The Seattle Sounders received a penalty-kick goal from Víctor Rodríguez in the 64th minute, but conceded in the 74th and 78th minutes to fall 2-1 to the Montreal Impact at Stade Saputo in Quebec on Wednesday.
Both sides fielded largely depleted lineups due to to injuries and international duty, with eight Sounders away with their respective national teams. The Sounders only had six substitutes available, while the Impact only had five.
After Harry Shipp was brought down in the box, Rodríguez cashed home the ensuing look from the spot with a top-shelf finish, staking the Sounders to the 1-0 lead.
The hosts leveled on a PK of their own just 10 minutes later, however, after Kelvin Leerdam was whistled for a foul on Saphir Taïder in his own area. Taïder sent Frei the wrong way and drilled his attempt from the spot into the net to equalize at 1-1.
Taïder scored the eventual match-winner in the 78th with a point-blank finish off a feed from Omar Browne.
THREE TAKEAWAYS
SECOND-HALF LAPSES PROVE COSTLY
The defeat is a frustrating one for the Rave Green, considering they were in prime position to steal three points after Rodríguez’s penalty kick. The Sounders defended well for the most part, but in the end, the pair of tallies from Taïder proved the difference.
LEYVA DEBUTS
Danny Leyva is only 16, but earned a First Team contract earlier this season thanks to his standout play in preseason and with USL Championship affiliate Tacoma Defiance. He had yet to feature in an MLS match coming into this contest, but on Wednesday, he finally got his chance as he checked on for Alex Roldan in the 81st minute. Leyva became the youngest Sounders to ever appear in an MLS match and the third-youngest in MLS history (16 years, 31 days).
BREAK TIME
The match closes a four-game road trip for Seattle, which will now get a lengthy break from MLS play. The club’s next league match is not until a home bout with Cascadia rival Vancouver Whitecaps at CenturyLink Field on June 29 (7 p.m. PT; JOEtv, YouTube TV, 950 KJR AM, El Rey 1360 AM | TICKETS). The Sounders won’t be completely out of action over that time, however, as the focus now turns Seattle’s Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Fourth Round match with the Portland Timbers at Cheney Stadium in Tacoma on June 12 (7:30 p.m. PT; ESPN+ | TICKETS).
