The Seattle Sounders defeated Austin FC 1-0 on Saturday night in the Texas capital. After Tuesday’s game in Sacramento, tonight’s game against Austin was likely to be a tough one, but the Sounders put in a serious performance and were able to go home to Seattle with three points.
The first half unfolded just the way the Sounders wanted it. Austin didn’t have any clear-cut chances and the game was played at Seattle’s pace. Of course, there were a few moments where the Sounders would have liked to have been a bit more composed in attack, but with a short break they dominated the first half on the road. Perhaps the most notable moment came in the 33rd minute when Danny Musovski was leading a counter attack but lost the ball at his feet and couldn’t find a free pass for Pedro de la Vega, who was breaking through in front of the goal.
The Sounders’ second-half performance saw them pull off a self-alley-oop. Building on the foundation they’d laid in the first half, Seattle came out in the second half and got the job done. With veterans Albert Rusnak and Jordan Morris on the bench, they quickly got the tempo and took control. Morris’ impact in particular was huge, and his instincts in the back created all sorts of problems for Austin FC in general, and Brendan Hines-Icke in particular. Within the 30th minute, Morris had a goal that forced Hines-Icke off the bench.
Key moments
5 – Austin got the first corner kick of the match but couldn’t do anything, getting fouled by Leo Chew to prevent a counter attack.
7 – Gyasi Zardes receives a pass from behind but shoots wide over the bar.
12 – De la Vega’s 30-yard free kick is deflected over the bar by Brad Stuber. What a shame!
16 – De la Vega is brought down in the penalty area but the referee rules it out, Julio Cascante takes his foot off to try and bring De la Vega down but there’s no call.
24 – Danny Musovski goes down for the second time with a head injury and is taken off the field for an examination, but must remain off the field for two minutes per MLS rules.
33 – The Sounders launched a dangerous counter attack but Musovski couldn’t get the ball to any of his running teammates, most notably De La Vega.
35 – Aimar Gomez Andrade receives a yellow card for using his hand on his face. Austin wins a dangerous free kick on the edge of the box.
40 – Dangerous moment for Austin. They get a couple of dangerous crosses but no one can convert.
45+2 – Austin ended the first half with a few chances but nothing came of it.
HT – Rusnak and Morris will play in place of De La Vega and Musovski.
49 – Frei makes a fantastic save at the near post to deny Sebastian Drussi’s header.
52 – Alex Roldan’s ambitious volley into the stands would have been a Goal of the Year contender, and Paul Rothrock followed it up with a cut-back shot 45 seconds later.
58 – Brendan Hines-Ike receives a yellow card for bringing down Morris during a counter attack.
61 – Big mistake by Choo. The Sounders had a clear chance on goal, with Rusnak making a perfect pass to Choo, who fired straight at the stubber.
63 – Morris’ goal!!!!!!!!!!!! Beautiful dribble by Vargas, smooth pass by Rothrock and nice finish by Morris, with his left foot too.
66 – Reid Baker Whiting replaces Choo.
77 – Hines-Ike is sent off for a second yellow card.
79 – Rusnak smashes the next free kick from a previous foul onto the crossbar. It was almost the best moment for a player in top form.
90 – Diego Rubio is brought down by Reigen in the box and the referee rules it out. No penalty! Austin comes close to scoring from the ensuing corner kick, but misses just short.
A quick thought
Jordan Morris This, Jordan Morris That: One of the most in-form players in MLS right now made an impact even without playing in a game. Morris was a threat since coming on at halftime. He scored a goal within the first 32 minutes of the game after receiving two yellow cards from Hines Ike. Outside of that, he was a constant threat.
Schmetzer’s Business Management Master Class: The Sounders head coach, despite the hectic schedule, opted to once again shuffle his starting XI without making any major changes. Seattle only made three changes from their last MLS match, and the lineup at the start of the second half was likely the first-choice 11, with all members fit and healthy. Not only was the lineup a choice, but you have to think Brian Schmetzer is the happiest man in the world with how his team performed tonight.
Vargas’ victory: The unsung hero of tonight’s game was Obed Vargas. He will appear on the stat sheet as a secondary assist on a goal, but his presence was felt throughout the game for much more than that. He was skilled on the ball, won duels and pretty much controlled the game from midfield against Austin. It was a true man of the match performance from this young player.
Notable Quotes
Schmetzer said of his team’s form: “The ball seems to be bouncing in our direction. Maybe it was the penalties called earlier in the year. Maybe it was the corner kicks that we snuck in goals on. Jimmy Gabriel always said, ‘Luck balances out,’ and we had too much bad luck earlier in the year. Now it balances out.”
— Jeremiah Oshan (@JeremiahOshan) July 14, 2024
Player Spotlight
Stefan Frei – The game wouldn’t end here unless Frei recorded his 111th career shutout, one win shy of tying Kevin Hartman for second all-time. Frei made key saves throughout the game to tie the game and, more importantly, hold on to a 1-0 lead when Austin fired in a powerful shot on goal in added time.
