Fueled by a solid performance at the Club World Cup, Seattle returned to MLS play against Austin FC with confidence and a clear gameplan. They dictated the tempo and ultimately secured a 2-0 victory. This was even more impressive because they were missing five key defensive players, highlighting the squad’s depth and resilience. Austin absorbed pressure and frustrated Seattle’s attacking efforts, nearly making it to halftime with the scoreline level. However, Seattle’s persistence paid off right before the break with a crucial goal that broke the deadlock, providing a significant psychological boost. The second half began like the first ended, with Seattle finding the net again shortly after the restart. This early tally effectively put the match out of reach, solidifying Seattle’s control and deflating Austin’s comeback hopes. The final 2-0 score was fair, but both teams squandered scoring opportunities that could have altered the outcome. Despite the even shot count, the critical difference was in shot accuracy and quality. The Sounders created more dangerous opportunities, having six shots on target throughout the match, while Austin FC managed only one.
All gas: The offense is doing enough, the defense is amazing, and the midfield is dominant. Look for this team to move up the standings as they get even more tools back. You can see how that may happen. Wingers are starting to create big chances and finish others. Strikers are getting healthy and producing as a unit. The defense is deep and resilient. The midfield is playing well, with glimpses of elite play. This team is poised to erupt if they can put it all together effectively.
Pump the brakes: The xG aficionados will point out that this was a closer match than the scoreline shows, and Seattle isn’t converting enough chances to ensure it’s repeatable. The team boasts a solid defense, though it’s showing its age. However, the goalscoring remains below average. Unless the midfield players step up and contribute more, the team will continue to struggle offensively. When committing extra players forward, the defense is vulnerable, highlighting the need for more offensive firepower to complement their defensive strength.
Goalkeeper
Stefan Frei – 6 | Community – 6.6
Frei had a fairly easy time of it against Austin, as the opponent didn’t press too strenuously forward, and the clean distribution of the defenders in front of him limited sustained pressure. He had a single save, which came after a rare Sounders defensive turnover in the back. Frei earned his clean sheet with organization, controlled distribution, and a nice 64th minute punch out of danger.
All gas: Frei added another shutout to his impressive résumé and earned this one on the back of a defense that made Austin predictable. The rest was up to Frei, whose positioning and control of the match were excellent. He even came off his line a few times!
Pump the brakes: Austin didn’t want much possession, which played right into Seattle’s hands. This made it a quiet night for Frei, who was content to stand back and watch his defense do its job.
Defense
Reed Baker-Whiting – 5 | Community – 5.3
Reed got a start on the left and acquitted himself well for much of the match. A number of defensive miscues were cleaned up by teammates, and he showed great range to get forward and add numbers to the attack. He only won 40 percent of his duels, however, and faded as the match went on. This fatigue likely contributed to his poor decision to tactically foul late, earning him a completely unnecessary red card.
All gas: It may need to be a “rip off the bandaid” transition from Nouhou to RBW, who had just enough defense to hang in there against an anemic offensive opponent, but also showed excellent movement forward. His technical on-ball ability is excellent, and the spaces he gets into and decisions he makes on the attacking part of the field provide much-needed offense.
Pump the brakes: Reed still doesn’t defend very well, and he continually has to recover from poor positioning with pure athleticism. This turns clumsy when he gets physically or mentally tired. This was the second time in his career that he’s subbed himself out because his body control couldn’t offset his poor defense.
Jackson Ragen – 7 | Community – 7.0
Ragen kept on cruising after an excellent Club World Cup, being active and impactful all over the field. His passing was brilliant, he ended up with two shots on target as he was a dominant aerial threat on set pieces, and he combined well on defense with less experienced pieces around him. Outside of a poor 34th minute play that gifted Austin their only shot on goal, Jackson played great.
All gas: Gone are the early season struggles, and back is the MLS Best-XI defender who transitions the ball better than nearly every other player in the league. His vision and game management from the back is phenomenal, and his much-improved defense means similar distributors like Alex Roldan can be a legitimate partner going forward. This is some of the highest level play that Jackson has shown as a Sounder.
Pump the brakes: Not every team is going to have a single player interested in attacking, like Austin did, that Seattle can bottle up. And we know Ragen can be exposed in transition moments that this game didn’t have. This match was set up well for Jackson’s strengths.
Alex Roldan – 7 | Community – 6.9
Alex Roldan as a center back checks off another position for him. His performance also begs a serious question about whether he should be considered for consistent time there. He was nearly flawless, combining with Ragen in the back to completely control the match. He led the team with 99 touches, showed clean vertical passing, and was exactly the defensive asset needed centrally. Roldan won three headers and tied his brother for the most passes into the final third with 11. This verticality from both center backs was beautiful, allowing Seattle to vary their attack and utilize the midfield movement.
All gas: Start him there every game. There is no substitute for distribution, and with Alex in the back next to Jackson and split by his brother, the Sounders dominated the middle of the field. Alex was incredibly clean and smart with his passing, but also got the ball quickly from the back forward, showing that Ragen isn’t the only one with line-splitting ability. Paired up, they were fantastic. The defense was able to cleanly pass out of any issues, setting up vertical thrust.
Pump the brakes: Alex is strong but he’s not “Yeimar strong.” And he’s not going to win contested headers against teams that target him in the air. Those are reasons to be skeptical of him as a long term solution at center back, as a lot of teams would likely push him around should he play there for any length of time.
Kalani Kossa-Rienzi – 6 | Community – 6.4
Kossa-Rienzi started next to Alex and behind Jesús Ferreira and was a consistent outlet for the Seattle defense. With Ferreira moving into the right halfspace and opening the wing, Kalani was a viable option for bringing the ball forward. He did miss a few chances to connect better with teammates, and his 35th minute whiff was embarrassing, but the takeaway from this match is that he is now a bona fide starter-level MLS player, and that’s great for Seattle. He will need to do more to earn starts, however, by producing more than the one chance he had against Austin.
All gas: KKR got an MLS start and again showed MLS level play. He has to be one of the best stories of the season as he has shown plenty of upside and a high floor that means in games like this, he is not out of place. He has the pure athleticism to hang with anyone in the league and an infectious confidence on the ball; he’s not scared to dribble center and find connections.
Pump the brakes: Kalani’s defense is still at times an adventure, and the upside on the offensive end didn’t show up in this match. If he is going to be given the entire side with an inverted winger, he has to do more offensively. At times he was one of multiple Sounders running to the same space for the inevitable cutback pass.
Defensive Midfield
Cristian Roldan – 8 | Community – 7.7 (MOTM)
Cristian had a solid game by his standards, which means “only” nine won duels, four clearances, three tackles, and constant vertical passing to put Seattle into the attacking third. He was nearly immaculate in transition, successful on both his dribble and cross attempts, but also 10/10 on long balls as he was finding and dealing forward to teammates all night. He kept his level of play high after the Club World Cup and looks prepared to dominate MLS action.
All gas: We’ve known Cristian is great for years, but he may now be playing some of his best soccer for Seattle, doing a lot of everything. Somehow he is a dominant defensive force as well as a key element to springing forward momentum, and is the true engine of the Sounders. His service and vision are perfect for the middle of the field, and the Sounders are supplementing his fantastic play by entertaining more aggressive attacking movement.
Pump the brakes: A team being so dependent on a single player is worrisome, no matter how durable Cristian appears to be. When he has even a slightly off match, the team struggles. Expecting him to be near-perfect every match is a huge burden and unreasonable.
Obed Vargas – 7 | Community – 6.6 (off 86’ for JP)
Vargas had another good match against Austin, doing the little things in the middle that sometimes go unnoticed, like winning four fouls and 75 percent of his duels, and not being dispossessed all match. His range is exceptional, and the movement he provides in cadence with Cristian in the middle opens up consistent attacking lanes for Seattle. Perhaps most exciting is his ability to find a lovely Ragen vertical pass in the 63rd minute and charge directly into the heart of the opponent before nearly scoring a brilliant curling shot. These moments are increasing, and each one shows more of the promise he has.
All gas: Coming off a great showing in the CWC, Vargas continued to play confidently. When he is able to combine with Roldan centrally and turn forward to support attacks, the Sounders look their best. Obed is making difficult central play look casual, and he is still improving. The amount of defensive positioning he does with intelligent movement is fantastic.
Pump the brakes: For all the hype about the one time Obed pushed the ball forward and shot, he still missed, and it was notable because it’s so rare. Vargas is awesome, but also frustrating exactly for this reason: he has the potential to push forward more and it might be magical when he does, but he spends a majority of the game making cautious plays.
Attacking Midfield
Paul Rothrock – 6 | Community – 7.2 (off 75’ for de la Vega)
Rothrock continues to start and continues to make stuff happen. His relentless style wears down opponents, and he doesn’t take any plays off. This means when the end of the half is near and the other team is looking for the locker room, Paul makes a gut-busting 40-yard run before lifting a nifty cross to the back post for a lead at halftime. He lost more duels than he won and he fumbled away a few good chances, but Rothrock continues to provide big moments when Seattle needs them.
All gas: The things he brings to the match (xDAWG if you will, h/t June) is not only beneficial to the Sounders, but necessary. That’s why he is the incumbent starter, and he rewards that status with impact plays on both sides of the ball. Seattle has a lot of fancy wingers, but the no nonsense guy outplays them all and continues to show that he’s not going anywhere.
Pump the brakes: Paul is the only Sounder who has played in all 26 matches this season, and while he brings hustle, effort, and intensity to each game, 2g/5a isn’t a huge return on that investment. With other, more high profile players who “should” outplay him not doing so, he holds onto this spot. Until he stops producing, why not?
Albert Rusnák – 6 | Community – 6.5 (off 85’ for Leyva)
Rusnák had another vintage match. Although he had only a single shot, he also only had one incomplete pass (98 percent) and was dealing all game. A great example was dropping deep left and finding Danny Musovski over the top in the 11th minute where Seattle somehow didn’t score. It was Albert’s first-time pass to put Rothrock on the breakout that led to the Sounders’ first goal. He quietly goes about his business, and Seattle’s offense finds these moments because of his classy distribution.
All gas: Everything has a bit of Rusnák sprinkled into it. Besides the pass that led to the first Sounders goal, Rusnák does the little creative things in the background, filling holes, dropping link up plays, and putting players into shooting positions. Grabbing another assist in this match, he should get even more influential with Jordan Morris returning.
Pump the brakes: Three key passes were nice, but the killer assist wasn’t there. Not a huge fulcrum of the team, at times Albert is absent when he should be demanding the ball.
Jesús Ferreira – 8 (MOTM) | Community – 7.2 (off 75’ for Morris)
A goal, an assist, and an all-around resurgent outing was great to see for Ferreira. He started off slowly, focusing on defensive support for a shuffled back line, but he grew into this match. He came inside to combine as a second playmaker, finding teammates and eventually a gorgeous backside finish right before half. Jesús did well to understand the game and make the right passes, and in the 54th minute that meant eschewing the safe square ball to Rusnák. Instead he fired a vertical dart to Musovski isolated in a 1-v-1, and Moose did the rest.
All gas: Looking great as an inverted winger, Jesús was instrumental in both goals because of his understanding of the game. He moves so effortlessly into productive spaces, constantly creating room for others to operate. He paired this with a quality finish and an aggressive, forward pass that created the second goal via direct vision. He is starting to heat up.
Pump the brakes: In the 68th minute, Ryan Kent dropped a perfect ball to Jesús, but he fumbled his first touch. He has to make that play, a quick control to set up a second-touch shot in the back of the net, putting the match away. Instead, Seattle had to hang on, then earned a red card in defense of the perilous lead. It’s frustrating to see these quality players make simple mistakes.
Forward
Danny Musovski – 8 | Community – 7.1 (off 61’ for Kent )
Musovski was fantastic against Austin, stretching the defense and finding pockets to get shots off. And he got shots off, five in total with three on frame. He was perhaps unlucky to not score in the 11th minute, but turned in a 32nd minute volley that nearly scored. Finally getting into space after Jesús found him pushing a high line, Moose galloped into the box and set up a perfect finish far post to give Seattle some breathing room. He did almost everything right.
All gas: Give this guy time, and he will find the back of the net. Constantly working both with his back to goal and rushing forward, he combines this to create space and finish clean on his rare shooting attempts. With more midfield push, he was even more activated in this match, and he was unlucky to not have multiple goals.
Pump the brakes: Danny has seen a solid resurgence this season, but at the end of the day he is holding the spot for Jordan Morris, who returned to MLS play in this match. Danny remains a quality backup, but with some limitations.
Substitutes
Ryan Kent – 5 | Community – 6.0 (on 61’ for Musovski)
Kent came in on the left and was very effective in spurts, finding the game and combining with teammates to attack. He went 14/15 passing, had a successful dribble, and set up some of the biggest moments for Seattle after he checked in.
All gas: In the 68th minute, Ryan had the kind of massive chance that Seattle had been missing. He had a stepover, then impressive direct dribbling deep into the Austin box, before a deft pass to the six yard box hit the Sounder striker on the foot. This kind of high-quality chance creation is exciting for the future.
Pump the brakes: Kent found some moments, but was also not a consistent impact player. He still struggles to mesh with the teammates around him.
Pedro de la Vega – 5 | Community – 5.5 (on 75’ for Rothrock)
PDLV entered the match when Austin had started to earn some control, and he was part of a Sounders resurgence. He didn’t have a lot to say with only nine touches, but he had 100 percent passing and did his job.
All gas: Pedro played within himself and combined with his teammates, two things that he has struggled with. Getting on the field is a start. The next step is to impact the match positively, which we have seen in spurts.
Pump the brakes: The most expensive player came in and was a nonfactor.
Jordan Morris – 5 | Community – 5.5 (on 75’ for Ferreira)
Morris got 15 minutes with the game pretty well decided, but he was part of a possession advantage that Seattle wrested back from Austin. He looked fit and strong.
All gas: Getting Jordan back for the summer and fall run is setting him up to dominate. The team has been missing his direct creative ability, and adding him to this offense should force multiply everyone around him.
Pump the brakes: A single touch in 15 minutes isn’t enough for your DP striker. If the team can’t find him with the ball, his speed and skills are wasted.
Danny Leyva – 5 | Community – 5.5 (on 85’ for Rusnák)
Leyva again got some late sub minutes, and this time it was at center attacking midfield. The game was put to bed by the time he arrived, but we saw Danny show some creative passing and good physicality.
All gas: Leyva at attacking mid is a high upside proposition that fits his creative skills well.
Pump the brakes: Whether he’s stuck behind Rusnák or Vargas, Danny is still stuck.
João Paulo – 5 | Community – 5.6 (on 86’ for Vargas)
JP came in to help close down the match and had a brilliant breakout in the 87th minute. Smartly earning a foul, this helped kill off the match.
All gas: With 22 touches and 94 percent passing, he was exactly what Seattle needed late: a ball dominant, clean midfielder to hold possession and see out the match.
Pump the brakes: Five minutes of good play is clearly in his wheelhouse; it’s when João has to play longer stretches that he can be exposed.
Referee
Tim Ford – 6 | Community – 5.5
Ford started this match off in the 4th minute with a confusing call that immediately put viewers on alert, but to his credit he settled in. A 45th minute Rothrock altercation somehow ended up being a drop ball, and there were a number of other questionable decisions.
All gas: There were long stretches where the ref wasn’t the story, which was refreshing. Unfortunately for Seattle, both yellows on Reed were clear.
Pump the brakes: Giving out a delay of game yellow card to Seattle after Austin was egregiously delaying in the first half was annoying. The dropoff from CWC referees is real.
Austin FC MOTM
It feels like I write about Brad Stuver every other week. Turns out, no, the last time I wrote about dude was March 7th of last year. (Maybe it’s just opposing goalkeepers in general every other week.) Still, much of what was said then still holds true. The field was tilted, and he was asked to produce saves time and again, this time around finishing with four on the night. Unfortunately for Brad and Co., those saves didn’t lead to a draw on this occasion, thanks to some just-too-darn-good finishing by the good guys.
Upcoming: A tough but winnable game at home against Columbus on Sunday. I assume they’ll have enough goalies this time around.
