AMERICA FIRST FIELD - Patience was once again key for the Seattle Sounders as they tussled to a goalless draw with Real Salt Lake in Sandy, Utah - a place that remained a difficult visit for Seattle as they were unable to secure their first win in over a decade at America First Field.
Chances - and cautions - flew as the yellow card emerged nine times from Nima Saghafi’s pocket, but neither side could take advantage as the scoreless result meant that Seattle ended the night atop the Western Conference and with a clean sheet, but failed to break their duck in Utah.
Abram Iman / Sounders FC Communications
Both sides struggled to rev their engines in the first 60 minutes, with RSL limited to forays from distance that were handled comfortably by a confident Stefan Frei, while Seattle posed a vertical threat that was missing a final touch on multiple occasions.
The Sounders often posed a vertical threat in the first hour, something that Head Coach Brian Schmetzer thought of as a no-brainer, saying postmatch, “I think we have to use Léo (Chú)’s speed, Jordan (Morris)’ speed”.
That threat, something that Alex Roldan was acutely aware of from his spot on the right of the back four, differs from when more possession-focused players are placed there.
Abram Iman / Sounders FC Communications
One of those players, Cristian Roldan. remained absent with a concussion, MLS Golden Boot leader Morris began in his place on the right while the red-hot Chú made the most of his space on the left. Both players looked for space behind their respective fullbacks, with a midfield trio of João Paulo, Nicolás Lodeiro, and Albert Rusnák, who found himself returning to the club where he spent five years of his career responsible for finding them. Alex Roldan described his role as a fullback behind Morris as, “A bit different…it’s just adapting to whoever I’m playing with next.”
Roldan’s discussion of “the pocket”, something he mentioned when describing Rusnák’s playing style on the right, was of particular interest in his analysis of Seattle’s setup in possession. The pocket - the space on the right that appears when the opposing fullback drops to cut off a long ball, is a space that’s a golden opportunity for players like Rusnák and Lodeiro to find a ball in behind.
It’s a space that the Sounders recognize as vital in possession - when Rusnák wasn’t there on Saturday it was Roldan - and can be the place to initiate those looks in behind that make Chú and Morris killers on the break.
The chances were flowing, according to Frei, who said postmatch, “I thought we had spells where we were having good possession, good combinations…we were just missing a little bit that final touch”. He touched on the idea that Seattle was unable to finish those chances, something that was addressed by Brian Schmetzer, who thought that, “...the (Expected Goals - the Sounders tallied 0.9 xG) weren’t good enough by our standards,” with his changes.
Abram Iman / Sounders FC Communications
Seattle shifted tactically in the second half in an effort to make the most of those opportunities, first moving the in-form Morris and Héber closer together in an effort to get the most out of a struggling Lodeiro, and then Dylan Teves’ insertion for Chú that slid Morris to the left - his usual spot.
The swap generated arguably Seattle’s best chances of the second half, a Héber layoff that found Morris in space that could only be spurned over the bar and a ball from Alex Roldan that flashed past the American forward’s head just six yards out: the chances were, in Schmetzer’s opinion a sign that the, “...first ten, twelve minutes, we were in absolute control.”
Abram Iman / Sounders FC Communications
The introduction of Damir Kreilach, alongside his Seattle counterpart Fredy Montero, seemed to bring a level of invigoration as RSL looked to open up the game in the final fifteen minutes, something that Seattle dealt with well according to Roldan, who remarked that, “...our response to that was just as good (as Kreilach’s impact)...towards the end of the game, it’s not necessarily the mistakes we make; it’s just us chasing the game”.
Kelyn Rowe left the match in the 91st minute with an apparent injury; Schmetzer said, “There could be some significant damage there”. Rowe has provided apt cover for the ill Nouhou over the past two matches, and more information on his condition will emerge in the coming days as the Sounders evaluate him in Seattle.
RSL’s resurgence echoes concerns from the defeat in Portland, where Schmetzer bemoaned the idea that “We gave them life…a chance…some hope.” That hope didn’t come back to bite the Sounders on Saturday, but it’s something that they’ll look to focus on with a week off from league action.
It's an improvement from those moments at Providence Park where one chance left the defense gaping, and the Jackson Ragen & Yeimar Gomez Andrade partnership only appears to be strengthening. For now, it’s something to watch, to note, and to look at as an opportunity as the season marches towards the All-Star Break in July.
The Sounders feature on Sunday next week, hosting a Sporting Kansas City side whose last duel with Seattle sparked Chú and Morris’ hot streak, before traveling to SoCal for their fourth-round match in the U.S. Open Cup against the LA Galaxy on May 10, a side they defeated 2-1 nearly a month ago.
The Kansas City match will be shown on Apple TV and Fox, though streaming options for the Open Cup match are not yet confirmed; the third-round matches were presented on the Bleacher Report social channels, but last year’s fourth-round games were shown on ESPN+.
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