SEATTLE — The Seattle Sounders conceded a first-half goal and could never quite find their stride offensively, eventually falling 2-0 to Uruguayan side Nacional in a preseason friendly at CenturyLink Field on Wednesday evening.
Forward Gonzalo Bergessio opened the scoring in the 19th minute off a well-executed counterattack that culminated with a slick finish past Sounders goalkeeper Bryan Meredith, staking Nacional to a 1-0 first-half lead.
Santiago Rodríguez then doubled the advantage just after halftime with a well-taken finish that he rifled past Meredith and into the far corner of the net, sealing the 2-0 result.
THREE TAKEAWAYS
IT’S PRESEASON
That’s the caveat that should come with any preseason result, positive or negative, and Wednesday’s contest shouldn’t be any different. Sounders Head Coach Brian Schmetzer would certainly have liked to see a tighter defensive performance and a couple goals of his own, but it also stands to reason that he’ll hold off forming many definitive conclusions until he sees more of his first-choice Starting XI. Raúl Ruidíaz, Stefan Frei, Kim Kee-hee, Chad Marshall, Brad Smith, Víctor Rodríguez and Kelvin Leerdam all did not dress on Wednesday. That group figures to get a run for at least some of Seattle’s next and final preseason match against the San Jose Earthquakes on Saturday (12:45 p.m. PT | SoundersFC.com). Then, the real fun begins.
Jordan Morris checks into the match vs. Nacional | Jane Gershovich
J-MO RETURNS TO THE CLINK
It’s been a long and winding road for Sounders attacker Jordan Morris, who missed the entire 2018 MLS campaign with a torn ACL. The 24-year-old had been dreaming of his first night back at CenturyLink Field ever since, and he finally got his first game action at home since the injury, subbing on at the hour mark to a hefty ovation from the home crowd.
LODEIRO THROWS IT BACK
It was a special and emotional night for Sounders midfielder Nicolás Lodeiro, who competed against his boyhood team from Montevideo. The 29-year-old has compiled quite the resume since his days as a youngster, becoming a fixture for Uruguay’s national team and one of the top playmakers in MLS. Lodeiro played 67 minutes on Wednesday before subbing off for 15-year-old Homegrown product and Tacoma Defiance midfielder Danny Leyva.
