Seattle, Washington — On paper, it’s not a rivalry. However, if you watched last night’s match between the Seattle Sounders FC and FC Dallas, it sure looked like one. Right now, it’s crunch time for points in MLS, and teams aren’t holding back.
The Sounders are currently in second place — barely hanging on. Seattle sits with 50 points, but there’s not a large gap separating them from a non-playoff spot. There are seven teams that will advance. In eighth place, currently, is the Portland Timbers. However, Portland has 43 points.
That’s only a seven-point gap between playoffs and missing out.
Seattle has made the playoffs every single year that the club has been around. Meanwhile, FC Dallas moved up to the seventh place spot after earning a draw last night. Neither team found the back of each other’s net. However, there were certainly plenty of cards that came out.
Match referee Drew Fischer set the tone early, pulling out a yellow card on Xavier Arreaga in the 24th minute. The card came after Arreaga collided with Michael Barrios and ended up hitting the back of his head. Arreaga was given a second yellow late in the match, in the 86th minute.
However, FC Dallas didn’t put ultimate pressure on the Sounders goal. There were a few quick chances, but nothing entirely pressing. At the end of the match, there was also confusion with Kim Kee-hee getting shown a yellow after the final whistle.
Meanwhile, his centerback counterpart Arreaga will be suspended next match. After the match, defender Kelvin Leerdam said Dallas sat deeper than usual.
Yaaaaaaa!#SEAvDAL | #SoundersMatchday pic.twitter.com/VseV3sc0Zu
— Seattle Sounders FC (@SoundersFC) September 19, 2019
Three Takeaways
- Sitting Morris was the right call: Seattle has been hustling through a grueling week. The Rave Green just completed their second match in eight days. On Sunday, they’ll take on D.C. United. Sitting Jordan Morris in the first half of the mid-week clash was the right call from Brian Schmetzer. While this was a conference clash, Sunday’s match is going to need all of the Sounders’ muscle. However, Morris did have a great look for Seattle in the 74th minute.
- Lodeiro makes it 100: Nicolas Lodeiro has essentially become a face of the Sounders franchise. The Uruguayan made his 100th MLS appearance on Wednesday night. He’s the captain and could be a key piece for Seattle in hopes of making a deep playoff run.
- Referee contradicts his own calls: The yellow cards — plural — on Arreaga were deserved. The referee’s decision to make those calls were because Arreaga did not make contact with the ball. That’s a fair call. However, Fischer contradicted his own call by pulling a yellow on Kim. The South Korean made contact with the ball, and it was Barrios who fell to the ground in dramatic fashion.
What’s next?
Seattle hits the road to the nation’s capital, facing off with D.C. United. Sunday’s match will begin at 8 p.m. EST and air on ESPN+.
🐶 #WrinkleWednesday 🐶 pic.twitter.com/f0JVdrfPR0
— Seattle Sounders FC (@SoundersFC) September 19, 2019
Photo: Xavier Arreaga of the Seattle Sounders and Jacori Hayes of FC Dallas courtesy of Lindsey Wasson/Seattle Sounders.
