SEATTLE, WASH. – Sounders FC (8-5-2, 26 points) earned a 1-0 win over the New York Red Bulls (3-5-7, 16 points) Saturday evening on the Emerald Queen Casino Pitch at Lumen Field. Jordan Morris scored the lone goal and Stefan Frei recorded his league-leading eighth shutout as the Rave Green snapped a two-match losing streak and jumped back into first place in the Western Conference.
Seattle scored in the 22nd minute courtesy of Morris’ ninth goal of the season, ranking second in MLS. Albert Rusnák played a ball down the left flank to Léo Chú, who crossed it across the face of goal to a streaking Morris, who smashed it home for his first goal since April 1. It marked the sixth assist of the season for Chú (tied for third in MLS) and second for Rusnák. Morris suffered a groin injury on the play and was subbed out of the match in the 25th minute.
Goalkeeper Stefan Frei made three saves – including a point-blank diving save in the 66th minute – en route to his league-leading eighth shutout of the season. He now has 99 career shutouts in MLS regular-season play, as he looks to become the third player in league history to record 100 career clean sheets.
Following Saturday’s match, Sounders FC faces a quick turnaround with a midweek matchup against the San Jose Earthquakes on Wednesday, May 31 at Lumen Field (7:30 p.m. PT / Apple TV – Watch Free, 93.3 KJR FM, El Rey 1360 AM). Seattle then hosts the Portland Timbers on Saturday, June 3 (1:30 p.m. PT / Apple TV – Watch Free, FOX, 93.3 KJR AM, Sirius XM FC, El Rey 1360 AM), as part of a Seattle-Portland doubleheader, as OL Reign hosts the Portland Thorns next Saturday evening at Lumen Field.
- With tonight’s victory, Sounders FC snaps a two-match losing skid and vaults back atop the MLS Western Conference. The Rave Green currently have 26 points, one more point than both LAFC and St. Louis. Next up for Seattle: a two-match week, beginning with a home clash against San Jose on Wednesday, May 31, followed by a Cascadia Cup showdown with archrival Portland on Saturday, June 3 at Lumen Field.
- Due to unbalanced interconference scheduling, tonight’s match was Seattle’s first against the New York Red Bulls since 2019, moving the Rave Green to 7-5-3 all-time against the New Jersey-based club.
- At Lumen Field against the Red Bulls, Sounders FC moves to 6-1-1 all-time with a 18-8 goal difference. Seattle’s first-ever win in MLS came against the Red Bulls during a 3-0 win on March 19, 2009.
- The last six meetings between Seattle and New York have been won by the home team, with neither club winning on the road since 2010. The last point given away by either side against the other was a 1-1 draw in Seattle in September of 2013.
- Jordan Morris netted his ninth goal of the 2023 season with the match’s opening strike in the 22nd minute of play. The Mercer Island native is currently in sole possession of second place in the MLS Golden Boot race, one strike behind LAFC’s Dénis Bouanga. Morris departed the match moments after scoring due to a groin injury.
- Léo Chú earned the primary assist on Morris’ goal, good for his team-leading sixth helper of 2023. The Brazilian winger is now tied for third in MLS in overall assists, two behind Atlanta United’s Thiago Almada for the league lead.
- Midfielder Albert Rusnák unlocked the Red Bull defense during Morris’ goal sequence, earning a secondary assist on the play. For the Slovakian, the assist was his second of the year and his 43rd career overall.
- Recording the shutout tonight, goalkeeper Stefan Frei recorded his league-leading eighth clean sheet of 2023. For the veteran goalkeeper, the shutout is his 99th regular-season shutout. Should Frei reach the century mark, he would become just the third goalkeeper in MLS history to achieve the feat.
- Entering the match in the 86th minute of play as a substitute, Nouhou made his 150th MLS regular-season appearance for the club.
Seattle Sounders FC 1 – New York Red Bulls 0
Venue: Emerald Queen Casino Pitch at Lumen Field
Assistants: Corey Rockwell, Ben Pilgrim
Fourth Official: Mike Rottersman
Weather: 68 degrees and mostly sunny
SEA – Jordan Morris (Léo Chú, Albert Rusnák) 22’
NYRB – Tom Barlow (caution) 9’
NYRB – Dru Yearwood (caution) 27’
SEA – João Paulo (caution) 45+1’
SEA – Cody Baker (caution) 55’
SEA – João Paulo (caution, ejection) 75’
SEA – Jackson Ragen (caution) 83’
NYRB – Hassan Ndam (caution) 90+2’
Seattle Sounders FC – Stefan Frei; Alex Roldan, Yeimar Gómez Andrade, Jackson Ragen, Cody Baker; João Paulo, Albert Rusnák; Jordan Morris (Dylan Teves 25’), Nico Lodeiro – captain (Nouhou 86’), Léo Chú (Xavier Arreaga 78’); Héber (Josh Atencio 78’)
Substitutes not used: Stefan Cleveland, Abdoulaye Cissoko, Reed Baker-Whiting, Fredy Montero, Raúl Ruidíaz
New York Red Bulls – Carlos Coronel; Dylan Nealis (O’Vonte Mullings 64’), Hassan Ndam, Sean Nealis, John Tolkin; Peter Stroud (Cory Burke 77’), Cristian Cásseres Jr.; Cameron Harper, Dru Yearwood (Wikelman Carmona 46’), Tom Barlow (Luquinhas 64’); Dante Vanzeir (Elias Manoel 46’)
Substitutes not used: Ryan Meara, Frankie Amaya, Lewis Morgan, Matthew Nocita