The Seattle Sounders couldn’t overcome two first-half own goals, eventually falling 2-1 in their weather-delayed Western Conference road matchup with FC Dallas at Toyota Stadium on Saturday.
Raúl RuidÃaz netted for Seattle in the second half, giving the Sounders hope of salvaging a road result, but an equalizer eluded the Rave Green, knocking them to 7-3-5 and keeping them on 26 points through 15 matches. Kickoff was delayed nearly two hours due to stormy weather and lightning in the Frisco area, with the match starting at 6:47 PT after initially being slated to begin at 5:00.
The Sounders were without injured starters VÃctor RodrÃguez and Jordan Morris, who both sat out with hamstring knocks, as well as center back Kim Kee-hee, who is nursing a leg injury. Midfielder Gustav Svensson returned to the starting XI from a hamstring injury of his own, while newly signed Ecuadorian center back Xavier Arreaga made his first start for Seattle. Freshly re-signed Joevin Jones also made his first appearance back with the Sounders, featuring as a second-half substitute.
The hosts opened the scoring in the 33rd minute after a header in the box from Ryan Hollingshead head deflected off Arrega and into the net, giving FCD the 1-0 lead.
That lead was doubled just five minutes later after Michael Barrios sent in a cross that bounced off Brad Smith and into the goal to make it 2-0, which would stand as the score into halftime.
RuidÃaz struck back with a highlight-reel curling golazo past FCD goalkeeper Jesse Gonzalez to cut the lead in half in the 65th minute. But FCD managed to hold Seattle off the scoresheet the rest of the match to take all three points.
THREE TAKEAWAYS
OWN GOAL BLUES
Own goals are pretty rare to begin with, let alone two in a five-minute span like the Sounders yielded on Saturday. It was certainly a string of unfortunate luck, but FC Dallas deserve credit for pressing the action in the first half and creating the dangerous opportunities that led to the deflected tallies. Seattle’s attack showed more signs of life in the second half, including RuidÃaz’s golazo, but the equalizer never materialized.
RUIDIAZ HEATING UP
RuidÃaz missed some time earlier this season with a heel contusion but he’s looking back to form over the past couple of weeks. The Peruvian followed up his laser strike against Sporting Kansas City last weekend with an even prettier effort in this contest, collecting a backheel from Will Bruin and lashing a shot that gave Gonzalez little chance. The tally gives him a team-leading six goals on the season.
ROAD TRIP ROLLS ON
Saturday’s contest was the third in a string of four straight road matches for Seattle, starting in Philadelphia and Kansas City before Saturday’s match in Frisco. Next up, it’s the Montreal Impact, who will host the Sounders at Stade Saputo on Wednesday. Then, it’s time for Lamar Hunt US Open Cup action, as Seattle will take on the Portland Timbers in a rivalry crash at Cheney Stadium in Tacoma on June 12.
