Coming off two disappointing home draws, and with Nicolás Lodeiro and Stefan Frei out for the foreseeable future due to complications from existing injuries, the last thing head coach Brian Schmetzer wanted to deal with was the loss of one of the early front-runners for Defensive Player of the Year.
On the road against a Galaxy side looking for revenge after a 3-0 drubbing earlier this season, the Sounders would need a sturdy performance to get a result.
While they didn’t match the dominant performance in that earlier matchup versus the Galaxy, it was arguably more impressive, as the Sounders used a set-piece and a scrappy rebound goal to leave Southern California with all three points, extending their lead atop the Supporters’ Shield standings.
With no national team obligations for the remainder of the summer, Ruidíaz was free to continue his hot start to the MLS season, and in a matchup of the two Golden Boot leaders, Ruidíaz won the individual battle.
While head referee Drew Fisher was likely the subject of some salty words from Sounders partisans, no such language would describe the performance of Cissoko in his first appearance.
Soccer of course has its own version of closing out a tight game when the clock hits 90:00, and the Sounders put on a clinic, as they’ve done all season.
Being dangerous on set-pieces is always a bonus but it’s especially the case when a team is struggling to generate chances, as the Sounders were especially in the first half.
In his fourth start for the Sounders, Cleveland was a steady presence in the back, helping the Sounders continue their record of not conceding a goal from the run of play.