MATCH RECAP: Second-half Ruidíaz strike propels Sounders FC in 1-0 road win over FC Dallas

Playing each other for the second time this month, Seattle Sounders FC (11-3-6, 39 points) earned three road points with a 1-0 win over FC Dallas (5-9-6, 21 points) on Wednesday evening at Toyota Stadium. Raúl Ruidíaz scored his league-leading 14th goal of the season as the Rave Green earned their first regular-season win at Dallas since April 12, 2014. Seattle’s win – combined with Sporting Kansas City’s 1-1 draw with Portland this evening – moves Brian Schmetzer’s side back atop the Western Conference standings, one point ahead of SKC. 

After coming on as a substitute in the 63rd minute, Ruidíaz scored the game’s lone goal less than 30 seconds after entering the pitch. Nicolás Lodeiro – also a 63rd-minute sub – fed Ruidíaz in a dangerous position inside the area, where the Peruvian’s first attempt was blocked by a Dallas defender. After the ball bounced back to his feet, Ruidíaz chipped a shot into the top corner, hitting both the crossbar and post before bouncing into the goal. With four goals in his last three games, Ruidíaz has now tied Clint Dempsey for second all-time in club history with 57 goals across all competitions. Fredy Montero is the club’s all-time record holder with 67. 

After away matches in Portland and Dallas over the past four days, Seattle concludes its three-game road swing in Columbus on Saturday, August 21 against the Crew. A rematch of the 2020 MLS Cup, the contest is being carried nationally on network FOX, and regionally via Sports Radio 950 KJR AM and El Rey 1360 AM. Following that contest, Los Angeles hosts the 2021 MLS All-Star Game against the best of Liga MX. Sounders FC saw a club-record six All-Stars selected this season.

MATCH NOTES

• Sounders FC’s win in North Texas tonight – combined with Sporting Kansas City’s home draw versus Portland – sees the Rave Green move back atop the MLS Western Conference. Seattle now sits in first in the West again on 39 points, with Sporting trailing by one point. 

• Raúl Ruidíaz’s substitute goal in the 63rd minute came just moments after the Peruvian subbed into the match for Will Bruin. It was Ruidíaz’s 14th goal in 20 regular-season appearances in 2021, and he continues to lead the MLS Golden Boot race by two tallies. 

• Ruidíaz continues to pace his club in scoring, and he now sits on 57 total goals in all competitions since joining the club midway through the 2018 season. Tonight’s tally ties him with former forward Clint Dempsey. Only teammate Fredy Montero has more goals in Rave Green, with the Colombian sitting on 67 total strikes.

• In MLS regular-season play, Sounders FC moves to 13-7-8 all-time against FC Dallas. Seattle is now 4-6-5 in North Texas dating back to 2009. The two sides are also familiar postseason opponents, meeting eight times dating back to 2014. Sounders FC is 4-2-2 all time against Dallas in those contests. 

• In 2021, Sounders FC is now 6-1-2 away from the Emerald City, good for 20 points. Only New England (21 points) has more road points in MLS this season. 

• Sounders FC Head Coach Brian Schmetzer made seven changes to his starting lineup from the squad that defeated Portland 6-2 on Sunday. Fresh into the starting group were goalkeeper Spencer Richey, defenders AB Cissoko and Jimmy Medranda, midfielders Danny Leyva, Josh Atencio and Nicolas Benezet, in addition to forward Will Bruin.  

• Newly acquired midfielder Nicolas Benezet made his first start in Rave Green after making his club debut as a late substitute in Portland on Sunday, where the Frenchman scored the sixth and final goal of the night. Seattle acquired Benezet via trade at the summer transfer deadline from the Colorado Rapids in exchange for $50,000 of General Allocation Money (GAM), and potentially another $50,000 of conditional GAM. He played 63 minutes tonight at Toyota Stadium, ultimately making way for Nicolás Lodeiro. 

• Spencer Richey got the nod in goal for the second time in 2021 tonight. He played his first minutes for the Rave Green on July 22, a 1-0 win at Austin FC. A Seattle native and a graduate of the University of Washington, Richey joined the club from FC Cincinnati this past offseason. 

• Following the club’s third and final road match of the week on Sunday in Columbus, six Sounders are heading to the MLS All-Star Game in Los Angeles. Raúl Ruidíaz, João Paulo, Yeimar Gómez Andrade, Nouhou, Alex Roldan and Cristian Roldan were among the 28-man roster that will face the Liga MX All-Stars at Bank of California Stadium. This marks the first MLS All-Star appearance for each of the six Seattle players, who were all selected via the fan, player and media vote. Notably, the simultaneous All-Star Game selection of Alex and Cristian Roldan marks the first time a pair of brothers have been named to an MLS All-Star Game in the same year.

MATCH SUMMARY

Seattle Sounders FC 1 – FC Dallas 0
Wednesday, August 18, 2021 

Venue: Toyota Stadium
Referee: Robert Sibiga
Assistants: Corey Rockwell, Gjovalin Bori
Fourth Official: Matthew Corrigan
VAR: Kevin Terry, Jr.
Attendance: 11,535
Weather: 81 degrees and cloudy 

SCORING SUMMARY

SEA – Raúl Ruidíaz 63’

MISCONDUCT SUMMARY

FCD – Edwin Cerrillo (caution) 40’
FCD – Bryan Acosta (caution) 78’
FCD – Franco Jara (caution) 90’+3’

LINEUPS & STATS

Seattle Sounders FC – Spencer Richey; Jimmy Medranda (Brad Smith 69’), Xavier Arreaga, Shane O’Neill (Yeimar 75’), Abdoulaye Cissoko, Kelyn Rowe; Danny Leyva, Cristian Roldan (João Paulo 46’), Josh Atencio, Nicolas Benezet (Nicolás Lodeiro 63’); Will Bruin (Raúl Ruidíaz 63’)

Substitutes not used: Stefan Cleveland, Fredy Montero, Alex Roldan, Reed Baker-Whiting

Total shots: 9
Shots on goal: 1
Fouls: 4
Offside: 2
Corner-kicks: 1
Saves: 2 

FC Dallas – Jimmy Maurer; Bressan, Ryan Hollingshead, Nkosi Tafari, Ema Twumasi (Freddy Vargas 77’); Edwin Cerrillo (Andres Ricaurte 68’), Bryan Acosta, Jader Obrian (Franco Jara 64’), Jesus Ferreira, Szabolcs (Kalil Elmedkhar 77’); Ricardo Pepi

Substitutes not used: Jose Martinez, Brandon Servania, Matt Hedges, Kyle Zobeck, Phelipe

Total shots: 18
Shots on goal: 2
Fouls: 8
Offside: 2
Corner-kicks: 7
Saves: 0