SEATTLE — Raúl Ruidíaz recorded his second brace in his last four matches, but Nicolás Lodeiro lit up the stat sheet and was an all-important catalyst in the Seattle Sounders’ emphatic 4-0 win over the Colorado Rapids on CenturyLink Field on Saturday.
Lodeiro had 114 touches and completed 86 passes at a 92-percent clip. He had six key passes, including two assists, and he drew and converted a penalty kick for his eighth goal of the season.
“The victory was the most important for our team, [especially] for our confidence,” said Lodeiro. “When we play at home, we play differently. We have more confidence.”
Take a look at Lodeiro’s heat map from Saturday. The larger areas represent where Lodeiro was most involved, and he was everywhere. He had an impact on offense and defense, from left to right. It’s hard to slow Lodeiro down if you can’t keep him in one place on the field, if you don’t know where he’s headed next.
“It was a good team performance today,” said Head Coach Brian Schmetzer. “Everybody on that field contributed, and certainly Nico is a big part of our team. I hate to label it as, ‘This guy is really, really great’ because I felt that everybody had strong performances.”
Lodeiro’s excellent movement directly benefitted Ruidíaz, who scored each of his goals on one-time shots inside the six-yard box, relatively simple finishes for a forward of his caliber. Ruidíaz and Lodeiro have undeniable chemistry for having played just 11 matches together, and that partnership played a massive role in the Sounders’ MLS-record nine-match winning streak they rattled off recently.
“We understand each other very well,” said Ruidíaz of Lodeiro. “Every time he has possession of the ball, I get prepared to make the runs because I believe there is going to be an opportunity at goal.”
The Sounders finished their match on Saturday in fourth in the Western Conference on 47 points from 30 matches. They have another good chance to rack up three more points on Monday, Oct 8, when they host the 10th-place Houston Dynamo (7:30 p.m. PT; JOEtv, YouTube TV, 950 KJR AM, El Rey 1360 AM | TICKETS).
