In the first half of this match, the Seattle Sounders looked like a team playing a new formation in their first match of the season, without their creative linchpin. It was ugly, sloppy, and a certain player who I won’t mention by name (so as not to place my thumb on their ratings scale) consistently found himself trapped along the left sideline, looking totally befuddled.
The second half looked very different. João Paulo scored a banger, Raúl Ruidíaz got to finish a couple slick attacking moves, and someone named Fredy Montero subbed in and looked right at home.