The Colorado Rapids entered the match looking to score their first goal at home on the young MLS season. The Seattle Sounders were looking to score on the road for the first time all year.
The Sounders took the opening kickoff and the Rapids applied pressure early and had an early shout for a penalty after center back Brad Evans bumped into Juan Ramirez inside the first minute of the match. However, referee Drew Fischer didn’t see it that way and waved the play on.
The Rapids got their first chance of the match in the fourth minute after a failed clearance from both center backs, Evans and Chad Marshall. Dillon Powers found the ball at his feet and chipped Seattle goalkeeper Stefan Frei. Unfortunately for Powers and the Rapids, the ball hit the post and Tyrone Mears cleared the ball which begun the Sounders counter-attack.
Forward Clint Dempsey found Lamar Neagle on the left side of the pitch and from the top of the box, Neagle was able to curl the ball past goalkeeper Clint Irwin in the fifth minute of the match for his first goal of the season. Neagle became the first Sounders player other than Dempsey and Obafemi Martins to score a goal this season. It also ended a 311 minute scoreless streak on the road for Seattle.
In the 14th minute, Chad Marshall picked up his first yellow card of the season after a bad back pass from Dylan Remick. Marshall mis-timed his tackle and clipped Vicente Sanchez feet. On the ensuing free kick, the ball was sent in and found the head of Powers. However, Frei was in the right spot to make an outstanding save. Three minutes later, the Sounders got their next opportunity of the match. The ball was sent out wide to Remick who sent in a cross. The ball found the head of Martins, but he was unable to get enough power behind the ball and Irwin made an easy save.
After surviving numerous waves of attack from the Rapids, the Sounders finally conceded the tying goal in the 22nd minute. Powers found a streaking Gabriel Torres who was able to put it far post past an on rushing Frei. As Kasey Keller said during the broadcast, the Sounders seemed to be off pace just a step. Could it have been the altitude? Who knows? The Sounders needed to respond and they did just that. Neagle found Marco Pappa and continued his run into the box. Pappa sent a looping ball over the Rapids back line. Neagle’s shot was deflected by Irwin and then the ball ricocheted off of James Riley and fell to the feet of Neagle who put the ball in the back of the net for his second on the night.
The Rapids looked to respond immediately and put pressure right back on the Sounders and Frei. The Sounders were able to relieve some of that pressure and it led to a two on two counter-attack with Martins and Dempsey. In the end, Martins final pass was not the best and the Rapids were able to recover. After Dempsey was fouled about 33 yards from goal, Pappa stepped up to take the free kick. He kicked the ball into the wall and it took a deflection and Irwin had to scramble back and make a diving save before the ball sneaked into the goal.
In the 40th minute, Marcelo Sarvas was lucky not to pick up a card of any color after an altercation with Dempsey. Clint was taken to the ground and as Sarvas was going through, it appeared that he stomped down on Dempsey’s midsection. Earlier in the match, Sarvas kicked the ball into the back of Dempsey’s head after the Rapids were whistled for fouling Dempsey. Clint didn’t appreciate the ball being kicked into the back of his head and let Sarvas know about it.
The Sounders had a few more chances before the halftime whistle. A ball was sent to the front of the net and deflected out to a wide open Neagle. However, Lamar was not able to score a hat trick. After the initial save by Irwin, the ball fell to the feet of Andy Rose. Rose was not able to convert and the ball was played out. After a foul from Mears, the Rapids had one last chance before half. The effort was saved by Frei and the Sounders headed into the locker room with a 2-1 lead.
The first 15 minutes of the second half were rather uneventful. Both teams had their chances, but were unable to convert them into goals. Lucas Pittinari was lucky not to pick up a yellow after he committed easily his sixth or seventh foul of the match. It was a matter that MLS discussed in the offseason. They want the referees to hand out more yellow cards for persistent infringement. That being said, Fischer had no issue handing Rose a yellow card in the 66th minute after committing a foul in the midfield. He then issued another yellow in the 74th minute to Mears on a ticky tacky foul.
Dempsey was subbed off in the 70th minute for Gonzalo Pineda. As he was leaving the pitch, he made a crying motion to the fans in Colorado. Not sure what that was about.
In the 73rd minute, Rose sent a long ball to Martins. Obafemi was able to settle, back pass to himself and get past the defense. At that point, it was one on one with the goalkeeper. Martins was able to calmly place the ball past an onrushing Irwin for a 3-1 Sounders lead. The last ten minutes of the match saw the Rapids constantly taking shots from around 20 yards out as well as from angles that did not favor the home team.
After four minutes of stoppage time, the Sounders picked up their first road win of the 2015 MLS season. This was the fifth straight over the Rapids and 12th all-time. The three goals that Colorado allowed were more than they had allowed all year entering the match. This is the second time this year that the Sounders have scored three goals in a match, the first being the season opener. The Sounders will head home to take on the Portland Timbers while the Rapids welcome FC Dallas to Dick's Sporting Goods Park.