An unlikely star, Nelson Valdez — scoreless all season — provided the Sounders’ version of an Edgar Martinez postseason moment. Seattle beat Sporting KC, 1-0, to advance in the MLS playoffs.
An air of tension, and danger, permeated the dark and stormy night at CenturyLink Field. There was a baseline of physicality, some of it brutal, that went even beyond the standard Sporting Kansas City attempts to impose its will on opponents.
This was playoff soccer at its most desperate — and most exciting. Those who think a scoreless match is inherently boring needed to watch the riveting drama in this one — and the delirious release of emotion from Sounders fans that came pouring forth when it was scoreless no longer.