CARSON, Calif. – Seattle Sounders midfielder Osvaldo Alonso couldn’t recall the last time he scored a goal quite like his long-range distance strike that capped off his team’s 4-2 romp over the LA Galaxy at StubHub Center on Sunday.
But as Alonso spoke with reporters in the visiting locker room after the game, Sounders midfielder Cristian Roldan made a point of noting that he wasn’t surprised to his veteran teammate get on the scoresheet in highlight reel fashion.
“He cracks those in practice all the time,” Roldan said as he walked by Alonso’s postgame scrum.
Sounders forward Jordan Morris will garner most of the headlines following the victory over LA, and rightfully so, after his second-half brace made him the top American-born rookie goal-scorer in MLS history.
“Unbelivable,” Alonso said of his rookie teammate. “He’s been amazing the whole season. That’s what he does, is score goals. I’m very happy for him.”
But as the Sounders try to complete their improbable push back into the Western Conference playoff picture, Alonso’s own contributions also can’t be overlooked.
Sunday’s 78th-minute golazo was simply the latest exploit in what has been a customarily consistent 2016 campaign for the Cuban midfielder, coming off an offseason in which there was some speculation that he might move on.
For Sounders interim head coach Brian Schmetzer, Alonso’s performance against LA is just one example of the team-oriented play that has defined Seattle’s recent surge from the Western Conference basement back into very realistic postseason contention.
“Ozzie got our fourth goal but our response [after giving up the first goal to LA] was good,” Schmetzer said. “Yes, Jordan got the winning goal and Ozzie took the fourth goal, but whether it comes from Jordan or Ozzie or Chad [Marshall], the significance of that is it just makes them believe they can score multiple goals. I think that’s what I get out of that game.”
If the Sounders do manage to complete their turnaround and make the Audi 2016 MLS Cup playoffs, keeping Alonso healthy will be a top priority after he missed most of Seattle’s last two postseason runs due to injuries.
In the meantime, Alonso says he’s focused on Seattle’s upcoming home matchup with the Chicago Fire (Wednesday, 7:30 pm ET, MLS LIVE) that will give the Sounders a chance to tie the Portland Timbers at 41 points for the Western Conference’s sixth and final playoff spot.
“We’re going to celebrate today but the next couple of days, we’ve got to focus on Wednesday,” Alonso said on Sunday. “My focus and my mind is just on playing my game and going my best for this team.”
