MATCH RECAP: Sounders FC offense explodes in 7-1 win over San Jose

Sounders FC (5-2-3, 18 points) set a new club record for goals in a single match with a 7-1 win over the San Jose Earthquakes (2-4-3, 9 points) on Thursday evening at CenturyLink Field. In addition to a club record, Seattle's seven goals are one shy of the MLS record for a single game, while its five goals in the opening 33 minutes set a new league record for fastest to five goals from the opening whistle. With the win, Brian Schmetzer's club jumps to the top of the Western Conference, one point clear of Sporting Kansas City and Minnesota United FC.

MEDIA RESOURCES

MATCH HIGHLIGHTS: https://sndrs.com/w7c3m

PHOTOS - IMAGES FOR MEDIA USE: https://sndrs.com/amp5r

VIDEO - BRIAN SCHMETZER POST-MATCH PRESS CONFERENCE: https://sndrs.com/e3k62

VIDEO - JOÃO PAULO AND LEERDAM POST-MATCH MEDIA SCRUM: https://sndrs.com/ej9c8

The club opened up the match with three goals in the first 15 minutes, breaking the record for fastest time to three goals in a match in club history. Morris put the club up 1-0 in the fourth minute with his sixth goal of the season on an assist from centerback Xavier Arreaga, his second of the season. Raúl Ruidíaz made it 2-0 in the 12^th minute, converting a cross from Nicolás Lodeiro after the captain threaded his way through the San Jose defense. Kelvin Leerdam found the net for the second consecutive match three minutes later on assists from Ruidíaz and Jones, while Jones gave the home side a 4-0 lead in the 20^th minute, converting a cross from Ruidíaz. Ruidíaz completed his brace in the 33^rd minute, giving Sounders FC a new league record for fastest team to five goals after the opening whistle and a new club record for goals in a half.

João Paulo scored his first MLS goal just minutes after halftime, while Jones completed his own brace in the 59^th minute to make it 7-0. With assists on both second-half goals, as well as Ruidíaz's 33^rd-minute strike, Morris set a new career high and tied the club record with three assists in a match. Chris Wondolowski scored the lone goal for San Jose in the 71^st minute, converting a penalty kick after Arreaga was whistled for a foul inside the area.
MATCH NOTES

• With a 7-1 win inside CenturyLink Field on Thursday night, Sounders FC set a new club record for margin of victory. The Rave Green had previously beaten two opponents by a five-goal margin - vs. FC Dallas on July 13, 2016 and vs. LA Galaxy on August 18, 2018.
  
• Thursday night's match marked just the ninth time in MLS history that a team scored at least seven goals in a single match. It was the first occasion Seattle found the back of the net seven times.
  
• Seattle's five goals in the opening 33 minutes of play were the fastest from kickoff in MLS history, and only the third time five goals have been scored by one team before halftime.
  
• By scoring the match's first three goals inside of 15 minutes, Sounders FC set a club record on Thursday night for the quickest trio of strikes in team history to start a match. The club's old record was achieved on October 25, 2015 versus Real Salt Lake, when a Marco Pappa tally and a brace from Clint Dempsey occurred between the opening whistle and the 20^th minute of play.
  
• Sounders FC scored five goals inside of the same half for the first time in club history, courtesy of strikes from Jordan Morris, Kelvin Leerdam, Joevin Jones and a brace from Raúl Ruidíaz. This achievement also tied the MLS record for goals before halftime, with Chicago (2019) and FC Dallas (2017) also having hit this mark.
  
• With five different scorers, Thursday's match tied a club record for a single match. The Rave Green also saw five individuals score in a 5-0 victory over FC Dallas on July 13, 2016.
  
• Jordan Morris set a new career high in the match with three assists in a single game. This mark also ties a single-match club record. He has 17 regular-season assists to his name, accompanying 31 goals since his 2016 rookie season. 
  
• Joevin Jones recorded his first career brace on Thursday night. He now has five goals in regular-season play, dating back to his first league season in 2015 with Chicago. His two assists for the night give him three this season and 20 regular-season assists in his career.
  
• With a brace of his own in the match, Raúl Ruidíaz is now tied with club captain Nico Loderio and former Sounder Lamar Neagle for fifth in club history with 28 regular-season goals. Jordan Morris is fourth on that same list with 31 strikes. The Peruvian has achieved this mark in just two years, having signed with the club during the summer transfer window of 2018. He has also contributed seven playoff goals in that time, helping the Rave Green to the MLS Cup title in 2019.
  
• With João Paulo's strike in the 48^th minute of play, Seattle recorded six goals in an MLS match for just the third time in club history. The previous two occasions came on August 27, 2011 vs. Columbus and August 25, 2012 vs. Chivas, both 6-2 wins for the Rave Green. 
  
• João Paulo's strike was his first MLS regular-season goal, having scored twice in CONCACAF Champions League play in the series versus Honduran side C.D. Olimpia back in February of this year. Since joining the Rave Green as a Designated Player in the January transfer window, the Brazilian has started six of seven matches, recording two assists along with tonight's goal. 
  
• Kelvin Leerdam's hot streak continued on Thursday, recording the club's third goal and adding an assist on João Paulo's penultimate tally. In 10 matches this season, Leerdam has three goals and two assists, having scored in two contests against Portland on September 6 and August 23.
  
• Tonight's match at CenturyLink Field was the 29^th MLS regular-season contest between the two clubs. Seattle has a 12-10-7 advantage on San Jose, with a 9-5-2 record at home against the Northern California side.
  
• Tonight's win extended an 11-match unbeaten streak in regular-season play against San Jose, dating back to September of 2015 (six wins, five draws for Seattle).
  
• The loss was San Jose's most lopsided defeat in their history. The Quakes have conceded a league-worst 26 goals this season. 
  
• With seven goals tonight, Seattle's goal difference of +13 is the second-best in Major League Soccer. Only Eastern Conference-leading Columbus Crew SC has a better goal differential (+14). 
  
• Following tonight's result, Seattle jumps to the top spot in the Western Conference, one point ahead of both Minnesota United and Sporting Kansas City. This marks the first time in 2020 that Seattle has owned the top spot in the West.

MATCH SUMMARY

Seattle Sounders FC 7 - San Jose Earthquakes 1
Thursday, September 10, 2020

Venue: CenturyLink Field
Referee: Allen Chapman
Assistants: Jeremy Hanson, Cory Richardson
Fourth Official: Farhad Dadkho
VAR: Jorge Gonzalez
Attendance: Closed Door
Weather: 84 degrees and smoke

SCORING SUMMARY

SEA - Jordan Morris (Xavier Arreaga) 4'
SEA - Raúl Ruidíaz (Nicolás Lodeiro, Joevin Jones) 12'
SEA - Kelvin Leerdam (Joevin Jones, Raúl Ruidíaz) 15'
SEA - Joevin Jones (Raúl Ruidíaz) 20'
SEA - Raúl Ruidíaz (Jordan Morris) 33'
SEA - João Paulo (Kelvin Leerdam, Jordan Morris) 48'
SEA - Joevin Jones (Jordan Morris) 59'
SJ - Chris Wondolowski (penalty) 71'

MISCONDUCT SUMMARY

SJ - Andres Rios (caution) 30'

LINEUPS & STATS

Seattle Sounders FC- Stefan Frei; Kelvin Leerdam (Alex Roldan 58'), Xavier Arreaga, Yeimar Gómez Andrade (Shane O'Neill HT), Nouhou; Cristian Roldan (Jordy Delem 57'), João Paulo, Joevin Jones, Nicolás Lodeiro (Josh Atencio 85'), Jordan Morris; Raúl Ruidíaz (Will Bruin 57')

Substitutes not used: Stefan Cleveland, Miguel Ibarra, Handwalla Bwana, Justin Dhillon

Total shots: 16 (Four players, 3)
Shots on goal: 11 (Morris, 3)
Fouls: 8 (Arreaga, 3)
Offside: 1 (Leerdam, 1)
Corner-kicks: 2 (Lodeiro, 2)
Saves: 4 (Frei, 4)

San Jose Earthquakes - Daniel Vega; Paul Marie (Tommy Thompson 64'), Florian Jungwirth, Oswaldo Alanis, Marcos Lopez; Cristian Espinoza (Cade Cowell 64'), Luis Felipe Fernandes, Judson (Nick Lima 64'), Valeri Qazaishvili (Shea Salinas 64'); Chris Wondolowski, Andres Rios (Eric Calvillo 64')

Substitutes not used: Matt Bersano, Tanner Beason, Jackson Yueill, Siad Haji

Total shots: 11 (Wondolowski, 4)
Shots on goal: 5 (Wondolowski, 3)
Fouls: 10 (Rios/Wondolowski, 2)
Offside: 0
Corner-kicks: 6 (Espinoza, 3)
Saves: 4 (Vega, 4)