Score: Sounders FC 2 vs. Galaxy 0
Site: CenturyLink Field
Records: Sounders FC (20-10-4, 64 points). LA Galaxy (17-7-10, 61 points).
Man of the Match: Marco Pappa played just 17 minutes Saturday, but that was all the midfielder needed to score both goals in a match that had been lacking quality scoring chances. In the 85th minute, a wide-open Pappa received a through ball from Obafemi Martins and buried it into the near post. In stoppage time, Pappa sealed the victory with a chip after stealing the ball from LA keeper Jaime Penedo.
Telling Stat: 9. Stefan Frei closed out this season with his ninth shutout, which was good for third in MLS and exactly what Seattle needed in the regular-season finale. Chad Marshall, who missed Seattle’s 3-0 loss to LA at CenturyLink Field in July, was stout as the commander of the back line in front of Frei.
What You Missed: CenturyLink Field was open to full capacity for the fifth time this season, as 57,673 fans were on hand for Saturday’s match. The Sounders got to hoist their second trophy of the year in front of their home fans, who nearly set the MLS attendance record again this year.
So What: Sounders FC clinched its first Supporters’ Shield and the No. 1 seed in the MLS Cup Playoffs. If the Sounders were to reach the MLS Cup Final, the match would be played at CenturyLink Field. With Saturday’s result, the Sounders became just the second team to win the U.S. Open Cup and the Supporters’ Shield in the same year. Seattle also preserved its chance to be the first team to achieve the treble of a U.S. Open Cup title, Supporters’ Shield, and MLS Cup in the same year.
