Sounders Thump West Ham 3-0, Who’s Next?
By Ben Renner
The Seattle Sounders defeated West Ham United yesterday 3-0 on two goals from Jordan Morris, but the toughest times lay ahead.
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If you see any Sounders on the street today, especially if you run into striker Jordan Morris at a local Starbucks, pat them on the back. They soundly defeated an English Premier League foe for the first time in their history and improved their international friendly record to 3-5-2 since 2009. Their 3-0 victory over West Ham United at CenturyLink Field yesterday is certainly nothing to be ashamed of.
Forward Herculez Gomez put the Sounders up 1-0 with a penalty kick goal and Morris struck twice, one on a rebound put-back and another a minute later after Joevin Jones found him on through ball that led to a breakaway. The Sounders looked aggressive while remaining sound defensively in vanquishing their EPL opponent. The best chance for a Hammers’ goal came in the 40th minute, when West Ham’s Marcus Browne blasted a shot from just beyond the penalty box that was saved by Stephan Frei.
Even though West Ham is only beginning their preseason schedule and played most of their reserves, the win was a feel-good moment for the Sounders, who still find themselves mired in ninth place in the Western Conference with a -6 goal differential, the second worst in the MLS, in front of New England.
The Sounders will face a tough test this weekend when they face the LA Galaxy, the first of three matches against Los Angeles this month. The Sounders will see the Galaxy again in the US Open Cup Quarter Finals on July 20th and again in MLS match play on July 31st.
The lopsided result against an EPL squad, even if it wasn’t at full strength, gives coach Sigi Schmid hope going forward in MLS match play. If the Sounders can put an EPL team to bed 3-0, maybe they have found some offensive rhythm going forward. “For the team and our confidence, that’s something we can continue to build upon,” Schmid said. “When you’re in a rough spell, that’s something that the team needs. Everybody feels a little better about themselves and their head held a little bit higher.”
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The Sounders will play seven more matches over the rest of the month, so hopefully Morris and company can keep their offensive aggressiveness and success going.