In a match where the possession numbers were fairly even and the two teams combined to take just five shots on goal, Sounders FC found a way to win.
Clint Dempsey’s 77th-minute goal was the difference on Sunday as Seattle beat the Portland Timbers for the fourth consecutive time across all competitions. It wasn’t nearly as high-scoring as past matchups between the Cascadia rivals – mainly because of Portland's ultra conservative play in the first half – but the Rave Green managed to get the job done.
A key reason why the Sounders came out on top was the play of goalkeeper Stefan Frei and a backline that was missing Chad Marshall. Frei, who is now tied for first in MLS with four shutouts, had a pair of diving saves and was quick to snatch Portland’s free kicks and through balls during the second half. Seattle has given up just five goals this season, tied for the lowest mark in the league.
The Sounders were a bit surprised that Portland seemed content to just possess the ball in its own half during the opening 45 minutes. Here is what Sigi Schmid and the players said after the match.
Sigi Schmid:
“I thought we did a good job in the first half of not falling into their trap of getting stretched and pushing up too high. I thought we did a better job in the second half of trying to make runs behind their defense. We got a goal – I thought we deserved a goal at that point – and we certainly put on some pressure by the end. We’re happy with the victory.”
“Stefan came up to me after the game and said, ‘Sorry, I made that more exciting than it needed to be.’ And I said, ‘Just think back to where you were a year ago, how far you’ve come.’ I am just really happy for him because I think he is showing our fans here and people around the league the quality goalkeeper that he is.”
Clint Dempsey:
“It seemed like they didn’t really want to play forward. They were content just keeping the ball in the back and trying to take the steam out of the game. We just kept pushing and kept fighting, and it seems in the second half, teams can’t keep it as tight. It always eventually opens up in the end.”
Gonzalo Pineda:
“At the end of the day, we did what we had to do. It was hard because it was a tie game, maybe a little boring for people. But we have three points, and that’s what we wanted before the game.”
Stefan Frei:
“We did well. They have some talented players, and we know that. We know their strengths, and we tried to make sure that they weren’t able to use those. I think we limited their chances really well and deservedly got the win and the shutout.”
