TUKWILA, Wash. -- In the win over the Colorado Rapids there was a quiet, but useful performance by Harry Shipp. The rotational player hadn’t started in three months and had only played 15 minutes in that time due to injury and the competition for depth minutes. But he earned the start by getting back to health and being just what was needed to amplify the impact of Kelvin Leerdam at right back and Nicolas Lodeiro as the box-to-box guy.
Seattle Sounders played a significant portion of the match down a man, but Shipp’s ability to be a hybrid b2b and attacking midfielder that defends space was a subtle and necessary key.