Seattle is moving up in the MLS rankings, and for good reason. They are not only winning lately, but looking excellent while doing so, earning 10 points from the last 12 available. Last Saturday’s match with St. Louis City SC was the most dominant and high-flying game so far this season, with the Sounders taking an incredible 30 shots en route to a 4-1 win. This was against a team that had only given up eight goals in their first 10 matches. Seattle did well to create and finish big chances and they could have had even more. On the flip side, an early penalty mistake was St. Louis’ only opportunity, as the Sounders locked down defensively and permitted only one-way traffic thereafter.
Champagne Soccer: If you watched the last 40 minutes of that match, the one-way traffic was thrilling as it all came together with Seattle absolutely shelling St. Louis. The match itself was a dominant, successful, and FUN performance that should strike fear into future opponents. With 30 shots and 20 coming from inside the box, this result actually flattered St. Louis; it should have been 8-0.
Pub League: As late as the 81st minute, it was 2-1 Seattle on a soft penalty kick and deflected goal. But in the MLS anything can happen, and the full three points could have slipped out of the Sounders’ grasp with one bad call or an own goal. The final score was comfortable, and the play leading up to it was dominant, but there were nervous moments until very late.
Still Tipsy: Building on this result in the next three matches is key. As the team cycles through injury and recovery, the Sounders must figure out their best tactical setup, but it’s reasonable to expect similar output every time they step on the field.
Goalkeeper
Stefan Frei – 6 | Community – 6.9
Frei didn’t have a lot to do against St. Louis, ending with 23 touches and three routine saves. After Seattle’s defense gave up a penalty kick then dominated, there were only a few moments when Frei was part of the match. His positioning and communication took care of the rest.
Champagne Soccer: Outside of a soft penalty against, Seattle’s defense minimized Frei’s need to do much. He got to sit back and enjoy the cool, spring air.
Pub League: It sure would be nice for Frei to look better on penalties, as that was a rather poor take and he still wasn’t close.
Still Tipsy: This defense is deep and talented and only gives up minor chances each match. Frei still has it, conceding only two goals in the past four matches.
Defense
Nouhou – 9 (MOTM) | Community – 8.2
Nouhou did it all. Ninety-four percent passing, an assist, a goal, interceptions, won headers, stepovers into quality crosses, shielding the ball out while high stepping, chest trapping long opponent crosses calmly, and even eight won duels. This was as complete a performance as you can have from the left back.
Champagne Soccer: Nouhou’s defense was near-perfect for the entire evening. His offense helped tilt the field. He consistently got up field, connected with teammates, and made smart, effective plays. This added up to three key passes and countless creative movements that should have led to even more goals. He didn’t waste passes or crosses, and when given a chance, put the ball in the back of the net for the second time in his Sounders career.
Pub League: One of his few small mistakes was an 88th minute cross to the back post which eluded Nouhou and found a weak header off an opponent to Frei.
Still Tipsy: Nouhou didn’t suddenly become the best attacking left defender in the league, but his crossing has improved over the past few seasons, and when combined with his better decision making, it supercharges Seattle’s offense.
Kim Kee-hee – 7 | Community – 7.2
Kee-hee went 42/48 passing, finding the safe, clean control that Seattle needed defensively all evening. His eight recoveries were part of a businesslike approach to defending against St. Louis, as Kim cleaned up messes and pushed the ball to teammates to go do offensive stuff.
Champagne Soccer: Aggressive forward stepping in the 56th minute meant possession and pushed Seattle right back into the attack, one of a number of times that Kim was proactive in the back. He also chose calm chest control on multiple long balls in lieu of sending questionable headers back toward the opponent.
Pub League: A bad pass in the 17th minute missed Cristian Roldan and put Albert Rusnák into a bad spot where he picked up a worrisome knock. For most of the first half, Seattle missed vertical passing from the back.
Still Tipsy: Kim’s insertion into the lineup came at the time a number of things clicked for Seattle, so it’s hard to tell how much credit he deserves for the resurgence. Currently, Sounders cannot lose with KKH in the back as he’s the calm veteran they need.
Yeimar – 6 | Community – 6.4 (off 84’ for Bell)
This wasn’t a volume outing for Yeimar and company as St. Louis was happy to sit back in multiple blocks defensively and rarely pushed forward, but he did have nine defensive actions. The first half was more back and forth, and the second half was dominated by Seattle as Yeimar and crew kept clean possession in the back and found the right forward passes.
Champagne Soccer: With 94 percent passing and 2/2 dribbling, Yeimar kept control in the back that was needed to get the ball to the dynamic offense of Seattle. In the 20th minute St. Louis got YEIMAR’d as the big defender dominated to win the ball.
Pub League: If you let referees be a part of the match, you take control from yourself, and that’s what Yeimar did in the 26th minute. Bad call aside, Yeimar’s defensive effort gave an impotent team an early lead.
Still Tipsy: A couple of minor blips defensively this season aren’t indicative of a greater drop off.
Alex Roldan – 6 | Community – 6.5
With all the fireworks on the Sounders team, especially from the left side of the field, Alex’s play was a bit understated by comparison. He was quietly efficient, finding two shots, two key passes, and nine recoveries while holding possession with 88 touches.
Champagne Soccer: On multiple occasions Alex got high on the right in overlapping wide areas and sent in great crosses, with 16th and 51st minute balls especially strong, however Seattle didn’t have the right supporting runs. His 79th minute through ball all the way to Danny Musovski forced a big save after some laser vision from the back.
Pub League: Roldans don’t fall down much, or get the calls they should, so no surprise Alex didn’t fall and didn’t get the foul call when clattered into in the 26th minute, so play continued and we know how that ended up.
Still Tipsy: The defense didn’t have a lot to do, but the tight control and combinations from Alex were terrific, and he showed glimpses of offensive output.
Defensive Midfield
Cristian Roldan – 8 | Community – 7.6
Cristian was the fulcrum for Seattle against St. Louis, sitting deep and spraying passes while picking his moments to overload offensive areas. He had the most touches on the team (95), should have had two assists, was 7/9 on long balls, and had nine recoveries as he did everything in the middle.
Champagne Soccer: Again it was Cristian Roldan who had the longest progressive passing distance for Seattle, constantly pushing the team forward and being the engine of the team. His over-the-top looks stretched the defense, and his ability to join the attack led to his assist and what should have been a second to Osaze De Rosario late after a brilliant direct run that turned a give-and-go into a massive chance.
Pub League: Cristian lost seven duels, and there were a few times he was pushed around, which the referee allowed (shocking!).
Still Tipsy: Cristian is the fulcrum of a lot of the Sounders’ success so far this season; at times it feels like he has to be perfect for Seattle to be good.
Obed Vargas – 8 | Community – 7.9
Obed filled up the statsheet this weekend. With St. Louis ceding the ball, Obed got to play as an added attacker, and boy did he produce. He co-led the team with five shots, had a deflected goal, an uncalled penalty, and hit the post. He had some brilliant passes and connections in the buildup, constantly getting into the box to combine with teammates to create big chances.
Champagne Soccer: Allowed to use his incredible touch and vision as an extra attacker, Obed recognized the gaps in St. Louis’ defensive structure and drove into them via dribble or pass connections. He had a goalbound shot deflected in, another literally held out by a defender, and a third stopped via the post. In each instance these big chances were created by movement and vision in the box.
Pub League: Obed struggles when opponents press Seattle, and St. Louis didn’t do that at all. This was fortuitous for Obed, as he could concentrate on being an extra attacker instead of doing much physical defending.
Still Tipsy: Vargas is awesome as a luxury fifth attacking option, showing elite touch and attacking instincts. A team that can penalize his defensive spacing or turnovers in the middle will give Seattle more problems than St. Louis did.
Attacking Midfield
Paul Rothrock – 6 | Community – 6.6 (off 57’ for Kent)
Rothrock had the most Rothrock match ever. While shanking passes, shooting the ball into the Hawks Nest, and missing connections with teammates, he also manufactured a penalty out of almost nothing, and ended with four shots and 95 percent passing.
Champagne Soccer: Reeling from a crummy penalty call, Paul took matters into his own feet in the 32nd minute and forced the referee into a makeup call. He didn’t hang his head, he got the ball and immediately drove into the box and put pressure on the opponent and referees to even the calls. His penalty was won by charging into multiple defenders and making something happen, and it brought Seattle back into control of the match.
Pub League: Outside of drawing that penalty, Rothrock squandered a ton of chances, constantly putting his shots into the stands. He seemed flummoxed about the concept of kicking the ball at the net, and even before drawing the penalty had wasted a great Rusnák pass in transition.
Still Tipsy: This is what Paul does. He can create something from nothing based on effort alone, and will give you that effort every second he’s on the field. Rothrock also lacks some of the technical proficiency you might prefer in a starter.
Albert Rusnák – 8 | Community – 7.2
Lost in all the hoopla surrounding other Nouhouier excitement was a banger match from Rusnák, who quietly pulled many offensive strings. He ended with two shots on target, six key passes, and calmly scored the tying penalty to put Seattle back on the front foot.
Champagne Soccer: Time and again it was Rusnák deep in the box combining with Obed, Ryan Kent, PDLV, etc., to set up shots for teammates. It was his heads-up recognition of Vargas’ smart movement and great assisting pass in the 70th minute that should have sent him to the spot for a second time. He created numerous chances for teammates as Seattle played down hill.
Pub League: The set piece service this year has been lacking, and dead ball distribution was again a misadventure with Albert struggling to dial in teammates.
Still Tipsy: He doesn’t have the flashiest style, but Rusnák is creating at an excellent clip, with 31 key passes, three goals and three assists so far this season.
Pedro de la Vega – 6 | Community – 6.6 (off 75’ for Minoungou)
Pedro started and went 75 minutes, combining with Alex on the right and Albert and Obed centrally. He had 90 percent passing and a team-high five shots to go with two key passes. His movement and activity was a constant source of pressure diving diagonally from the right.
Champagne Soccer: De la Vega may have the strongest shot on the team, with a number of hard hit attempts forcing at least one save from the St. Louis keeper. His ability to strike from anywhere puts pressure on opponents, especially ones that sit back and absorb pressure.
Pub League: Making key passes was a big improvement, but launching shots into ECS wasn’t a great look as PDLV was clearly frustrated at being unable to combine with the teammates who were flying around him and making stuff happen.
Still Tipsy: Everyone is penciling Pedro in as a starter, but his 1 goal/1 assist/4 key passes may lag behind Jesús Ferreira’s 0g/5a/9kp metrics from similar positioning.
Forward
Danny Musovski – 7 | Community – 7.2 (off 83’ for De Rosario)
With Jordan Morris hurt, Musovski is the striker for Seattle, and he’s responded well to that role by continually making smart runs and finishing his chances. Against St. Louis, he had four shots on 31 touches and scored his fourth goal in the last four matches.
Champagne Soccer: The game was still in doubt in the 81st minute when Nouhou dialed up a dangerous cross into the “6” and Moose claimed it. His ability to quickly turn his hips to face the goal and strike meant the defense and keeper had no time to set and block the goal that let many fans breathe.
Pub League: A 44th minute whiff was embarrassing, and a minute later after Nouhou dropped a cross on his head, Danny put it over.
Still Tipsy: Moose is a good player who works hard and gets to the right spots. He repeats this with pace, intention, and determination, and it’s paying off in goals every match.
Substitutes
Ryan Kent – 7 | Community – 8.6 (MOTM) (on 57’ for Rothrock)
Kent is slowly ramping up his time on the field, and in this one he made a huge impact after arriving early in the second half. He completed every single passing attempt, had three key passes, two assists, a successful dribble, and two tackles. He was phenomenal.
Champagne Soccer: Kent changed the entire match by playing faster than everyone else on the field. He ran by players, using body movement and the ball to transition into attack with efficient touches and tremendous vision. He gave dribbling lessons and had passing touches that were great fun to watch. Kent’s movement meant Obed got an open shot, Nouhou got an open shot, and Moose got an open shot: it was absolutely fantastic.
Pub League: Ryan looked better than everyone else, but he was able to race down the field against a tired and “parked bus" defense that didn’t seem interested in doing much other than jog and hope.
Still Tipsy: Kent doesn’t just look like a starter, he looks like a star.
Georgi Minoungou – 5 | Community – 6.0 (on 75’ for de la Vega)
Minoungou came in to add even more offense to the Sounders, replacing PDLV and getting 14 touches, finding a few shots and creating a key pass. He completed 100 percent of his passes.
Champagne Soccer: His 85th and 95th minute shots were both good efforts, forcing saves and showing good aggressive play.
Pub League: Nouhou had more goals than Minoungou.
Still Tipsy: An elite creative force, Georgi is behind more complete players on the depth chart.
Osaze De Rosario – 5 | Community – 5.4 (on 83’ for Musovski)
Brought in on a short term loan from Tacoma Defiance, Osaze got his first time as a Sounder and looked the part.
Champagne Soccer: His holdup play was elite, constantly getting the ball with his back to goal and controlling before finding smooth passes to teammates and gliding into great spaces offensively.
Pub League: In the 89th minute, De Rosario had everything but the final touch. He drifted into a perfect spot as Seattle pinged give-and-goes through traffic, and eventually Cristian delivered to Osaze, only to see him put an open shot over.
Still Tipsy: There is something there, a smooth skill that translated nicely to the MLS level.
Jon Bell – 5 | Community – 5.8 (on 84’ for Yeimar)
Bell came in late to spell Yeimar, who got a small rest.
Champagne Soccer: A tidy two recoveries complemented perfect passing (10/10).
Pub League: He only won one of his three duels.
Still Tipsy: Jon Bell is a quality backup who can play centrally and left and do what he did in this match: complete passes and play solid defense.
Referee
Lorenzo Hernandez – 2 | Community – 2.8
This referee, having run only a few MLS matches before this one, was clearly not up to the intensity of a home match in Seattle. He underwhelmed in just about all facets. His calls rarely made sense, he didn’t use VAR well, and otherwise was unable to do his job competently.
Pub League: If you just whistle the foul committed on Alex Roldan prior, you don’t have to make a terrible PK call on Yeimar. If you don’t make that weak call, then you may not have to give another soft penalty to Rothrock. If those plays don’t happen, you probably aren’t looking at the monitor, seeing a blatant handball in the 70th minute and thinking “I can’t call another PK.” This was as blatant a hand ball as you are going to see, and not calling it was somehow the worst of a night of terrible calls.
Bush League: Those huge game-breaking calls were nearly all wrong. But not to be outdone, he continually screwed up normal gameplay moments, such as the 36th minute card he was ready to show before inexplicably putting it away, giving a random goal kick at one point, and just overall awfulness.
Still Tipsy: Nope. Nothing redeeming here.
St. Louis City SC MOTM
Marcel Hartel did well to go down in the 26th, forcing Yeimar into a foul and forcing the referee to point to the spot. He then stepped to said spot, did a funny little jig, and calmly rolled the opening goal past Stef Frei. This would be the extent of SC’s attacking play.
Upcoming: Three road games for a suddenly potent Seattle team. This span will show how good the Sounders can be, or … something else.
