The Seattle Sounders’ 2-1 loss to the Chicago Fire presented a different set of frustrations than the goalless draw against the San Jose Earthquakes, but at least in the latter, the Sounders scored. Failing to rack up points against the Fire leaves the Sounders in a precarious position to advance in the MLS is Back tournament, not to mention suffering their first loss of the year. Coach Brian Schmetzer won’t have much time to think about the loss, but he will surely be able to use the game to make adjustments for a major game against the Vancouver Whitecaps on Sunday. This is what we saw from the game.
Hope (au) for the future
Shandon Hopeau had a surprising start, with Jordan Morris probably starting the game on the bench as a precaution. While Hopeau didn’t seem particularly out of place, it didn’t really impact the game, either. He had a couple of opportunities to shoot at the target, including a nice pass twist in the first half’s time to enter the area, but he didn’t get the ball and the opportunity started. He also picked up a yellow for a challenge to Jonathan Bornstein at the end of the half, resulting in a dangerous piece for Fire. The 21-year-old was replaced by Morris at halftime.
The truth about Lodeiro
While no one has had much playing time in the past four months, Nicolas Lodeiro has had even less, recovering from a hamstring injury over the course of the winter preseason. In possession, Lodeiro was his usual dynamic self, moving from defense to attack. However, his death in particular showed that he still needs more playing time. Lodeiro struggled to create opportunities from a distance, either through pieces or simply setting up his teammates, and most of what he tried was out of place.
Fear of fear
Xavier Arreaga is not necessarily known as a physical defender, putting aside his impressive performance against Carlos Vela and LAFC in the final of the 2019 MLS Cup Western Conference. However, he is aggressive, making his mistake in the 52 ‘be even more disappointing. In a routine Fire goalkeeper clearance to midfield, Arreaga inexplicably let the ball bounce off his head and Robert Beric took the ball from him and dropped it on the ground when the forward was able to pass a shot past Stefan Frei. Arreaga was to blame for the winner of the game in the 84th minute as he lost his marker in a corner of Chicago, allowing Mauricio Pineda to put a shot to the back post. Overall rough performance.
More by Morris
No, Morris won’t see a role change anytime soon, but he has a habit of getting off the bench to impact the game. Morris used his rhythm to establish the tying goal, dribbling to the finish line and cutting the ball to set Bwana up for a solid finish. The good news is that Morris should reasonably rest for the final game in the group stage.
Bwana offers life
It is understandable that Hopeau starts the game which would lead one to wonder about the future of Bwana’s role with the team, given that she is now in her third professional season. However, Bwana showed why the Sounders believe he has a bright future, facing a challenge to finish Morris’ good job to tie the game. Schmetzer would probably like Bwana to be more aggressive in one-on-one situations, but this was a good substitute performance.