MINNEAPOLIS, MINN. - In the first-ever meeting between the two sides, Seattle Sounders FC (9-7-7, 34 points) buried Minnesota United FC (6-13-4, 22 points) with a 4-0 result Saturday evening at TCF Bank Stadium. Clint Dempsey recorded two goals and an assist, while Will Bruin and Jordan Morris also scored for Seattle, as the Rave Green extended their unbeaten streak to seven games (4-0-3). Following next Saturday's match between Sounders FC and Sporting Kansas City, these two sides are set to meet again on Sunday, August 20 in Seattle.
Seattle struck first in the ninth minute with Bruin's eighth goal of the season. The first-year Sounder combined with Dempsey in the final third, with Dempsey playing Bruin in behind the defense for a low finish past Minnesota goalkeeper Bobby Shuttleworth. Bruin has now scored five goals in his past nine games, and his eight goals this season are double his output with the Houston Dynamo in 2016 in 11 fewer appearances. It marked the third assist of the season for Dempsey.
Dempsey made it 2-0 less than 10 minutes later, matching Bruin for the team-lead with eight tallies in the 2017 campaign. Following a Seattle corner kick, Gustav Svensson sent an arching ball to the far post to Chad Marshall, who headed it back across the goal for Dempsey for a easy finish into the back of the net. With the assist, Svensson now has four on the season - third on the team - while Marshall has two.
Jordan Morris gave the Rave Green a 3-0 lead in the 71st minute for his third tally of the season. Making an impressive run behind the Minnesota defense, Morris collected a precise through-ball from Nicolás Lodeiro and finished through the legs of Shuttleworth for his first MLS goal since April 23. Lodeiro's assist brings him to eight on the season - matching his total from 2016.
The Rave Green scored their fourth goal via Dempsey two minutes later to match the largest margin of victory for a road match in club history. Joevin Jones and Lodeiro combined near midfield to spring Jones up the left flank, where he slid a pass to Dempsey near the center of the 18-yard-box. Dempsey settled the ball, created some space and sent a low right-footed shot through traffic and into the bottom right corner of the net. With the strike, Dempsey now leads the team with nine goals on the season, while his 43 career strikes for Seattle sit just four behind Fredy Montero's 47 for the club's all-time mark.
The assist for Jones marks his 10th on the season, bringing him into a six-way tie for first in MLS. He is also just three shy of Sounders FC's all-time single-season record held by Mauro Rosales (2011, 2012) and Obafemi Martins (2014).
Stefan Frei made four saves Saturday evening en route to his eighth shutout of the season, just one shy of the most in MLS. He thwarted Abu Danladi's one-on-one breakaway with an kick-save in the 54th minute, then parried a Sam Nicholson shot from distance with a full-extension stop three minutes later. Frei and the Seattle defense have now registered shutouts in each of the past three matches, while the club is currently amidst a 310-minute streak without allowing a goal.
Sounders FC returns home next weekend for a matchup with Western Conference-leading Sporting Kansas City. Kickoff is set for 1:00 p.m. PT on the Xbox Pitch at CenturyLink Field, with television coverage on JOEtv, Univision-Seattle and ROOT SPORTS, in addition to radio broadcasts on KIRO Radio 97.3 FM and El Rey 1360 AM.
MATCH SUMMARY
Seattle Sounders FC 4 - Minnesota United FC 0
Saturday, August 5, 2017
Venue:
TCF Bank Stadium
Referee:
Jose Carlos Rivero
Assistants:
Jose Da Silva, Adam Garner
Fourth Official:
Baboucarr Jallow
Attendance:
22,649
Weather:
Rain and 73 degrees
SCORING SUMMARY
SEA -
Will Bruin (Clint Dempsey) 9'
SEA -
Clint Dempsey (Chad Marshall, Gustav Svensson) 18'
SEA -
Jordan Morris (Nicolás Lodeiro) 71'
SEA -
Clint Dempsey (Joevin Jones) 73'
MISCONDUCT SUMMARY
SEA -
Joevin Jones (caution) 68'
MIN -
Sam Cronin (caution) 74'
LINEUPS & STATS
Seattle Sounders FC - Stefan Frei; Kelvin Leerdam, Román Torres (Tony Alfaro 75'), Chad Marshall, Joevin Jones; Gustav Svensson, Cristian Roldan, Nicolás Lodeiro - captain, Clint Dempsey, Jordan Morris (Aaron Kovar 76'); Will Bruin (Brad Evans 64')
Substitutes not used: Bryan Meredith, Oniel Fisher, Harry Shipp, Jordy Delem
Total shots:
18 (Dempsey, 6)
Shots on goal:
7 (Dempsey, 3)
Fouls:
14 (Bruin, 3)
Offside:
3 (Morris, 2)
Corner-kicks:
5 (Lodeiro, 3)
Saves:
4 (Frei, 4)
Minnesota United FC - Bobby Shuttleworth; Jerome Thiesson, Michael Boxall, Francisco Calvo - captain, Ismaila Jome; Sam Cronin, Ibson (Collin Martin 80'), Miguel Ibarra (Johan Venegas 69'), Kevin Molino, Sam Nicholson; Abu Danladi
Substitutes not used: Patrick McLain, Jermain Taylor, Brent Kallman, Collen Warner, Brandon Allen
Total shots:
11 (Danladi, 5)
Shots on goal:
4 (Danladi, 2)
Fouls:
11 (Nicholson/Danladi, 3)
Offside:
3 (Danladi, 3)
Corner-kicks:
4 (Ibson, 3)
Saves:
3 (Shuttleworth, 3)
MATCH NOTES
- Sounders FC (9-7-7, 34 points) now sits in a three-way tie with Vancouver and Dallas for second place in the Western Conference, just two points below Sporting Kansas City. The Rave Green face SKC next Saturday, April 12 on the Xbox Pitch at CenturyLink Field.
- Seattle's current seven-match unbeaten streak (4-0-3) is tied for the third-longest in club history, and just two shy of the Sounders FC record of nine (May 28-July 16, 2011).
- With a brace this evening, Clint Dempsey now has a team-leading nine goals on the season, while his 43 career strikes for Seattle sit just four behind Fredy Montero's 47 for the club's all-time mark. Dempsey now has five goals and two assists in his last four appearances for Seattle.
- Will Bruin recorded his eight tally of the season with the match's opening goal. The first-year Sounder has now scored five goals in his past nine games, and his eight goals this season are double his output with the Houston Dynamo in 2016 in 11 fewer appearances.
- Stefan Frei made four saves Saturday evening en route to his eighth shutout of the season, just one shy of the most in MLS. Frei and the Seattle defense have now registered shutouts in each of the past three matches, while the club is currently amidst a 310-minute streak without allowing a goal. The last goal allowed by the Rave Green came in the 50th minute against D.C. United on July 19.
- Joevin Jones now has 10 assists on the season, bringing him into a six-way tie for first in MLS. He is also just three shy of Sounders FC's all-time single-season record held by Mauro Rosales (2011, 2012) and Obafemi Martins (2014).
- Saturday's win marks the third instance in club history where Seattle has won by a four-goal margin on the road (4-0 at Columbus on September 18, 2010; 6-2 at Chivas USA on August 25, 2012).
