Sounders show skill under pressure, blank Austin 2-0 in MLS return

A week that started against the best team in the world could only end one way against a mid-table MLS side.

Sounders forward Danny Musovski epitomized it as he coolly dribbled toward Lumen Field’s northern goal and sliced a right-footed shot past Austin defender Oleksandr Svatok and keeper Brad Stuver.

Skill under pressure.

Seattle meshed the traits to get a 2-0 win under the lights at Lumen Field on Saturday.

Skill under pressure were widely displayed the past two weeks when the facility hosted six FIFA men’s Club World Cup group-stage matches. The Sounders were winless in three Group B games against reigning South American champion Botafogo, Spanish titan Atlético Madrid and UEFA Champions League winning Paris Saint-Germain.

The latter was a 2-0 matinee loss before 50,628 people on Monday. The Sounders players said afterward that they learned a lot of lessons they wanted to replicate in MLS competitions.

Expectations were high from majority of the 30,101 in attendance after seeing the Sounders hold their own against some of the world’s best. Seattle’s needed win snapped a five-game losing streak, including the early CWC exit.

The result also moved the Sounders (8-6-5) to fifth in the Western Conference standings. Austin (7-8-5) dropped to ninth.

Seattle’s opening goal started from a series that could’ve been stopped by Obed Vargas getting clipped but instead ended in a goal for Ferreira in stoppage time.

Albert Rusnák powered a through ball from deep in the Sounders’ own end to a racing Paul Rothrock. The left winger moved quickly gather and get a cross to Ferreira to volley into goal. It’s the forward’s second score of the season.

Seattle still could’ve had more in their energetic opening half.

Ferreira whiffed a header in the fifth minute. Musovski had an attempt from the left side of the box in the 11th minute saved by Stuver, but Austin defender Guilherme Biro nearly had an own goal when his errant clearance bounced off the post.

Vargas had a shot blocked in the 15th minute from top of the box.

Austin striker Brandon Vazquez was shutdown by a hodgepodge back line. He wiggled loose to get his best attempt in the 34th minute. Sounders keeper Stefan Frei was at the near post to make the save.

The patchwork defense was because of injuries and Sounders defenders Nouhou and Jon Bell had to serve one-game suspensions for being shown red cards in a loss to Vancouver before the league’s hiatus for the CWC tournament.

Sounders defender Alex Roldan shifted to center back in place of Yeimar (hamstring) and Kim Kee-hee (calf). Kalani Kossa-Rienzi replaced Roldan at right back and Reed Baker-Whiting received his first start of the season at left back in place of Nouhou.

But Baker-Whiting will be unavailable in Seattle’s match against Columbus on July 6 due to being shown a second yellow in the 89th minute for a studs up foul.

Jordan Morris was able to return to MLS action. The Sounders striker has been out since April due to a hamstring injury. He subbed on for Rothrock in the 75th minute.