Sounders earn statement win over LAFC

Seattle Sounders FC 5-2 LAFC:

SEATTLE, WA–LAFC entered this match not having been scored upon in 360 competitive minutes. Seattle would lay five on them in a 5-2 victory at Lumen Field.

It would start in the 11th minute as Tacoma Defiance loan signing Kalani Kossa-Rienzi fought off Artem Smolyakov and slotted the shot past Thomas Hasal for the opening score. LAFC equalized in the 38th minute as Nathan Ordaz scored off a corner kick that the Sounders failed to clear.

Photo: Paul Kahl

The second half would be all Sounders starting in the 57th minute as Paul Rothrock sent a 25-yard blast inside the near post to restore Seattle’s lead. Rothrock turned provider to Jordan Morris twenty minutes later as Morris would score from six yards out and become the Sounders’ all-time leading scorer at 87 passing Raul Ruidiaz. That includes the team in the old NASL days as Mark Peterson leads that category with 49.

Substitute Cristian Roldan added a fourth in the 84th with a left-foot shot just outside the box. David Martinez added a consolation goal for LAFC fighting off a slew of Seattle defenders, but even that was little consolation as Albert Rusnak made it 5-2 in the fourth minute of stoppage time. It is the Sounders’ second win over LAFC in the last 12 matches.

Next up for the Sounders is a trip to Mexico City to take on Cruz Azul in the second leg of their Concacaf Champions Cup Round of 16 tie. Kickoff is at 5:30pm PT on Tuesday on FS1. The next league match is at St. Louis CITY SC on Saturday (5:30pm PT, Apple TV).

Photos by Paul Kahl and Nate Koppelman