“Goals change games.”
That adage proved more than correct for the Sounders in their 3-1 victory over the Vancouver Whitecaps Saturday night at Century Link Field. For the first 45 minutes the Sounders controlled possession and dominated on the stat sheet, yet had nothing to show for it. It wasn’t a poor performance by any stretch, but the final bit of quality was missing. One minute into the second half, the switch flipped courtesy of a golazo from Designated Player João Paulo and the Sounders were off to the races.
With the victory the Sounders now find themselves alone at the top of the Western Conference, and within reach of the Supporters’ Shield.