Nicolás Lodeiro scored a free-kick game-winner in the 63rd minute, pacing the Seattle Sounders to a 2-1 victory over Western Conference foe FC Dallas at CenturyLink Field on Sunday night.
Chad Marshall netted Seattle’s other goal, the second tally of the season for the veteran center back. Dominique Badji found the equalizer for the visitors in the 52nd minute, but Lodeiro would cash home the dagger just 11 minute later off a bending set piece that snuck past FCD goalkeeper Jesse Gonzalez – a tally that would stand as the deciding goal.
Marshall opened the scoring in the 41st minute after getting on the end of a pinpoint corner kick from Lodeiro, nodding home a vintage header and staking Seattle to a 1-0 advantage it would take into the halftime break.
Badji leveled the contest just after second-half kickoff, chesting home a slick feed from Michael Barrios to knot the contest at 1-1. Lodeiro struck back in the 63rd, though, after whipping a free kick into the FCD box that curled past Gonzalez to give Seattle the 2-1 lead that would hold as the final score.
THREE TAKEAWAYS
MAKE IT EIGHT
The Sounders were red-hot coming into the match, on a 5-0-2 run in their last seven matches prior to Sunday. The unbeaten run now stands at eight coming off the result, against an FC Dallas team that has been the top dog in the Western Conference for much of 2018. Seattle is now 9-9-5 with 32 points on the season and will have another chance at home to try and extend its recent run and cover more ground in the playoff race when the Sounders take on the LA Galaxy at the CenturyLink Field next Saturday, August 18.
NEW GUY ON THE BLOCK
The Sounders announced the acquisition of defender Brad Smith on loan from AFC Bournemouth last week, the idea being he would solidify the position that has been a platoon between Nouhou and Waylon Francis for most of the season. The 24-year-old showed why the Sounders think he could be the answer on Sunday, showing a frequent willingness to push forward into the attack and whipping in crosses into dangerous areas. Seattle got 11 assists from Joevin Jones out of the position last year, so as Smith continues to acclimate to MLS and his new teammates, the hope for Head Coach Brian Schmetzer is the Australian fullback will also start finding himself on the stat sheet.
Defender Brad Smith passes the ball during his MLS debut vs. FC Dallas / Lindsay Wasson
LODEIRO KEEPS ROLLING
It’s no coincidence that Seattle’s recent run up the table has coincided with the best form of the year from their Uruguayan playmaker. Lodeiro now has six goals and seven assists in 2018 coming off another standout shift on Sunday, putting him on pace for what would be the first 10-10 season of his career if he can continue producing at his current rate.
SCORING SUMMARY
SEA - Chad Marshall (Nicolás Lodeiro) 41'
DAL - Dominique Badji (Michael Barrios, Maximiliano Urruti) 52'
SEA - Nicolás Lodeiro 63'
MISCONDUCT SUMMARY
SEA - Gustav Svensson (Unsporting Behavior) 51'
SEA - Kim Kee-hee (Unsporting Behavior) 78'
DAL - Reggie Cannon (Unsporting Behavior) 80'
DAL - Reto Ziegler (Violent Conduct) 90'+1'
