The Seattle Sounders FC looked much better against the Los Angeles Galaxy on July 13, knocking the top ranked team in the MLS Western Conference out of the U.S. Open Cup. The Sounders were simply impressive in their 3-1 thrashing of the Galaxy, jumping all over them from the opening moments of the match.
The Sounders, who will be going for their third consecutive U.S. Open Cup title, will face Dallas FC in the semifinal stage of the tournament. Dallas FC won the last encounter between the two teams, defeating the Sounders 1-0 on May 24. Dallas is only a point behind the Sounders in the MLS Western Conference table, and fans will be in for a tightly contested match when the two teams meet on Aug. 30.
Forward Nate Jaqua opened up the scoring for the Sounders in the fourth minute of the match, finishing up an excellent pass from Pat Noonan with a well-placed shot. Fredy Montero followed up with a goal of his own 20 minutes later, firing a powerful shot from outside the box.
Adam Cristman tried to bring the Galaxy back in the game, cutting the lead down to a goal right before halftime.
The action slowed down when both teams came out in the second half. Sounders midfielder Lamar Neagle sealed the deal for his team with the only goal of the half, scoring a goal in the 74th minute.
It took the Sounders a little bit of time to find their groove, but they seem to be firing on all cylinders right now. The Sounders have definitely stepped up their offense in their past few games, scoring six total goals in their last two matches.
The Sounders will face the Colorado Rapids next in a regular-season game July 16, and they'll try to carry their momentum from the U.S. Open over to the MLS.
David has been a fan of the Seattle Sounders for the past 2 years. Follow him on twitter @davidkingwriter.
Sources:
Andrew Winner, "USOC Recap: Jaqua fuels Sounders to 3-1 win over Galaxy" MLSSoccer.com
Player and team information from ESPN.com
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