SEATTLE – The Seattle Sounders host FC Dallas and their playoff lives are on the line. Thanks to a goal from Albert Rusnák in the 33rd minute, Seattle earned a 1-0 victory, won the series 2-1 and advanced to the Western Conference semifinals against LAFC.
The first half was absolutely dominated by the Sounders. They had 64% possession in the first 45 minutes, outscored Dallas 8-0 and scored the only goal of the half. The breakthrough came shortly after a good chance following a free kick routine in which Cristian Roldan ran over the defensive line into the right area, received a short kick and played a cross which Jordan Morris headed away, but the attempt was saved by FCD- Goalkeeper Maarten Paes easily intercepted. Almost immediately after the restart, João Paulo intercepted a pass from Dallas in midfield and spotted a run from Albert Rusnák. He pushed the ball perfectly through a closing window and Rusnák hit a great shot that Paes managed to touch but wasn’t enough to keep it outside the goal.
After halftime, Seattle wasn’t quite as dominant, although they still controlled a good portion of the game. Dallas really started to assert itself in the final 10 minutes, scoring its first shot of the game in the 89th minute. Dallas made a few good plays as the Sounders struggled to regain control and decide the game, but in each case Stefan Frei and his defense were able to deal with any potential threat before Dallas could capitalize.
In the end, it’s another win, another shutout, and the Sounders advance to the conference semifinals for the first time since 2020. After the international break they host LAFC.
Key moments
1′ – After a nice push by the Sounders, a corner finally comes after Rusnak reaches the finish line.
12′ – After a series of misplays and dangerous decisions in the Sounders’ defensive zone, Nouhou shoots the ball over the line for a goal kick.
20‘ – Jackson Ragen wins a header from a free kick, which Maarten Paes easily intercepts, but is called back for a foul.
30‘ – Cristian Roldan catches a cutback from Jordan Morris and sets up JP for a shot, but his shot is easily blocked by Paes.
35‘ – The Sounders take a creative approach to a free kick, with Cristian standing in space on the right and Morris sending a cross, but his header is intercepted.
36‘ – GOAL! Albert Rusnák scores! He runs towards a through ball from JP that splits the defense and even though Paes gets a touch of the ball he can’t stop the goal! 1:0 sounder
40‘ – Morris plays through a possible foul in the box to allow Cristian to take a great shot from the top of the box, but the shot goes wide of the goal on the left.
55‘ – Morris almost gave the Sounders a second goal to cap off a great move by the Roldans and Josh Atencio, but his effort was blocked for a corner.
58‘ – Morris makes a great save from Paes and tries to put the ball high at the near post after a good ball from Rusnák.
61‘ – After some excellent touches and a nice double play at the top of the penalty area, Léo Chú’s ball fails as he denies a clear view of the goal.
72‘ – Jackson Ragen glances at the far post from a free kick after Nouhou is brought down by the ball, but his shot doesn’t bother the goalkeeper.
76‘ – Nico Lodeiro sends a fantastic ball for Morris, but it deflects, goes well out of his reach and leads to a corner.
87‘ – FC Dallas look dangerous when Jesus Jimenez has a header at the back post after a great cross, but Yeimar clears before the shot falls.
89‘ – Dallas took their first shot of the night when Nkosi Tafari scored a header in the penalty area that Stefan Frei easily cleared. It’s Dallas’ only shot of the game.
Short thoughts
Midfield control: This victory, like so many others, is simply not possible without João Paulo taking the lead in the middle of the field. His assist on the only goal of the game was something wonderful and just the icing on the cake of a well-deserved Man of the Match performance. He led Seattle with 86 touches, completed three of four dribbles, managed a whopping 12 ball recoveries and won eight of 10 floor duels. When he’s playing at the top of his game, there aren’t many players better in this Sounders squad, and tonight he was at his best.
Selection of strikers: Jordan Morris continues to solidify his claim to the starting center forward spot for the Sounders. He may not have scored as Seattle secured a place in the next round, but he did just about everything Brian Schmetzer and his team could have asked for. He almost scored several goals with some excellent hold-up play, particularly the chance he created for Cristian Roldan when he made a save and turned two defenders in the box before putting the ball away. He made the defensive line pass whenever he showed up and worked hard to win the ball back when the Sounders were out of possession. Raúl Ruidíaz is still a good option when he’s on the bench, but it’s not for nothing that he stayed there tonight.
Clean sheets keep piling up: Stefan Frei and the Sounders team secured their 16th clean sheet of the season with this evening’s 1-0 win. Frei and others will cite the team’s collective performance as the reason for this record, but no clean sheets are shown as a goalkeeping statistic for a reason. Frei’s ability to organize the team in front of him and control his area is typically a key factor in the team’s best shutout record in the MLS era. Stefan Frei may not get the respect he deserves around the league, but his durability and consistency will be remembered long after he’s gone. Hopefully this won’t be the case for the next few years.
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A statistic to tell the story
7 – All of Albert Rusnák’s 7 goals this season have been game-winning and he has now scored five goals in his last 10 games.