Goals were scarce. But there was no shortage of angst, tension and bad blood as the Seattle Sounders and Portland Timbers added another dramatic chapter to their longstanding rivalry with a 1-1 draw at CenturyLink Field on Sunday night.
Cristian Roldan gave the Sounders an early lead with a scrappy goal off a corner kick. Then Diego Valeri and Darren Mattocks teamed up to earn and dispatch a penalty kick in the first half's dying moments, drawing the visitors level.
Though the second stanza featured ample ebb and flow and several inviting chances for both sides – as well as a straight red card for Seattle's Nouhou Tolo in the final seconds of the game – neither Stefan Frei nor Jeff Attinella would be beaten again, allowing the Timbers to head south with a hard-earned road point.
Goals
Three Things
MORRIS, MISSING:
Like many others in MLS over the years,
Jordan Morris
has hit the so-called "sophomore slump" in his second year as a pro, bagging just three goals and one assist thus far in league play after hitting for 12 and four in his 2016 Rookie of the Year campaign. On Sunday he failed to convert on two one-on-one breakaways with only Attinella to beat. But his coach is keeping the faith: