There was no spoiling the Seattle Sounders' celebration party on Sunday. The New York Red Bulls learned that the hard way.
The Sounders won their 2017 home opener by defeating the Red Bulls, 3-1, at CenturyLink Field in Seattle, Washington. The win came as the Sounders commemorated their 2016 MLS Cup title by unfurling a championship banner. The result also snapped New York's regular season unbeaten streak at 18 matches.
The match was even at 1-1 before the hour mark, but a 66th-minute header from Jordan Morris and Harry Shipp deflection in the 79th minute pushed the Sounders to victory.
Goals
- 28' – SEA – Clint Dempsey (PK) Watch
- 57' – NY – Bradley Wright-Phillips Watch
- 66' – SEA – Jordan Morris Watch
- 79' – SEA – Harry Shipp Watch
Three Things
- SPEED KILLS: Morris' biggest contribution on Sunday was scoring the winner via a close-range header, but he did a whole lot more than that. The second-year forward terrorized the Red Bulls' defenders throughout the 90 minutes, aggressively using his pace often to get in behind and cause problems. It was also an alert Morris that drew the penalty kick that Clint Dempsey converted for the game's opener, as the youngster raced in to win a poor back pass before a scrambling Luis Robles was called for a foul in the box.
- FORMATION ISSUES: The Red Bulls were one of the more explosive attacking teams last year, but this season they have struggled to generate clear-cut quality chances in the 4-2-2-2 setup that head coach Jesse Marsch has preferred. That was again the case against the Sounders, as New York failed to come up with enough quality in the final third. The Eastern Conference club finished with just two shots on target.
- SURPRISE ATTACK: Sounders left back Joevin Jones had quite a day at the office, delivering two assists that helped push Seattle in front for good. Jones played a part in Morris' winner by pulling off a nifty nutmeg on Sal Zizzo and passing to Nicolas Lodeiro, and then took a shot from distance late in the match that teammate Shipp deflected into the back of the net. Not too shabby.
Next Up
- SEA: Friday, March 1 – vs. Atlanta United (10 pm ET | FS1 in the US; MLS LIVE in Canada)
- NY: Saturday, March 25 – vs. Real Salt Lake (4 pm ET | UniMas and Facebook.com in the US; MLS LIVE in Canada)
Vote for Man of the Match
