LUMEN FIELD - Goals were once again in short supply for the Seattle Sounders at Lumen Field, something that’s become a trend as they battled to a 0-0 draw with visiting Orlando City SC. Missing four key starters - Raúl Ruidíaz, Jordan Morris, and Cristian and Alex Roldan - they were unable to take advantage of the handful of chances that fell their way. For Seattle, it’s another night that lacked execution as they begin the second half of the season.
Emma Morgan / Area Sports Network
Seattle featured nearly the same lineup as in their midweek loss in Los Angeles; only Ruidíaz was dropped, in Peru after the death of his father - the Seattle starting XI wore black armbands in sympathy. In his place was Héber, whose initial lightning start to the season has petered out after a lengthy injury layoff. Again at right back was Cody Baker, who appears to have usurped Reed Baker-Whiting for the secondary right-back slot in Alex Roldan’s absence.
There was no wait, however, for chances in either half, as Seattle made their home advantage count with opportunities for Nicolás Lodeiro and Héber both coming inside twelve yards. Neither would be turned home, though; Head Coach Brian Schmetzer said after the match, “It was good play - we just need someone to start scoring goals.”
The inability to take those high-value opportunities would come back to bite them; as the half wore on, the Sounders side looked bereft of ideas and often turned the ball over in their buildout phase - something that rarely happens when the team is on song. Schmetzer held faith though, saying in regard to Seattle’s two young fullbacks (Baker and Baker-Whiting) that, “...we’ve just got to keep believing that they can do the job and we’ve just got to keep working at it”.
Emma Morgan / Area Sports Network
Seattle’s fullback duo made for an interesting balance between Nouhou and Baker. Schmetzer’s system normally sees the Cameroonian left-back tuck inside to the left of a three during buildup play, allowing Alex Roldan or Baker-Whiting - both attack-minded fullbacks - to advance up the pitch with impunity. However, with Baker on the right of the four, Nouhou found himself with a license to advance, as Baker is better suited to sitting on the right of a three.
The alternating threat was the source of a few Sounders chances through the first 70 minutes, highlighted by a Baker foray down the right that would end with Seattle’s highest-xG chance of the night (0.23) missed by Héber. Nouhou would make several runs that took advantage of Léo Chú’s repeated inside the movement to drive to the end line and fire in a cross, but nothing would come of the two or three times it came to life.
Much of the reason that those generated opportunities didn’t result in extensive danger was the seeming lost connection between crossers and those in the box: driven balls to the front post would see runs held at the penalty spot, while others would miss entirely. Some of that can be put down to the missing Cristian Roldan and Morris - two players who make it their business to get on the end of crosses - but with four massive six-point matches on the horizon, it can’t just be Seattle’s USMNT men who get it done.
Stefan Frei and the league-best defense once again kept Seattle in the match until the end. With Saturday night’s shutout, the Sounders now lead Major League Soccer with 10 (one ahead of Supporters Shield-leading FC Cincinnati). Through a translator, Yeimar Gomez Andrade told the media, “We are playing well defensively, but we’re still having trouble on the offensive end…not having (Morris, Roldan, Ruidíaz) is not an excuse for the situation that we’re in right now, but we have to keep focusing. We have to turn this thing around.”
Emma Morgan / Area Sports Network
That mentality will have to continue as Seattle continues to march towards Leagues Cup action on July 22, but they’ll have to conquer four Western Conference foes before they enter the inaugural edition of the continental tournament. Houston Dynamo, Vancouver Whitecaps, San Jose Earthquakes, and FC Dallas fill the month, and they’re all within four points of third place, where the Sounders sit after last night’s result. It’s a potential twelve points for Seattle, but losses could see them rapidly drop down the table. The first of those matches will see Houston visit Seattle next Saturday - kickoff is set for 7:30 PM on Apple TV.
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