Albert Rusnak assisted on the first goal and scored the second as the Seattle Sounders defeated the visiting New England Revolution 2-0 on Saturday night.
Jordan Morris scored the first goal and goalkeeper Stefan Frei made four stops for the Sounders (8-7-7, 31 points), who swept a three-game homestand and extended their unbeaten run to five matches (4-0-1).
Aljaz Ivacic made five saves for the Revolution (7-12-1, 22 points), who had a 4-1-0 run of their own snapped.
The Sounders opened the scoring in the 15th minute on a three-on-two rush. Rusnak made a diagonal pass to Morris about 35 yards away from the goal. Morris dribbled into the penalty area and outmuscled defender Dave Romney to get off a shot that grazed off the inside of the right goalpost on its way into the net, leaving goalkeeper Ivacic with no chance.
It was Morris’ seventh goal in the past nine matches and the team-leading 10th assist of the season for Rusnak.
Rusnak tallied in the 81st minute after Obed Vargas stole a pass in the Revs’ half of the field. Vargas headed the ball to Rusnak, whose 20-yard shot found the lower-left corner of the net. It was the third goal in the past two matches for Rusnak.
Frei saw little action until the 35th minute, when he made a diving save on Giacomo Vrioni’s attempt and another on the rebound attempt by Esmir Bajraktarevic. Frei also tipped Ian Harkes’ 25-yarder over the crossbar in the 41st.
Frei had to make a leaping save in the 50th minute on a 20-yard shot by Vrioni that deflected off a defender.
Ivacic made a diving stop on a 30-yard shot by Joao Paulo in the 55th minute and tipped a header by Yeimar Gomez Andrade over the crossbar after a corner kick in the 61st.
The injury-riddled Revs couldn’t make it to the opening kickoff without another, as Dylan Borrero tweaked a quadriceps in warmups. Jack Panayotou made his first start of the season in Borrero’s place.
–Field Level Media
