BMO STADIUM - The Seattle Sounders traveled to Los Angeles with a week of rest to face the LAFC side who many billed as their biggest competitor in the Western Conference. Amid a storm of Concacaf Gold Cup call-ups from both sides, an early goal from Matheuz Bogusz proved the difference in a series that has yielded only that first-minute effort through two meetings in 2023; previous years have seen goals fly in between the two sides.
Seattle lacked Jordan Morris and the two Roldan brothers, all to Gold Cup duty, but managed a lineup that overcame many of the injuries that have proven difficult to surmount. Raúl Ruidíaz featured for 87 minutes - his longest cameo since returning against the New York Red Bulls - and Nicolás Lodeiro started after missing out against Charlotte FC last weekend.
LAFC would start fastest, finding a first-minute goal through a deflected effort from Bogusz. Schmetzer didn’t lay particular emphasis on the concession as a tactical flaw, describing it simply, “We lost possession of the ball early, they came in transition, Jackson (Ragen) goes to block it, it deflects…it’s one of those things that happens.”
For the remainder of the first half, however, Seattle dominated the meaningful possession, moving the ball fluidly from side to side and generating chances on both wings - something that’s been a struggle with the absence of Cristian Roldan. With the University of Washington product’s injury and subsequent USMNT call-up, Lodeiro got the start on the right side of Brian Schmetzer’s 4-2-3-1, allowing Albert Rusnák to maintain the role that he performed admirably against Charlotte.
The change put Rusnák in the same line as Lodeiro, aiding Seattle’s efforts to allow the two to combine in possession. Schmetzer honed in on the tweak, saying, “It helps us in possession when Nico and Albert are in those pockets of space. LAFC adjusted their triangle in midfield. We talked about that at halftime, (and) having those two guys in those pockets is critical for us to be successful”.
Rusnák and Lodeiro’s partnership drew LAFC’s attention initially away from the left side, which left room for Léo Chú to run. Most often the beneficiary of João Paulo’s forays from deep turnovers, Chú made it his business to drive to the end line and deliver a ball. While more often than not, that cross didn’t beat the first man, he was the electric outlet for the side on the break when the match turned into the end-to-end battle that it’s become in the past.
Schmetzer doubled down on Chú’s influence on the side, saying, “For me, with Léo, he has such a tremendous upside that he’s going to get into those situations, and that (final touch) is going to come with a little more experience; he’ll find the assists again”. Sounders netminder Stefan Frei took a similar tack, saying, “We were able to carve out a couple of chances but we just need a couple more teeth up there…a little bit more threatening would’ve been nice”.
Over the course of the match, Seattle’s possession dwindled mostly as a result of the shifting ways that LAFC midfielders dealt with the midfield duo of Obed Vargas and João Paulo; the space that the Brazilian had to pick passes to Chú was smothered by the shift in alignment that saw one of the two attacking midfielders ahead of Ilie Sánchez drop alongside the holder.
Schmetzer mentioned the change in his press conference, saying, “They switched from one holder to two tens to two holders and one ten - it made them defensively a little bit better. For them it gave them a little bit more solid play in that area of the field…it was just then when Obed and (João Paulo) picked up the ball, one of those two had to step forwards and that’s when we try to find Albert and Nico, but it was a little easier in the first 35 minutes of the game because we parked Nico and Albert on either side of Ilie Sánchez.”
Ultimately, what allowed LAFC to eke out their one-goal margin through both halves was the lack of a final touch - whether it be from a cross, set piece, or picked through ball. It’s a worrying trend for a side that started the year on the front foot; they generated xG at an elite level regardless of whether the chances were finished.
Schmetzer called the issue, “A combination of both; this is a team sport, I thought Léo put in a good shift tonight - did we get enough numbers in the box? Were we able to expose the penalty spot or the top of the box a bit more often?”. In order to return to the form that saw them start the year two months unbeaten at home, it’ll require a combination of the two factors.
He identified the possession as the thing he’d look for over the short turnaround, saying, “We fell into the trap again of losing some balls, some simple passes (that) gave them a little bit of life…we needed to extend our possessions, throughout the entire game.”
It’s not without a light shortly: they’re nearing full health once again, though that potentially won’t come until late August pending the USMNT’s Gold Cup run, and keep hold of a top-three spot in the Western Conference ahead of matches against the three sides directly below them at time of writing (in order: Houston, San Jose, and FC Dallas). Those three matches come before a month-long break to compete in the Leagues Cup, and where the side sits heading into the final ten-match stretch of the season will define their ability and fitness to compete in the playoffs.
Seattle welcomes Orlando City to Seattle on the weekend in their turn for a two-game match week with a chance for revenge. The Lions stole a victory in the 91st minute in the last meeting between the two sides. It’ll be a test for the Sounders’ fitness and mentality; Oscar Pareja’s team sits seventh in the Eastern Conference with the potential to jump up into the top half. The match will stream on MLS Season Pass, with kickoff scheduled for 4:30 PM Pacific time.
All photos by Erik Lira / Area Sports Network
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