On a night some big Sounders names went down early, the biggest stepped up and delivered a needed boost.
Clint Dempsey supplied two huge goals, including one of the nicest of his Sounders career, to help the visitors defeat the Colorado Rapids 3-1 in a Major League Soccer match in Commerce City, Colo.
Dempsey set the tone in the sixth minute, slipping behind defenders and converting a Joevin Jones pass to open the scoring.
And then, in the 85th minute, with the Sounders clinging to a one-goal lead and the Rapids pressing for the equalizer, Dempsey ran down a ball and artfully hoisted a left-footer over leaping Colorado goalkeeper Tim Howard from the top of the box.