Sounders FC Drops 2-1 Home Result to Sporting Kansas City

SEATTLE, WASH. – Sounders FC (6-3-2, 20 points) fell 2-1 to Sporting Kansas City (1-7-3, 6 points) on Sunday afternoon on the Emerald Queen Casino Pitch at Lumen Field. Nico Lodeiro scored his first goal of the season for Seattle, but a pair of first-half goals sealed three points for the visitors. Sounders FC now prepares for a two-match road trip this week, visiting the LA Galaxy in Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup play on Wednesday, May 10 (7:30 p.m. PT / Golazo Sports Network, 950 KJR AM, El Rey 1360 AM) before heading to face the Houston Dynamo on Saturday, May 13 (5:30 p.m. PT / Apple TV, iHeartMedia, El Rey 1360 AM).

Sporting Kansas City struck first in the fourth minute, with Gadi Kinda crossing a ball to Dániel Sallói, who laid it off for Erik Thommy for a finish across of the face of goal. The visitors doubled their lead in the 31^st minute, with Thommy sliding a pass through the Seattle defense that was controlled by Alan Pulido, who finished from a tight angle past Stefan Frei.

Seattle won a penalty kick in the 64^th minute after Fredy Montero was taken down inside the area. Lodeiro stepped up to the spot and sent Sporting's Tim Melia the wrong way for Seattle's first of the day in the 66^th minute.

MATCH NOTES

• Despite today’s loss, Seattle remains in first place in the Western Conference. On 20 points, the Rave Green are one point ahead of St. Louis and two points ahead of Los Angeles FC. Sounders FC now prepares for a two-match week on the road, beginning with a Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup clash at the LA Galaxy on Wednesday, May 10, followed by a trip to the Houston Dynamo on Saturday, May 13.

• In the all-time regular season series against Sporting KC, Seattle moves to 12-11-4, with a 6-6-2 mark at Lumen Field.

• With Sporting’s opening goal in the fourth minute via Erik Thommy, Seattle conceded a goal at home for the first time in league play this afternoon.

• Coming into today’s contest, Seattle had won four of its first five matches at home in 2023, keeping a clean sheet in all five matches, becoming just the third team in MLS history to open a season with five-straight home shutouts (Columbus in 2020 and New England in 2005).

• Club captain Nicolás Lodeiro bagged his first goal of 2023 and his 57^th strike as a Sounder in all competitions with his penalty-kick goal in the 66^th minute of play. The Uruguayan is now tied with former teammate Clint Dempsey for fourth all-time in scoring for the Rave Green.

• Lodeiro's goal also marked his 41^st regular-season goal, breaking a tie with Obafemi Martins for fifth-most in club history.

• With just nine goals allowed in 2023 through 11 matches, Seattle is now tied for fourth in MLS in fewest goals conceded. 

• Goalkeeper Stefan Frei is closing in on a major career milestone, making three saves today, pulling within one stop of tying Jon Busch for the fourth-most saves in MLS history (1,151). Frei has been an ironman for Sounders FC since joining the club in 2014, and recently he broke Osvaldo Alonso’s club record in the MLS era for career starts across all competitions. Frei still trails Alonso’s club record for all-competitions appearances (339). Frei is also tied for first in MLS in shutouts so far this season with six.

• Joining the First Team via short-term agreement from Tacoma Defiance, fullback Cody Baker made his Major League Soccer debut on Sunday as a second-half substitute for Reed Baker-Whiting, who made his first start of the season at right-back.

MATCH SUMMARY

Seattle Sounders FC 1 – Sporting Kansas City 2

Saturday, May 7, 2023

Venue: Emerald Queen Casino Pitch at Lumen Field

Referee: Victor Rivas

Assistants: Lyes Arfa

Fourth Official: Mike Rottersman, Jeremy Kieso

VAR: Carol Anne Chenard

Attendance: 31,620

Weather: 62 degrees and clear

SCORING SUMMARY

SKC – Erik Thommy (Gadi Kinda, Daniel Salloi) 4’

SKC – Alan Pulido (Erik Thommy) 31’

SEA – Nico Lodeiro (penalty) 66’

MISCONDUCT SUMMARY

SEA – Alex Roldan (caution) 8’

SKC – Remi Walter (caution) 12’

SKC – Logan Ndenbe (caution) 65’

SEA – Albert Rusnák (caution) 81’

SKC – Johnny Russell (caution) 90’+5’

LINEUPS & STATS

Seattle Sounders FC – Stefan Frei; Reed Baker-Whiting (Cody Baker 57’), Yeimar, Jackson Ragen, Alex Roldan; Obed Vargas (Dylan Teves 84’), Albert Rusnák, Nico Lodeiro, Heber, Léo Chú (Fredy Montero 57’), Jordan Morris

Substitutes not used: Stefan Cleveland, Andrew Thomas, Xavier Arreaga, Ethan Dobbelaere, Sota Kitahara

Total shots: 11

Shots on goal: 3

Fouls: 15

Offside: 1

Corner-Kicks: 5

Saves: 3

Sporting Kansas City – Tim Melia; Andreu Fontas, Dany Rosero, Jake Davis, Logan Ndenbe; Gadi Kinda (Felipe Hernandez 46’), Erik Thommy (Roger Espinoza 76’), Remi Walter; Johnny Russell, Alan Pulido (Graham Zusi 85’), Daniel Salloi (Khiry Shelton 79’)

Substitutes not used: John Pulskamp, Robert Voloder, Robert Castellanos, Stephen Afrifa, Marinos Tzionis

Total shots: 11

Shots on goal: 5

Fouls: 7

Offside: 2

Corner-kicks: 8

Saves: 2

- SOUNDERS FC –