SEATTLE SOUNDERS FC vs. COLORADO RAPIDS
CENTURYLINK FIELD, Seattle, Washington
MAY 21, 2016 (WEEK 12, MLS GAME #118)
10 pm ET (MLS LIVE, Altitude, JOEtv)
An intriguing matchup in the Western Conference is ahead on Saturday evening when Seattle Sounders FC play host to the Colorado Rapids at CenturyLink Field. Sounders FC return home after seeing their two-game winning run put to an end in a 2-0 loss at FC Dallas, leaving them below the red line in eighth place in the division. The Rapids sit atop the West, stretching their undefeated run to seven games, opening their road swing with a 1-1 draw at Columbus Crew SC last Saturday evening. The Rapids claimed a 3-1 win when the teams met a month ago in Commerce City.
- The Rapids extended their overall undefeated streak to seven matches, and their road unbeaten run to three games, following their 1-1 draw at Columbus Crew SC on Saturday evening.
- The teams are meeting for the second time this season. Jermaine Jones, Luis Solignac and Kevin Doyle all scored to lead the Rapids to a 3-1 win April 23 at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park. It was the Rapids’ first home win against Sounders FC since Oct. 5, 2013, a 5-1 Colorado win; Seattle had won on their last two visits to Commerce City.
- The Rapids won the last meeting between the teams a year ago, a 1-0 victory on July 18 at CenturyLink Field, ending a five-game Sounders FC winning streak in the all-time series and the club’s first victory ever in Seattle in 10 regular-season visits.
- The first meeting win was just the third for the Rapids vs. Seattle over the last five seasons. Since the start of 2011, Sounders FC have 12 of 16 meetings in regular season and MLS Cup play, with one draw.
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REFEREE: Ismail Elfath. AR1 (bench): Jeremy Hanson; AR2 (opposite): Mike Rottersman; 4th: Baboucarr Jallow
MLS Career: 70 games; FC/gm: 24.7; Y/gm: 3.2; R: 17; pens: 18
SUSPENDED: none
WARNINGS:
SUSPENDED NEXT YELLOW CARD: none
SUSPENDED AFTER TWO YELLOW CARDS: SEA: Osvaldo Alonso … COL: Marc Burch, Axel Sjoberg, Shkelzen Gashi
DISABLED LIST: none
INTERNATIONAL ABSENCES: none
HEAD-TO-HEAD
ALL-TIME (19 meetings): Sounders FC 13 wins, 34 goals … Rapids 4 wins, 22 goals … Ties 2
AT SEATTLE (10 meetings): Sounders FC 8 wins, 19 goals … Rapids 1 win, 8 goals … Ties 1
- Coaches record: Pablo Mastroeni vs. SEA: P7 W2 L5 D0 … Sigi Schmid vs. COL: P48 W27 L13 D8
LAST MEETING:
4/23: COL 3, SEA 1 (Jones 20; Solignac 51; K. Doyle 86 - Morris 63)
- The Rapids took the lead in the 20th minute when Jermaine Jones scored his second goal in as many games, heading home a free kick.
- The lead was doubled in the 51st minute when Luis Solignac converted an easy finish, slotting home a Dominique Badji pass from the right at the far post.
- Sounders FC pulled a goal back in the 63rd minute when Jordan Morris took the ball at the top of the box, juked a defender Mekeil Williams and snapped a shot inside the back post. The Rapids then had a chance to restore the margin, but Sounders FC goalkeeper Stefan Frei steered a Shkelzen Gashi penalty kick wide after Rapids defender Bobby Burling was held back on a corner kick.
- But the home side did find a third when striker Kevin Doyle added a goal in the 86th minute off a cross from Dennis Castillo. As a result, Sounders FC finished the game a man down when Brad Evans was sent off with a pair of yellow cards in the aftermath of the goal.
- COLORADO RAPIDS (4-2-3-1): Zac MacMath - Eric Miller (Dennis Castillo 60), Bobby Burling, Axel Sjoberg, Mekeil Williams - Sam Cronin, Micheal Azira - Dominique Badji (Kevin Doyle 78), Jermaine Jones (Dillon Powers 87), Shkelzen Gashi - Luis Solignac.
- SEATTLE SOUNDERS FC (4-1-2-3): Stefan Frei - Tyrone Mears, Brad Evans (ejected 86), Chad Marshall, Joevin Jones - Cristian Roldan - Osvaldo Alonso, Andreas Ivanschitz (Erik Friberg 50) - Oalex Anderson (Dylan Remick 77), Jordan Morris, Herculez Gomez (Aaron Kovar 71).
