SEATTLE — The Seattle Sounders climbed to fifth place in the Western Conference standings of the MLS after a convincing 2-0 victory over Austin FC on Saturday night.
The breakthrough came when Jesús Ferreira found the back of the net in the second minute of first-half stoppage time. Ferreira drilled a right-footed shot from the center of the box into the top right corner, sending the home crowd into a frenzy. Paul Rothrock and Albert Rusnák collaborated to set up the goal, with Rusnák achieving a career milestone, now joining an elite group as the 13th player in MLS history to record 65 goals and 65 assists. Rusnák has been instrumental for the Sounders this season, boasting seven goals and four assists.
In the 54th minute, Danny Musovski added to Seattle’s lead with a well-placed right-footed strike from the right side of the box to the bottom left corner, this time with an assist from Ferreira. This ensured a comfortable lead for the Sounders.
With 29 points and a record of 8-6-5, the Sounders moved up in the standings, while Austin FC lagged with 26 points and a record of 7-8-5, tied only with San Jose, which also jumped ahead to 27 points following their draw against LA Galaxy. Despite Austin’s efforts, including four crucial saves by Brad Stuver, they couldn’t penetrate the Sounders’ defense. Meanwhile, Seattle goalkeeper Stefan Frei secured a clean sheet with one save.
The game saw Seattle’s Reed Baker-Whiting receive a second yellow card in the 89th minute, but it did not impact the match’s outcome. This match marked the beginning of the second half of the MLS season for Seattle, who recently competed in the FIFA Club World Cup. Austin FC’s last league fixture was on June 14.
Looking ahead, Austin is set to face LAFC on Saturday, while Seattle will welcome Columbus for a home game on Sunday.