HARRISON, N.J. — The Seattle Sounders’ final match before a 10-day FIFA World Cup break didn’t go as the team had hoped.
The New York Red Bulls scored on either side of halftime and withstood a late goal from Harry Shipp to knock off Seattle 2-1 at Red Bull Arena. Coming into Wednesday night’s match, the Sounders had worked on getting more possession and being more goal-dangerous, and it led to more shots on target, even if it wasn’t ultimately enough.
“[Shipp’s] goal is a sign, a symbol, that there’s life in the team, but was that really going to be enough?” posited Head Coach Brian Schmetzer. “You know, probably not. [The Red Bulls] had a ton of chances in the second half. They could have put the game [away] sooner, but then again that’s soccer.
“We’ve scored some [goals] at the death here, but it wasn’t meant to be,” he continued. “It’s a tough place to play, but we’ll keep fighting.”
New York employed a very high press as it does so often under Head Coach Jesse Marsch. Swarms of attacking players try to pin opponents deep to force turnovers or long clearances that give away possession. The Sounders ran a five-man back line in the first half, hoping to exploit the wings with right back Jordan McCrary and left back Waylon Francis, but Seattle was unable to get anything substantial to click.
Derrick Etienne Jr. dribbles against Kim Kee-hee and Harry Shipp | USA Today Sports
“[The Red Bulls] made it tough to play in the first half,” said Shipp, who watched the first half from the bench before entering as a second-half substitute. “They kind of disrupted our flow and how we were trying to build. I just came on trying to make a difference and get the ball in dangerous spots.”
Seattle switched to its traditional 4-2-3-1 formation at halftime when Clint Dempsey entered for Tony Alfaro, a move that Schmetzer had been planning on making all along, but given how the match was going, he wanted to give Dempsey more time to create and make something happen offensively.
Although not enough matriculated to steal a crucial road point against one of the best teams in the Eastern Conference, the hunger is still there. The next match, at home against the Chicago Fire on Saturday, June 23 (7 p.m. PT; JOEtv, YouTube TV, Univision-Seattle, 950 KJR AM, El Rey 1360 AM | TICKETS), can’t come soon enough.
“Absolutely we want to be back out on the pitch,” said McCrary. “Games like this, you want to get it out of your head, want to get to the next one, try to get rolling, try to get another [win].”
Added Schmetzer: “What I was proud of, though, is the team never quit. They never stopped fighting. It’s a testament, again, to the strength of the group.”
