TUKWILA – It might be a little bit of a drag to say that the Seattle Sounders have been occupied with their final assembly with Sporting KC for the previous seven months. By this time, the Sounders had reached the playoffs for the thirteenth consecutive season, turning into the primary MLS staff to win the Concacaf Champions League and crossing the rocky begin of the principle season of 2022 to return to the playoffs.
To say that they’ve utterly forgotten about this assembly? It might even be a bit stretchy.
The purpose isn’t a lot that the match itself was notably memorable, however fairly a second. When Sporting KC led 1-0, Tim Melia hit Cristian Roldan so brutally that Dwayne’s “The Rock” Johnson even seen.
that is referred to as the devastating “Rock Backside” providing
+ I assume the inexperienced participant bought up and hit his ass if the bell did not ring.
+ I additionally assume that the cardboard was despatched within the pink shade palette https://t.co/anvlN9Sx5T– Dwayne Johnson (@TheRock) October 23, 2021
“It provides a little bit of magnificence to the sport,” Roldan mentioned Wednesday. “The video games in opposition to Kansas Metropolis are all the time tense. They’re properly skilled and all the time have a chip on their shoulders.
Roldan claimed that he had no private hatred of Melia, even when the apology was a bit half-hearted instantly after.
“It appeared like nothing had occurred,” Roldan mentioned of Melia’s unhappiness. “I used to be, to be trustworthy, shocked. It was like ‘Sorry about that.’ It was fairly gentle.”
“However Tim is an effective particular person and aggressive like me, so I do not blame him.”
The overall feeling that the punishment didn’t quantity to a criminal offense provides a little bit of intrigue to the match. Not solely was Melia allowed to finish the match – VAR did not even wish to intervene and suggested Ismail Elfath to get essentially the most yellow – however Sporting KC scored a late purpose. Turning the knife a bit, the disciplinary committee imposed a minimal one-play ban on Melia. Right now within the match, Melia Sporting KC had been utilizing their talent at urgent to efficiently stifle the sport.
Nevertheless, some karmic revenge appears to have taken place. After that celebration, Sporting KC has solely reached 5: 13: 4 within the MLS sport and made it to Saturday’s match with simply two factors forward of Wood Veneer.
As a lot as Sporting KC has struggled, they are going to win a doubtlessly season-changing win over Nashville SC away – ending Nashville’s 25-game no-home sequence – and will attain a degree away from the play-off line. Since Sporting KC has gained all three of their final journeys to Lumen Discipline, the Sounders do not take it without any consideration.
“They’ve talents, they’ve gamers, they’ve simply been worse,” mentioned Sounder goalkeeper Stefan Frei. “Whether or not it is dangerous luck or dangerous sport, it does not matter. If they’ve sport with what they’re able to, they’re an excellent staff that may make a particular trade. We all know that. We count on them to combat out.”