SEATTLE — Through 60 minutes or so, you could be forgiven if you felt as though you were watching a time-warped reality on Sunday that caused the Seattle Sounders to play like the team that spun, back-heeled and flicked their way to the 2014 Supporters’ Shield.
Here was nominal No. 9 Will Bruin playing playmaker — ala Obafemi Martins — by setting up Cristian Roldan for a goal less than 2 minutes in. There was, Bruin again, perfectly shaping and weighting a pass down the sideline and João Paulo, perhaps channeling Clint Dempsey, with a blind, side-footed flick that set up the second.