Seattle Sounders FC Lose 1-0 To Los Angeles Galaxy

Seattle Sounders FC has had an excellent season of firsts this year. First Supporters’ Shield. First number one seed. First chance to be the first team to win the Shield, U.S. Open Cup, and MLS Cup. They may yet make their first Cup appearance. It’s just gonna take a big, huge win.

Facing a familiar rival in the Western Conference Finals, the Sounders were unable to secure a lead in their two-game aggregate series. Facing the Los Angeles Galaxy – who else could it be? – at StubHub Center, Seattle lost 1-0. They’ll play the second game at home next Sunday, November 30th.

It wasn’t a game without chances, as Clint Dempsey and Obafemi Martins were able to put themselves in position to score many a time. Give all the credit in the world to Jamie Penedo, who kept the ball out of the net and the Sounders off the board. The Sounders’ two star forwards had a pair of big attempts around the 20th minute. but both close-range shots were stopped. Martins chipped it to Dempsey in the 49th minute, but again, the goal proved elusive.

The game’s only score came in the 52nd minute, when A.J. DeLaGarza found Marcelo Sarvas. Sarvas sent the ball rebounding off a defender and into the net, giving Los Angeles the lead. Stefan Frei, had some nifty saves of his own, but the one goal was enough to be the difference-maker.

So how are the Sounders going to advance to the MLS Cup finals in light of this loss? They’ll have to win at home, for one. A shutout is just about mandatory, as any goals scored by L.A. would be more heavily weighted due to the new away goals rule. Ideally the Sounders invite the Galaxy into their home and beat them 5-0. Hell, 6-0. The ideal world is cold, brutal, and rave green.

In short, this loss makes winning the aggregate an uphill battle. Sounders FC has fought and won such battles before, so why should this be any different? They’ll get home field advantage in the deciding game, and the reward is a chance at the ultimate goal. No matter how cold and rainy Sunday turns out to be, it’s going to be a wild time at CenturyLink Field.