The Sounders came down from their high point – demolishing Cruz Azul – to play their second Leagues Cup opponent, Santos Laguna. This Mexican team didn’t seem to want to play soccer, instead looking to foul, delay, and flop their way to a result. Seattle came out strong and assertive, setting the pace by forcing an early own goal, and they had multiple other chances that were erased by a struggling officiating crew. Some inspired subs gave the Sounders a cushion in the second half, but they conceded deep in stoppage time, and the 2-1 victory was not as clean as the team would have liked. A win always seemed like the most likely result, but playing down to a struggling opponent and giving them opportunities to catch up is something for Seattle to improve upon. The Sounders are back at the top of the Leagues Cup standings, and this result eliminated Santos Laguna from the tournament.
Frontrunners: Seattle was able to rotate their lineup, score early, out-shoot their opponent 13-4, and coast to a fairly easy result. They are focused on the target of winning games against Mexican teams, something almost no other MLS team is consistently doing.
Also Ran: Santos Laguna wasn’t good and Seattle still struggled to put them away. Letting a bad team hang around is never smart, and it would be disastrous against much better teams later in this tournament.
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Goalkeeper
Andrew Thomas – 6
Andrew was okay against Santos Laguna. He didn’t have to do much for most of the match, due to their anemic attack and the quality defense in front of him. He was tasked with being a part of the buildup in the back, and he struggled somewhat to combine cleanly as Seattle navigated an inconsistent possession game.
Frontrunner: Santos earned their first shot on goal in the 89th minute, and Thomas was credited with a 95th minute save. Moments later, he was quick off his line to prevent another chance as things got spicy late in the game.
Also Ran: Seattle just hanging on late was disappointing, and when Santos Laguna got a ball over the top in deep stoppage time, Andy wasn’t able to preserve the shutout. Part of this was due to his dreadful distribution, which seemed both random and often out of bounds.
Defense
Nouhou – 6
Nouhou was a clear standout for much of the match, making good decisions and being an integral part of a defense that completely shut down anything Santos Laguna wanted to do. His nine defensive actions and quality connection with teammates even included a number of thoughtful plays going forward, combined with decent service.
Frontrunner: Since returning from myriad suspensions, Nouhou has been terrific. A surging run in the 82nd included a cherry pick and earned a yellow card for his opponent. On multiple occasions his decision making and crossing were excellent. He is playing much better and has even been the voice of reason at times.
Also Ran: Nouhou was having a great game until he took a play off in the 96th minute. Santos made him pay, as they got in behind and ruined the shutout. He has to do better there.
Jackson Ragen – 7
Ragen again showed brilliance in marshalling the back, continually finding clean passes and pushing Seattle into good spots. With Kim to his right, Ragen adjusted some to allow Seattle to push on the wing, to good effect. He had 95 percent passing for the match, but only limited entries into the final third as Seattle at times struggled with midfield connectivity.
Frontrunner: Ragen was 27/28 passing in the first half as Seattle sent a statement. They didn’t allow a single shot and created multiple big chances. Jackson made smart, clean choices as the Sounders took what was given.
Also Ran: Some of Jackson’s self confidence was appreciated. Other times, he foolishly dribbled out of his own box (56th, 62nd) instead of just clearing long.
Kim Kee-hee – 6
Kim got a start to give Yeimar a rest and was solid. While Ragen got most of the distribution touches, Kim was cleanly connecting (86 percent) and winning his individual duels. Especially important was dealing with the number of long, switching crosses that Santos Laguna tried, and Kim was excellent at defending those balls. He also had a set piece header to Moose that should have earned an assist.
Frontrunner: Kim was great against Santos. His ability to win aerials was crucial as the opponent continually attempted hopeful crosses. His defense in the 93rd minute completely shut down a dangerous attack as Seattle still held a shutout at that point.
Also Ran: A few positional mistakes were likely due to the fluctuating players on the field, but a 39th minute whiff on a tackle attempt was an oopsie that allowed the opponent in behind.
Alex Roldan – 7
Alex was clearly comfortable with the inflamed tensions and physicality of the match, drifting around to support where needed and dealing with the fouls while keeping his head. He was integral as a back side defender on multiple occasions in the first half, and he connected forward with direct and line-splitting passes that helped create chances for Seattle.
Frontrunner: Captain Roldan kept up his inspired play in this tournament, with his 8th minute pass absolutely perfect. The vision to see the backside run and put the ball through and behind the defense while keeping Paul onside was excellent and led to an early Sounders lead.
Also Ran: A funky touch and fumbled dribble meant a loss of possession in the 49th minute as Alex had better options than conceding a throw in.
Defensive Midfield
Obed Vargas – 7
Obed was the experienced defensive midfielder and played a controlled match, mixing it up physically with the opponents. He had 71 percent passing. While some of the fancy direct dribbling from the previous match was missing, he still controlled the play and shrugged off constant hacks and fouls. Vargas was a calm, controlling force in the middle.
Frontrunner: Once again, Vargas showed off his fitness; in the 83rd minute he charged up the wing past three defenders, eventually winning a corner after a spirited 50-yard dash on the near sideline.
Also Ran: It didn’t amount to anything, but a completely unnecessary 43rd minute foul in a dangerous spot gave a struggling opponent a chance at a set piece.
Danny Leyva – 7 (MOTM) (off 90’ for Kossa-Rienzi)
Danny stepped into the middle of the field and was a clear force on both sides of the ball. Not only did he have four defensive actions and six recoveries, Santos had no solution for his movement and passing. They fouled him four times, often after the ball was long gone. These passes were part of a team-high three key pass/one assist night for Leyva, who showed he can play the position, and play it well.
Frontrunner: Leyva got his work in on the defensive side of the ball, but looked best pushing the ball forward. A beautiful 50th minute ball put Rothrock in, and Danny continued to add the touch and offensive push Seattle can at times lack, including finding Georgi Minoungou for his goal.
Also Ran: Leyva still hasn’t had a goal stand in his Sounders career, and in the 46th minute he had an opportunity to change that. Off a free kick, the ball was set up perfectly, yet he put his shot wide.
Attacking Midfield
Pedro de la Vega – 6 (off 63’ for Minoungou)
Pedro started on the left, and with some different parts around him and a very physical opponent, he took some time to get into the match. He was smartly following up plays and finding connections, but he failed to showcase that big moment like he has recently. He won 50 percent of his duels and got a shot on target, but struggled to combine as Santos was resilient and didn’t allow much transition play down his wing.
Frontrunner: Pedro’s performance was more reserved, but he fit into the offense well and balanced out the field as Seattle controlled long stretches. His ability to cut inside meant some connection with Albert Rusnák and Leyva, and he made many supporting runs that weren’t used.
Also Ran: After a few incredible matches, Pedro fell back into the “try too hard” mode from earlier in the season. A few times he tried to make things happen but clearly missed the high level parts around him to combine with.
Albert Rusnák – 7 (off 79’ for C. Roldan)
Rusnák had two new wingers and a different defensive midfield tandem behind him, and yet he took almost no time to start combining and creating big chances. He was 18/20 passing and created some of the biggest chances of the evening, although a few times his defensive effort (or lack thereof) put extra pressure on the central defense.
Frontrunner: Even on a quiet night, Albert still created three chances, consistently finding teammates going forward and pulling the strings across the attacking midfield.
Also Ran: Rusnák’s brilliant ball in the 27th minute put Danny Musovski through on goal, and the resulting fouls should have forced a red card or penalty kick, or both, but the ruling went against the Sounders.
Paul Rothrock – 7 (off 63’ for Ferreira)
Rothrock was as advertised. He went straight at the opponent from the first whistle, forcing own goals and creating havoc. Paul didn’t have any successful dribbles, a low 70 percent passing clip, and was only accurate on a single cross, but it didn’t matter. He ran over, around, through, and in behind Santos Laguna and continually made things happen. Whenever Seattle was in the box, he was around, adding physicality and quality link up.
Frontrunner: Paul gave every bit as much as he got, mixing it up with Santos Laguna and getting the last laugh. His perfectly timed run in the 8th minute was combined with a near-perfect cross, which forced an own goal and neutralized what little fight the opponent started the match with.
Also Ran: Seattle doubled their lead in the 35th minute only to have it ruled offside. Rothrock was the culprit. He also got away with a pretty lousy touch on the red card/PK fiasco that was overshadowed by the ineptitude of the referee.
Forward
Danny Musovski – 6 (off 63’ for De Rosario)
Musovski started again up front and showed his burst speed, constantly racing in behind or to spots to force defensive errors. In a match where he only attempted eight passes, he was credited with a key pass, created an own goal with his movement, and should have created a red card and/or penalty after getting in behind. His consistent holdup and physical play matched up well with the opponents.
Frontrunner: It was Danny’s perfect run that forced the own goal in the 8th minute (or he would have easily scored), and he had a brilliant turn that forced a yellow card in the 20th minute as part of a consistent evening of great holdup play that supported Seattle’s midfield dominance.
Also Ran: After KKH had a perfect header back across on a free kick in the 22nd minute Musovski got his own coinciding header all wrong, unable to finish from two yards out and give Seattle a two goal cushion.
Substitutes
Georgi Minoungou – 5 (on 63’ for PDLV)
Forgotten man Georgi Minoungou got a chance to play and immediately showed the highest of highs and lowest of lows. His dangerous pace and elite athleticism were immediately on display, and ultimately he showed a new, goal-dangerous look. Subbing himself off over a T-shirt was a blunder.
Frontrunner: Cutting inside in the 72nd minute, Georgi blasted a perfect shot far post, never looking up but finding space and finishing what turned out to be the game-winning goal.
Also Ran: What was he thinking, raising his shirt over his head and earning a second yellow card? Especially after seeing a teammate get this exact same card the match before, this was an incredibly stupid choice, ruining what had been a great moment for Georgi.
Jesús Ferreira – 5 (on 63’ for Rothrock)
Ferreira wasn’t able to reproduce his heroics from the last match, but did score another goal that was taken off the board. With Seattle dominating, they needed controlled play to see out the win, and Jesús brought that, going 9/9 passing.
Frontrunner: All the little things Seattle needed, they got from Jesús, who arrived and was quietly efficient at finding space, connecting, and adding control that should have seen out an easy win.
Also Ran: There were a few moments later when Ferreira was caught walking behind the play, and the Sounders definitely needed more effort from the substitute’s fresh legs on defense, as they were holding on at the end.
Osaze De Rosario – 5 (on 63’ for Musovski)
ODR came into the match willing and ready to bang around with a physical Santos Laguna team. He was a clean 8/8 combining with teammates and dove into the box as Seattle was missing the sort of pass he received last match. He won all three of his header attempts.
Frontrunner: As soon as he entered, Osaze earned some space and put an attempt at goal, showing confidence and willingness to fire from outside the box.
Also Ran: A 92nd minute mistouch killed a promising attack that would have given a 3-0 lead. This was a mistake by the substitute forward after Cristian Roldan found him. Osaze went 0/3 in shot attempts on goal.
Cristian Roldan – 6 (on 78’ for Rusnák)
Cristian came in as Seattle tired and looked to solidify the middle and see out the match. As usual, Roldan was excellent, going perfect on his pass attempts while also creating for others and recording four defensive actions.
Frontrunner: His press in the 80th minute was a great use of fresh legs, forcing Santos into a turnover, and moments later Roldan was dialing up ODR on a through ball, searching out direct opportunities from the midfield.
Also Ran: Even with Cristian doing his thing, unfortunately Santos Laguna found their footing in extra time and Seattle conceded, and it’s a shame.
Kalani Kossa-Rienzi – 5 (on 90’ for Leyva)
Kalani came in late as Seattle tried to hold on to the shutout in extra time, but ultimately were unable to do so. None of that was his fault, as he completed both his pass attempts and brought energy to the field.
Frontrunner: Smart movement from KKR meant he was across the field supporting on the left late, helping Seattle keep possession.
Also Ran: Kalani hasn’t shown lock down defensive ability, and it was apparent again in this one, as his mark was allowed to shift inside and deliver another hopeful cross from deep (that just happened to work out).
Referee
Steffon Dewar – 3
This was a poorly officiated match. Early on, Santos Laguna were incessantly fouling, diving, and complaining about every call. Without firm direction from the center in the form of discipline, this behavior was allowed. It got worse all match, with dangerous plays and blatant cardable offenses being ignored. The entire crew seemed unprepared and uninterested in protecting the safety of the players, missing multiple important calls and officiating poorly throughout.
False Start: The number of hard fouls and cardable actions that went uncalled was so ridiculous. By the end, the 22-8 foul count somehow only had three yellow cards on Santos. Of the two against Seattle, the first was a phantom yellow on Minoungou, that was to come up big moments later as he was sent off. There were so many fouls that should have been carded, it was obscene.
Disqualified: The red card/penalty sequence in the 26th minute was completely botched. To come out of that with a Santos Laguna free kick was criminal, as Seattle should have been up a man and/or won a penalty kick – instead Seattle was the penalized team. This was a complete travesty of officiating. Missing a blatant head butt after the final whistle was entirely predictable.
Upcoming: A point versus Tijuana gets Seattle through, but a win makes a statement.
