Nicolás Lodeiro scored a brace, Jordan Morris added another and the Seattle Sounders got a game-winning own goal late in the second half on their way to a 4-2 victory over the New York Red Bulls at CenturyLink Field on Sunday.
The Sounders jumped on the board first just after kickoff as Lodeiro sent in a corner kick that deflected off Gustav Svensson and fell to Morris directly in front of goal, and the 24-year-old attacker redirected the ball into the net to get the Sounders off to a dream start.
Seattle then doubled that in the 23rd minute, with Morris picking up the assist this time, sending in a headed cross to set up Lodeiro with a wide-open finish.
The Red Bulls would pull one back, however, with former Seattle Sounders 2 defender Aaron Long nodding home a headed effort off a cross from Michael Amir Murillo, cutting the lead to the 2-1 scoreline that would hold into the halftime break.
New York found the equalizer in the 67th off a laser finish from Kaku, but the Sounders would reclaim the lead just seven minutes from the final whistle after an own goal off a cross from Víctor Rodríguez deflected off of Red Bulls’ defender Sean Davis into the net. Lodeiro then added the insurance in second-half stoppage time, finishing off a breakaway goal that was awarded after the referee overturned an offside call on Video Review, sealing the 4-2 final.
THREE TAKEAWAYS
J-MO DREAMIN’
Morris was already walking on air after scoring an equalizing tally for the US men’s national team in their friendly against Uruguay on Sept. 10, and he looks to be carrying the good vibes over. The winger made a heads-up play to redirect the first goal home, then added a diving headed assist to set up Lodeiro on Seattle’s second. Morris is now up to nine goals and seven assists through 22 games on the season.
LOCKED IN LODEIRO
Don’t sleep on Lodeiro’s performance either. With two mores goals, the Uruguyan is now up to seven goals on the season to go along with his 12 assists as he continues another standout season in MLS. Sunday marked Lodeiro’s 99th career MLS appearances and he figures to reach the century mark in Seattle’s upcoming home bout with FC Dallas at CenturyLink on Wednesday (7:30 p.m. PT; JOEtv, YouTube TV, 950 KJR AM, El Rey 1360 AM | TICKETS).
RODRÍGUEZ RETURNS
Rodríguez hadn’t played in an MLS match since July 6 due to a hamstring injury, but he made his long-awaited return in the match, coming in as a 66th-minute substitute and finishing out the match. Look for the Spaniard to work his way back into the rotation and increase his minutes going forward as he regains his fitness.
