Nicolás Lodeiro recorded a brace, including a dramatic game-winning goal in second-half stoppage time, sending the Seattle Sounders a 2-1 road victory over Columbus Crew SC at MAPFRE Stadium on Saturday.
Pedro Santos netted for the hosts on a penalty kick just 12 minutes into contest to give Columbus a one-goal lead they would take into the halftime break. But Lodeiro struck back with a penalty kick of his own shortly after second-half kickoff before he headed home the winner just before the final whistle. With the victory, Seattle move to 9-5-5 and 32 points through 19 matches.
Columbus’ opener came in the 12th minute after Sounders midfielder Danny Leyva was whistled for a foul in his own penalty box, allowing Santos to cash home his look from the spot to give Crew SC the 1-0 lead.
The Sounders struck back shortly after second-half kickoff, however, after Columbus’ David Guzmán was whistled for fouling Lodeiro in his own box, giving the Uruguayan a look of his own from the spot. Lodeiro cashed home the finish, drawing the Sounders level at 1-1.
The contest looked destined to end in a deadlock, but Lodeiro came through in the match’s waning moments, heading home a deflected throw-in past Crew SC ‘keeper Joe Bendik to send Seattle to the 2-1 last-gasp victory.
THREE TAKEWAYS
LODEIRO STARS IN RETURN
Lodeiro has been on international duty with Uruguay during the 2019 Copa América and sat out Wednesday’s loss against NYCFC after rejoining the club earlier that day, but he slotted back into the lineup for this contest and certainly made his presence felt. The star playmaker showed why he’s such a vital player for the club, converting the equalizing penalty kick before bagging the late winner. Lodeiro now has four goals and eight assists through 15 matches on the season.
MUCH-NEEDED ROAD RESULT
Seattle were just 1-5-3 on the road coming into this contest, including a 0-3-1 mark in their last four matches away from CenturyLink Field, Saturday’s performance was a necessary one as the Sounders look to maintain their pace near the top of the Western Conference table and get back to their traditionally strong traveling form. It was the culmination of a brutal part of Seattle’s schedule, as the Rave Green have played six of their last seven MLS matches on the road, but Head Coach Brian Schmetzer and his group now have four of their next five in the friendly confines of the CLink to look forward to.
ATLANTA UP NEXT
That return home now tees Seattle up with its biggest game of the season, as defending champion Atlanta United will come to down for an afternoon bout next Sunday (12:55 p.m. PT; ESPN, YouTube TV, 950 KJR AM, El Rey 1360 AM; TICKETS). It’s the start of a busy stretch as the CLink, as the Atlanta match will be followed up by a friendly with Bundesliga powerhouse Borussia Dortmund on July 17 (7:30 p.m. PT; JOEtv, YouTube TV; TICKETS) before a massive rivalry clash with the Portland Timbers on July 21 (6:30 p.m. PT; FS1, YouTube TV, 950 KJR AM, El Rey 1360 AM; TICKETS).
