It wasn’t pretty, but Jordan Morris came up big in the right spot for the Seattle Sounders.
The Western Conference semifinal between Seattle and hosts Los Angeles FC had been a cagey affair. Regulation wasn’t enough to settle a rivalry deadlock, with a Ryan Hollingshead goal in the 50th minute negated by a Maxime Chanot goal merely nine minutes later to carry a 1-1 deadlock into extra time.
Just as the second portion of extra time kicked off, the Sounders earned a rare corner kick on the night, just their third in 108 minutes of play. It was all the visitors needed, with recirculation catching Morris as defensive mark Lewis O’Brien kept him onside. The forward spun over his right shoulder and powered a shot past France great Hugo Lloris, giving his side a narrow 2-1 lead protected by the Sounders in the final minutes.
JORDAN MORRIS GIVES SEATTLE THE LATE LEAD! 😤@SoundersFC // Audi #MLSCupPlayoffs pic.twitter.com/PhnbwOHUVF
— Major League Soccer (@MLS) November 24, 2024
The result gave Seattle its first berth in the Western Conference final since 2020 when it made its fourth trip to MLS Cup in a five-year span. It also ended a brief two-year streak of trips to the conference final by LAFC, taking the West’s top seed out of contention to make the MLS Cup.
Seattle’s win would not have been possible without the shot-stopping exploits of Stefan Frei. The two-time MLS Cup-winning goalkeeper came up big in Los Angeles, making eight saves to stifle LAFC in front of goal. None proved more pivotal than a pair of stops deep in second-half stoppage time, as he held off attempts from Jesus Murillo and Hollingshead inside of 10 yards to give his team another half hour to book their place in the conference final.
Stefan Frei AGAIN! 😤@SoundersFC // Audi #MLSCupPlayoffs pic.twitter.com/cId4tEYaQW
— Major League Soccer (@MLS) November 24, 2024
Of course, a Seattle comeback win doubles as the latest in a series of late-game breakdowns for LAFC. While Steve Cherundolo’s side managed to win the 2022 MLS Cup thanks to a last-gasp equalizer by Gareth Bale, their more recent history in closely contested finals hasn’t been nearly as favorable. In 2023 alone, LAFC fell in the final of the CONCACAF Champions Cup (to Club Leon), the Campeones Cup (to Tigres) and the MLS Cup (to the Columbus Crew). Los Angeles broke its brief finals skid by capturing the 2024 U.S. Open Cup, beating Sporting KC in extra time.
Still, Cherundolo’s team is bound to be disappointed not to return to the conference final for a third straight year. LAFC underwent a few crucial changes to its squad this year, notably not seeing longtime captain Carlos Vela sign a new deal until midway through the fall — the former Mexico international did not feature in Saturday’s match — while welcoming Olivier Giroud after the Euros.
The France international struggled to make an impact in MLS, failing to score a goal across 852 minutes in the regular season and playoffs. He did score in the Leagues Cup final, although LAFC lost that match, a rematch against Columbus.
Seattle will face the winner of Sunday’s clash between the LA Galaxy and Minnesota United. As the West’s fourth seed, the Sounders will head to Carson if the Galaxy win. An upset would send the Loons to Seattle for a rematch of the 2020 conference final, where the Sounders came back from 2-0 down to upend Minnesota in the second half.
Saturday’s result is the latest in an upset-laden 2024 MLS Cup Playoffs. The East’s seventh-seeded New York Red Bulls won against sixth-seeded New York City FC earlier in the day. The Red Bulls will return to the conference final for the first time since 2018 when Jesse Marsch managed them. New York pulled off its conquest in a more comfortable fashion, earning a 2-0 advantage in the game’s first 25 minutes and protecting that scoreline to the final whistle.
As it stands, the Sounders have second priority to host the MLS Cup. As the bracket plays out, only four teams remain in contention to host the final (in order): the LA Galaxy, the Sounders, Orlando City (who also plays Sunday against Atlanta United) and Minnesota.
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(Photo: Ryan Sun / Imagn Images)
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