Sounders FC drops road match 1-0 against Real Salt Lake

Sounders FC (0-2-0, 0 points) fell 1-0 to Real Salt Lake (1-0-1, 4 points) on the road Saturday evening at Rio Tinto Stadium. The match featured a roughly two-hour weather delay due to lightning in the area, with play suspended late in the first half before resuming. 

Bobby Wood scored the lone goal of the match for the home side, as the Rave Green drop their second MLS regular-season match to start the 2022 season. Wood was fed a ball inside the area, where he turned and took an initial shot that was deflected by Xavier Arreaga, but the RSL attacker was able to collect the rebound and score past goalkeeper Stefan Frei.

Brian Schmetzer’s side now prepares for the first leg of the Scotiabank Concacaf Champions League Quarterfinals against Liga MX side Club León on Tuesday, March 8 at Lumen Field (7:00 p.m. PT / FOX Sports, TUDN, iHeartMedia).

MATCH NOTES

• Seattle is now 0-2-0 in MLS regular season play, with a 1-2-1 all-competitions record.

• Sounders FC is now 12-14-5 all-time against RSL in regular season play, including a 1-11-3 mark at Rio Tinto Stadium.

• Saturday’s match featured an approximate two-hour weather delay starting in the 42nd minute due to lightning in the area. 

• This is the fourth time Seattle has lost its opening two matches of the MLS regular season. It lost its opening two matches in 2011 as well as losing its opening three matches in 2016 and 2018.

• Head Coach Brian Schmetzer deployed a 5-4-1 formation this afternoon, with five players making their first start of 2022: Jackson Ragen (his first career MLS start), Abdoulaye Cissoko, Reed Baker-Whiting, Léo Chú and Fredy Montero. 

• Saturday marked Albert Rusnák’s first appearance playing against his former team. Rusnák, who signed with Sounders FC this offseason as a Designated Player, spent five seasons with RSL from 2017-2021, tallying 41 goals and 39 assists in 140 MLS regular season appearances. 

MATCH SUMMARY

Seattle Sounders FC 0 – Real Salt Lake 1
Saturday, March 5, 2022 

Venue: Rio Tinto Stadium
Referee: Nima Saghafi
Assistants: Nick Uranga, Adam Garner
Fourth Official: Lukasz Szpala
VAR: Edvin Jurisevic
Attendance: 20,017
Weather: 40 degrees and rain

SCORING SUMMARY

RSL – Bobby Wood 46’

MISCONDUCT SUMMARY

SEA – Albert Rusnák (caution) 46’*
RSL –* Scott Caldwell (caution) 70’*
SEA –* Kelyn Rowe (caution) 73’*
RSL –* Jasper Loeffelsend (caution) 90’+1’

LINEUPS & STATS

Seattle Sounders FC – Stefan Frei; Alex Roldan (Nouhou 45’), Jackson Ragen, Xavier Arreaga, Abdoulaye Cissoko (Yeimar 45’), Kelyn Rowe; João Paulo (Cristian Roldan 45’), Albert Rusnák (Obed Vargas 66’), Reed Baker-Whiting, Léo Chú (Jordan Morris 59’); Fredy Montero

Substitutes not used: Stefan Cleveland, Danny Leyva, Sam Adeniran

Total shots: 8
Shots on goal: 4
Fouls: 6
Offside: 1
Corner-kicks: 2
Saves: 5 

Real Salt Lake – Zac MacMath; Justen Glad, Erik Holt, Marcelo Silva; Andrew Brody, Pablo Ruiz, Justin Meram (Sergio Córdova 70’), Scott Caldwell, Maikel Chang (Jasper Loeffelsend 81’), Tate Schmitt; Bobby Wood (Everton Luiz 85’)

Substitutes not used: Johan Kappelhof, Chris Garcia, Bode Davis, Jonathan Menéndez, Tomás Gómez

Total shots: 16
Shots on goal: 6
Fouls: 8
Offside: 2
Corner-kicks: 6
Saves: 4