TUKWILA, WASH. – Sounders FC concluded its 2023 preseason slate with a 2-1 win over USL Championship side Louisville City FC on Saturday at Starfire Sports. Héber and Cristian Roldan scored for Seattle, which begins its 2023 MLS regular season campaign next Sunday, February 26 against the Colorado Rapids on the Emerald Queen Casino Pitch at Lumen Field (5:00 p.m. PT / Apple TV, FS1).
Sounders FC came out strong in an aggressive match against the Kentucky side, with Héber connecting on a João Paulo corner kick in the sixth minute for the first goal of the match. Roldan converted after collecting a deflected shot in the 21st minute, shooting across the face of goal and nestling the ball in the bottom left corner to double the lead. Seattle created a number of other chances throughout the match and was able to hold onto a 2-1 win after Louisville scored in the 73rd minute.
Following the match, Sounders FC’s reserves played a 90-minute scrimmage against a combination of Louisville and Tacoma Defiance players, with Defiance making up the entire XI in the second half. Fredy Montero scored a hat trick, in addition to strikes from Dylan Teves, Danny Leyva and Léo Chú.
Today marked the final tune-up games for Seattle before kicking off its 2023 MLS regular season campaign at home next Sunday, February 26 against the Colorado Rapids (5:00 p.m. PT / Apple TV, FS1).
MATCH SUMMARY
Seattle Sounders FC 2 – Louisville City FC 1
Saturday, February 18, 2023
Venue:Â Starfire Sports
Weather:Â 45 degrees and cloudy
SCORING SUMMARY
SEA – Héber (João Paulo) 6’
SEA – Cristian Roldan 21’
LOU – Dylan Mares (Brian Ownby) 74’
LINEUP & SUBSTITUTES
Sounders FC Lineup & Substitutes – Stefan Frei; Alex Roldan, Yeimar Gómez Andrade, Jackson Ragen, Nouhou; João Paulo (Sota Kitahara 79’), Albert Rusnák; Cristian Roldan, Nico Lodeiro – captain, Jordan Morris; Héber (Eythor Bjørgolfsson* 85’)
* Tacoma Defiance Player