The Seattle Sounders wrapped up the 2023 MLS Regular Season with an impressive 2-0 victory over St. Louis CITY SC on the road, courtesy of an Albert Rusnák goal and Tim Park own goal in the first half. With the win, Seattle secures the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference and will face FC Dallas in Round One of the Audi 2023 MLS Cup Playoffs.
It was a cagey opening to the match as St. Louis carved out a couple of chances from set pieces inside the first five minute. Seattle responded in kind as Cristian Roldan and Jordan Morris nearly linked up for a pair of quality looks in the 5th minute and 8th minute.
Seattle took the lead in the 23rd minute as Cristian Roldan picked out the run of Rusnák, who picked out the bottom corner with a first-time finish with his left foot.
In the 30th minute, St. Louis nearly responded with a powerful shot from outside the box, but Stefan Frei managed to parry the ball and collect his own rebound.
The Sounders then doubled their advantage in the 38th minute following a fantastic bit of play from Reed Baker-Whiting. The 18-year-old Homegrown Player intercepted a pass near midfield before driving into the final third and playing a 1-2 with Léo Chú. Baker-Whiting’s low cross was then deflected by Tim Parker into his own net.
Chú nearly made it 3-0 in the 48th minute when he slalomed past two defenders into the box and beat Roman Bürki with a right-footed shot, but Parker cleared his effort off the line.
One minute later, Frei produced an acrobatic flying save to deny Aziel Jackson’s volley from inside the box.
In the 55th minute, Jackson got behind Seattle’s back line and hit a knuckle ball that clipped the top of the cross bar.
The hosts were awarded a penalty in the 66th minute, but the decision was overturned following Video Review.
Shortly after entering the match, Nicolás Lodeiro came close to icing the result in the 85th minute when he curled a free kick into the top corner, but Bürki pulled off a stunning save.
THREE TAKEAWAYS
Together As One
The Rave Green enter the postseason on the back of a nine-match unbeaten run following Saturday night’s win over CITY. Seattle appears to be hitting their stride at the right time as they’ve added a more productive attack to their elite defense. You can get your tickets for our Round One postseason matchup against Dallas HERE.
Frei Makes History
Seattle’s Decision Day victory marked Frei’s league-leading 14th clean sheet on the year, setting a club record for most shutouts in a single season. The Sounders goalkeeper broke his own record he set back in 2017.
Midfield Dominance
Part of the reason Seattle controlled proceedings for the majority of the match was the playoff the team’s midfield. João Paulo and Josh Atencio controlled the tempo of the game on both sides of the ball, while Rusnák found pockets of space to help play through St. Louis’ high press.
Playoff Tickets On Sale Now
Playoff tickets for our Round One match against FC Dallas on October 30 are on sale now! Want to be notified when playoff tickets go on sale for future rounds should we advance? Sign up for ticket on-sale alerts below.
