MLS Multiplex
Fansided

Morris and Rothrock shine as Seattle Sounders beat Minnesota United in the Leagues Cup

Morris and Rothrock shine in the final minutes as Sounders beat Minnesota United 2-0 in the Leagues Cup

By Izabelle Franca

Jul 26, 2024; Seattle, Washington, USA; Seattle Sounders including defender Jon Bell (15) midfielder Leo Chu (23), second from left, midfielder Obed Vargas (18), forward Jordan Morris (13), fourth from left, midfielder Albert Rusnak (11), forward Paul Rothrock (14) and defender Jackson Ragen (25) celebrate a goal against Minnesota United during the second half at Lumen Field. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Brashear-USA TODAY Sports
Jul 26, 2024; Seattle, Washington, USA; Seattle Sounders including defender Jon Bell (15) midfielder Leo Chu (23), second from left, midfielder Obed Vargas (18), forward Jordan Morris (13), fourth from left, midfielder Albert Rusnak (11), forward Paul Rothrock (14) and defender Jackson Ragen (25) celebrate a goal against Minnesota United during the second half at Lumen Field. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Brashear-USA TODAY Sports / Stephen Brashear-USA TODAY Sports
facebooktwitterreddit

Seattle Sounders showed their mettle right to the final whistle by beating Minnesota United 2-0 in the first leg of the 2024 Leagues Cup group stage. And what a thrilling finish, eh? Jordan Morris and Paul Rothrock settled things in the last few minutes to give the Sounders three precious points.

Follow MLS Multiplex on X (Twitter).

The game got off to a hectic start. As early as the 11th minute, the Sounders had their first real chance with Cristian Roldan advancing down the right flank and releasing Albert Rusnák, who was stopped by a fine save from Dayne St. Clair. Minnesota United weren't far behind. In the 25th minute, Bongokuhle Hlongwane almost opened the scoring with a header that hit the crossbar. It was chilling!

Pedro de la Vega tried to surprise St. Clair in the 30th minute with a shot from distance, but the ball ended up going wide. Morris had a golden opportunity in first-half stoppage time, but St. Clair did an excellent job of cutting down the angle and preventing the goal. Jon Bell also had his chance a minute later, but he headed wide. It didn't look like the goal was going to come at all.

Things began to change in the 64th minute when Minnesota's Hasani Dotson was sent off for a hard tackle on Raúl Ruidíaz. With an extra man, the Sounders began to press. Reed Baker-Whiting had a great effort from distance in the 71st minute, but St. Clair was there again.

The Loons almost pulled off a surprise in the 72nd minute with Tani Oluwaseyi, but Andrew Thomas made a crucial save. St. Clair continued to hold Minnesota at bay, saving a 25-yard shot from Danny Leyva in the 80th minute.

But then, the moment everyone had been waiting for! In the 87th minute, Paul Rothrock made a precise pass to Jordan Morris, who slid in and deflected it into the goal, opening the scoring. The crowd went wild! And it didn't stop there. In the 89th minute, Léo Chú forced another difficult save from St. Clair.

In the first minute of added time, Cristian Roldan conceded a penalty, but St. Clair saved Rusnák's attempt. However, in the fourth minute of stoppage time, Morris returned the favor for Rothrock, who finished calmly to seal the Sounders' 2-0 victory.

With this win, the Sounders maintain their perfect home record against Minnesota United, with 10 wins from 10 games. And Minnesota will have to recover quickly, as they face Liga MX side Necaxa in the next round on July 30. Meanwhile, the Sounders will have a little more time to prepare to face the Mexican side on August 4.

feed