At the end of more than 120 minutes of a breathless, back-and-forth classic at CenturyLink Field, the Seattle Sounders erupted in relief while the heartbreak of a young FC Dallas team was symbolized on the face of one of their teenage sensations, Edwin Cerrillo.
Cerrillo, 19, had been on the field for just five minutes before Jordan Morris completed his hat-trick to seal an unforgettable 4-3 victory for Seattle. While defeated, Dallas, the fourth-youngest team to reach the MLS playoffs with an average age of 24 years 197 days, had made their mark, coming from 2-0 and 3-2 down to take the initiative in the closing stages.
But it was not to be their day. As the final whistle blew, Cerrillo wiped tears from his eyes and being consoled by teammates. Meanwhile, Paxton Pomykal, another teenager who played such a large part in Dallas reaching the postseason, collapsed to the turf with dejection.
There is reason to believe Dallas' time will come, but on this occasion it's Seattle who live to fight another day in the Western Conference Semifinals back at CenturyLink Field on Wednesday.
