Nicolas Lodeiro scores first goal as a Sounder in 2-1 win

For just the second time this season, the Sounders went with the same starting lineup two league matches in a row. It’s not surprising since it was the lineup that beat Orlando City 3-1 last weekend in what was probably Seattle’s best performance of the season. The Sounders’ opponent on Sunday, Real Salt Lake, also rolled in with a strong lineup, which made for an exciting match that Seattle won 2-1.

Things kicked off quickly at CenturyLink Field as both teams looked early and often to their strong attacking units. RSL had the first nip at goal but it was quickly stopped by Seattle’s defense. Some excellent work by Nicolas Lodeiro and Joevin Jones gave the latter an excellent opportunity, but Jones failed to finish. Clint Dempsey was through on goal after an excellent Osvaldo Alonso pass, but he failed to beat the defender and the goalkeeper. Seattle didn’t do anything with the resulting corner kick and another soon afterward.

Match stats

Tyrone Mears latched onto a deep pass and was fouled near the line, earning the Sounders a free kick from a solid position. RSL goalie Nick Rimando didn’t handle Lodeiro’s resulting kick well, dropping the ball in front of his empty net. Luckily for him, his defender kicked the ball away to give the Sounders another corner kick (that they again didn’t capitalize on). Both sides had a few more good looks, but nothing broke through until the 24th minute when Lodeiro capitalized on a great pass from Andreas Ivanschitz and curled the ball into the net for his first Sounders goal.

Not long afterward, in the 37th minute, Lodeiro picked up on a great Dempsey through-ball on the left flank, crossing it to Jordan Morris in the middle. The rookie headed the ball down and past Rimando for his eighth goal of the season. Morris had another excellent opportunity, through on goal and one-on-one with Rimando, but his shot rolled just inches wide of the post.

RSL came out swinging in the second half, producing a couple of chances in the opening minutes, but was unable to convert. Head coach Jeff Cassar brought on his team’s leading scorer, Yura Movsisyan, after the break in an attempt to string together some goals. Dempsey produced an excellent opportunity for himself right afterward, but his shot ended up rolling wide of the post. Lodeiro sparked the squad again when a one-two with Dempsey saw the latter through on goal, but Rimando was equal to the forward’s shot and snuffed out the attack.

Sounders goalie Stefan Frei was forced to snuff an attack not long after, when he came off his line to get the ball away from Movsisyan in the box. Shortly after, though, Frei made a horrible throw that was intercepted by Movsisyan, and the RSL forward passed it to teammate Joao Plata on the other side of the box. Seattle’s defense tried desperately to get organized, but Plata fired his shot into an empty net to narrow the deficit.

The Sounders had a penalty kick in the 80th minute after Cristian Roldan was tripped in the box, but Dempsey’s effort from the spot hit the underside of the RSL crossbar and was eventually knocked away. Both sides had some opportunities, but RSL’s Justen Glad could have had a red card in stoppage time for a shoulder-to-shoulder challenge on Erik Friberg that flipped the Sounders midfielder completely over and onto his back.

Man of the match: Lodeiro, no question. A goal and an assist in just his third match for the Sounders. This guy is unbelievable.

Turning point: This one wasn’t really over until the whistle blew. Both teams looked dangerous for most of the second half.

One reason to worry: Seattle looked a little dodgy in the second half, and Frei’s blunder was a little worrisome.

One reason to relax: If the Sounders can attack like this in every match this season, the playoffs are still within their grasp.

Spenser Davis also covers the Sounders for Sounder at Heart.

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