Seattle Sounders midfielder Víctor Rodríguez made what felt like a long-awaited return on Thursday night in the second leg of the Western Conference Semifinals of the Audi 2017 MLS Cup Playoffs.
Rodríguez missed the final match of the regular season and the first leg of the semifinals in Vancouver last Sunday with a right lateral quad strain, a frustrating setback for a midseason signing who had hit the ground running on the left wing. He had scored two goals in his previous two matches before getting hurt — he missed the Philadelphia game in between to be home in Barcelona for the birth of his daughter — and helped make the attacking midfield trio of him, Clint Dempsey and Nicolás Lodeiro one of the best in MLS.