World Soccer - UK (2022-07)

WORLDSERVICE

Match winners...
NicolasLodeiro(L)
celebrates withfellow
goalscorerRaulRuidiaz
(R)andObedVargas

WORLDSOCCER 77

wastheirfirst appearanceatthisstage

ofthe competition.And whenPumas

went2-0upthanks to aJuanIgnacio

Dinennobrace in thefirstleginMexico

City, therewereworriesthiswouldbe

moreof thesamefromMLS clubsin

thefinal.But twolateNicolasLodeiro

penalties,themostdramaticofwhich

cameintheninthminute of added

time,restoredparity.

LAFCandCanadiansideTorontoFC

havebothfallenatthe finalhurdlein

recent years,butthe dramaticfirst

legmadeSeattlefavouritestoavoid

a similarfateonhomesoil.Despite

notclaimingdomestic

honourslast season

• only qualifyingfor
  theChampions
  Leagueviaa third-
  placeMLS finish–
  theyareoneofthe
  moreconsistentandwell-runteamsin
  theleague.
  Thiswas on showin theirhomecity
  astheytookthe leadthroughRaul
  Ruidiazinthe secondlegofthefinal,
  before ruthlesslysealingthe winvia
  goalsfromRuidiazandLodeirowho
  cementedtheirstatusasclublegends.
  A ChampionsLeaguerecord crowd
  of68,7 41 atLumenFieldconfirmed
  Seattleas oneofthe nation’s biggest
  soccercities,notthattherewasany
  doubtingthisbeforehand.Thestadium
  isintherunningtohostWorldCup
  matcheswhenthe tournamenttakes
  placeonthecontinentin 20 26.On
  thisevidence,itwouldbefoolishnot
  tohaveitinvolved.
  SinceenteringMLS in 2009,then
  coachedbythe late SigiSchmid,the
  Soundershavenever failedtomake
  theplay-offs.Thelowestthey’ve
  finishedintheirconferenceisfourth.
  Ina leaguethatattemptsto promote
  parityandchancesfor everyteamto

wintitles,someclubsdoneedtobe

consistentlygoodif they aretobea

force on thecontinentandchallenge

theMexicansides.Seattle,nowwith

justtheirsecond-everMLSheadcoach

inSchmetzer,areonesuchteam.

OtherMLScandidateshavethe

potentialtojoin thematthislevelof

consistency.

Despiteexitingearlyinthe post-

seasonplay-offs, NewEngland

Revolutionhadenjoyed a record-

breakingregularseasonin 2 02 1,

claiming theMLSSupporters’

Shield(leaguetitle)instyle.

Meanwhile,theeventualstarsof

thepost-seasonplay-offsand 2021

MLSCupchampions,New YorkCityFC,

appearonthevergeofbecominga

force regionallyaswellasdomestically.

NewEnglandhada byetothe

quarter-finalsafterHaitiansideCavaly

couldn’tworktheirway aroundvisa

issues,buttheMassachusettsclub

encounteredthesameproblemsin

knockoutfootball as theydidinlast

year’sMLS play-offs, exitingatthe

handsof Pumas.

Havingknockedout Colorado

Rapidsinthe last 16,Guatemalanside

ComunicacionespushedNYCFCallthe

wayin theirquarter-final.TheMLSside

eventuallyadvancedonawaygoalsafter

a 5-5aggregate draw,yet their 4-2

defeatinGuatemalaCitywas perhaps

anindicationthatthe MLSoutfitdon’t

quite have whatittakesto winthis

gruellingcompetitionjust yet,and

theywereknocked

outbytheSounders

inthe semis.

Canadaalsogotin

onthe actfora short

timeasCFMontreal

defeatedMexicans

SantosLagunainthe last 16,butwere

knockedoutinthequartersbyCruzAzul.

Mexico’s ratherstodgyWorldCup

qualificationandthiscedingoftheir

CONCACAFclubcrown to theUnited

Statesmay be a wake-upcall,ifthey

hadn’thadonealready. It wouldn’t be

a surprisetoseeanMLSsidewinthe

continentalcrown

againnextyear.

TheSounders

havemadea

disappointingstart

totheir 2022

MLScampaign

butcannowfocus

onthe league

havingbecome

kingsofthe

continent,ending

yearsofMexican

dominancein

whatwas a superb

soccerspectacle

inSeattle.

Onpaper, 2022 alwayslookedlikeagood

opportunityforMajorLeagueSoccerto

interruptMexicanclubs’dominance

Dejected...Pumasdefender

JoseGalindoreactsduring

thesecond-legdefeat

Top scorer...Pumas

strikerJuanIgnacio

Dinneno netted

ninegoals