Sounders snap losing streak with a road draw in Cincinnati

The Seattle Sounders earned an important point on the road against FC Cincinnati to snap an eight-match league losing streak. A late goal from Kalani Kossa-Rienzi was enough to give the Sounders their first non-loss in MLS since May.

Brian Schmetzer’s squad has been dealt a tough hand with a laundry list of injuries to starting players. Jackson Ragen being the latest starter to be added to the list after hyper-extending his Knee last match against Austin.

As a result of fixture congestion and injuries, the Sounders starting lineup featured nine players who had played for the Tacoma Defiance previously, one player actively on Tacoma, and Ryan Sailor (who did play college ball at the University of Washington at least). The average age of the Sounders’ starting lineup today was roughly 23.7 years old.

The inexperience showed early on in the match as Cincinnati dominated most of the first half. Former Portland Timbers star Evander scored the opening goal in the 24th minute after 3 consecutive blocked shots by the Sounders defense. Evander was in the right place to poach the ball after the third deflection.

Despite such a young squad, the Sounders hung around in the match and eventually got their chance. Nouhou crucially stopped a counter-attack before finding an open Albert Rusnak on the right wing. Rusnak picked his head up and perfectly placed a cross in the box for Kalani Kossa-Rienzi to smash into the net in the 83rd minute.

Credit: Sounders FC Communications

“Kalani (Kossa-Rienzi) has made plays…,” said Brian Schmetzer post-match about the role of Kalani Kossa-Rienzi, “…Kalani and Paul (Rothrock) were pretty effective wingbacks.” Schmetzer had adjusted his formation during the match to have a backline of five. Rothrock and Kossa-Rienzi slotted in as wingbacks in this formation, providing most of the attacking width as well as the defensive depth.

Moments later the Sounders nearly scored a winner. Again after denying a counter-attack, the Sounders caught Cincinnati all mixed up. Antino Lopez curled a ball to the back post and Danny Musovski was a whisker away from getting his head to the ball. Had he made any contact on the ball the Sounders would have taken a late lead and could have stolen all three points.

After losing eight in a row including league play, a road draw felt like a massive victory for the Sounders. Even with heavy rotation and formation changes mid-match, the players on the pitch worked hard and fought for a result.

“This was a classic Sounders road victory,” said Brian Schmetzer after the match. “Sometimes I say a draw is like a loss, but this feels like a win.” Schmetzer has previously discussed that the formula to winning in MLS is to get a point on the road and win at home. Tonight’s match was a perfect example of how Schmetzer wants his teams to perform on the road.

Credit: Sounders FC Communications

Pre-Game

The Sounders walked into TQL Stadium on an eight-match losing streak in MLS play. Sitting in 12th place in the Western Conference, three points outside of the playoff line.

Jackson Ragen joined the long list of starters who were injured heading into the match. He suffered a knee injury against Austin in the previous match.

Despite the long losing streak, the Sounders don’t sit far outside the playoffs. The Rave Green hold a game in hand on many teams above them. The problem is they haven’t gotten a point in MLS since May. Getting a result in Cincinnati is needed, badly.

Key Moments

24’: GOAL – CIN 1-0, Evander

75’: YELLOW – SEA, Peter Kingston (Will miss next match)

83’: GOAL – SEA 1-1, Kalani Kossa-Rienzi (Albert Rusnak)

Takeaways

This match wasn’t pretty, but it was effective. Earning a point on the road is always a good result in MLS. Entering the match with a heavily depleted and rotated squad, the draw felt more like a win against a very tough Cincinnati side.

Brian Schmetzer had initially started with his usual 4-2-3-1 formation. FC Cincinnati were all over the Sounders from the beginning, taking space through the middle of the pitch and down the wings. Following Cincinnati’s goal, Schmetzer shifted the formation. Paul Rothrock dropped back to be a left wingback as the Sounders adjusted to play five in the back.

Changing the formation proved to be effective as Cincinnati was getting less clear chances and space to operate. Every time Evander touched the ball, the Sounders immediately closed him down to limit his influence on the match more than he already had.

This felt like the most complete game from the Sounders in quite some time. They fought hard to keep the match within reach and their efforts paid off with the late equalizer. A vintage Brian Schmetzer road match against a tough team.

Now it will be interesting to see whether Schmetzer will play with the adjusted formation going forward, as it seemed to be very effective for the players he was able to field. As they host a strong attacking side next weekend with the Chicago Fire, it will be important for the Sounders to get their defense set-up correctly.

Credit: Sounders FC Communications

Post-Game

Paul Rothrock on getting a result out of the match: “Definitely something to build off. I can tell you that there were a lot of proud and happy faces in the locker room. That’s a big result. Hugely rotated lineup with our backs against the walls in a lot of ways. I’m really proud of the team today.”

Kalani Kossa-Rienzi on the positive result: “When you hit rock bottom there is only one to go and it’s up. You gotta make that first step, and this was a big first step for us.”

What’s Next

The Sounders will head back home and attempt to recover with a week off before hosting the Chicago Fire. Chicago has been strong this season under former USMNT coach Gregg Berhalter, who is in his second season with the club. The Fire also made headlines after signing legendary striker Robert Lewandowski, after selling then-MLS Golden Boot leader Hugo Cuypers.

Sounders’ fans may also finally have some transfer news to be excited for. Multiple reports from Fabrizio Romano and Tom Bogert have said that the Sounders are close to a deal with Sporting Kansas City to acquire striker Dejan Joveljic. Check out our full article on this rumor here.

Match Stats

Score: Sounders 1 – 1 Cincinnati

Venue: TQL Stadium

Weather: Sunny, 79°F (25°C)

Attendance: 25,513

Referee: Drew Fischer

Possession %: 29 – 71

Shots (on target): 11 (3) – 17 (9)

Corners: 4 – 9

Saves: 7 – 2

Fouls: 14 – 7

Yellow Cards (Red): 2 (0) – 1 (0)