Sometimes (it seems like hardly ever this season) the calls go your way. In an extremely tight game, with few clear chances, sometimes a great goalkeeping performance (7 saves) and a couple of favorable calls means you win. That’s the playoffs. There will be no easy victories.
That was Valdez’ second playoff goal. Only Osvaldo Alonso, Eddie Johnson, Brad Evans and Clint Dempsey have scored multiple postseason goals.
On to Dallas!
MATCH SUMMARY
Seattle Sounders FC 1 - Sporting KC 0
Thursday, October 27, 2016
Venue: Xbox Pitch at CenturyLink Field
Referee: Ismail Elfath
Assistants: Peter Manikowski, Corey Parker
Fourth Official: Ricardo Salazar
Attendance: 36,151
Weather: Showers and 54 degrees
SCORING SUMMARY
SEA - Nelson Valdez (Joevin Jones) 88'
MISCONDUCT SUMMARY
SEA - Osvaldo Alonso (caution) 32'
SKC - Seth Sinovic (caution) 63'
SKC - Benny Feilhaber (caution) 71'
SKC - Roger Espinoza (caution) 90'+3'
LINEUPS & STATS
Seattle Sounders FC - Stefan Frei; Tyrone Mears, Román Torres, Chad Marshall, Joevin Jones; Osvaldo Alonso - captain, Erik Friberg (Nelson Valdez 79'), Cristian Roldan, Alvaro Fernandez (Brad Evans 86'), Nico Lodeiro; Jordan Morris
Substitutes not used: Tyler Miller, Zach Scott, Oniel Fisher, Herculez Gomez, Aaron Kovar
Total shots: 10 (Lodeiro/Torres, 3)
Shots on goal: 1 (Valdez, 1)
Fouls: 12 (Torres, 3)
Offside: 2 (Fernandez/Morris, 1)
Corner-kicks: 4 (Lodeiro, 4)
Saves: 7 (Frei, 7)
Sporting KC - Tim Melia; Saad Abdul-Salaam, Seth Sinovic (Jimmy Medranda 90'), Matt Besler, Kevin Ellis, Paulo Nagamura (Jacob Peterson 90'+2'), Soni Mustivar, Benny Feilhaber; Graham Zusi, Roger Espinoza - captain, Dom Dwyer
Substitutes not used: Alec Kann, Ike Opara, Nuno Andre Coelho, Lawrence Olum, Connor Hallisey
Total shots: 12 (Zusi, 3)
Shots on goal: 7 (Feilhaber/Nagamura, 2)
Fouls: 18 (Dwyer, 4)
Offside: 2 (Dwyer/Besler, 1)
Corner-kicks: 5 (Zusi, 3)
Saves: 0
POST-MATCH QUOTES
SOUNDERS FC INTERIM HEAD COACH BRIAN SCHMETZER
On keeping emotions in check:
“No one – well I can’t say no one – but I can’t think of a better person to be rewarded for this moment [than Nelson Valdez] because he has worked so hard all year long.