It happened, again. The slow reaction after an improbable goal, questionable penalty calls, a lead lost.
The trifecta of woes led to a 3-2 Sounders loss against Orlando City in a muggy match at Exploria Stadium on Wednesday night. The Sounders remain below the playoff line in the Western Conference.
The Sounders built a 2-0 lead in the 52nd minute after forward Jordan Morris made a good run on the right flank to find striker Raul Ruidiaz at the back post. Ruidiaz’s first attempt was deflected in the tight space but got a good bounce on the rebound to pop a shot past Orlando keeper Pedro Gallese.
But the Lions were able to swipe the needed win in second-half stoppage time when VAR review of a play in the box awarded Orlando with a goal that initially deflected off Sounders defender Jackson Ragen. Orlando defender Kyle Smith made the score, the Sounders originally thinking the Lions were offside but since the ball was deflected off Ragen and didn’t reach the offside player, the goal was allowed.
Orlando opened its scoring on midfielder Facundo Torres capitalizing on space to set up a long shot for a quick response in the 53rd minute to the Sounders’ two-goal lead. Defender Joao Moutinho had the assist.
Later, Morris was called for a handball that he instantly knew he committed in the 68th minute. Sounders keeper Stefan Frei couldn’t block forward Ercan Kara’s right-footed shot to prevent the equalizer.
Seattle made multiple advances to break the tie and couldn’t convert. The outcome nullified some impressive goaltending by Frei. He had five saves in the match.
Frei isn’t known for his defending of penalty kicks — he entered the match conceding five this season and having only saved three since entering MLS in 2009. Yet in the 32nd minute, Frei made the right move when defending a shot from the spot to retain a 1-0 lead.
Sounders wingback Jimmy Medranda was called for the foul in the 30th minute for swiping his left leg and stepping on the foot of Orlando midfielder Nicholas Gioacchini in the box. Mauricio Pereyra took the shot but mashed his right-footed attempt in Frei’s hands.
Ragen coolly deflected the rebound, sending Moutinho’s attempt high of goal.
The Sounders waded through a two-hour delay for kickoff due to lighting strikes in the area. It’s the second time Seattle has faced a delay. Against Real Salt Lake in March, it was a near two-hour delay at halftime due to freezing rain and Real scored immediately after play resumed, winning 1-0 in Salt Lake.