 13 duels, both leading the game, were highlights of a dominant performance across the center of the field. Every time Dallas thought they had a gap to burst through, Cristian popped up and returned control to Seattle.
Concerning: A 35th minute back pass had a lot of zip on it and pushed Bell into a nervy moment, continuing Cristian’s propensity to take unnecessary chances in the back. Luckily nothing came of it.
All’s well that ends well: As is now routine, Cristian was solid in the middle. Whether it was quick switches early to find Kent in space, continual defensive dominance to control everything central, or as usual leading the team in progressive passing, Roldan played fantastically and was the primary reason that the Sounders controlled much of the match.
Up next: The Sounders have no adequate substitute for Cristian Roldan, and that means multi-game weeks and ironman resiliency needed by CR7.
Obed Vargas – 6 | Community – 6.2
Vargas played 90 minutes but again wasn’t too impactful outside of his usual strong positioning and supporting midfield shape. His 91 percent passing was excellent, and 12 recoveries showed a lot of movement to danger areas to support the Sounders’ shutout effort. Unfortunately, he was almost completely absent from the offensive side of the ball, without a shot, key pass, or notable play moving forward.
Concerning: The things Obed brings are solid, but the team needs more, and particularly more offensive impact. He missed multiple opportunities to stretch the field with vertical passes, and had fewer touches in the Dallas box than Cristian, while doing less defensively.
All’s well that ends well: An alert defense and great control in the 3rd minute was a display of his excellent technical abilities. Vargas did well to play off the strong effort of Roldan centrally.
Up next: Seattle has a solid pairing with Obed and Cristian, and the Sounders are competitive in every match these two start together.
Attacking Midfield
Ryan Kent – 6 | Community – 6.7 (off 82’ for De Rosario)
Kent started again on the left, and he’s making that side his own. His excellent offensive creativity led to three shots and two key passes as Ryan repeatedly combined to invert and attack diagonally and directly on goal.
Concerning: It was great to see Seattle get numbers in the box in the first half, but Kent blocking a goal-bound Albert Rusnák shot in the 22nd minute was a big bummer. At times, Ryan seems too willing to put Nouhou in, when it’s likely better the ball stays on his own foot.
All’s well that ends well: Combining with Nouhou and Jesús Ferreira saw Seattle nearly score multiple times in the first 20 minutes. When Kent runs downhill directly at defenses, good things happen for the Sounders.
Up next: He’s mentioned the travel is a big adjustment, but hopefully the rotation and a few home matches in a row will mean a healthy dose of Kent on the field for Seattle.
Albert Rusnák – 8 | Community – 7.5
With five key passes and three shots, Albert was once again dealing. Able to stay central with inverted wingers and a strong core, Rusnák delivered into dangerous areas for teammates, while also drifting into his favorite spots in and around the box to find clear looks on goal. When faced with the pressure of taking the game-winning shot, he shrugged it (and his shirt) off.
Concerning: After his goal-bound shot was blocked by his own team, it was frustrating to see Albert put a 67th minute shot wide. Is it time to wonder whether he can play with Pedro?
All’s well that ends well: Albert clearly wanted this one, as indicated by the vehemence of his celebration after calmly executing on the game-winning penalty take.
Up next: It’s not even quiet anymore; Rusnák has seven goals, three assists, and is second in MLS key passes: a beast in the middle who continues to produce.
Pedro de la Vega – 6 (off 68’ for Minoungou) | Community – 6.3
Ninety-five percent passing showed an excellent ability to connect with teammates, but due to a few unlucky bounces, Pedro had little to show for it. His connection with Albert and Jesús was absent for the most part, and while he made things happen, they were mainly solo efforts. He ended with two shots and two key passes.
Concerning: While Kent was connecting vertically on the left, the right side was conspicuously absent for long stretches. A number of crosses came into the box from the left, but Pedro wasn’t consistently on the same page with Albert and Ryan.
All’s well that ends well: The individual skills are there, including a sweet nutmeg that earned a Dallas yellow card. He was likely robbed of a penalty and an assist on the 11th minute scrum that earned him most of his statline.
Up next: Sounders have finally improved wide play, but they haven’t yet hit the scoreboard or statsheet as much as is needed.
Forward
Jesús Ferreira – 6 | Community – 5.6 (off 68’ for Rothrock)
With only 16 touches, Jesús didn’t get a lot of work on the ball, but importantly, a quarter of those came in the box. His off ball work was excellent as well, showcasing some holdup play and runs that just barely missed at finding payoffs. Being starved of service didn’t stop Ferreira from continually moving into space and opening angles for teammates.
Concerning: Having three shots doubled Ferreira’s season tally, but he still wasn’t able to convert them into a goal, especially on the 11th minute chance where he was busy complaining about a non-handball call before being stuffed twice at the goal line.
All’s well that ends well: Getting to the right spot and having two point blank attempts stopped by a great goalkeeping effort is an improvement. Ferreira’s movement was working well with the left side of the attack and he was unlucky not to have more impact. It’s important to remember these are exactly the same places Moose was getting to before the dam broke.
Up next: As Seattle navigates another busy week, having Ferreira’s versatility should be a benefit.
Substitutes
Jonathan Bell – 5 | Community – 5.9 (on 16’ for Yeimar)
Brought in cold fifteen minutes in, Bell dropped immediately into the left central position and played a solid, fairly clean match. His 93 percent passing was largely safe and controlled, allowing the ball to get on the feet of more creative players. He won a few key headers defensively.
Concerning: Consistently dropping deeper than his teammates, Bell struggled to keep the line correctly, which presented gaps in the defense. A number of times his decision making was at odds with what the players around him were doing.
All’s well that ends well: Stepping in for Yeimar cold was a heavy ask, and at the end of the day, Seattle earned a shutout on the backs of solid, if unspectacular, defending. The penalty was earned when Bell attacked a set piece header and forced an error.
Up next: Bell in the middle isn’t great, especially without distributors around him, but he is a solid backup who is likely to be needed in the upcoming matches.
Paul Rothrock – 5 | Community – 5.9 (on 68’ for Ferreira)
Entering with the game still in doubt, Rothrock brought hustle and some loose play as the game opened up considerably. His movement as a forward is a work in progress, but the takeaway is the movement, as he continually brings effort. He completed both of his two passes.
Concerning: For some bewildering reason, the Sounders coaches keep trying Rothrock at forward and it is a mess. His runs aren’t good, and it’s clear he’s not a natural forward. This was a waste, as he only touched the ball a total of 10 times in a half hour of soccering.
All’s well that ends well: Luckily, Seattle made an adjustment to get Paul to a wide area where he had the comfort of a sideline and an opportunity to stretch the field. He did just that, getting forward and pressing wide areas, mostly without the ball.
Up next: Paul has a great skill set to run at people and the fitness to stretch opposing defenses out. With a busy week, he’s likely to get a lot of play time.
Georgi Minoungou – 5 | Community – 5.9 (on 68’ for PDLV)
Showcasing ridiculous depth, Seattle subbed out Pedro’s 1-v-1 dribbling on the right for Georgi’s. He didn’t miss a beat, immediately attacking the right side and earning quality moments for Seattle. He went 8/10 passing and created multiple mismatches on his wing, and he nearly had a goal but it was deemed offside.
Concerning: An 88th minute free kick allowed Dallas a set piece after Georgi clattered into an opponent. He struggled when the opponents threw multiple defenders at him. Did he steal another goal that was going in (or that Paul could have scored behind him) by being offside?
All’s well that ends well: Instantly winning a corner kick after breezing by multiple defenders and having his cross blocked, he also forced a yellow late by constantly dribbling with pace at the Dallas defense.
Up next: Minoungou’s ability to consistently beat the first man is incredible; it’s the second, or third, that are preventing his success.
Osaze De Rosario – 5 | Community – 5.2 (on 82’ for Kent)
De Rosario arrived to give Seattle a semblance of a forward and it immediately paid off, as the Sounders shape improved and they had more big bodies to force errors on set pieces. Osaze had three touches and won a header.
Concerning: After being offside on a great opportunity going forward, ODR still didn’t finish the chance at a 1-v-1 with the keeper.
All’s well that ends well: Having an actual forward in the match fixed most of the shape, reverting Seattle to a preferred tactical setup and earning them chances to put the match away.
Up next: De Rosario needs to continue to show that he deserves to be the third forward on the team, like he did in this match.
Reed Baker-Whiting – 5 | Community – 5.3 (on 82’ for Nouhou)
Reed came in with Seattle looking to trade defense for offense and go for a home win, which they ultimately got. How much he impacted that positively is debatable, although he had seven touches and a won header defensively.
Concerning: Reed looked like a kid who hadn’t played much. He had energy, but it was completely misdirected, especially after Seattle earned the lead. Instead of shutting the game down, RBW ran himself out of position and allowed Dallas to attack behind him. In the 94th, he took the ball from Frei, instead of letting the captain control the clock, only to lose possession.
All’s well that ends well: Assertive on the ball, Reed popped up all over the field to get involved, displaying his usual two-footed touch and good effort.
Up next: RBW returning to form would be huge for this team, allowing more wide options both defensively and offensively as teammates get run down.
Referee
Allen Chapman – 5 | Community – 4.7
To a neutral this was a fairly tame game. Eight fouls called on Sounders, who controlled most of the match, 14 on Dallas, who sat back and fouled tactically. Chapman also effectively used the yellow card, penalizing the away team five times and the home team once. Most of the match ran fairly smoothly until late.
Concerning: This game was so blatantly reffed to the score as to make your friendly ratings guy insane. Uninterested in even looking at an early handball shout, the late penalty was called correctly, and suddenly Chapman swallowed the whistle after Seattle scored. This meant De Rosario was tackled, Rothrock hammered, and numerous other late clear fouls went uncalled. An extra time vicious scissor tackle on Minoungou at least forced a yellow, but it was the kind of ankle-breaking foul that deserved consideration as a red.
All’s well that ends well: I loved it when Chapman ignored Petar Musa diving in the box.
FC Dallas MOTM
Big Lalas had to put in a shift at fullback, and used the opportunity to show the variety he can bring. He provided the defensive effort, as usual, stifling Ryan Kent and finishing with two tackles and seven clearances. But what was more impressive was his attacking play. Looking to steal a point in stoppage time, auxiliary striker Abubakar had a hit from just outside the box, putting collective Seattle hearts in collective Seattle throats as he pinged one off the far post.
Up next: San Diego comes to Seattle. It’s a chance to make a statement midweek.
