When the Sounders and Sporting Kansas City face off, the scores tend to be low-scoring and close. After Seattle's 1-0 win at CenturyLink Field on Saturday afternoon, 15 of the 17 MLS matches between the two sides have been decided by one goal or fewer and all but one of these matchups have combined for three or fewer goals.
The only goal of Saturday's match came a first-half header by forward Clint Dempsey. In the 36th minute, forward Jordan Morris sent in a cross from the right flank, where Dempsey made a leaping header. Not only was the score his team-leading 10th goal of the season, it also marked his 50th goal as a Sounder across all competitions. He joins Fredy Montero as the only two players in club history to reach that mark.
In the second half, the Rave Green's defense was able to keep Sporting KC's attack at bay. Peter Vermes' side had eight shots, included three on target that were saved by Stefan Frei. With their fourth straight shutout, the Sounders set a club record with 400 consecutive minutes without allowing a goal. The result snapped Sporting's nine-match unbeaten streak and gave the Sounders their first regular-season win against SKC since 2014 (0-4-2 in previous six matches).
