Sounders FC falls 2-0 to Club Nacional Wednesday evening in preseason international friendly

SEATTLE, WASH. - In its lone Seattle-based preseason match ahead of the 2019 MLS season, Sounders FC hosted Club Nacional of Uruguay, falling 2-0 on Wednesday evening at CenturyLink Field. Brian Schmetzer's club now heads to San Jose to face the Earthquakes on Saturday afternoon in the final preseason match of 2019 before the MLS season opener next Sunday, March 2 against FC Cincinnati at CenturyLink Field (7:00 p.m. PT / FS1, YouTube TV, 950 KJR AM, El Rey 1360 AM).

Nacional struck first in the 18
^th
 minute when Gonzalo Castro slipped a ball behind the Seattle defense to a streaking Gonzalo Bergessio for a clean finish past Bryan Meredith. Santiago Rodríguez made it 2-0 in the 52
^nd
 minute when he converted from inside the area after a clever one-two with Sebastian Fernandez.
Sounders FC nearly pulled one back in the 57
^th
 minute, with Will Bruin playing a sharp diagonal through ball to a wide open Harry Shipp, but the midfielder's first-time shot rolled just wide of the far post.
Nicolás Lodeiro started and logged 67 minutes of action on Wednesday against his former club. Lodeiro played in Nacional's youth system from 2003-2007 before making 49 appearances and scoring nine goals for the senior team from 2007-2010.
Jordan Morris made his return to CenturyLink Field, coming on as a sub for Handwalla Bwana in the 58
^th
 minute. The Homegrown Player and 2016 MLS Rookie of the Year missed all of last season after suffering a torn ACL prior to the MLS season in CONCACAF Champions League play.
Wednesday marked the 13
^th
 international friendly in Sounders FC's MLS history, and first since the 2017 season when it hosted Club Necaxa and Eintracht Frankfurt. The Rave Green are now 3-6-4 all-time in international friendlies.
Sounders FC now heads to San Jose this weekend for a road friendly against the Earthquakes on Saturday afternoon at Avaya Stadium. Seattle's 2019 MLS season begins on Saturday, March 2, as the Rave Green host expansion side FC Cincinnati in a 7:00 p.m. PT match set to be nationally televised on FS1.
MATCH NOTES

• With tonight's result, Sounders FC is now 3-6-4 all-time in international friendly competition.
• Tonight's loss was Sounders FC's first in a friendly since 2012, when they dropped a 4-2 decision to Chelsea.
• Nicolás Lodeiro started and logged 67 minutes of action on Wednesday against his former club. Lodeiro played in Nacional's youth system from 2003-2007 before making 49 appearances and scoring nine goals for the senior team from 2007-2010.
• Jordan Morris made his return to CenturyLink Field, coming on as a sub for Handwalla Bwana in the 58^th minute. The Homegrown Player and 2016 MLS Rookie of the Year missed all of last season after suffering a torn ACL prior to the MLS season in CONCACAF Champions League play.
• 15-year-old Danny Leyva made his CenturyLink Field debut on Wednesday, coming on for Nico Lodeiro in the 67^th minute. The Academy product signed with the Tacoma Defiance last fall.

MATCH SUMMARY
Seattle Sounders FC 0 - Club Nacional 2
Wednesday, February 20, 2019
Venue: 
CenturyLink Field
Referee: 
Farhad Dadko
Assistants: 
Joshua Haimes
Fourth Official: 
Baboucarr Jallow
VAR:
 Levi Rippy
Attendance: 
32,233
Weather: 
39 degrees and partly cloudy
SCORING SUMMARY
NAC -
 Gonzalo Bergessio (Gonzalo Castro, Sebastian Fernandez) 19'
NAC -
 Santiago Rodríguez (Sebastian Fernandez) 53'
MISCONDUCT SUMMARY
SEA - 
Henry Wingo (caution) 42'
NAC -
 Alvaro Pereira (caution) 69'
LINEUPS & STATS
Seattle Sounders FC 
- 
Bryan Meredith; Henry Wingo (Aleks Berkolds 85'), Gustav Svensson (Saad Abdul-Salaam HT), Jonathan Campbell, Nouhou (Jordan McCrary 64'); Jordy Delem (Cristian Roldan HT), Alex Roldan, Harry Shipp, Nicolás Lodeiro (Danny Leyva 67'), Handwalla Bwana (Jordan Morris 59'); Will Bruin
Substitutes not used:
 Trey Muse, Alec Diaz, Danny Robles, Marlon Vargas
Total shots: 
8 (A. Roldan, 2)
Shots on goal: 
3 (Three players, 1)
Fouls:
 7 (A. Roldan, 2)
Corner-kicks: 
7 (Lodeiro, 5)
Saves:
 2 (Meredith, 2)
Club Nacional -
 Luis Mejia; Augustin Sant'Anna (Matias Zunino HT), Rafael Garcia (Marcos Angeleri 72'), Felipe Carvalho, Alvaro Pereira (Matias Vina 79'); Santiago Rodríguez, Mathias Cardacio, Joaquin Arzura (Felipe Carballo 62'), Gonzalo Castro (Gustavo Lorenzetti 62'); Gonzalo Bergessio (Guillermo Cotugno 72'), Sebastian Fernandez (Octavio Rivero 62')


Substitutes not used:
 Esteban Conde


Total shots:
 10 (Rodríguez, 3)
Shots on goal:
 4 (Rodríguez, 2)
Fouls:
 15 (Five players, 2)
Corner-kicks: 
3 (Rodríguez, 3)
Saves: 
3 (Mejia, 3)