Sounders settle for draw after rival Vancouver nets late equalizer

If “keep trying” were a goal it would be the Sounders’ first score Saturday.

And if the phrase were a season, it would be this year for the club.

The Sounders were ticking to the close of one of their better matches of the season against Cascadia rival Vancouver. An emphatic ending appeared to be a rushing block on a free kick by Sounders defender Nouhou.

Instead, Vancouver was awarded a penalty, attacker Ryan Gauld netting the equalizer in the 95^th minute for a 1-1 draw at Lumen Field.

“There’s a lot of issues we need to overcome,” Sounders coach Brian Schmetzer said.

Nouhou created his own problem with a dicey tackle in the 89th minute where referee Victor Rivas showed him a yellow card. On the ensuing free kick, VAR (Pierre-Luc Lauziere) signaled for Rivas to take a look at Nouhou’s attempted sliding tackle that ended up being a block where the ball hit his forearm.

Rivas agreed it was a handball in the box and showed a red card to Nouhou (second yellow card) and sent him off.

Lauziere was critiqued after the match for not awarding Seattle a similar review when Vancouver had an apparent handball in the box minutes earlier. In a request for an explanation regarding the disparity, media were told Nouhou was “deemed a barrier in an unnatural position where as the other was not.”

Schmetzer said it wasn’t a situation he would argue or contest.

“Nouhou’s was a handball,” he said. “It’s hard. People, when they throw themselves that direction, sometimes their arms go up for balance. I’ve seen penalties called when you’re falling down and extend your arm to brace the fall and it hits you in the arm … what I can coach is that Nouhou doesn’t dive in to give away that free kick.”

Vancouver won 2-0 at Lumen in April — the side’s first on Seattle’s turf since 2016. The Whitecaps (5-4-4) were aided by a pair of red cards, the Sounders still smarting at the one shown to Jackson Ragen in the 38th minute for studs-up contact.

But all the team can do is keep trying.

For Seattle’s goal, a muddled cross in the box ended up at the feet of Joao Paulo, who took a strong swipe at goal that was blocked. Obed Vargas picked up the rebound and sent another shot at goal that Vancouver keeper Yohei Takaoka saved.

But it wasn’t cleared from danger. Sounders forward Jordan Morris caught the loose ball and used an awkward left-footed touch to finally get an attempt across the line in the ninth minute. It was the U.S. international’s second goal of the season.

Vancouver rushed to respond, getting chances off a corner kick series minutes later. Stefan Frei made three consecutive saves to preserve the early lead.

The Whitecaps didn’t have another solid chance until the 73^rd minute. Sebastian Berhalter’s shot from distance was a direct hit toward Frei.

As sprinkles turned to rain late in the second half, the announced crowd of 30,102 pulled on ponchos and parkas. The Sounders reserves began warming up behind the southern end line, including midfielder Pedro de la Vega.

The touted player suffered a pair of hamstring injuries since playing in the first two matches of the season. He subbed on in the 76^th minute for Joao Paulo and the rain briefly stopped.

Seattle (3-6-5) earned a corner kick, and de la Vega nearly had a reverse header find its way into goal in the 81^st minute. The ball hit the cross bar instead.

“Keep trying” has been a motto for Morris this season. The team-first attacker entered the campaign as the expected forward up top but was quickly overtaken by Raul Ruidiaz, who has seven goals this season.

Back on the left wing, Morris scored his first goal of the season in a blowout against road-wary Montreal in April. In the six matches since then, he’s had irritating misses and wasted opportunities to bag goals.

There were seven lineup changes Saturday. Sounders midfielders Cristian Roldan and Vargas switched positions, again. The latter played on the right wing while Roldan played back a line alongside Joao Paulo in the middle. The look helped Seattle get a road win against Portland. Roldan scored his first goal of the season and Vargas had an assist to Ruidiaz in the 2-1 win.

Nouhou returned to the starting lineup after serving a one-game suspension for yellow-card accumulation. He’ll be suspended for Seattle’s next MLS match against St. Louis City.

“The inclusion of Pedro, that is what’s missing,” Schmetzer said. “The team will keep going. We’ll keep after it, we’ll keep trying. The defending [Saturday] was overall pretty good. We’ll need that against St. Louis.”

The Sounders continue their onslaught of matches with a U.S. Open Cup game Wednesday. Seattle will host defending USL Championship titlists Phoenix Rising FC at Starfire Sports in Tukwila.

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