San Jose, California — Jordan Morris knew the Seattle Sounders already clinched a playoff spot. However, he could care less if San Jose has clinched, or if they need points to help get them in a playoff spot. Just because the Sounders are clinched doesn’t mean they don’t want points.
Point help build confidence. After a rollercoaster season, Seattle needs that.
Morris helped the Sounders garner three points on the road, something that has been a difficult task this season. Morris scored the game-winning goal at Avaya Stadium over the San Jose Earthquakes. His goal came with mere minutes left on the clock, in the 90’+4′ minute.
Morris said that San Jose always provides quality competition against the Sounders.
“They make it tough, to be honest,” Morris said after the match. “We knew it would be a dog fight… For us to get three points here is huge. We don’t stop fighting. Going up a man, going even, there’s a lot of emotion there. So it was a good result.”
The match almost seemed like a playoff contest. There were two red cards, one for each side. The first came in the 56th minute, as Tommy Thompson of the Earthquakes stomped on Xavier Arreaga’s knee after play ended. There were no questions asked, as Thompson received a straight red card.
However, Arreaga didn’t have the last laugh by any means. In just 14 MLS matches, Arreaga has received two red cards and three yellow cards. His second red card of the season came in the 71st minute, when he brought down Danny Hoesen to receive a second yellow of the match.
Back home with 3️⃣ points 😍#SJvSEA | #SoundersMatchday pic.twitter.com/6bfvvsMZZN
— Seattle Sounders FC (@SoundersFC) September 30, 2019
Three Takeaways
- Arreaga needs some discipline: There’s a stark difference between Xavier Arreaga then the rest of the team. More often than not, Arreaga plays recklessly and commits multiple fouls a day. He is a designated player, but right now he’s not living up to his dollar sign. Arreaga needs to be sharp in the playoffs, or Seattle is doomed.
- Roman Torres makes his return: After serving a 10-match ban from the league for testing positive on a drug test, Roman Torres made his return to the Sounders last night. Torres will provide a veteran presence on the backline. Don’t be surprised to see Kim Kee-hee and Torres start together throughout the playoffs.
- Stefan Frei is the real MVP: After the match, Jordan Morris redirected his praise to goalkeeper Stefan Frei. It was deserved, too. Frei made a whopping 10 saves, with multiple stops against Magnus Eriksson, Chris Wondolowski and Hoesen. However, Frei is a man of humility. He thanked his team for working hard in tough circumstances.
🗣 The man of the hour #SJvSEA | #SoundersMatchday pic.twitter.com/8xu7KwcDjP
— Seattle Sounders FC (@SoundersFC) September 30, 2019
What’s Next?
Seattle will close out their regular season on Sunday against Minnesota United. This match is crucial for the Sounders. Not only are they welcoming home Osvaldo Alonso to CenturyLink, but the Sounders will move back to second if they win. Seattle started the weekend in second place, but moved down to third.
However, there’s no way anyone is taking first place from Los Angeles FC. They’ve already won the MLS Shield.
Sunday’s match will begin at 4 p.m. EST.
Shutout from Frei ✅
Dramatic winner from Morris ✅
Three crucial points ✅#SJvSEA Highlights ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/3Rv91LeIqW— Seattle Sounders FC (@SoundersFC) September 30, 2019
PHOTO: Jordan Morris scores the game-winning goal against the San Jose Earthquakes. Photo courtesy of Lyndsay Radnedge/Seattle Sounders FC.
