Seattle Sounders x St Louis City SC

On Saturday night, Josh Atencio, Ral Ruidaz, and an own goal helped the Seattle Sounders to a 3-0 victory against the St. Louis CITY SC at Lumen Field. The victory moved the Sounders ahead of St Louis in the Western Conference standings.

Both teams put in strong defensive efforts and generated several scoring chances against one another in the first 45. After Nicolás Lodeiro's cross smacked the post in the fourth minute, the Sounders immediately pushed the visiting team's defense. In the latter moments of extra time in the first half, St Louis midfielder Eduard Löwen attempted a long-range shot, but he skied it over the goal.

The Sounders stepped up their game in the second half and were the more dominant team as they advanced to break the deadlock. Atencio would score a spectacular goal for his first Major League Soccer career in the 65th minute. The Homegrown took a swing at goal from long range and sent the ball soaring into the upper left corner.

Atencio's thunderous goal swung the momentum even more away from St. Louis, which had been playing most of the ball in its attacking half prior to the goal. Ruidaz doubled the lead for Seattle only six minutes later. Inside the six-yard box, the ball snuck past Bürki's fingers to Ruidaz, who tapped it home. The Sounders' victory was sealed in the 89th minute when a deflected corner kick by defender Jackson Ragen resulted in an own goal for St. Louis City to end the score on the day 3-0.

[Photogrpahy by Alejandro Sanchez]