The Sounders began a long list of road games with a visit to Real Salt Lake last weekend. After a dominant first home match, with the team mostly healthy, and playing against a struggling opponent, there was some optimism that Seattle could break its 15-year drought of wins at RSL. But no. As usually happens in Sandy, Utah, the Sounders could not come away with a win. Seattle played well enough to have a multi-goal lead, but found themselves down multiple goals instead. A tactical tweak coupled with some personnel changes brought a bit of a new look, but it was only enough to get one goal back. The match ended as a 2-1 loss for Seattle, via some defensive errors and a massive effort from the opposing keeper. The result is disappointing, but given the crazy nature of this series, it’s hard to take much away from that game.
Glimmer of hope: Even with a midfield numbers disadvantage, the Sounders’ system created multiple opportunities. Had either Albert Rusnák or Yeimar scored on their chances, the match could have looked a lot different.
Same old song and dance: While Seattle created a number of quality moments throughout the match, there was a massive struggle in the midfield, as the RSL three-man back line pushed numbers forward, and the Sounders failed to adjust until they were down by multiple goals.
Moving forward: Seattle has created plenty of chances so far this year, and the little bit of quality they are missing on the offensive side should even out. The midfield and defensive lapses are much more concerning.
Goalkeeper
Andrew Thomas – 6 | Community – 5.9
Thomas didn’t have much to say about this one, getting hung out to dry multiple times by his defense. He was credited with two saves, while the opponent keeper was flying around doing acrobatics and making four times as many denials. Andrew did have a fantastic 1-v-1 save in the 87th minute as a stretched Sounders team gave up a breakaway. Thomas handled it, offering a few more minutes of hope to rescue a point.
Glimmer of hope: Andrew’s ability to aggressively get off his line was an excellent addition to the match early, as in the 6th and 17th minutes he came out and cleared away long, over the top attempts.
Same old song and dance: For whatever reason, Seattle can’t seem to put it together at Salt Lake, no matter the personnel. Thomas added to this history with his few struggles to get the ball cleanly out of the back.
Moving forward: Thomas has given up two goals in two matches, which is excellent. He hasn’t faced incredible offenses, however, and he has plenty to improve upon.
Defense
Nouhou – 6 | Community – 5.7
Nouhou had an average match: he didn’t make many mistakes but didn’t have a lot of notable moments on either end of the field. One such moment came early, as a 9th minute 2-v-1 was defended excellently by Nouhou who stopped a backpost shot. This was part of an eight recovery, 84 percent passing night.
Glimmer of hope: With a week of practice, the Nouhou/Rothrock combination on the left side was improved. Still not fantastic, but these two were not stepping on each other’s toes as much as last week. He also looked much improved passing the ball forward.
Same old song and dance: There are still questions about positioning in the offensive third, and Seattle seemed to play a very aggressive line with both outside backs high. This wasn’t overly impactful at combating the RSL central tactical shape. Nouhou’s crosses were to good areas, but not connecting with teammates.
Moving forward: Seattle seems like they had a solid idea for positioning that was immediately thrown out the window when Jordan Morris was hurt. They need to figure out whether Nouhou is the right person to set up higher into the attack.
Jackson Ragen – 6 | Community – 5.6
Ragen had an up-and-down match, which averaged out to okay. Ninety-four percent passing was a massive boon for a Sounders team that used their possession to create plenty of offense from back to front. His defensive positioning in coordination with teammates wasn’t great, and RSL exposed the back line on a few breakout moments when Jackson was disconnected.
Glimmer of hope: The Seattle setpieces are starting to click, both in defending and offensively. There is a mismatch of Ragen versus just about anyone in front of goal. He easily got his head on a backpost header in the 8th minute and perfectly redirected to fellow CB Yeimar who had an entire goal to score on but didn’t.
Same old song and dance: Ragen wasn’t tight to his teammates, creating gaps that RSL was able to victimize, resulting in big chances. Although he is relatively slow, there are things that Jackson can do to limit these breakaways.
Moving forward: Jackson and the back line have to find a way to balance their offensive support measures and reclaim the defensive dominance which this exact group provided in spurts last season and consistently the prior year.
Yeimar – 4 | Community – 4.8 (off 59’ for Kossa-Rienzi)
After a strong opening weekend, Yeimar showed some frustrating inconsistency in this game. He was unable to defend first and find the right moments to get aggressive on offense. Although he won four aerial battles and somehow led the entire team with four shots, it was his 79 percent passing and inopportune moments of misplays or mispositioning that lowlighted Yeimar’s struggles.
Glimmer of hope: Seattle had a beautiful set play that should have given them the lead in the 8th minute. A fantastic first header from Ragen on a corner came to Yeimar with the goal gaping. He put his headed shot back towards the keeper instead of the open side of the goal and RSL was able to clear.
Same old song and dance: Yeimar has had slow starts in recent seasons, and although he played well in game one, this was another stinker early in the season. His positioning and connection to Ragen was abysmal, opening up gaps that were consistently exploited.
Moving forward: Is week one Yeimar or week two Yeimar the one we should expect? Because one was great and the other was not.
Alex Roldan – 6 | Community – 5.6
Alex had a quiet match against RSL, finding a very high tactical position but not entering the attack in meaningful moments. Later in the game he moved to centerback, and he showed excellent vision and control from central defense. Not completing a single cross and only 50 percent of his long balls contrasted with five recoveries and some solid possession play.
Glimmer of hope: When Seattle went to a back three with Alex, he again showed excellent central defensive instincts. The Sounders might need to consider more time in this formation to get the controlled passing they found in the back.
Same old song and dance: Especially in the first half, Roldan struggled to pass to his own team. He ended with 80 percent passing, but like his defensive partner Yeimar, many moments were ruined when he wasn’t crisp on his distribution.
Moving forward: Alex has long been an underappreciated key to the team. His ability to play centrally may be something the team should look at more often to help tactically when the middle struggles.
Defensive Midfield
Cristian Roldan – 7 (MOTM) | Community – 6.6 (MOTM)
Doing his best to be everywhere, Cristian had a busy match. With 77 touches, he added two key passes, a goal from a crafty corner kick header, and covered the entire field with a strong work rate. The combination centrally with Hassani Dotson was at times a struggle, but there were also moments where the team played beautiful attacking soccer.
Glimmer of hope: When Seattle desperately needed a lift, it was Captain Cristian who found the big moment, getting unmarked on a set piece after sneaking behind the goalie and back to the near post before flicking expertly to the back corner of the goal. This gave the Sounders a goal, the momentum, and a chance to get back into the match.
Same old song and dance: On the first Salt Lake goal, the usually reliable Roldan was caught completely flat footed and doing nothing. He was uncharacteristically not a factor in duels and confrontations in the middle.
Moving forward: One of his strengths has always been being able to seamlessly combine with whoever is paired with him in the middle, and Cristian will need to rediscover that talent.
Hassani Dotson – 4 | Community – 4.8 (off 81’ for Arriola)
Dotson had an incomplete appearance last week and this was another opportunity to show Seattle fans what he brings. Unfortunately, his worst moments ended up being highlighted more than the quality he brought for much of the match. These included a number of rough choices that hurt the team both offensively and defensively. It seemed his few mistakes led directly to big RSL chances. An early yellow card and only two defensive actions hampered his effectiveness.
Glimmer of hope: Hassani’s passing was clean, a pristine 34/36 (94 percent), and the midfield didn’t make any of the punishing central errors that have recently plagued the team. His control of the ball and ability to calmly distribute was a big reason Seattle held dominant possession numbers.
Same old song and dance: After a 10th minute yellow card, Dotson attempted to adjust his play. Unfortunately, nothing worked, starting with a bad clear in the 23rd that ended up in the back of the net. In soccer, you are ultimately defined by your worst moments, and he had a bunch.
Moving forward: Going away from an incumbent veteran is not a common move for this coaching staff, but Seattle gave a few other players time in this match. Hassani needs to show more consistent high level play in upcoming matches.
Attacking Midfield
Paul Rothrock – 5 | Community – 6.3
Rothrock slid into the starting lineup for an injured Morris and immediately showed a lot of forward impetus. Unfortunately, he didn’t translate these actions into goals, and Seattle’s offense stagnated due to a combination of execution errors and stellar opponent goalkeeping. Paul did nearly have the tying assist on an excellent pass, but was offside on the play. With just one shot and zero key passes, he didn’t have the expected impact from a starting role.
Glimmer of hope: Always a workhorse, Paul continued to put pressure on RSL with tireless runs down the wing. Starting with forcing a yellow in the first 10 minutes due to this motor, he continually got forward and beat his man down the wing.
Same old song and dance: When asked to be a creative focal point and not running into the play as a secondary option, Rothrock often made things happen but didn’t translate them into chances. Too many times he repeated the same motion to the end line but was unable to connect with teammates.
Moving forward: Paul holds onto his starting position for the near future, but this game illustrated some of the reservations with his playstyle.
Albert Rusnák – 7 | Community – 6.2 (off 90’ for Petković)
Rusnák was one of the standouts in the match, finding pockets to attack the goal and setting up others. He ended with three key passes, and was consistent with set piece service, as Seattle overwhelmed RSL with possession. Unfortunately, the Sounders didn’t create big chances like the opponent did, and they were repeatedly denied by the RSL keeper.
Glimmer of hope: Albert remains a goal creation machine, earning another assist, this time off excellent service on one of his 15-plus set piece attempts.
Same old song and dance: His 10th minute turnover on some sloppy play led to Dotson taking an unfortunate yellow card. Even worse was a great chance in the 20th minute that seemed destined to be his second header goal in two matches, but it was pushed aside, moments before RSL would take the lead.
Moving forward: Albert is finding himself more active deep into the opponent’s penalty areas so far this season, and he’s already looking more goal dangerous as a result.
Jesús Ferreira – 6 | Community – 5.5 (off 59’ for Brunell)
Jesús started as a wide player but again moved centrally to support as a right sided playmaker, dialing up controlled possession and looking to find attacks going forward. This was ultimately not successful, as Ferreira didn’t earn a single key pass or shot of his own, yet had 85 percent passing and was essential for connection from back to front.
Glimmer of hope: As Seattle adjusted to RSL’s numbers in the middle and their increased control in the match, it was Ferreira who filled the central support role. His playmaking helped Seattle reclaim the middle, and in the 52nd his support and run were brilliant.
Same old song and dance: Seattle seemed to struggle to connect up the right, and with Jesús tucked very far in, Alex didn’t have a great connection with him to utilize the width on that side.
Moving forward: So far this season, Jesús has looked like perhaps the best playmaker on the team, but he also needs to find his scoring boots.
Striker
Osaze De Rosario – 5 | Community – 4.7 (off 59’ for Musovski)
Osaze started his second match in a row and again failed to get on the scoresheet. He did a lot of excellent striker things, but ultimately wasn’t able to get into dangerous positions with any consistency. This meant that in 59 minutes he had one shot (blocked), zero key passes, and only two touches in the box. He did other things that were helpful to the Sounders’ possession play and movement, but wasn’t effective at testing the RSL keeper.
Glimmer of hope: ODR’s holdup and footskills remain standout attributes. On a number of pivotal occasions he was able to spin out of pressure on the dribble, find connections with teammates, and pull the attack forward.
Same old song and dance: When Seattle needed to be more direct, it seemed like Osaze was the only option in the box, often going near-post and failing to be found by Rothrock. A striker has to get more shots.
Moving forward: With Danny Musovski playing well off the bench, the competition for starting minutes remains a heated one, and these two may switch off.
Substitutes
Danny Musovski – 5 | Community – 5.7 (on 59’ for De Rosario)
Seattle needed a drastic improvement, so a triple change was made in the 59th. Musovski was a big part of their surge immediately after he entered. He finished the match with a (removed) goal, another big chance blocked, and two touches in the RSL box, continually forcing play directly in the middle and being an appetizing target for Seattle to play into. He did all this on only five touches.
Glimmer of hope: Moose looked excellent after coming into the match. He displayed his finishing ability in the 77th minute, redirecting home a pass from an offside Rothrock that should have tied the match. Minutes later, he had an excellent singular effort, taking a Roldan pass and driving into the box, wrapping a shot around a defender that somehow the goalkeeper denied.
Same old song and dance: Without service, Musovski wasn’t giving a lot of the small things; his press was just okay and he wasn’t a factor in the build up.
Moving forward: Danny staked his claim to earning the starting nod over ODR, and each has had some strong work so far this year with very different styles.
Snyder Brunell – 5 | Community – 5.8 (on 59’ for Ferreira)
Another player entering to change tactics, Snyder played on the right side, showing an aptitude for wide play that he hadn’t demonstrated prior. He went 14/15 passing, showed toughness and resilience both inside and on the width, and demonstrated a nose for the goal.
Glimmer of hope: Brunell came in and auditioned for more time. He was excellent in the midfield, and when he had a chance to go on goal, he ripped a tenacious volley in the 99th minute that nearly earned Seattle a point. Unfortunately, it was saved by the keeper.
Same old song and dance: The defensive shape in the middle improved with more numbers, but the choppy play meant there were sometimes massive gaps in the defense, which the home team exploited several times.
Moving forward: While not yet offering a massive upgrade to the current starting lineup, Snyder shows a quiet, solid consistency that is appealing and may get him more minutes.
Kalani Kossa-Rienzi – 5 | Community – 5.3 (on 59’ for Yeimar)
The third player to sub in at that window was Kalani. He completed every pass he attempted, had three defensive actions, and was a dependable option who played as a wingback on the right.
Glimmer of hope: This was an addition by subtraction, as Yeimar was struggling. The Sounders’ tactical adjustment got them into a better matchup in controlling the center, and Kalani did his job on the width.
Same old song and dance: KKR didn’t do anything really wrong, but he didn’t have much notable impact outside his teamplay. That’s not necessarily a bad thing.
Moving forward: Kalani is a versatile and energetic player capable of playing a number of positions, so giving him more time is intriguing.
Paul Arriola – 5 | Community – 5.3 (on 81’ for Dotson)
Paul got into the match for nearly 20 minutes of time (including stoppage) and was active, but fairly ineffective. His 1/4 passing was not great, but the one he completed was an excellent cross, showing off wide service.
Glimmer of hope: Ramping up his time, Arriola appeared to be feeling no ill-effects from his reconstructed knee.
Same old song and dance: Although he was on the field for longer, Paul didn’t look to be a large part of the team, and his impact was similarly small.
Moving forward: Getting Arriola some reps on the wing in upcoming games should help evaluate his return.
Nikola Petković – 5 | Community – 5.0 (on 90’ for Rusnák)
New Sounder Petković saw his first appearance for the team, entering as extra time began and seeing out the match.
Glimmer of hope: He was active, earning nine touches in nine minutes of extra time. Most importantly, two of his passes entered the final third.
Same old song and dance: Going only 4/7 passing, Petković didn’t immediately impress.
Moving forward: It was nice that Seattle gave Nikola a few minutes to see how he does, and nothing about his play seemed out of place in an MLS match.
Referee
Tori Penso – 7 | Community – 6.2
This was Penso’s first match for Seattle, and she and the entire referee team did a quality job. So much work was done communicating with players that fouling was kept under control; it was a near-even split of 16 total fouls called. RSL earned three yellow cards and Seattle one, in a match that was controlled but allowed to flow.
Glimmer of hope: After last week’s disaster, everything was going to look good. But this ref group was relatively unnoticed, doing their job efficiently and quietly, which is exactly what you want from a referee crew.
Same old song and dance: Although a 6th minute yellow was a brave early call, there were similar calls in the 14th and 19th that weren’t punished, setting up the match for some inconsistency.
Moving forward: Maybe there should be more women refs.
Real Salt Lake MOTM
I’m really looking forward to the Sounders facing a keeper who isn’t having the match of his life. Cabral was sensational in this one, finishing with six saves. It all started in the 8th minute, as he got a big paw to Yeimar’s headed attempt. In the 20th, he got caught in no-man’s-land, but made it work, getting big to deflect Rusnák’s effort. In a match xG had the Sounders winning, it was the big Brazilian who made sure his side came out on top.
Upcoming: Visiting a very beatable St. Louis team on the road should give us some more answers.
