Even devoid of context, the Seattle Sounders’ 3-0 demolition of the Colorado Rapids was an impressive result.
Add in the fact that the Sounders scored three fantastic goals against a team that entered the match three points back of first in the Western Conference, capping off a perfect nine-point week, and you have a truly special evening at Lumen Field.
It was apparent from the opening whistle that the Sounders viewed this match as an opportunity to flex their lofty ambitions.
“Starting off on the right foot against a top Western Conference opponent was crucial,” said midfielder Cristian Roldan, who scored in his fourth consecutive match across all competitions. “That was a six-point game. The way that we came out was great, it was fantastic.”
The Sounders came flying out of the gates against Colorado, with Roldan putting Seattle ahead in the 2nd minute. With the Rave Green firmly in control of the match, wingback Jimmy Medranda added a spectacular second in the 22nd minute before João Paulo effectively iced the match on the brink of halftime with another Goal of the Year candidate.
According to João Paulo, it was the high tempo start that set the tone and allowed Seattle to control proceedings for the rest of the match.
“I believe that we imposed our rhythm from the start,” added João Paulo. “And that forced some turnovers in zones of the field that we like, where we managed to create opportunities at goal. After scoring the first couple of goals, that made things a little bit easier to conduct the match.”
The victory on Sunday wrapped up a 23-day period in which the Sounders played seven matches across all competitions. Seattle posted an impressive 5-2-0 record during that grueling stretch, including three wins in the past eight days.
“It shows that we’re mentally very strong because three games in a week is always challenging,” added Head Coach Brian Schmetzer. “It’s always very hard to come out of those weeks unscathed. What I would say is that group in the locker room believes that every game is a winnable game.”
Despite posting a comprehensive victory over a side nipping at their heels for top spot in the West, the players chose to spotlight areas where they will need to improve if they hope to achieve their ambitions of lifting silverware this season.
“I think we let our guard down in the second half, even moments in the first half I felt like we weren’t sharp enough in the back. Colorado on a different day could’ve scored two goals easily. We have to be mindful of that…. We have to find the right balance between being happy but also looking back at the game and correcting the mistakes that we made.”
The Sounders will enjoy a couple of days off before returning to action on Saturday as they host a surging Vancouver Whitecaps side at Lumen Field (6:00 p.m. PT; FOX 13+, Prime Video, 950 KJR AM, El Rey 1360AM | TICKETS).
