Preseason Friendly: Recap and Info vs. Sacramento Republic

The Seattle Sounders faced USL side Sacramento Republic in a pair of 90-minute friendlies on Saturday at the team's new training facility located in Renton.

The Sounders lost Match 1 by one goal and won the second 4-0. Pedro de la Vega, Raúl Ruidíaz, Jonathan Bell and Chris Aquino scored for Seattle.

FIRST MATCH

Lineup:

GK: Stefan Frei (24)
RB: Cody Baker (33)
CB: Nathan (4)
CB: Jackson Ragen (25)
LB: Nouhou (5)
CM: Josh Atencio (8)
CM: Obed Vargas (18)
RM: Cristian Roldan (7)
AM: Albert Rusnák (11)
LM: Léo Chú (23)
FW: Jordan Morris (13)

1’ We are underway in Renton! 

1’ Albert serves a perfect through ball to Chú down the left flank but the Sacramento goalkeeper manages to get a hold of it before he is able to take a shot.

5’ Obed drives through the middle of the pitch, opening up space for his fellow teammates. The Sounders are looking dominant in the first five minutes of the match with their ability to maintain possession.

7’ Atencio sends a driven ball into the box, but a Sacramento defender manages to tap it out for a corner kick.

8’ Two more corner kicks in a span of a minute for the Rave Green but nobody was able to get a chance out of them.

10’ Foul, Sacramento Republic FC. It’s getting a little chippy on the left side of the pitch.

11’ Driven shot from Sacramento Republic FC on the left side of the eighteen, but it’s hit slightly wide.

13’ Ahh barely offside for Chú on the left flank with open space ahead of him.

19’ Atencio with the lofted ball over the Sacramento defense for Jordan to run onto, but it was slightly too heavy, giving the goalkeeper the ability to easily pick it up.

20’ Corner kick, Sounders. Albert to take. Ball is cleared out by the California team.

24’ Great defensive stop from Jackson Ragen at the half as he manages to get a foot on it.

25’ Free kick for the Sounders a couple yards out from the eighteen. Albert looks to curve it near post but doesn’t have enough power on it, making it an easy save for the Sacramento goalkeeper.

27’ Sacramento gets a chance after a cross hits a player running onto the ball in the middle of the box, but it goes over the goal.

29’ Albert gets an opportunity at the top of the box, but the ball is hit directly at the goalkeeper for him to collect an easy save.

32’ Jordan rockets a near post shot inside the box, but it goes wide.

34’ What a block from Ragen! Sacramento nearly gets an open shot at goal but a sliding save from the center back prevents them from scoring.

37’ Corner kick, Sounders. Albert to take. Ends up getting punched out by Sacremento’s goalkeeper.

39’ Another overhead ball from Atencio, this time for Cristian to run onto, but a Sacramento defender barely gets a foot on it to prevent the breakaway.

42’ Atencio gets open space to shoot just outside the eighteen, but skyrockets the ball over the net.

43’ Sacramento earns a corner after nearly getting another opportunity at goal.

44’ GOAL, Sacramento. The opposing team earns a free kick just outside the eighteen, curves the ball in near post to put the USL Championship squad up by one to close out the first half. 

46’ No changes to start the second half.

46’ Sacramento gets a shot outside the eighteen to kick off the half, but it skyrockets over.

52’ Jordan receives a through ball down the right flank, attempts a cross, but it’s blocked by a Sacramento defender.

53’ A cross from Cristian on the right flank reaches the head of Chú but his header attempt goes over the bar.

57’ A cross attempt from Cody Baker leads to a corner. 

61’ Josh with the through ball attempt to Jordan into the inside of the box, but a Sacramento defender manages to shield him off enough for his goalkeeper to collect the ball before Jordan got to it.

63’ Xavi Arreaga subs into the match for Ragen.

64’ Paul Rothrock subs into the match for Atencio. Cristian moves into the center while Rothrock sits on the left wing.

66’ A 1-v-1 battle down the left flank earns Chú a corner for the Rave Green.

66’ Rothrock with the cross attempt down on the left side of the eighteen, earns a corner.

68’ A corner kick scrum leads to a shot attempt from Nouhou outside the eighteen, but it’s picked up by Sacramento’s keeper.

71’ Xavi with the header attempt off a corner, but a jumping save from Sacramento’s goalkeeper prevents him from scoring.

73’ Another corner kick for the Sounders, but a little too heavy of a ball.

76’ Wholesale changes for Sacramento Republic FC, looks like eight players.

78’ Crafty moves from Rothrock to hit a perfect cross to Chú on the endline. Chú almost ties it up but hits the crossbar.

81’ Chú with the cross on the left flank, but runners in the box couldn’t get there in time to knock it in.

84’ Albert almost gets Jordan on the through ball, but a Sacramento defender manages to get a hold of it.

87’ Gallatin Sandnes subs in for Nouhou.

89’ Shot attempt from Sacramento Republic at the top of the eighteen, but Stef Frei makes a jumping save to prevent the goal.

90’ Baker earns a corner after a hard, driven cross deflects off a Sacramento defender.

90’ Final from Match 1.

NOTES:

The Sounders maintained the majority of possession throughout the duration of the match but a Sacramento free kick late in the first half earned the USL Championship squad the victory for Match 1. The Rave Green had plenty of chances to take the lead prior to the goal and tie it up after the fact, but were unable to produce.

MATCH 2

Lineup:

GK: Andrew Thomas (26)
RB: Kalani Kossa-Rienzi (85)*
CB: Stuart Hawkins (39)
CB: Xavier Arreaga (3)
LB: Jon Bell (15)
CM: Danny Leyva (75)
CM: Snyder Brunell (37)+
RM: Dylan Teves (99)
AM: Danny Musovski (17)
LM: Pedro de la Vega (10)
FW: Raúl Ruidíaz (9)

+ 2024 Tacoma Defiance player
* Unsigned SuperDraft selection or preseason guest player

1’ We are underway in our final match of the preseason!

5’ Pedro takes on a Sacramento defender down the left flank and makes a beautiful pass to Musovski on the run in the center of the pitch, but he slips last second and misses the ball.

6’ Pedro dribbles through four guys, takes a shot near post but the Sacramento goalkeeper makes a diving save to prevent the goal. Sounders earn a corner kick.

11’ Jon Bell lofts a ball over Sacramento defenders and into the feet of Ruidíaz, but he’s called offsides.

12’ Attempt for Sacramento, with open space ahead on the left flank, one of their attacking players crosses the ball into the box only for their teammate to sail the ball over the net.

16’ Kalani serves a beautiful ball through to Pedro on the right who manages to lay off a ball into Musovski inside the six, but a defender pokes it out for a corner.

21’ Ahhh sooo close! Pedro zips through Sacramento's defense to lay a ball to Ruidíaz in the box, but the Peruvian’s contact on the ball wasn’t strong enough for it to hit the back of the net.

27’ A Raúl through ball to Musovski gives the Sounders a chance to take the lead but a diving save from Sacramento’s goalkeeper keeps the score at zeroes.

29’ Raúl earns the squad a PK.

31’ GOAL SOUNDERS. Pedro takes the penalty, placing it perfectly into the bottom left corner of the net, giving the Seattle squad the 1-0 lead.

31’ Sacramento has a breakaway but Andrew Thomas comes in clutch with the 1-v-1 save.

36’ Paul subs in for Musovski and Georgi subs in for Pedro.

38’ Shot attempt for Raúl on the right side of the eighteen, but it goes directly into the hands of Sacramento’s keeper.

40’ Paul with the through ball to Raúl for the breakaway but he’s called offsides.

44’ Leyva receives a lofted ball over the heads of Sacramento’s defenders, gets a cross off to Raúl, but a sliding effort from a Sacramento defender prevents a potential opportunity for the Rave Green.

45’ GOAL SOUNDERS. A crafty step-over move past the goalkeeper earns Ruidíaz the second goal of the day for the Sounders squad.

46’ No changes for the Rave Green to start the second half. The Sacramento squad is finished for the day with the second half taking place against Tacoma Defiance.

47’ Raúl with a free kick but it skies over the net.

55’ Georgi lays it off for Paul down the left flank but a Defiance defender manages to put a stop to the attacking build-up.

62’ Georgi drives a cross from the left side of the eighteen but nobody there is to receive it for an attempt at goal.

62’ Gallatin subs in for Xavi.

63’ GOAL SOUNDERS. Jon Bell gets the goal after a Danny Leyva corner kick was lobbed up by Ruidíaz for Bell to redirect the ball with his head and into the back of the net.

66’ Defiance with the chance in front of goal but Thomas makes a diving save.

68’ A Kalani breakaway leads to a pass to Rothrock for him to take a shot from distance but it’s punched away by Defiance keeper Jacob Castro for a corner.

78’ Chris Aquino subs in for Dylan Teves.

79’ Corner kick for Defiance but Jon Bell clears it out.

82’ AH! Almost another one for Raúl, but Castro makes a great save to avoid the 4-0 deficit.

88’ GOAL SOUNDERS. Super sub Chris Aquino makes an immediate impact for the Seattle squad, scoring the team’s fourth goal of the day.

90’ Full time from Renton.

NOTES:

The Sounders closed out the day in topform with a shut-out and four goals to show for in Match 2. Ruidíaz was a difference maker in Match 2, scoring the second goal of the day for the Rave Green and having several other opportunities to notch a few more.