TALKING POINTS
It was the goal all Seattle had been waiting for. Jordan Morris finally scored his first goal in a Sounders uniform Saturday night, and it ended up being the game winner.
Morris, the local product and much-hyped offseason addition, went his first seven games (five in MLS, two in the CONCACAF Champions League) without finding the net. But in the 71st minute he finally showed Sounders fans what he could do. Andreas Ivanschitz sent an inch-perfect long ball into Morris’ path. Morris used his speed to get a step on the defense, controlled the ball on the dead run with his first touch, then poked it into the corner with his second to make it 2-0 — much to the relief of both Morris and the Sounders faithful.
The scorer of Seattle’s other goal was Chad Marshall, who nodded in a corner kick in the 41st minute. That’s two straight games with a goal for the big central defender, after he rescued a point the previous week with a last-gasp equalizer in the Sounders’ 1-1 draw at Houston.
Also worth noting:
– We saw a new formation out of the Sounders on Saturday. Seattle’s been implementing a new 4-3-3 formation this season, but in the game’s opening minutes Seattle shifted into more of a 4-4-2, with Clint Dempsey partnering Morris up front. It seemed to work as this was the Sounders’ best offensive game of the season, as well as the first time Seattle scored more than once in an MLS contest.
– Seattle was also the beneficiary of Philadelphia’s lack of discipline as the Union was forced to play the final 37 minutes with just 10 men following the dismissal of midfielder Roland Alberg for a second yellow card.
– The Sounders gave a first start to Oalex Anderson at forward. Anderson had given Seattle a spark off the bench in recent games, and he showed he’s both dangerous and an unfinished product. His speed helped create a lot of openings for the Sounders, but his final ball was often off the mark.
– Philadelphia’s goal was scored by an old friend, former Sounder Sebastien Le Toux. The goal came just two minutes after Morris made it 2-0, and it made the final 17 minutes a little more uncomfortable for Seattle than it should have been, especially considering the Sounders were up a man.
– The victory gave Seattle seven of a possible nine points from its past three games. That’s done a lot to erase the rough start that saw the Sounders lose their first three games for the first time in franchise history.
– The Sounders wore black armbands to honor teammate Darwin Jones, whose father passed away earlier in the week.
TURNING POINT
The game turned about 15 minutes in. Philadelphia dominated possession in the early going. But Seattle gained the upper hand after a play in which Morris’ determination on the break resulted in Union goalkeeper Andre Blake having to make a sprawling save.
MAN OF THE MATCH
Morris. He worked hard all night, had several chances to score, then finally broke his duck with the goal that ended up being the decider.
GAME STATS
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