The Seattle Sounders left the Columbus Crew in disarray Saturday evening in what was arguably the team’s most dominant victory of the season.
"Three points in a place like [Lower.com Field] is huge," said forward Jordan Morris. "I thought we came out with the right mentality and the right intensity."
A match on the road is always a daunting feat for the visitors. This is especially true if it is against top-ranked Eastern Conference side Columbus, who had only recorded one loss at home this season up until Saturday’s match.
The odds were against the Sounders heading into the 90 minutes, but that was not stopping them from producing a show-stopping, 4-goal performance.
“I'm sure there were a lot of people that expected this game to be a loss,” said Head Coach Brian Schmetzer. “And so for us to persevere, for us to do our jobs professionally, and get three points, is massive.”
It was a back-and-forth battle to start, but once Columbus goalkeeper Abraham Romero was given a red card after colliding with Morris, it was Seattle’s match for the taking.
Down to 10 men and without access to a backup keeper, Columbus was on thin ice throughout the remainder of the match. The Sounders immediately took advantage of the opportunity at hand.
It was midfielder Albert Rusnák who kickstarted the night, burying the free kick from Romero’s foul into the bottom left corner of the goal before the end of the first half. Morris extended the lead to two in the 60th minute and Rusnák brought it home with two insurance goals to close out the emphatic victory over the Eastern Conference powerhouse.
“You can't just speak to the quality of the goals, but also the timing of the goals, because Albert started this off with that free kick that he scored when the red card happened… I mean, that was the best way to start that whole sequence,” said Schmetzer. “And then we were up 1-0, and we absolutely controlled tempo after that first goal.”
While both sides were without starters due to international duty, the shutout symbolized more than just a hard-fought win on the road; it proved that the Seattle side can compete with any team on any given day.
“Even before the red card, what I would tell you is our tactics were working,” said Schmetzer. “We knew they were a possession based team, but our defending was good. Our defending was compact. Maybe they had a couple half chances, but really we had the better chances before the [call].”
Columbus has been conceivably one of the best teams in the league for the past two years. Whether it be winning the MLS Cup in 2023 or defeating LAFC to secure the 2024 Leagues Cup title on Aug. 25, the Black and Gold have had the upperhand in MLS.
The home side was at a severe disadvantage due to the circumstances of the red card and having to put a field player in the goal, but that did not take away from the assertiveness Seattle displayed on the pitch that ultimately led to the strong win over the Crew.
“Obviously, when it went down to 10 men, the game was different, but we had a really good game,” said Morris. “And I think we can take confidence from that coming off a tough loss in Portland.”
