It was a night of missed chances for the Sounders.
By Toby Dunkelberg
Saturday saw another match in which the Sounders were the more dominant sign but struggled to generate any offense. With 66% of the possession they had all time in the world to get something done. With the exception of one defensive misalignment on a set piece this was a okay showing from the Sounders. But if they want to climb out of the bottom of the west they’ll need to do better.
STARTERS
Stefan Frei – 6 – There was little for Frei to do on Saturday. The Rapids only put one shot on target – Sjöberg’s goal – and that was more a result of inept marking than anything else. Seldom forced into action other than diving at a shot that sailed wide it was a quiet night for the Sounders goalie.
Tyrone Mears – 6 – This year Mears’ has been tasked with being more of a stay at home full back as a result of Joevin Jones’s continued flirtation with being a wingback. However against the bunkering tactics of Colorado Mears got a couple chances to move forward and overlap with Kovar. It was a reminder of the service that made him such a fan favorite last year but ultimately it, along with the rest of the Sounders offense, amounted to nothing. There wasn’t much to complain about defensivly. All in all it was an above average if ultimately bland performance from the Englishman.
Brad Evans – 6.5 – Against such a defensive team Evans ended up with the ball at his feet more than we’re used to with him at centerback. It’s games like these where his passing ability and vision, vestiges of his midfielder days, are able to shine. There were a couple searching passes that switched the field or unleashed a runner that epitomized the added complexity Evans brings to Seattle’s attack as a ball playing CB. With eager runners in Morris, Kovar, and Anderson, it’s only a matter of time before it starts to pay dividends.
But a centerback is first and foremost a defender, and although largely solid there was a concerning moment in the 59th minute where he hesitated in closing down on Kevin Doyle, allowing just enough time for him to toe poke it to Solignac for a shot that clattered off the left post.
Zach Scott – 6 – There’s not much that hasn’t been said about Zach Scott. In for the injured Chad Marshall, Scott once again put in an above average performance. Things got a little chippy between him and Jermaine Jones early on but the native Hawaiian settled down making nary a mistake all night long. Still he was involved in the game winning goal, albeit indirectly, which casts a shadow over an otherwise impressive performance.
While solid defensively Jones was toothless in the attack.
Joevin Jones – 5.0 – Jones, like of the young left backs Seattle’s tried to get to fill Leo Gonzalez’s spot is inconsistent. Derided for his poor defense and tepid offense, Saturday was a reversal of sorts for the youngster. His game against the Rapids was one of the most defensively sound matches he turned in to date. A lot of that has to do with Colorado seldom attacking. But early on Jones made a particularly impressive stop near Seattle’s touchline.
While his defense may have finally shown signs of solidity his attacking was far from it. Jones has been pushed high this entire year but has little to show for it. His crosses on the night were by and large poor. Jones’ performance was acceptable in a vacuum but the key point people miss is that his bombing runs down the left force the rest of the side to adjust. They pull Ivanschitz deeper and less central and force Mears to sit farther back. In my mind Jones didn’t achieve enough success to offset the lossse in attacking presence those adjustments force. And for that he earns a five.
Osvaldo Alonso – 7 – MOTM – If you exclude the poor road showings, this has been one of Alonso’s best starts to the season in years. The openness of Seattle’s 2016 system and the welcoming presence of Erik Friberg allows Alonso the freedom to roam around the pitch at will. Saturday was no exception as Alonso repeatedly stopped Colorado’s counters. But what sets Alonso apart is his ability to stop the counter, dribble the ball out of the ensuing pressure, and then find the outlet pass. A perfect example of this came in the first ten minutes when Alonso slotted the ball to an on-running Dempsey one on one with MacMath. Had Dempsey been able to slide the ball by the Rapids keeper the game would’ve been entirely different. And it was Alonso vision and poise under pressure that allowed that to happen. Leading the team in tackles, touches, passing and coming in at a 91% passing accuracy makes this an easy choice for man of the match.
Erik Friberg – 6 – Consistently one of the harder players to score, Friberg’s impact is tough to quantize. I could tell you that he had 83 touches, 78 passes with an accuracy of 76.9% but that fails to paint the whole picture. Friberg did what centermids are supposed to do, distribute. Long switching balls, attempted crosses, balls lofted in over the top are the defining characteristics of his game. Against a bunkering side Friberg looked to pass Seattle’s way to a goal, be it through quick passes around the back or those searching balls I just mentioned. As such the low accuracy is to be expected. Overall Friberg had another solid if unexciting game in Rave Green.
An early miss from the US international set the tone for the night.
Clint Dempsey – 6.5 – In his best game in weeks we finally saw a Clint Dempsey hungry for a goal. Unfortunately that goal never came, but it wasn’t for a lack of trying. Clint started the night well, getting in behind Colorado’s backline in the first ten minutes. But in a move that is indicative of Seattle’s season thus far his shot was right into Zac MacMath’s chest. That set the tone of the night for Seattle and for Dempsey especially. After dropping deep to facilitate play and starting counters off of lose balls, Dempsey got another chance in the 73rd minute. Dempsey connected with an Ivanschitz corner for a pacey header destined for the lower left corner. Marc Burch had other ideas and yet again Dempsey was denied on the night. Finishing aside, it was a promising performance from the veteran. One that Sounders and USA fans alike are hoping he can build one in the months to come.
Aaron Kovar – (off 66′) – 5.0 – Kovar’s started to look more and more like he belongs on the pitch. Even still has little impact on the game for a winger, and still seems prone to poor touches at a higher rate than we’d expect in MLS. You never want a winger to just feel like another body on the field, and sadly that’s what Kovar’s been all too often.
Morris needs to do better in situations like these
Jordan Morris – 6 – Once again Morris put in an effective shift but was let down by his finishing. . Right away Morris got on the end of the ball with strong header right at MacMath. Morris settled down after that and was largely quiet until the second half. He started to heat up around the 60th minute and got his best chance of the night in the 65th off a break started by Dempsey. Receiving the ball on his right he failed to set his feet properly and his shot sailed high. Just four minutes later Morris had another chance. This time he cut in and tried a left footed curler that skirted just wide of the post. Three great chances on the night and three missed opportunities in a promising but
Andreas Ivanschitz – (Off 79′) – 5.5 – It was an off night for the Austrian. He allowed Sjöberg to completely elude him int eh 43rd minute, directly causing the only goal of the night. In the run of play Ivanschitz was continually forced to cover during Jones’s run forward and he struggled to get involved in the attack. The Austrians at his best when he’s playing a more central role but virtually all of his passes came from way out wide. To make matters worse the service that he’s so well know for was absent. Hopefully it’s just one game and not indicative of anything more. With Dempsey leaving for Copa America soon Ivanschitz is going to be relied on more to provide a creative spark. After Saturday’s performance, I’m not sure he’ll cut it.
SUBSTITUTES
Herculez Gomez – (on 66′) – 5 – While an improvement over Aaron Kovar I still struggle to see the value in having Herc take corners. His service has failed to impress so far, as has his finishing in the run of play.
It was a short but eventful stint for Anderson
Oalex Anderson – (On 79′, Off 83′) – N/A – Anderson’s been referred to as an impact sub by Sigi and teammates alike. Saturday was no exception as immediately after entering the field he dribbled around his defender and forced a yellow card. Unfortunately Oalex picked up an injury in the process and was forced to be subbed off just four minutes after subbing on.
Dylan Remick – (On 83′) – N/A – Had little time to make an impact in his short stint, but seemed to work well at LB with Jones in a more advanced LM role. Plenty for Sig to chew on.
