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MLS Seattle Sounders FC

Sounders FC Earns Crucial Home Win with 4-3 Thriller vs. LA Galaxy

September 1, 2019 - Major League Soccer (MLS)
Seattle Sounders FC News Release


SEATTLE, WASH. - Cristian Roldan scored his fifth and sixth goals of the season, including an 89th minute game-winner, as Sounders FC (13-8-7, 46 points) defeated the LA Galaxy (13-12-3, 42 points) in a back-and-forth 4-3 affair on Sunday afternoon at CenturyLink Field. Raúl Ruidíaz and Jordan Morris also scored for Seattle, as the Rave Green jumped into second place in the Western Conference with six matches remaining in the 2019 MLS season. Brian Schmetzer's side now heads to Colorado for a matchup with the Rapids on Saturday, September 7 at Dick's Sporting Goods Park (6:00 p.m. PT / JOEtv, YouTube TV, 1090 KJR AM, El Rey 1360 AM).

Seattle struck first in first half stoppage time, with Nicolás Lodeiro pouncing on a Galaxy misclearance and sending a low cross that found a wide open Ruidíaz for an easy tap-in. Ruidíaz now has a team-leading 11 goals on the season, while Lodeiro leads the club with 12 assists (tied for fifth in MLS). It marked Ruidíaz's third consecutive match with a goal.

Roldan made it 2-0 in the 55th minute for his fifth goal of the season, collecting a loose ball after a corner kick, taking one touch and firing a left-footed shot from about 15 yards out past Galaxy goalkeeper David Bingham.

The visitors evened the score with a pair of goals in the 66th and 75th minutes. Zlatan Ibrahimovic put the Galaxy on the board first, heading in a corner kick from Sebastian Lletget for his 23rd goal of the season. Nine minutes later, Antuna made it 2-2 after a deflected ball landed right at his feet in front of the goal for an easy finish.

Morris gave Seattle a 3-2 lead just two minutes later, getting behind the LA defense to convert a one-on-one opportunity with Bingham. The Galaxy found an equalizer just four minutes later, with Jørgen Skjelvik receiving a pin-point lofted through ball from Diego Polenta and scoring his first Galaxy goal.

Roldan completed his brace and scored the game-winner in the 89th minute, getting on the end of a cross from Brad Smith at the far post for his sixth goal of the season, as well as his third game-winning goal (tied for first on the team). With the two goals today, Roldan now has six on the season, tying his career high set in 2017. Morris recorded an assist on Roldan's goal, and combined with his earlier goal, he now has eight goals and six assists in 2019, including four goals and three assists in his last six starts.

Emanuel Cecchini made his CenturyLink Field debut in the first half, coming on for Jordy Delem (concussion protocol) in the 40th minute. The Argentine midfielder was acquired via loan from Malaga last month and made his team debut last Friday at Portland.

Following Sunday's match, Brian Schmetzer's side travels to take on the Colorado Rapids on Saturday, September 7 (6:00 p.m. PT / JOEtv, YouTube TV, 1090 KJR AM, El Rey 1360 AM).

MATCH NOTES

With today's result, Sounders FC moves back into second place in the Western Conference with 46 points (13-8-7), 16 points behind Supporters' Shield-leading LAFC. The club is now two points ahead of third-place San Jose.

Seattle today matched its highest goal output of the season, and scored four goals in a match for the first time since a 4-2 win at Chicago on March 16.

Roldan netted his fifth and sixth goals of the season, matching his single-season career high he set during the 2017 season. The multi-goal game was the second of his career, and his first since July 23, 2017 in a 3-0 win vs. San Jose. The midfielder now ranks third on the club in goals, behind only Ruidíaz (11) and Morris (8). Seattle today improved to 4-0-1 in games in which Roldan scores.

Ruidíaz has now scored in three consecutive games for the second time in his career, and recorded an assist in two straight matches for the first time in his career. He established a new club record by scoring in eight consecutive appearances (including postseason) from September 29, 2018 - March 16, 2019. The Peruvian now has 24 goals in 33 appearances across all competitions since coming to Seattle last summer.

Morris scored a goal and recorded an assist in the same game for the third time in his career and second time this season. He also accomplished the feat in Seattle's first road contest of 2019, a 4-2 win at Chicago on March 16. Morris has earned an assist in consecutive games for the first time in his career.

Lodeiro's team-leading 12th assist of the season ranks him tied for fifth in MLS. He has now matched his second-highest single-season assist total (also: 2017), behind only his club record of 16 from last season. Lodeiro's 12 assists are tied for the third-most in a single season in team history.

Smith's assist was his sixth of the season and first since a 1-0 win vs. Vancouver on June 29. MATCH SUMMARY

Seattle Sounders FC 4 - Los Angeles Galaxy 3

Sunday, September 1, 2019

Venue: CenturyLink Field

Referee: Christopher Penso

Assistants: Corey Rockwell, Jeremy Hanson

Fourth Official: Elijio Arreguin

VAR: Jose Carlos Rivero

Attendance: 46,673

Weather: 76 degrees and partly cloudy

SCORING SUMMARY

SEA - Raúl Ruidíaz (Nicolás Lodeiro) 45'+2'

SEA - Cristian Roldan 55'

LAG - Zlatan Ibrahimovic 66'

LAG - Uriel Antuna (Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Cristian Pavon) 75'

SEA - Jordan Morris (Raúl Ruidíaz) 77'

LAG - Jorgen Skjelvik 81'

SEA - Cristian Roldan (Brad Smith, Jordan Morris) 89'

MISCONDUCT SUMMARY

LAG - Giancarlo Gonzalez (caution) 6'

SEA - Xavier Arreaga (caution) 47'

LAG - Diego Polenta (caution) 62'

LINEUPS & STATS

Seattle Sounders FC - Stefan Frei; Saad Abdul-Salaam, Kim Kee-hee, Xavier Arreaga, Joevin Jones (Brad Smith 81'); Gustav Svensson, Jordy Delem (Emanuel Cecchini 40'), Cristian Roldan, Nicolás Lodeiro - captain, Jordan Morris (Nouhou 90'+1'); Raúl Ruidíaz

Substitutes not used: Bryan Meredith, Harry Shipp, Luis Silva, Handwalla Bwana

Total shots: 11 (Ruidíaz, 4)

Shots on goal: 6 (Ruidíaz, 3)

Fouls: 16 (Ruidíaz/Svensson, 3)

Offside: 3 (Ruidíaz, 2)

Corner-kicks: 6 (Lodeiro, 6)

Saves: 6 (Frei, 6)

Los Angeles Galaxy - David Bingham; Rolf Feltscher, Diego Polenta, Giancarlo Gonzalez, Jorgen Skjelvik; Jonathan dos Santos, Sebastian Lletget, Favio Alvarez (Joe Corona 59'), Uriel Antuna (Julian Araujo 89'); Cristian Pavon, Zlatan Ibrahimovic - captain

Substitutes not used: Matt Lampson, Daniel Steres, Servando Carrasco, Chris Pontius, Efrain Alvarez

Total shots: 16 (Pavon, 5)

Shots on goal: 9 (Ibrahimovic, 3)

Fouls: 16 (Feltscher, 3)

Offside: 3 (Ibrahimovic, 2)

Corner-kicks: 7 (Lletget, 4)

Saves: 2 (Bingham, 2)

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Major League Soccer Stories from September 1, 2019


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