Paul Rothrock scored early and the Seattle Sounders held on for a 1-0 victory over visiting Real Salt Lake on Saturday night.
Stefan Frei made five stops to keep his eighth clean sheet and the Sounders’ ninth. The win guaranteed Seattle (14-9-10, 52 points) a fifth-place finish in the Western Conference and a Round 1 MLS Cup Playoff series against the yet-to-be-determined fourth-place finisher.
Rafael Cabral saved a penalty shot for ninth-place Salt Lake (12-17-4, 40 points), which could’ve locked down the final playoff spot in the West with an away victory. They’ll still qualify if they win their final match next weekend at St. Louis.
Rothrock put Seattle in front in the fourth minute. After Salt Lake partially cleared an initial ball down the right, Jordan Morris pressured RSL into a turnover, dribbled into the right side of the box then directed a cross toward Jesus Ferreira near the penalty spot.
An RSL defender deflected it into the path of Rothrock at the far post, who squeezed his finish off the lunging Cabral and inside the upright.
Seattle had an excellent chance to double its advantage still inside the opening 15 minutes following a video review, in which referee Ricardo Montero ruled Morris had been tripped in the box by Brayan Vera.
Morris stepped up to try to convert for his first goal since July 12 during an injury-plagued season, but Cabral dove correctly to his left to push away Morris’ powerful effort.
It was Cabral’s fourth penalty shot save in eight attempts this season at an opportunity that is typically converted 77% of the time.
Salt Lake played much better after halftime after barely mustering an attack before the break.
Halftime sub William Agada flashed a header that was narrowly wide in the 63rd minute. In the 85th, Jesus Barrera’s shot from the center of the box forced Frei into his most consequential save of the night.
Then in the 89th, Agada thought he’d powered in a late equalizing header from a well-worked set piece, but Victor Olatunji was ruled offside on the play following another video review.
Rothrock was on the end of the Sounders’ best second-half chances, including another apparent goal that was disallowed for Morris being offside.
–Field Level Media
