Less than 10 minutes after beating LA Galaxy in the round of 32 on Thursday, the Sounders were 2-0 up at Lumen Field. Seattle’s dream start came from an unexpected source: center backs Yeimar and Jackson Ragen scored goals three minutes apart.
“I definitely didn’t expect that,” said Ragen. “The fact that we scored goals so quickly at the beginning made the rest of the game much easier for us.”
Yeimar set the tone in the fourth minute when a perfectly placed corner kick from Albert Rusnák found the head of the centre-back who was able to redirect it into the net. In the seventh minute, it was Jackson Ragen who played the decisive role after a rebound from a corner kick saved by goalkeeper John McCarthy.
“Yeimar and Jackson deserve credit for understanding that the penalty box is a matter of life and death,” said head coach Brian Schmetzer. “Set pieces are crucial.”
It was the first goals from Yeimar and Ragen that gave the Rave Green momentum and gave another Sounders defender, Alex Roldan, the opportunity to fire a shot home from distance to close out the first half and secure the home team’s 3-1 victory.
“I think when you’re up 2-0 in the first half, you start to play a little more freely and gain a little more confidence,” Roldan said. “And I think all of those things contribute to everyone playing a little better and getting on the up and up, so I think it ultimately helped me.”
