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The Los Angeles Football Club began its MLS history with a rare feat Sunday: a win over Brian Schmetzer’s Seattle Sounders at CenturyLink Field. The 1-0 result in front of an announced crowd of 40,070 was just the second time that Seattle has been beaten at home under Schmetzer.
“It’s a great win,” LAFC coach Bob Bradley said after the match. “The first 25 minutes, I thought the football was pretty good. After that it was more about fighting and defending. When you’re starting out as a team, you have to learn how to win different kinds of games.”
Uruguayan forward Diego Rossi needed just 11 minutes to notch the first competitive goal in LAFC’s history. Rossi placed a shot high and to the right of keeper Stefan Frei with his first touch from a Carlos Vela through ball to give the visitors the lead.
Seattle outshot its opponent 22-5, but LAFC keeper Tyler Miller had a standout performance against his former club. Miller finished with seven saves and anchored a defense that was forced to defend 12 Seattle corner kicks. In a notable sequence in the second half, LAFC turned away four consecutive corner kicks before Miller finally secured the ball.
Miller remarked on the emotions of making his third league start against the club he called home for two and a half years: “It was a fun experience because before the game I was saying, ‘Hi,’ to everybody. But for me, I was mentally preparing. I think everybody saw what I was capable of out there. Overall, it was a great game for the team. This is not an easy place to come and play. I was just doing my job back there. I’m there to help the team out. I was just happy that I was able to make all the saves today.”
The Sounders appeared to equalize in the 65th minute after a deflected cross from Handwalla Bwana was headed in by Will Bruin, but after consulting with video assistant referee Timothy Ford, referee Jose Carlos Rivero ruled Bruin offside.
Sounders centerback Tony Alfaro was dismissed in the 84th minute after picking up two cautions in a five-minute span. Despite playing a man down, Seattle continued to harass the LAFC back line.
For Schmetzer, who will send his team out for its third home game in seven days Wednesday, the loss doesn’t indicate Seattle will have the same slow start it did in 2017.
“I think it’s too early to say after one game in the middle of this fixture congestion plus the injuries that we are dealing with,” Schmetzer said. “I think it’s a little early for that assessment. I certainly have that in the back of my mind. The coaches, the trainers, the medical staff. We need to make sure that guys are healthy and ready to go after a short offseason. Ask me that after a few more league matches and I’ll be able to better answer it.”