SEATTLE — Coming off probably their flattest performance of the season, the Seattle Sounders were primarily looking for a response. Yes, opening the three-game homestand with a win was also important, but the thinking was the three points would come if the performance against the New York Red Bulls was solid.
That’s exactly what they got, even if it didn’t go exactly to plan.
Suffice it to say, the preference probably would have been to score multiple goals and cruise to victory with a clean bill of health. But the 1-0 win in which the Sounders had to figure things out first after losing Jordan Morris to an injury and then playing down a man after João Paulo was red-carded with about 15 minutes left to play may have been preferable in its own way.