What a career in Rave Green for Will Bruin. The veteran forward, who signed with Austin FC on Friday, leaves the Seattle Sounders after an incredible six-year run.
The St. Louis, Mo., native joined the Sounders ahead of the 2017 MLS season and helped lead the Sounders to three Western Conference titles, 2019 MLS Cup and the 2022 Concacaf Champions League crown. He recorded 32 goals in all competitions, putting him in the top ten goal scorers in the Sounders’ MLS history.
Let’s take a look back at five of Bruin’s most memorable moments. NOTE: These are in chronological order.
2017 Western Conference Final — Leg 2
A year after joining the Sounders from the Houston Dynamo, the club where he had spent his entire previous six-year professional career, Bruin buried his former team in the two-leg conference series. He headed home the second goal in a 2-0 Sounders win on the road in the opening leg before adding a beautiful assist to VÃctor RodrÃguez early into the second leg to all but clinch the series. He then capped an impressive 5-0 aggregate win with a goal of his own in the 73rd minute to send Seattle back to MLS Cup.
August 4, 2018 at Minnesota United
Bruin, with an assist from Head Coach Brian Schmetzer, gave the Sounders one of their most iconic goals of all time. After trailing 1-0 early on the road at Minnesota, Nicolás Lodeiro equalized from the penalty spot in the first minute of stoppage time. Not content with just a point, Seattle stole all three in the 97th minute when Raúl RuidÃaz headed a ball into the path of Bruin, who dinked the match-winner over the goalkeeper.
Oct. 22, 2020 vs. Portland Timbers
After a long recovery following a torn ACL in 2019, Bruin returned to the score sheet in dramatic fashion, rescuing a home point in the third minute of stoppage time against the rival Timbers. João Paulo’s corner deflected to Bruin, who was all alone at the far post to level the match 1-1 in the waning moments.
2020 Western Conference Final vs. Minnesota United
Bruin haunted the Loons yet again and with much higher stakes. Down 2-0 in the 75th minute of the Western Conference Championship, Bruin opened the scoring for the Sounders to halve the deficit. Bruin collected a rebound off a RuidÃaz deflection and one-timed a finish into the far corner. That paved the way for RuidÃaz to equalize in 89th minute before Gustav Svensson’s eventual match-winner in the third minute of stoppage time improbably sent Seattle to its fourth MLS Cup appearance in five seasons.
Aug. 21, 2021, at Columbus Crew
After conceding the opening goal to Bradley Wright-Phillips in the 77th minute, the Sounders seemed destined for a late loss at Crew SC. But Bruin subbed on in the 83rd minute and shifted the tide in Seattle’s favor. Four minutes later, the Sounders equalized when Xavier Arreaga tapped in a goal on the doorstep. Two minutes later, in the 89th minute, Bruin scored the Sounders’ second goal in brilliant fashion. He slipped in Jimmy Medranda on the left side, and when the break was cut off, Medranda dropped it back to Bruin, who coolly picked out the far corner.
