The game in 100 words (or less): The post-Sigi Schmid era is underway in Seattle, and the earliest of returns were some of the best of 2016 — the Rave Green looked a free-flowing attacking side full of ideas, with many thanks to the arrival of Nicolas Lodeiro this week. In many ways, they looked more like the 2015 Sounders than the 2016 side that entered Sunday’s clash with the LA Galaxy as the ninth-placed team in the Western Conference, 10 points adrift of the playoffs. On the other hand, they cost themselves a pair of points with yet another calamitous defensive mistake, eventually settling for a 1-1 draw in Brian Schmetzer’s first game as interim head coach. Christian Roldan opened the scoring for the Sounders shortly after halftime, but a massive miscommunication between Brad Evans and Stefan Frei opened the door for Sebastian Lletget to equalize with 12 minutes left to play. The result sees the Galaxy remain third in the West (a victory would have sent them second after the Colorado Rapids’ humiliating loss on Saturday).
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Three Four moments that mattered
34' — Van Damme boots Dempsey’s shot off the line — Clint Dempsey was inches from making it 1-0 with his goal-bound shot in the 34th minute, but Jelle Van Damme’s desperate, lunging goal-line clearance kept it scoreless.
49' — Roldan fires through traffic to make it 1-0 — Nelson Valdez has squandered his fair share of chances since arriving in MLS last summer, but it was his strong hold-up play and subsequent lay-off that set up Roldan for the opener on Sunday.
.@Haedo18Valdez9 lays it off to @CristianRoldan who finds the bottom corner to put @SoundersFC in front. #SEAvLA https://t.co/ZenIVqGYiA
— Major League Soccer (@MLS) July 31, 2016
70' — Van Damme does it again — Jordan Morris has to lay the ball off to Dempsey here, or account for Van Damme hustling back and lift the ball over the big Belgian. Anything but what he actually did here.
78' — Lletget taps home the equalizer after Evans’ mistake — Evans thought Frei was coming for the ball. Frei thought Evans was dealing with the ball. Neither player did anything, and Lletget finished with ease.
Sebastian Lletget ties it up for the Galaxy. All knotted at 1 with only a few minutes remaining. #SEAvLA https://t.co/Csj7Vahtw5
— Major League Soccer (@MLS) July 31, 2016
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Man of the match: Jelle Van Damme
Goalscorers: Roldan (49'), Lletget (78')
