CARSON, Calif. – Entering the match on Wednesday against Chivas USA, Sounders FC Head Coach Sigi Schmid emphasized the importance of getting an early goal to help keep the momentum from Seattle’s two-game winning streak. Seattle came into the match loaded with confidence, sitting at the top of the Supporters’ Shield standings, while Chivas was in the midst of a seven-match winless streak.
It didn’t take long to show that Seattle heeded its coach’s advice as Sounders FC rolled to a 4-0 first-half lead on two goals each from Obafemi Martins and Andy Rose, eventually coasting to a 4-2 win at the StubHub Center to earn a league-best seventh road victory this season.
“I thought we came out and played really well in the first half. We finished our opportunities and we probably had a few more chances to get a few more goals. I think in the second half we made it a little harder on ourselves than it needed to be,” said Schmid, whose club now sits five points clear of second place in the Supporters’ Shield chase. “What I was happy with was that we came out with a good attitude. We got early goals and we were prepared.”
In the 11th minute, the Sounders got on the board with its first corner kick of the match.
DeAndre Yedlin won the corner kick on his second of two aggressive runs into the Chivas box. Brad Evans sent the ball in from the right corner, finding Chad Marshall with a header in the middle of the box. Martins turned and coaxed the ball into the net with his left foot, eluding goalkeeper Dan Kennedy who was defending the initial header from Marshall.
The dominating run continued for Seattle. After Clint Dempsey missed just wide on one shot and had a chip cleared off the line by Jhon Kennedy Hurtado, he set up Sounders FC’s second goal in the 16th minute. On the play, Dempsey led Lamar Neagle with a ball in behind the Chivas defense up the left side. Neagle carried the ball into the box and drew Kennedy off his line to clear an open path for Martins in the middle. Neagle slid the ball over to Martins, and the striker calmly put his shot away into the open net for his second goal of the night and 12th of the season.
Andy Rose added two more goals before halftime, both coming off of Evans free kicks.
In the 38th minute, Evans lofted a ball in from the right side and Rose hit a right-footed shot inside the far post for his first goal of the season. Four minutes later, Rose headed an Evans cross into the net to give Seattle a 4-0 lead into halftime.
“He served up two brilliant balls. The first one, I was unmarked, which is always nice,” said Rose. “The second one, Chad and I had a good interchange and I was able to get on the end of it.”
Chivas USA pulled one back in the 51st minute when Erica Avila found Marco Delgado for a header that snuck under the crossbar to end a 596-minute scoreless streak for Chivas. Ryan Finley added another on a penalty kick in the 60th minute to make it 4-2.
While disappointed in letting in two second-half goals, Seattle wouldn’t let that get in the way of the satisfaction that came with the win.
“I was happy with the team in the first half, then in the second half, we get some tired legs, we get a little bit complacent and you always see that when you go four up in a half,” Evans said. “But it is what it is and the most important thing is three points.”
Sounders FC will now take some time off before getting back into another busy stretch of the calendar that will see Seattle play five matches in four cities in 16 days. Going into that portion of the schedule with a three-match winning streak will have momentum in Seattle’s favor.
“It’s great to go in with three straight wins because everybody was concerned we were in a dive or something at that point,” Schmid smiled. “Now we get to rest our weary legs.”
The Sounders will open its long run of matches against Real Salt Lake at CenturyLink Field on Sept. 12 before playing three road matches from Sept. 16-24 against the Philadelphia Union in the U.S. Open Cup final, the New York Red Bulls and FC Dallas. The 16-day gauntlet concludes at CenturyLink Field on Sept. 27 against Chivas USA.
