LAFC and Elfath Hold the Sounders to a 0-0 Draw

It was a beautiful day in the PNW for some football as the Sounders hosted LAFC in a marquee Western Conference battle. In addition, the Sounders debuted the Bruce Lee kits, which are beyond beautiful. There’s plenty to dive into, so let’s go for it.

Both teams came out with their strongest lineups for a match that should go down as an instant classic. The Sounders came out with the same lineup we’ve seen the first three matches, with the addition of Raul getting his first start of the season. LAFC had a terrifying lineup minus Chiellini, who refuses to play on turf. Mad respect for that. As someone who fucked their knee on turf, I don’t blame him.

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Ban Elfath from Seattle

Before getting into the match itself, I want to address Ismail Elfath. He was the match official if that’s what you want to call him. It was painfully evident that he hated the Sounders. He has made this very clear for some time now. The second-half officiating was dreadful and nearly ruined what could have been one of the season's best matches.

Match Review

Despite some end-to-end play, the game ended in a 0-0 draw. Neither side created much danger in the end; Seattle took a slight edge in xG as they finished with 1.4 xG to LAFC’s 1.2. There were opportunities to grab all three points, but a draw was just about representative of the play on the field.

The first half was tense and tight, with the biggest excitement coming late when a scuffle broke out after Aaron Long took a few kicks at a ball already in Stefan Frei’s hands after a free kick. The Sounders probably had the best looks in primarily even 45 minutes, but ultimately there were more yellow cards (5 total) than clear-cut chances as the two teams went into halftime tied 0-0.

The second half had some action of its own, with a scramble in LA’s 6-yard box yielding a couple of close but scruffy looks for the Sounders and Frei coming up with a big save in stoppage time.

The most notable event, though, was probably Jackson Ragen having to sub out with an injury, making way for Xavier Arreaga to make his first appearance of the season. Obed Vargas also made his first appearance of the season, coming on for João Paulo in the 63rd minute, officially marking his return from injury that has forced him out since last June.

In the end, a draw is seen as a letdown, as the Sounders had a chance to win against an LAFC side on tired legs, but this was a marked improvement over the game against FC Cincinnati and is the third clean sheet at home for the season. The Sounders will travel to face Sporting Kansas City for their next game on Saturday, March 25.

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