Danny Musovski tallied three times as the Seattle Sounders displayed their depth in a 5-2 MLS victory against visiting Sporting Kansas City on Sunday night.
Rookies Kalani Kossa-Rienzi and Snyder Brunell also scored for the Sounders (12-7-8, 44 points), who improved to 8-1-4 in all competitions since appearing in the Club World Cup. Danny Leyva added three assists.
Mason Toye scored for Sporting Kansas City (6-15-6, 24 points), which also got help from a Sounders own goal. However, that wasn’t enough to snap SKC’s six-match winless streak (0-5-1).
With a Leagues Cup semifinal coming up Wednesday against the Los Angeles Galaxy, Sounders coach Brian Schmetzer started just four regulars — goalkeeper Stefan Frei, defender Yeimar Gomez Andrade, midfielder Cristian Roldan and forward Musovski.
The Sounders took the lead in the 11th minute following a build-up down the left wing. Brunell sent a pass into the corner for Georgi Minoungou, whose cross found Kossa-Rienzi near the penalty spot. Kossa-Rienzi’s initial shot was blocked, but the ball came back to him and he chested the ball down and volleyed it into the upper right corner of the net.
Kansas City tied it in the 36th minute as Tim Leibold’s cross from the left wing found a wide-open Toye just outside the top of the 6-yard box and he blasted a shot into the right side of the net, leaving Sounders goalie Stefan Frei no chance.
The Sounders regained the lead in first-half stoppage time. Leyva sent the ball wide to Reed Baker-Whiting on the right wing and his cross found Musovski at the top of the 6-yard box for a header inside the near post.
Musovski scored on another header off Leyva’s corner kick from the right wing in the 50th minute.
SKC pulled with 3-2 in the 53rd as Leibold’s cross found Daniel Salloi in the penalty area. His shot deflected off defender Cody Baker and trickled inside the left post.
Brunell, making his first start, took a cross from Minoungou in the 61st and put a left-footed shot inside the left post from the middle of the penalty area. Leyva got a secondary assist.
Leyva was tripped in the box by SKC’s Jacob Bartlett in the 73rd minute and Musovski rolled the ensuing penalty kick inside the left post for his first career hat trick.
–Field Level Media
