The Seattle Sounders defeated Real Salt Lake 2-0 on Saturday night at Lumen Field behind goals on either side of halftime from Jordan Morris and Héber.
The Sounders nearly took the lead in the ninth minute when Héber, who started at forward for the second straight match, had a deflected shot trickle along the goal line before being cleared by Justen Glad.
Seattle did find the go-ahead goal in the 35th minute when Alex Roldan whipped in a beautiful cross from the righthand side for Morris, who split two defenders and headed it past goalkeeper Zac MacMath.
The Sounders dominated the first half with nearly 70% possession and did not allow a single shot on goal.
Héber scored in the 58th minute to double the Sounders’ lead when he redirected a ball from Alex Roldan, who earned his second assist of the night. The goal was the Brazilian’s second in as many matches to start his Sounders tenure after being acquired from New York City FC this past offseason.
Héber nearly earned a brace in the 79th minute when he was sprung on a through a ball in behind, but MacMath made a great save to deny him.
The Sounders almost added a late bonus goal in the 88th minute when Raúl Ruidíaz hit the post and João Paulo skied the subsequent opportunity over the crossbar.
THREE TAKEAWAYS
Monster Morris
Morris has hit the ground running in 2023 with three goals, all headers, in the first two matches of the season. He recorded a brace in the season-opening 4-0 win over the Colorado Rapids and was named to the MLS Team of the Matchday. The 28-year-old Mercer Island, Wash., native now has 45 career MLS regular-season goals and is in prime position to record the fourth double-digit goalscoring season of his professional career.
Ruidíaz Returns
After the missing the season-opener with a right hamstring strain, the Sounders’ Designated Player No. 9 returned for a 10-minute cameo to make his 2023 MLS debut. Ruidíaz, who has 59 career MLS regular-season goals, is in his sixth season in Seattle.
Home Cooking
The Sounders have made it a point of emphasis this season to return Lumen Field to a home fortress, and they’ve started the season doing just that. Seattle has won each of its first two MLS matches for the first time since its MLS Cup-winning 2019 season and has yet to concede. The Sounders will get their first taste of the road next weekend when they visit FC Cincinnati (4:30 p.m. PT; MLS Season Pass on Apple TV App).
