If you were to ask the Seattle Sounders prior to Sunday’s match at Sporting Kansas City if they would take a road point, they probably would have given the circumstances. Decimated by injuries and suspensions, yet to find the back of the net and visiting Western Conference-leading SKC where Seattle hasn’t won since 2013 doesn’t exactly make for a promising endeavor.
Yet with 17 minutes to go, there they were, coming back from a goal down to lead 2-1 after Cristian Roldan buried a one-timed effort from the top of the 18-yard-box. Graham Zusi would equalize for the hosts five minutes later to secure a draw, but the Sounders notched their point of the 2018 MLS season. They now return to Seattle upset they didn’t grab the full three and hungry for more.
“I’m not happy,” said Head Coach Brian Schmetzer. “We should have won the game. That’s how MLS is. You have to credit Zusi for making a play at the end there, but I thought that we put enough into the game that we could have come out with the full three points.
“For the guys to put in all of that effort and all of that work,” he continued, “it stings a little bit, but it gives them some good incentive for the next game.”
Alex Roldan (left) and Ozzie Alonso tackle SKC’S Gerso Fernandes | Nick Smith
There are still positives aplenty as the Sounders prepare for a home match against Minnesota United this Sunday (1 p.m. PT; ESPN, YouTube TV, 950 KJR AM, El Rey 1360 AM | TICKETS). They earned their first points and scored their first goals. After three straight games with a red card to start the campaign, all 11 players stayed on the pitch. Alex Roldan shined in his first career MLS start. Osvaldo Alonso is back from injury.
“You can argue who was the better team,” Schmetzer said. “I just think we gave ourselves a chance there at the end to win the game. Rough start to the season.
“I’m happy all 11 players stayed on the field,” he said with a small laugh. “I’m happy for the effort. The guys put the effort in today and that showed in some of the stats.”
The Sounders also bring back two more starters to the lineup this weekend as Clint Dempsey and Kelvin Leerdam are scheduled to return from suspension. The result in Kansas City was impressive, but Seattle knows it needs to use it as fuel against Minnesota to continue to get things back on track.
“We feel like we lost two points, but it’s a hard place to play,” said Roldan. “We have to win our next game and build off this tie. I don’t think anybody expected us to come here and play and defend a lead at some point, but we have to build off this. It’s a matter of getting our points next week.”
