It was a game many previous iterations of the Sounders would have let fall to a draw or even a disastrous loss. And yet the Sounders held out the win, even without Cristian Roldan.
Had he been a little more selfish, Cristian Roldan could have logged a hat trick by the 50th minute in Lumen Field on Saturday night. But as he showed why the USMNT needs him come June, his whole team showed why they're among the best in MLS.
Despite a two-goal loss in the first leg and a road score for Tigres UANL, the Sounders nearly came away with a semifinals berth in CCC. But the final cherry on top evaded them in the end, and though there were plenty of silver linings, it was an early exit for the dynasty-aspirant Seattle.
The Sounders had chance after chance after chance in Game 3 of the first round, but despite all the heroism stretching back months, they couldn't get it done.
Taking care of business. That's what the Sounders did on Monday night in Lumen Field, as they caught the Loons off-guard and forced Game 3 to decide who advances and who goes home.
