The Seattle Sounders exploded for three second-half goals, riding a brace from rookie forward Jordan Morris and a gorgeous distance strike from midfielder Osvaldo Alonso to a resounding 4-2 romp over the Los Angeles Galaxy at the StubHub Center on Sunday.
The goals for Morris, his 11th and 12th of the season, gave the Homegrown star the MLS rookie record for an American-born player. He also leads MLS in game-winning goals this season (6).
Alonso added the insurance in the 78th, smashing home the long-range golazo after the ball took a deflection off referee Armando Villareal, giving the Sounders the victory that moved them to 11-13-5 and 38 points on the season, keeping the Rave Green squarely in the midst of the Western Conference playoff hunt.
Robbie Keane notched a first-half tally and a late penalty to pace the Galaxy, bumping LA’s Irish striker’s season total to 10 on the 2016 season.
Keane drew first blood for the hosts in the 20th minute of Sunday’s contest after midfielder Sebastian Lletget lofted a pinpoint cross into the Seattle area that Keane headed past Sounders goalkeeper Stefan Frei into the net, staking the Galaxy to the early 1-0 advantage.
LA very nearly made it 2-0 in the 33rd minute off a breakaway attempt from Giovani dos Santos that was set up by a perfect through ball from Keane. But Frei managed to deflect dos Santos’ shot away and preserve the 1-0 deficit.
The missed opportunity would come back to haunt the Galaxy in the 35th minute, as the Sounders leveled the contest after a corner kick from Andreas Ivanschitz deflected off Seattle center back Chad Marshall and bounced off LA defender Jelle Van Damme for the equalizing own goal.
Morris bagged the go-ahead tally in the 62nd minute after he won a footrace against LA’s Daniel Steres near midfield, putting him in a one-on-one breakaway with Galaxy ‘keeper Bryan Rowe. Morris then coolly slotted the finish into the Galaxy net, giving the Sounders the 2-1 second-half advantage.
Morris made it 3-1 with a left-footed finish in the 74th minute, finishing home a rebound off a shot from substitute Nelson Valdez, setting the stage for Alonso’s 84th-minute distance strike that would render Keane’s late penalty a moot point.
The Sounders now trail the Portland Timbers by just three points in the Western Conference standings with the victory, with an upcoming opportunity to make up that ground with a Wednesday home matchup with the Eastern Conference-basement dwelling Chicago Fire at CenturyLink Field.
