Will Bruin's brace, including a 59th-minute goal off a turnover, gave the Seattle Sounders a badly-needed 2-1 win on the road at the Colorado Rapids Wednesday night.
The Sounders won for just the fourth time this season and second time in seven matches, while the Rapids saw their three-game undefeated streak come to an end.
Bruin was the beneficiary of an unlucky defensive deflection into the box, and his finish gave the Sounders a 1-0 lead in the 19th minute. Bruin's five goals lead Seattle this season, and he scored on Independence Day for the second straight year, also against the Rapids.
Sam Nicholson leveled it in the 40th minute with a glancing header of Edgar Castillo's chip. It was Nicholson's first goal in a Rapids uniform.
A short goal kick from Tim Howard was picked up by the Sounders, leading to Bruin's second goal. Colorado were unable to equalize and fell one spot behind Seattle into 11th place in the Western Conference.
Goalkeeper Stefan Frei's athletic stop of Shkëlzen Gashi's 82nd-minute shot saved the three points for the Sounders.
Goals
- 19' - SEA - Will Bruin
- 40' - COL - Sam Nicholson
- 59' - SEA - Will Bruin
Three Things
- THE BIG PICTURE: It wasn't always pretty for the Sounders, as the Rapids got plenty of chances, but they were able to pounce on a couple of major errors and cash them in. Will this win be a springboard to more success? It's still a long uphill climb for Seattle. Colorado might not want to schedule the Sounders on July 4 anymore. That's two losses in two years.
- MAN OF THE MATCH: Frei had the big individual play but Bruin provided the offense, and he further distanced himself from other goal scorers as the leader in that department for Seattle this season.
- MOMENT OF THE MATCH: Without question Frei's amazing save, one of four on the night, overshadowed Bruin's goals.
Up Next
- Rapids: Saturday, July 7 at Montreal Impact
- Sounders: Saturday, July 7 at New England Revolution
