The Seattle Sounders and FC Dallas played out an instant classic over 120-plus minutes at CenturyLink Field on Saturday, with the final stroke of a Jordan Morris hat trick settling a wild 4-3 win for the home side.
A captivating spectacle for neutrals, it was a game that both sides will feel they deserved to win. The Sounders took an early 2-0 lead and were up 3-2 with 10 minutes to go in regulation, only for a resilient Dallas side to claw back into it again and again and even seize the initiative in the latter stages.
Raul Ruidiaz sparked the game into life with a pinpoint dipping strike from long range that skipped past Jesse Gonzalez and nestled inside the left post. The goal visibly unsettled the visitors and Morris made them pay just four minutes later, taking a Joevin Jones pass and slipping a left-footed finish underneath Gonzalez for a 2-0 Sounders lead.
FCD rallied gamely and cut the deficit in half in the 39th minute as Reggie Cannon, working in a more advanced role than his usual right back slot, popped up in the box to sidefoot home from close range. Dallas maintained their momentum after the break, dominating possession in the second half and drawing level via Matt Hedges' thumping header off a Michael Barrios corner kick in the 64th minute.
Morris would strike again to restore Seattle's lead, this time with a resourceful shot – again with his left foot – as he fell to the turf on a Sounders near-post corner routine. Yet FCD hauled themselves back into it once more eight minutes later on the third corner-kick goal of the game when Bryan Acosta was left all alone at the back post to nod Reto Ziegler's booming delivery into the net.
That sent the game to extra time, where Dallas were the main protagonists, but got sliced open one last time as Morris bagged his third with a downward header after a goalmouth scramble in the 113th minute of an unforgettable encounter.
SeatGeek has great deals for upcoming MLS matches
GET TICKETS
Official Ticketing Partner of Major League Soccer
Goals
- 18' – SEA – Raul Ruidiaz | WATCH
- 22' – SEA – Jordan Morris | WATCH
- 39' – DAL – Reggie Cannon | WATCH
- 64' – DAL – Matt Hedges | WATCH
- 74' – SEA – Jordan Morris | WATCH
- 82' – DAL – Bryan Acosta | WATCH
- 113' – SEA – Jordan Morris | WATCH
$14,000 was contributed to the Audi Goals Drive Progress fund
Three Things
- THE BIG PICTURE: Whew. That's the sound of many viewers catching their breath after that nerve-jangling thriller, and also of Rave Green partisans counting their blessings at avoiding a mammoth upset. A tired Seattle side face a quick turnaround to Wednesday's Conference Semifinal, though FCD would gladly trade places with them as they begin the postmortem on Luchi Gonzalez's promising first year in charge.
- MOMENT OF THE MATCH: There are no shortage of candidates for this honor, but Morris' third was the decider, so here it goes...
- MAN OF THE MATCH: No surprises here. Jordan Morris is the hero and the match-winner.
Next Up
- SEA: Wednesday, Oct. 23 vs. TBD (10 pm ET | FS1 in US; TSN, TVAS in Canada) | Audi 2019 MLS Cup Playoffs, Conference Semifinals
- DAL: End of season
