Down 3-1 after 54 minutes Wednesday night, Sounders head coach Brian Schmetzer looked to his bench to jump start the Sounders by bringing on two defenders.
Off came midfielders Harry Shipp and Aaron Kovar, and on came Nouhou and debutant Kelvin Leerdam as Schmetzer looked for attacking prowess from his fullbacks.
The move thrust Brad Evans and Joevin Jones up to right and left midfield, respectively, as the Sounders sought to get more players forward with more than 30 minutes remaining in the match.
For Leerdam, he saw an opportunity to create from the right side of the pitch as D.C. tilted their players to the left.
“I just tried to take advantage of the space they left open,” Leerdam told reporters after the match. “Every time we had the ball on the left side I was just open. I think a few times I benefited from it.”
While his name is not on the stat sheet, Leerdam helped reassert his side in what became perhaps the greatest comeback in MLS history.
“Kelvin is a talented player,” Schmetzer said post-match. “You guys saw what he can bring. We just need to get more attacking movements up the field.”
Added Leerdam: “It’s tough to be three goals down. I think we showed a lot of confidence in ourselves today. If you score four goals in 45 minutes, it’s a mental plus for us. It’s a crazy game, it’s a crazy welcome for me, but I’ll take it.”
Leerdam noted that he hopes future matches are a bit easier and added that the home crowd support helped push the Rave Green forward with confidence.
“When I came in I felt the support of the fans,” he said. “They were screaming and supporting the whole game even though we were three goals down. In the end, it’s good for us but it’s a better day for them.
“It’s similar to my former team, Feyenoord. They were loud. They were supporting us and everybody can be happy with the result and like I said, we go home happy, they go home happy, and that’s the most important thing.”
