SEATTLE – The Sounders have reached the part of the season where points and advancing are the only important things. But that doesn’t mean they have to play sloppy defense.
Seattle hosted the LA Galaxy on Saturday in their first match since winning Leagues Cup last month. While the offense seems unstoppable no matter who is playing this season, there were glitches that allowed the Galaxy to carve an equalizer out of laxed coverage for a 2-2 draw at Lumen Field.
As the ball was batted around in the box, LA defender Miki Yamane was unmarked to knock in the tying goal in the 87th minute. He celebrated as if it were a for the win.
The Galaxy defeated the Sounders in the Western Conference playoff final last year but are currently last in the 30-team MLS. Saturday was LA’s third match against Seattle this season with the Sounders winning the other two by a combined 6-0 scoreline.
Seattle (12-7-9) seemed to take control of the match by scoring in the fifth minute. Right back Alex Roldan picked off a pass on the eastern sideline and funneled the ball through LA’s defense for Danny Musovski to collect. The forward paused to allow teammate Jesús Ferreira to catch up to the play, cutting a pass back for the midfielder to power a right-footed shot past keeper Novak Mićović.
The Galaxy (4-16-9) had multiple chances in the opening half to sneak an equalizer past keeper Stefan Frei. The closest was captain Maya Yoshida’s attempt set up by a corner kick in the 19th minute. There wasn’t much power on the ball, but Frei was inside the goal and caught the ball on the line.
Frei’s expertise was needed again in the 30th minute. He tipped Edwin Cerrillo’s shot from the top of the box over the crossbar.
Musovski bumped the deficit to two goals in the 41st minute. Sounders midfielder Obed Vargas sent a through ball to winger Paul Rothrock, who cut a left-footed cross into the box for Musovski to easily tap across the line.
But minutes later, Yoshida scored LA’s opening goal. The play started from a free kick. After a series of short passes, Galaxy midfielder Diego Fagúndez sent a cross for Yoshida to head down behind Roldan and Frei in the 44th minute.
Seattle held on to take the 2-1 lead into the break.
There was a reported 31,952 in attendance Saturday. A sharp decline from the record 69,314 that witnessed Seattle’s epic Leagues Cup win on Aug. 31.
Sounders coach Brian Schmetzer made three changes from the starting lineup that led the club to their first Leagues Cup championship. Frei was between the sticks. He’s played one match since July due to a concussion and Schmetzer assigning the in-season tournament to backup Andrew Thomas.
Musovski was suspended for the Leagues Cup semifinal and final due to making contact with an official, but he returned to the starting forward position ahead of deep reserve Osaze De Rosario. The latter netted four goals in the tournament while Musovski is having a career-best season with 16 goals, through all competitions.
Sounders young designated player Pedro de la Vega, who was named Best Player of the Leagues Cup tournament, didn’t start due to tendinitis in his knee. Kalani Kossa-Rienzi slotted in on the right wing and Rothrock started on the left in place of de la Vega.
Schmetzer began his substitutions in the 59th minute by bringing on midfielder Albert Rusnák for Kossa-Rienzi and defender Nouhou for Reed Baker-Whiting. It was Rusnák’s first match since suffering a hamstring injury against Mexico’s Club Tijuana on Aug. 6. Nouhou, who recently returned from international duty with Cameroon, was suspended for the Leagues Cup final due to a red card.
Sounders forward Jordan Morris and Georgi Minoungou entered the match in the 80th minute for Musovski and Rothrock. It’s Morris’ first match since undergoing left shoulder surgery in July.
Minoungou nearly had a euphoric moment when he had a bicycle kick attempt at goal on his first touch. The ball skimmed over the crossbar in the 84th minute.
Up next for the Sounders is a rematch against Inter Miami in Florida. The sides met in the Leagues Cup final, Seattle winning 3-0.