COMMERCE CITY, COLORADO - Despite Jordan Morris' second goal in as many matches, Seattle Sounders FC (2-4-1, 7 points) fell by a final score of 3-1 to the Colorado Rapids (5-2-1, 16 points) on Saturday evening at Dick's Sporting Goods Park. Tonight's loss halts Seattle's three-match unbeaten streak, which dated back to April 2 against Montreal. Sounders FC returns to the Xbox Pitch at CenturyLink Field for a contest against Eastern Conference side Columbus Crew SC on Saturday, April 30 (1:00 p.m. PT / JOEtv, ROOT SPORTS, Univision-Seattle, KIRO Radio 97.3 FM, El Rey 1360 AM).
Rapids midfielder Jermaine Jones found the score-sheet first for the home side, as he headed Colorado into an early lead in the 20th minute of play. Shkelzen Gashi took a free-kick for Colorado, serving a left-footed ball into Seattle's area, where Jones rose to meet it before burying a header into the back of Stefan Frei's net.
Despite advantages in both possession (58 percent) and passing accuracy (80.5 percent) in the first half, Seattle could not level the score before the intermission, leaving Jones' strike as the lone tally of the first 45 minutes.
Colorado doubled its advantage shortly after the halftime break, as forward Luis Solignac converted a low cross from Dominique Badji during a Rapids counter-attack in the 52nd minute, leaving the Rave Green down 2-0.
Seattle fired back 11 minutes later, with rookie forward Jordan Morris scoring his second goal in as many games, firing a clean finish past Zach MacMath at the Colorado goalkeeper's far post. Morris recorded his first professional strike last weekend against Philadelphia after being signed as a Homegrown Player in January. Seattle midfielder Cristian Roldan was credited with the assist on the play.
Only moments later, Colorado won a penalty at the other end of the field, as Herculez Gomez was whistled for a foul inside his own 18-yard-box on a Rapids set piece. Fortunately for the Rave Green, Frei stood tall in the Seattle goal, stuffing Gashi's spot-kick attempt by diving to his right and making the stop.
The Rapids found a third goal in the 86th minute, when Kevin Doyle redirected a Dennis Castillo cross into the top corner of the net, clinching a third-straight victory for the home side.
The Rave Green played the final minutes of the match with 10 men after Brad Evans was issued a second yellow card in the 86th minute for dissent.
Sounders FC returns to action next Saturday with a home match against Columbus Crew SC. Kickoff is slated for 1:00 p.m. PT, with pre-match television coverage from JOEtv beginning at 12:30 p.m. PT. Saturday's contest is also being broadcast throughout the Pacific Northwest on ROOT SPORTS (outside Seattle), KIRO Radio 97.3 FM and El Rey 1360 AM.
MATCH SUMMARY
Seattle Sounders FC 1 - Colorado Rapids 3
Saturday, April 23, 2016
Venue: Dick's Sporting Goods Park
Referee: Jorge Gonzalez
Assistants: Adam Garner, Kyle Longville
Fourth Official: Younes Marrakchi
Attendance: 17,294
Weather: Mostly cloudy and 66 degrees
SCORING SUMMARY
COL - Jermaine Jones (Shkelzen Gashi) 20'
COL - Luis Solignac (Dominique Badji, Mekeil Williams) 51'
SEA - Jordan Morris (Cristian Roldan) 63'
COL - Kevin Doyle (Dennis Castillo, Sam Cronin) 86'
MISCONDUCT SUMMARY
COL - Dominique Badji (caution) 1'
COL - Mekeil Williams (caution) 14'
COL - Jermaine Jones (caution) 20'
COL - Eric Miller (caution) 47'
SEA - Brad Evans (ejection) 86'
LINEUPS & STATS
Seattle Sounders FC - Stefan Frei; Tyrone Mears, Brad Evans, Chad Marshall, Joevin Jones; Osvaldo Alonso, Cristian Roldan, Andreas Ivanschitz (Erik Friberg 50'); Oalex Anderson (Dylan Remick 77'), Jordan Morris, Herculez Gomez (Aaron Kovar 71')
Substitutes not used: Tyler Miller, Zach Scott, Oniel Fisher, Darwin Jones
Total shots: 13 (Alonso, 4)
Shots on goal: 5 (Alonso/Morris, 2)
Fouls: 11 (Gomez, 3)
Offside: 0
Corner-kicks: 5 (Kovar, 2)
Saves: 6 (Frei, 6)
Colorado Rapids - Zac MacMath; Mekeil Williams, Bobby Burling, Eric Miller (Dennis Castillo 60'), Axel Sjoberg; Dominique Badji (Kevin Doyle 78'), Sam Cronin, Jermaine Jones (Dillon Powers 87'), Micheal Azira, Shkelzen Gashi; Luis Solignac
Substitutes not used: Conor Doyle, Chris Froschauer, Dilllon Serna
Total shots: 14 (Jones/Gashi, 4)
Shots on goal: 9 (4 players tied with 2)
Fouls: 16 (Jones, 4)
Offside: 1 (Jones, 1)
Corner-kicks: 5 (Gashi, 5)
Saves: 4 (MacMath, 4)
MATCH NOTES
- After Saturday's match, Sounders FC is now 2-4-1 in the 2016 MLS regular season, including a 0-2-1 mark on the road. The loss snaps the Rave Green's three-match unbeaten streak, dating back to April 2 against Montreal.
- Sounders FC's all-time mark against Colorado in league play falls to 13-4-2. After a six-match winning streak in the series, Sounders FC has lost its past two contests against the Rapids.
- Forward Herculez Gomez made his first-ever start for Sounders FC on Saturday. Gomez played 71 minutes, recording two shots.
- Forward Jordan Morris scored his second goal in as many games for the Rave Green. He is now tied with Chad Marshall for the team-lead with two goals on the season.
- At the turn of the 68th minute, Stefan Frei stopped a Colorado penalty kick attempt. He has now stopped four of 28 attempts in his career, including three of 13 attempts with Seattle.
