Seattle Sounders reunite with Ozzie Alonso in 1-1 draw against Minnesota

St. Paul, Minnesota (May 6, 2019) — Seattle Sounders FC fans likely didn’t see the day coming where Ozzie Alonso would be in another club’s uniform. Alonso joined the Sounders back in 2009, when the club was first formed.

He was a pioneer of the team, earned the nickname “The Honey Badger” and was a captain for many years. The longtime Sounder departed from the team this past offseason, joining Minnesota United FC. Immediately, Alonso has made an impact with his new club.

Seattle Sounders reunite with Ozzie Alonso in 1-1 draw against Minnesota

There were plenty of storylines surrounding the reunion between the Sounders and Alonso. However, none was more advertised than the reunion of a mentor and his apprentice. When Cristian Roldan joined the Seattle Sounders in 2015, Alonso took him under his wing. Roldan was originally worried he wouldn’t feature in Minnesota, after earning a controversial red card against Los Angeles FC last weekend.

However, this past training week, Roldan and the Sounders appealed the red card. The Sounders were successful with their appeal and Roldan was able to suit up. In training last week, Roldan said that he paid close attention to Ozzie Alonso’s game during his time in Seattle.

“I watched him quite a bit, obviously on the bench, and saw his habits in training,” Roldan recalled. “So much of his game has been brought into mine, and so has Gonzalo. I want to add those two guys together because, if I can add a little bit of both of their games, I’ll be all right.”

Roldan made a huge impact for the Sounders in the 1-1 draw at the new Allianz Field in St. Paul, Minnesota. After Ike Opera scored the opening goal for the Loons in the 26th minute, Roldan was able to level the score before the halftime whistle blew. Roldan sent a rocket shot at the top of the box past Minnesota goalkeeper Vito Mannone.

Alonso will return to his old stomping grounds later this season, when Minnesota travels to Seattle on Oct. 6.

🎯🎯🎯 pic.twitter.com/VNuUXFLBmu

— Seattle Sounders FC (@SoundersFC) May 6, 2019

Three Takeaways

1. An even match up: After the match, Sounders FC head coach Brian Schmetzer said it best in his post-game remarks. Schmetzer said that three points were there for either team. The match saw plenty of chances after each side scored a goal. Everyone was getting in on the attack. Minnesota did take more chances, registering three shots on goal out of 12 shots.
2. Corner kicks need to be better for Seattle: Seattle has struggled in finding the back of the net on corner kicks. Chad Marshall and Kim Kee-hee are big bodied defenders and Marshall had no problem finding the net. This year, the tale has been different. Seattle needs to shape up on their corner kick chances. They had five in total against Minnesota, but nothing to show from it.
3. The return of Raúl Ruidíaz: He’s back! The Sounders can rejoice in seeing one name off their injury list. Raúl Ruidíaz has been out for about a month with right heel contusion. His last action was against the Vancouver Whitecaps on March 30. The Sounders can only hope that Ruidíaz can pick up where he left off and be a threat on goal.

What’s Next?

The Sounders will return back to CenturyLink Field to host the Houston Dynamo on Saturday night. The Dynamo are currently sitting in third place in the Western Conference, with a 6-1-1 record. Seattle is one spot below the Dynamo in fourth place.

Each side has 19 points.

💚💙 Moments from #SoundersMatchday pic.twitter.com/hL3UpaORm6

— Seattle Sounders FC (@SoundersFC) May 5, 2019

PHOTO: Cristian Roldan dribbles the ball against Minnesota United FC in the 1-1 draw between MNUFC and the Seattle Sounders FC. Photo courtesy of Rich Moll/Seattle Sounders FC.