Sounders’ Martins sets team scoring record in 4-2 win over Chivas USA

Obafemi Martins’ pass took a timely bounce off Jhon Hurtado’s thigh and landed in front of Lamar Neagle, who only had to beat Chivas USA goalkeeper Dan Kennedy.

The assistant referee raised his flag, calling Neagle offsides, but the head referee waved it off as Neagle swept in to tie the match at two. The Seattle attackers shared a hug at the edge of the box while the Chivas defenders gestured in vain to the referee on the sideline.

“I’m a coach, and I’m confused by the offside rule now,” Sounders coach Sigi Schmid said. “I used to understand it, but I don’t think I understand it anymore.”

The Sounders snapped a two-match losing streak Saturday against Chivas USA at CenturyLink, winning 4-2 as Martins broke the club’s season scoring record with two goals to go along with his assist.

But the victory also came with some caveats.

Chivas has now lost seven straight matches and hasn’t won in 12. Besides the two goals in another 4-2 loss against Seattle at the beginning of the month, it hasn’t even scored since late July.

It took Chivas (6-18-6) just 12 minutes to open the scoring Saturday, breaking what had been a steady spell of Seattle pressure with a counterattack that ended with Erick Torres sweeping a rebound into the net.

There were two changes to the back line that allowed three goals in Dallas in the middle of the week – Jalil Anibaba replaced the injured Zach Scott at center back and Brad Evans slotted in for Leo Gonzalez at left back – but Seattle still allowed the opening goal for the fifth straight match.

“Chemistry is definitely big in it, but as a pro, you have to adjust to the players you’re playing with,” DeAndre Yedlin said.

And though Martins hit back to tie the score two minutes later, Chivas rocked the hosts back on their heels again in the 18th when Anibaba deflected Felix Borja’s shot into his own net.

Chivas hasn’t scored a single goal in over 700 minutes of action against any team but Seattle.

“We’re giving up easy goals, and we definitely have to lock it down,” Neagle said.

“Defense wins championships. We know we’re going to be able to score goals because we have the talent on the field to do that.”

Look no further than the club’s own record books for proof of the latter.

After Neagle knotted the score with his controversial equalizer in the 37th minute, Clint Dempsey sent the Sounders into the locker room with a 3-2 lead on an assist from Martins in first-half stoppage time.

With the goal, Dempsey and Martins joined Eddie Johnson and Fredy Montero as the highest-scoring Sounders duo in a single season. They passed them six minutes after the break – and Martins broke the season individual scoring record – when he scored his 15th goal of the year through a bumbling Chivas defense.

“The talent level of these two, individually, can carry a front line for you,” Schmid said.

“So together, they’re a real handful. … Having two ‘lead’ strikers on a team, that’s not a luxury you get all the time as a coach.”