Rusnák continues to roll, Sounders shutout Dallas to advance to Western Conference Semifinal
By Charles Hamaker
Seattle, WA – If there was a momentary panic about the Seattle Sounders following their ugly leg two loss to FC Dallas during their first round MLS Cup Playoffs matchup, it was silenced quickly into the first half of tonight’s deciding contest. From the moment tonight’s leg three of round one began to the very end, the Sounders controlled the play and pacing against Dallas and reminded their opponent and themselves who they are at their core: a winning club. Seattle dictated pace and pressure throughout the course of this game, putting a defensive stranglehold on Dallas’ attacking, and punching their ticket to the Western Conference Semifinal against a familiar opponent in LAFC. The old adage about getting at the right time coming into the playoffs, across any sport, remains true as the Sounders continue to chug along since their late regular season surge secured them the second overall seed in the Western Conference.
Pre-match sights and sounds ahead of the Seattle Sounders Round one, leg three win over FC Dallas in the MLS Cup Playoffs. (Photos by Liz Wolter)
Focused first half sets the stage for Seattle
A noted issue in the Sounders Leg Two loss on the road against Dallas was their sluggish start to the match, as their opponent quickly took advantage of the fact that Seattle dragged their boots out of the gate. Dallas quickly put away two goals on the Sounders before we had reached that 20th minute mark, and by then it was too big of a hole for Seattle to climb out of, especially on the road. Returning home to Lumen Field, there appeared to be a sense of calm confidence about the Sounders, and it showed on the pitch. From the moment this contest kicked off, Seattle was in control of possession and any sort of major play. Dallas failed to get their attack in sequence, especially considering the absence of Jesus Ferreira and Marco Farfan, and the Sounders were more than ready to control the game because of that.
In the 35th minute, Dallas was attempting to build out of the back, but an errant pass by defender Sebastien Ibeagha was easily intercepted by Seattle’s Joao Paulo right around the midfield area on the pitch. With urgency, Paulo re-entered the Dallas half and looked up field to take advantage of the turnover he had created. The Brazilian midfielder found Albert Rusnák on a through ball in behind the Dallas defense, and the Slovakian was able to get his shot just enough under goalkeeper Maarten Paes’ left leg to bounce off and into the back of the net. Despite the two key players they were without due to injury, Dallas kept their composure and did their best with the roster that they had, but one mistake became just the sort of opportunity that Seattle could jump on to give themselves the upper hand.
The Seattle Sounders FC celebrate Albert Rusnák’s 36 minute goal to give the Rave Green the lead over FC Dallas. (Photos by Liz Wolter)
Intensity rises, but Sounders remain calm to advance
Seattle very well had the momentum going into the halftime break considering how well they had played defensively, having not surrendered a shot through those first 45 minutes, and the Rusnák goal that gave them the lead. The Sounders backline and midfield got in the way of passing lanes and prevented any sort of runs from the Dallas attack, with that lone shot that the visiting side got not coming until the 89th minute. Even that attempt, a header from Nkosi Tafari, was easily saved by Stefan Frei, and Seattle was able to burn out the rest of the clock that remained in this deciding match of round one. It was a clinic defensively for the Sounders, as defender of the year finalist Yeimar intercepted numerous crosses and headers as if he was an air traffic controller. In a hostile environment, without two of their best players, and against a focused Seattle squad, Dallas didn’t stand a chance tonight.
On the defensive end of things, the Seattle Sounders backline and goalkeeper Stefan Frei collected their 16th clean sheet of the year, including regular season and playoffs. (Photos by Liz Wolter)
Taking care of business after a hiccup of a Leg Two
The Sounders were able to flush the sluggish start and overall poor result that they left on the pitch in Dallas and bounced back impressively to advance on to the Western Conference Semifinal. If we take out the leg two loss in Dallas, Seattle has been an incredibly impressive club dating back to their last defeat, back on August 20th against Atlanta. Before the leg two loss, the Sounders had been on a ten-match unbeaten streak, and if we include the loss, it’s still impressive to go unbeaten in eleven out of 12 matches. While not fully healthy throughout much of this regular season, including Cristian Roldan’s concussion scares, Seattle was able to make do and bank enough points throughout the year to secure the second-best seed in the West. Now, getting that late surge at the end of the regular season, securing homefield advantage, and being healthy at the right time, the Sounders have the primary ingredients to make a deep run. Ingredients mean nothing without proper execution, but there’s certainly reasoning to feel good about the Rave Green as they march forth through the postseason.
The final whistle blows, and the Seattle Sounders can celebrate as pyro goes off to commemorate the victory. (Photo by Liz Wolter)
Quick notes
Attendance for tonight’s Round One, Leg Three MLS Cup Playoffs match between FC Dallas and your Seattle Sounders FC was 33,084.
After beating FC Dallas two matches to one the opening series of the MLS Cup Playoffs, Sounders FC advances to the 2023 Western Conference Semifinals. Seattle now faces rival LAFC at Lumen Field on November 25-26 (final date to be determined by MLS). Seattle earned home-field advantage by finishing second in the Western Conference standings during the MLS regular season (LAFC finished third in the West).
Sounders FC advances to the Semifinal stage of the MLS Cup Playoffs for the 12th time in club history, the most Conference Semifinal appearances since the Rave Green entered the league in 2009. Real Salt Lake, LA Galaxy and New York Red Bulls are each tied with nine semifinal appearances.
Seattle and LAFC have met twice in the MLS Cup Playoffs previously. Sounders FC first defeated the Supporters’ Shield-winning Black and Gold in the 2019 Western Conference Final, sending Seattle on its way to claim its second MLS Cup title weeks later. In 2020, the clubs met again – this time in the first round of postseason action – and Sounders FC again secured a victory.
Following tonight’s match at Lumen Field, Sounders FC’s record in the MLS Cup Playoffs moves to 24-14-7 dating back to the club’s 2009 inaugural MLS season. Seattle’s 24 postseason wins are four more than the next closest team since the Rave Green joined the league (LA Galaxy, 20 MLS Cup Playoffs victories since 2009).
Tonight’s match marked Seattle’s 11th all-time postseason contest against FC Dallas. The Rave Green are now 6-3-2 in those contests, advancing on five of six separate occasions. Prior to this year’s opening postseason series, the two sides most recently played in the 2020 Western Conference Semifinals, with Seattle winning 1-0.
Lumen Field continues to be a fortress for the Rave Green in the MLS Cup Playoffs. Sounders FC is currently riding a 19-match unbeaten streak in the postseason dating back to 2014. This run ties the MLS record for an active unbeaten streak in the postseason (New England Revolution).
Recording the opening goal in the 36th minute of play, midfielder Albert Rusnák recorded his second strike in the 2023 MLS Cup Playoffs and his second tally in three matches. The Slovakian international scored the opening goal in Match One of the FC Dallas series on October 30 (a 2-0 win for Seattle).
Rusnák’s goal marked his seventh strike for the Rave Green in 2023 in the regular-season and MLS Cup Playoffs. All of those goals have been match-winners.
Fellow midfielder João Paulo recorded his first postseason assist on Rusnák’s goal, his sixth overall helper between MLS regular-season and postseason play this year.
Cristian Roldan achieved a major career milestone on Friday evening, becoming just the third Sounders FC player in the club’s MLS era to hit 300 appearances for the club in all competitions. The University of Washington product joins current teammate Stefan Frei (352 appearances) and former midfield counterpart Osvaldo Alonso (339 appearances) in this rare club.
Goalkeeper Stefan Frei continues building upon his single-season best in shutouts. Tonight was Frei’s second clean-sheet in three MLS Cup Playoffs matches, adding to his 14 shutouts in the regular season (a Sounders FC single-season record). Frei’s combined 16 shutouts lead MLS.
Head Coach Brian Schmetzer’s all-time record in the MLS Cup Playoffs moves to 17-5-3, keeping him in third place in MLS history. He trails former Sounders FC Head Coach Sigi Schmid (26-16-8) and Bruce Arena (35-14-6) in the all-time postseason ranks.
After the Seattle Sounders won their match against FC Dallas, players took time to sign autographs and take pictures with fans. (Photos by Liz Wolter)
What’s next?
Following tonight’s Round One, Leg Three victory over FC Dallas, the Sounders advance on to the Western Conference Semifinals against LAFC. The exact date of that singular match (getting back to normal, after the new three matches in the opening round) playoff is unclear, as the league says that the entirety of both Eastern and Western Conference Semifinal matches will be played between the dates of November 25th and 26th. While they won’t strictly dictate when the Sounders host LAFC, as Seattle is the highest remaining seed in the Western Conference with St. Louis getting eliminated, the University of Washington Football team plays on the 25th and the Seahawks play on the 23rd. There are traffic aspects and field preparation aspects at play here, but it’s up to the league on whether they’ll factor those into their decision making. Regardless, considering the history between these two clubs overall and in the postseason, the Semifinal is sure to be a must watch.