Seattle goalkeeper Stefan Frei made two saves to post his MLS-leading ninth shutout of the season and the 100th of his career as the Sounders played to a 0-0 draw with the visiting Portland Timbers on Saturday afternoon.
Frei made one save in each half for the Sounders (8-6-3, 27 points), who entered the weekend atop the Western Conference race.
Aljaz Ivacic made one save for the Timbers (4-7-5, 17 points), who extended their unbeaten streak at Lumen Field to eight matches (5-0-3).
Portland outshot Seattle 11-5.
The teams combined for a lone shot on goal in the first half, despite Portland’s 6-2 edge in attempts.
That came in the 27th minute following a Portland throw-in deep on the right wing. The throw was played into the penalty area, where a pair of Sounders defenders collided while trying to head the ball away. Instead, it fell to the Timbers’ Dairon Asprilla, whose rolling left-footed shot from 15 yards made its way through a maze of players before Frei made a relatively easy diving save after locating the ball through the screen.
Seattle put its only attempt on goal in the 54th minute, a header by defender Yeimar Gomez Andrade off a cross by Nicolas Lodeiro that Ivacic handled.
Seattle forward Raul Ruidiaz and midfielder Cristian Roldan came on as substitutes in the 57th minute. It was Ruidiaz’s second straight appearance off the bench since suffering a right hamstring strain in mid-April and Roldan’s first game since suffering a concussion against St. Louis on April 8.
The move nearly paid dividends, as Roldan drove to the right end line in the 63rd minute and sent a cross to the top of the 6-yard box for Leo Chu, whose header sailed just over the top corner of the right post.
The game’s final shot on goal came in the 79th minute, as Asprilla took a cross from Evander and put a header toward the net that took one bounce before being gloved by Frei.
–Field Level Media
