There is never a dull match date in MLS.
Week seven brought us some exciting matches, where attacking excellence was on display. LAFC, the Seattle Sounders, and the Houston Dynamo, in particular, played games that were pleasing to the eye as a neutral.
Each match was filled to the brim with goals, controversy, and tactical nuance that – oftentimes, some people miss when watching a league a physical as MLS.
That said, here are three games from match date seven that are worth taking a closer look…
Seattle Sounders vs. St Louis CITY was an interesting clash.
As a highly anticipated matchup between the top two teams in the Western Conference, many expected the game to be much more competitive.
Unfortunately, Seattle head coach Brian Schmetzer had his game plan mapped well and stopped St. Louis in its tracks.
Lining up in a 4-2-3-1, Seattle looked to control the match’s tempo and use their talent to outshine St Louis. Seattle is excellent at home, and to try to counteract that, St. Louis rolled out in a 5-3-2 to bring some defensive balance.
Initially, the game was fairly even.
Both teams were feeling each other out, and St. Louis looked to implement their high-pressing style to disrupt Seattle’s passing patterns. 21-year-old Joshua Atencio, who was in for an injured Joao Paulo – a player integral to Seattle’s play style, shined the brightest, testing the St. Louis goalkeeper early with a stinging shot in the 14th minute.
However, St. Louis fought back, with striker Joao Klauss hitting the word work in the 16th minute.
Through the first 45 minutes, St. Louis outshot Seattle 7-4. But, eventually, Seattle’s quality came through.
In the 60th minute, striker Raul Ruidiaz entered the game. This personnel switch allowed Seattle to go much more direct in their attack, playing long balls over the top to the two strikers, forcing St. Louis’ defense to backpedal.
The Sounders found a breakthrough in the 66th minute through Atencio with a right-footed rocket into the top corner. Seattle never let up after that, Ruidiaz scored their second to put the game away, and then St. Louis gave them a gift in the 89th minute with an own goal via fullback Jakob Nerwinski.
Seattle’s patience, personnel flexibility, and better finishing saw them come out on top in this match.
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