Sometimes, it’s just not your night. With a thin squad and a tough environment greeting them in Seattle, Minnesota United fell to the Sounders 2-0 in a stop-start match that is best left to the past. The Loons were unable to get anything of substance going in this one, and while the hosts weren’t great either, they were good enough to pull ahead in the end.
The match halted as soon as it started, as a collision between Devin Padelford and Alex Roldan just 10 seconds in forced both players off the field with head injuries. Jordan Adebayo-Smith came on for the injured Padelford, shifting the Loons’ 5-3-2 formation to a 5-2-3 and pushing Sang Bin Jeong to RWB, rather than the striker partnership he was meant to star in with Bongokuhle Hlongwane.
The early interruption seemed to throw both sides off their game, and no real consistency crept into the match until the 10th minute. Seattle got settled first and began playing long balls over the top, but Michael Boxall and the backline stood tall. Some sporadic connections between Sang Bin and Bongi showed flashes of promise, while the sticky feet of Franco Fragapane gave Loons fans a reason to have at least a little hope in an otherwise lackluster first 45 minutes.
In the 28th minute, Seattle’s quality showed through, as Albert Rusnák’s pinpoint freekick found Jordan Morris in the box for a clean header. The goal seemed to spur a bit more urgency in the hosts, and with a celebratory atmosphere behind them courtesy of their 50th anniversary recognition, they grew into the game more and more. Schmetzer’s men piled on the pressure, and despite being marginally better than the visitors, ended up having the edge they needed to take control of the game.
The second half saw the state of the proceedings go from bad to worse for the visiting Loons. Morris Duggan came on for an injured Michael Boxall at the half, and despite a close call just 19 seconds into the half, the Black and Blue saw about a 15-minute period of improved play. Chances for Caden Clark and Bongokuhle Hlongwane were close without any cigar, and decent combinations from Fragapane and Robin Lod fell flat in the end.
In the 57th minute, Paul Rothrock doubled the lead when he put away Léo Chú’s cross across the top of the six. They say that goals change games, and that was certainly the case tonight. A deflated Loons side showed evident frustration in the closing half hour, putting together a disjointed press and generally not making life hard enough for Seattle.
Additional substitutes failed to make much of an impact for the Loons, and a reckless challenge from Moses Nyeman in the dying moments of the game summed up what was an overall disappointing, frustrating road match for the Loons.
A more aggressive press may have helped to ease the Loons troubles on the night, but with tired legs and plenty of impact players missing, a loss in Seattle isn’t any reason to get too down. Coach Ramsay and the squad must now turn their attention to their midweek tilt against FC Dallas, their second game against Los Toros in as many weeks. Tune into MLS Season Pass for free on Wednesday, June 19, to catch the next match.
