The Seattle Sounders picked up a point on the road following a 3-3 draw against Charlotte FC, with Cristian Roldan scoring an early goal and Raúl Ruidíaz scoring a pair of goals either side of halftime.
Seattle came flying out of the gates in their first trip to Bank of America park. Albert Rusnák, playing higher up the pitch in the absence of Nicolás Lodeiro, slipped Ruidíaz behind Charlotte’s back line but the Peruvian striker was denied by a smart save from Kristjan Kahlina. The ball eventually fell to Rusnák, who forced Kahlina into another big save with a powerful shot from the edge of the box.
The Sounders took the lead in the 11th minute when Jackson Ragen pinged a perfect diagonal pass to Cristian Roldan, who settled the ball and guided it past Kahlina to make it 1-1.
Charlotte equalized just six minutes later when Karol Świderski lofted a ball to the back post for Jalen Lindsey to tap home.
The two sides continued to trade blows but were unable to convert possession into meaningful chances. That all changed in the 36th minute when Ruidíaz provided a moment of magic to retake the lead.
Yeimar picked out the run of Rusnák behind the Charlotte back line. Rusnák laid it off for Léo Chú, who then played a quick pass to the feet of Ruidíaz. The Peruvian striker received the ball on the turn and quickly fired a world-class shot into the top corner, giving Seattle a 2-1 lead.
Charlotte equalized again in the 53rd minute as Ashley Westwood finished off a quick counter attack with a powerful shot into the top corner.
Ruidíaz then put Seattle in the driver’s seat with a poacher’s finish in the 70th minute. João Paulo clipped a ball into the box that found the run of Ruidíaz, who smashed it home from point-blank range to give the Sounders a 3-2 lead.
The hosts secured a late equalizer in the 89th minute as Patrick Agyemang flicked scored on a headed effort to the far post.
THREE TAKEAWAYS
Influential Reinforcements
The Sounders have weathered their fair share of injuries this season. In fact, Saturday night marked the first starts for Ruidíaz and Cristian Roldan since April 15 and April 8, respectively. The pair have been stalwarts for Seattle over the years and marked their return by combining for three goals.
Offensive Outpouring
Seattle has struggled in recent weeks to convert chances into goals. In fact, they hadn't won scored more than one goal in a league match since the 3-0 win over St. Louis CITY back at the beginning of April. While the late equalizer for Charlotte was disappointing, it was an encouraging sign to see Seattle's attack clicking after a difficult run.
Next Man Up
Prior to joining the Sounders, Rusnák spent most of his MLS career as a No. 10 for Real Salt Lake. For Seattle, however, he has played predominantly as a box-to-box midfielder. With Lodeiro out due to an adductor strain, Rusnák moved into a more advanced role and impressed with his ability to pull the strings and create chances for teammates.
