Sounders move into 6th in the West with 1-0 over FC Dallas
By Charles Hamaker
Seattle, WA - The Seattle Sounders have been on a roller coaster of results since their Concacaf Champions League victory, mostly trending downward. They were able to get back to business tonight against the fourth ranked team in the Western Conference, a 1-0 victory. Seattle would scrape by with the three points, but at the end of the day the standings will not care how you won, it just matters that you won. The Sounders jump three spots in the table, and with another victory in their next match could jump as high as third in the Conference.
Captain Nico Lodeiro remains perfect from the spot, converting his last 18 penalties in the regular season (Photo via Seattle Sounders on twitter)
Penalty maestro Lodeiro
Seattle's Nicolas Lodeiro has been a master at the penalty, having converted his last 19 from the spot, and last 18 in MLS regular season play. The Sounders were able to rely on Lodeiro's mastery from the penalty area when Jordan Morris drew a foul in the box in the 39th minute. A great ball in the air goes towards Morris, who tries to control it with his chest. Dallas keeper Maarten Paes seemingly goes for the ball as well, wiping out Morris in the process and earning himself a yellow card. After a review, the penalty would be deemed good, and Seattle's captain would step to the spot. Lodeiro would put it away left corner of the goal, and give the Sounders a lead they would never relinquish.
Nouhou nearly scored, almost setting the 32,207 fans in attendance into a frenzy (Photo via Seattle Sounders on twitter)
Early attack sets tone for Seattle
The Sounders attack early on in the match was not necessarily knocking on the door, rather steady and consistent. Leo Chu, starting on the right wing, was able to get the ball into dangerous space and kept Seattle possession alive. Nouhou continued to keep the ball moving up the side of the pitch, and later on in the match nearly recorded a goal that would have set the crowd ablaze. Point being, the Seattle attack in the beginning of the match gave the Sounders an offensive mindset. The Sounders did not go down early and have to play from behind, and their aggression gained them the aforementioned penalty.
Leo Chu provided solid offensive presence from the right wing (Photo via Seattle Sounders on twitter)
Heightened urgency going forward
Seattle knows that the pressure is on them, and nobody in the entirety of MLS will feel bad for them if they crack under that pressure. With now eleven matches left, the Sounders are currently in a playoff spot at the sixth seed in the West. Taking that into account, only five points separate the ninth team in the West and the third team in the West. Six of Seattle's last eleven matches are against clubs that are in a playoff spot or close to one, so the competition isn't going to lay down for you. The Sounders will need all hands on deck, and that includes keeping Raul Ruidiaz healthy for the remainder of the regular season and a playoff run. Improved attacking presence, smart and technical backline play, and a reinvigorated mindset will carry Seattle to another deep playoff run.
Raul Ruidiaz staying healthy is critical going forward for Seattle’s success (Photo via Seattle Sounders on twitter)
What's next?
For their next contest, the Sounders will head on the road to play Atlanta United, who are in a lower standings spot than we are used to seeing them. The most recent winners of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup and 2018 MLS Cup champions currently sit at 12th in the Eastern Conference, the third worst team in the East. Josef Martinez and Thiago Almada lead Atlanta against Seattle when the two clubs face off in Mercedes Benz Stadium. Kickoff will take place at 12PM PST, while the match will be streamed on ABC.
