ASN: Evaluation: Seattle rallies to power a 2-2 draw with Pumas in a wild first leg

It was a wild sport that may take a variety of time to digest. However ASN’s Brian Sciaretta affords up this ideas on the primary leg of the Seattle Sounders – Pumas CCL closing the place Seattle drew two late penalties to power a 2-2 attract Mexico Metropolis. 

BY

Brian Sciaretta

Posted
April 28, 2022
12:05 AM

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IN ONE OF THE most dramatic and controversial video games within the latest historical past of the CONCACAF Champions League, the Seattle Sounders rallied for a 2-2 draw with Pumas UNAM within the first leg of the ultimate in Mexico Metropolis. In a sport loaded with three penalties – one was allowed to be retaken after a miss – the outcome was in all probability honest.

 Seattle was capable of area its strongest lineup with all of its prime gamers out there – Stefan Frei, Raul Ruidiaz, Cristian Roldan, Jordan Morris, Joao Paulo, and Albert Rusnak have been all within the beginning XI.

It was a tricky setting for Seattle as the sport was performed in driving rain and within the excessive altitude of Mexico Metropolis.

Seattle started the sport effectively but it surely was Pumas who drew first blood when Juan Ignacio Dinenno was judged to have been fouled within the field by Xavier Arreaga – a name upheld by VAR. Frei, who has been unimaginable this whole event, saved the primary try by Dinenno however VAR dominated he was off his line – by a mere inches. The second try was profitable.

Seattle continued to push ahead however trailed 1-0 on the half.

Sounders got here near equalizing earlier than half ???? pic.twitter.com/D3dH4mUJ3l

— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) April 28, 2022

Dinenno put Pumas up 2-0 within the forty eighth minute when he acquired his head on an attractive cross by Jesús Rivas, the 19-year-old who changed beginning proper again Alan Mozo after Mozo was injured on the finish of the primary half.

Seattle continued to rally and push. In contrast to many different MLS groups which battle on the finish of video games in Mexico Metropolis as a result of altitude, Seattle discovered one other degree.

Within the 77th, VAR awarded Seattle a penalty when former Actual Salt Lake and U.S. U-23 attacker Sebastian Saucedo was referred to as for a handball. Nicholas Lodeiro stepped up and transformed.

— Scotiabank Concacaf Champions League (@TheChampions) April 28, 2022

The deep into stoppage time, Cristian Roldan drew a penalty after it was decided Efrain Velarde based the U.S. worldwide on the sting of the penalty field. Once more, Lodeiro took the following penalty and drilled house the equalizer.

— Scotiabank Concacaf Champions League (@TheChampions) April 28, 2022

It was a shocking comeback that now units the stage for the whole lot to be decided in Seattle subsequent week on condition that the away purpose rule isn’t in impact within the closing.

Listed below are some ideas on the sport.

Harsh penalties
 

In the long run, the robust calls evened out. The penalty awarded to Roldan on the finish was honest. It was fully pointless from Velarde as Roldan was not in a harmful place. However Roldan was within the field and Velarde kicked him throughout the stomach area. There isn’t a manner that isn’t a penalty.

The preliminary penalty for Pumas and the primary Seattle penalty I’m uncertain about.

Dinenno misplaced possession and the contact gave the impression to be incidental after possession was misplaced because of a clear defensive play. Permitting the retake was robust for Frei, but it surely was in accordance with the foundations. Calling the preliminary penalty was robust.

The primary Seattle penalty was additionally robust. The handball on Saucedo was right however within the build-up off the nook kick, it did seem that Arreaga was responsible of a foul.

From the way in which I noticed it, each groups benefitted from robust calls. I perceive the complaints of the officiating, however I didn’t assume any workforce overly benefitted.

Seattle was higher from the run of play

General, I felt that Seattle was the higher workforce from the run of play. The possession was about even however Seattle had extra photographs and large probabilities (4-2).

Seattle was unfortunate to not rating on both of Joao Paulo’s likelihood on the finish of the primary half, or Raul Ruidiaz’s likelihood within the 51st minute after Roldan set him up with a cross for a point-blank shot. Alfredo Talavera made an excellent save however Ruidiaz clearly ought to have completed higher.

Saved by Talavera AGAIN! pic.twitter.com/ZmW03oEEc9

— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) April 28, 2022

Discovering one other gear in Mexico

How Seattle was capable of rally and never wilt in Mexico Metropolis was the true story of this sport. Mexico Metropolis has usually been the place American groups fade badly within the second half. When coaches typically say after wins that his workforce “never quits” it’s usually a cliché. On this sport, there appears to be much more reality to that.

“What I always appreciate about our team is that we never quit,” mentioned Schmetzer. “The tradition of the membership has all the time been there…What we’ll attempt to do is take what we realized from this sport after which apply it to the sport in Seattle.”

On prime of all of it, the strain that each these groups have is gigantic. Seattle is trying to change into the primary MLS workforce to win this event whereas Pumas is trying to maintain the Champions League in Mexican palms.

The hole is clearly closing. MLS workforce are profitable an increasing number of towards Liga Mx groups within the earlier rounds, however currently there has all the time been one Liga Mx workforce that’s out of attain.

Lodeiro and Roldan

Lodeiro and Roldan have taken their video games to a different degree on this event. Roldan has 5 assists, might have had a sixth, up to now within the Champions League. He additionally drew the vital penalty on the finish by getting himself right into a harmful place.

Roldan doesn’t have the elite ability that Lodeiro or the highest designated gamers have in MLS. However he does a lot to assist his groups win. He attracts fouls, wins duels, and will get balls into harmful positions. All that has been on displace on this event. Within the highway leg towards NYFC he gained 11/13 of his floor duels and was 5/9 in aerials. Within the away leg towards Leon, he gained 2/5 of his floor duels and was 5/6 in aerials.

Towards Pumas, Roldan gained 7/9 of his floor duels and gained 4/7 in aerials. He additionally drew 5 fouls (one for a penalty) after taking a complete beating over 90 minutes. He was extraordinarily necessary in serving to Seattle.

As for Lodeiro, he has been among the finest imports within the historical past of the league. The stone-cold supply on each of his penalties was spectacular.  He creates, he scores, he opens video games up, and he performs protection. He’s 33 and is nearing the top of the run. But when he can win subsequent week, it will likely be the last word feather in his cap.

“I have to be prepared,” mentioned Lodeiro. “We prepare for this. I have to have peace of mind and confidence that I’m going to be able to deliver. That’s what the team is expecting, and that’s what we are preparing ourselves to do all the time. Having that confidence that we’re going to execute helps us to be successful when taking PKs.” 

Waiting for the second leg

The second leg will likely be a grand show. Lumen Subject will in all probability be bought out and there will likely be a variety of Pumas supporters there as effectively. Seattle gained’t play this weekend as MLS has adjusted the schedule to permit Seattle to totally give attention to this sport. Pumas, in the meantime, hosts first-place Pachuca on Sunday.

One haunting observe comes from ASN contributor Arch Bell who appropriately factors out that for all of the issues folks have with MLS groups in Mexico, it’s been the house leg that has allow them to down.

He tweeted this earlier than Seattle’s attract Mexico.

Positively one of many quirkiest stats on the subject of CCL two-legged finals is that MLS groups are unbeaten in 3 earlier closing legs on Mexican soil. 1W-2D. The downfall has been the house leg. 3 losses. One thing to remember forward of tonight’s first leg in CDMX.

— Arch Bell (@ArchBell) April 27, 2022

So now, within the final 4 instances an MLS workforce has been within the closing, the Liga MX workforce as not gained in Mexico. MLS groups have gotten the mandatory outcome away in Mexico. The downfall has all the time come at house – the place MLS groups take care of elevated expectations.

This Seattle workforce is sensible and sensible, however will that be sufficient?