By DAN KARELL
The Seattle Sounders are sure hoping that a fresh start in the 2013 MLS Cup playoffs is exactly what they need to end their seven-game winless skid.
At CenturyLink Field on Wednesday night (10:30pm, NBC Sports Network), the Sounders host the Colorado Rapids, who beat the Sounders earlier this month, 5-1, back in Colorado. Both teams are missing key pieces, with Sounders forward Obafemi Martins out with a groin problem and Rapids rookie midfielder Dillon Powers still recovering from a concussion.
After some big signings this season and a mid-season run where they won eight of nine games, the Sounders would be stunned to end their season so early when their fortunes looked so promising earlier. The winner of tonight’s match faces the Portland Timbers in the Western Conference semifinals.
If you will be watching today’s action, please feel free to share your thoughts, opinions and some play-by-play in the comments section below.
Enjoy the action.
Well that was a hell of a lot better way for the Rapids to finish the year than that big egg they laid in Vancouver 3 nights ago (though that would not be saying so much, necessarily!).
Maybe they’re slowly waking up, but it’s hard to see how the Sounders are going to put much of a dent in the Timbers, at this rate…
In a two legged rivalry anything can happen. looking forward to the next round. should be intense
Seattle rattled two off the crossbar last time they played in Portland (which was right after losing to Colorado and Vancouver big). Portland has been weak on set-pieces through most of the season and Eddie loves scoring against the Timbers. It should be a great series and I wouldn’t count Seattle out.
The better team today lost. However, at least Garber and co. will have better TV ratings with Seattle winning.
Huh? I was rooting for the Rapids but they were putrid. Every pass was off. They weren’t better than anyone. Not that Seattle set the world on fire.
The Rapids had two uncalled hand balls in the box. You can’t seriously be calling them the better team.
And now for finishing below the Timbers they get to host a weekend game while the return leg is on a thursday at 8pm, only in mls.
True. It’s a mess. But at least with PDX the atmosphere will not be dimmed in the slightest by a Thurs.
I hope not and it should be great for the first playoff game but there is a huge Oregon ducks game at the same time. Why a college football game is on a thursday night makes about as much sense as mls playoff scheduling.
Rapids had a great season but they were God awful tonight.
Nah. They were god awful Sunday night, though, or (thanks in part to the bad reffing against the Galaxy that night) they might have been sitting at home watching this one.
gotta say EJ is a way better finisher now than just 3 years ago. something mental happened with him.
Couldn’t see what he’d written on his undershirt but I hope is was a $.
R.i.p
Nico
Or Somethin like that
RIP LOU REED maybe?
Just in the nick of time for EJ before a second yellow! Very nice finish.
about to hear “pay the man” a 1000x
Deuce should’ve put the dagger in
But EJ does it instead
EJ should have seen red for that no question.
So that would now look like or of those refereeing decisions that may have affected the outcome?
Hahneman is a teabagger?
Nice one, EJ…
worse mental mistake than hart but not as deadly.
good red
good the see Marcus h.
Horrific brain fart by Gspurning…In comes the tea-bagger
Hopefully this isn’t a political reference. Most here do their best to avoid politics. You should too. And if its not.
Be polite and don’t be a child.
Isn’t the first dumb thing he’s done tonight…
LULZ!! Smart move Gspurning
What the…?!?
Um… hahahahaha. Seattle loses their keeper.
Gspurning with a comical error to get sent off
There goes Sturgis .. I wonder if Subotic would get subbed out.
WOW! Dumbest thing I’ve ever seen a keeper do.
Incidentally, the Sounders playing this unconvincingly at home against an injury-weakened side is going to challenge the Timbers?
Good Lord Colorado cannot pass the ball tonight.
Finally, Neagle gets his well deserved card.
Finally thug colo player gets an immediate yellow after screaming at yedlin for no reason
Don’t look now, but Yedlin left the game at the half…
Ok.
Oops totally meant neagle lol
LOL now the ref is passing the Sounders the ball.
Great clearance out of the box by the referee
This game is hideous.
As if we needed anymore ammunition that Seattle is the golden child of the league. Come on now guys, this looks like the NBA and the Heat.
Your comment has zero merit. The ref has kept the players under control without affecting the potential outcome.
Oh I see, now — you’re watching a different game. Got it.
it is 1-0, Seattle scored on their own merit and Colorado’s own failures have kept them from scoring.
Now you’re changing the subject. It is a tendency of yours we have seen before.
OK.
What are you even talking about? I said the ref hasn’t affected the potential outcome and highlighted the score to prove my point. You decided to attack me twice now instead of reply to the argument.
I’ve had it with you, you’re just being an emotional support whose team is about to get knocked out of the playoffs.
OK, thanks
To be fair Brian is right about the ref not effecting the game. He’s letting them play, if this is your first year watching MLS Playoffs you should be surprised but if not, there’s nothing surprising about this at all.
Honestly? If that was true, the keeper would have been sent off…….that simple….
Since he didn’t even card Yedlin, he could hardly send Irwin off for the same thing…
If that was a yellow then Yedlin should also have been booked for doing that to Thomas.
Two completely different plays in completely different parts of the field.
Two identical plays, doesn’t matter what part of the field (since neither was in the area).
Well identical except that whereas Thinas held back, Dempsey charged ahead harder.
No referees are taught that different parts of the field matter especially when issuing cards.
The bad haircut gods have finally punished Yedelin. Cut your hair with a Dremel tool, sprain an ankle.
Anyone watching in Portland? NBCsports is showing some hockey “greatest ever” show. Listings say MLS playoff but it’s not on. Can’t stream it, either.
It is on RootNW in Portland.
Neagle should’ve been booked by now, the guy looks absolutely lost out there. Seattle is basically playing with 10 men.
Sounders getting away with fouls now.
But Rapids players get booked
The artificial turf strikes again!!!! 🙁
Should be a booking on Yedlin.
Should have been a booking on Neagle
Looks like some beards about to be shaved here, thank god. Won’t have to feign interest at work anymore!
This game is fun. That is all.
Playoffs are finally here…
Every time I see a home sounders game I think the same thing..
I hate that turf. That thought always trumps whatever else there is to comment on.
Such a shame.
This has been an entertaining match. Get off your high horse
Field turf is certainly less than ideal, but it’s really just not that distracting. This snobbery towards it is 90% fake. I guarantee if you watched a game and didn’t know if the surface was grass or field turf ahead of time, it would not distract you.
Get over it. You’re not that big of a connoisseur. If it bothers you that much than clearly you’re not a fan of the game.
You guys are fools. The pitch is ugly and the ball plays differently. The game is most definitely lessened.
You should stop being such guppies and put your fan pressure on the owners to do something about instead of the real soccer fans who know what they’re talking about.
Even Evans goal played slightly different. It bounces higher faster.
NBA fans refused a plastic ball Sounders fans should try to refuse a plastic pitch. Sing about it on your march.
I agree no one wants it but if thats such a big deal to you and distracts you so bad. You dont need to watch. The turf argument is so old/annoying. its here. No one is forcing anyone to watch. Its just really annoying to hear the same ol tiresome turf shit talk
I must agree, this is a good game but watching on this turf certainly makes one wonder how much better it would be to see on a real pitch. I’ve played on every surface, good grass, bad grass, good turf, bad turf… I even played on soft clay once in Germany, and it’s so different. I think Deuce is looking better because he’s starting to get used to the field…..
But they need grass
It does’t ruin the game, but in 2013, there has to be a way to get grass in for soccer games.
They just need to do what Schalke does.
Have a turf football field as the base then just roll a grass field in from outside for each game. Bam. This would be the best way to do any new soccer stadiums. Best of both worlds.
Soccer matches on plastic turf are like performing an abortion on your mom – no one wants to see it and it should never happen.
That’s interesting…I urged your mother to get that abortion and I gladly watched to make sure the job was done…
MLS Live has the game tho if you’re subscribed to that!
Really NBC? A Seattle homer annoucer team for a playoff match?
And people wonder why few take MLS seriously.
Who is it or whats he saying? We only get the local feed here in seattle
NBC is only simulcasting the Sounders broadcast. This isn’t their production. They are simply making the game more available to folks outside of the two markets.
Of course he is a homer but Keller is being more fair calling fouls than the ref has been
Blue kits again!
Nice kits, but where is the sponsor? The extra funds could have paid off by this time of year.
Can’t get it on any of my usuals…
I think i remember someone mentioning sport lemon on this site before as a place u can stream
Thanks for picking up thr match nbc and not showing it on any on your online platforms. Boooooo.
Anyone know of any streams online? My nbcsports login is not streaming the match…. ****!
Do the classic first row sports. Should have it
thanks
Yuck. Moffat. Ugh. Atleast put your man crush evans on the left and put rosales in. Need to push for goals!
I don’t think NBC Sports is streaming the game tonight. Baffled.
Wow really? Theyve only streamed the rest of their games this year right?
If anyone is using nbc sports live on laptop or mobile device or tablet and it’s working please explain to me what I’m doing wrong…..
Now I think Sigi just changes the lineup for fun.
he drinks, you see… does awful things to short term memory….