Seattle won with less of the ball after an opening-minute goal

Seattle Sounders beat Los Angeles FC 2-1 at Lumen Field despite having less of the ball and fewer chances.

Albert Rusnák scored inside the first minute at Lumen Field, and Seattle Sounders went on to beat Los Angeles FC 2-1 with less of the ball and fewer chances than the visitors. Cristian Roldán provided the assist for that early strike, and nothing in the rest of the match matched its timing. Seattle had the best possible start, then spent most of the evening chasing the game.

Possession is where the story starts. Seattle usually have just over half the ball at home, averaging 53.9% across their twelve home matches this season, and here they had 39%. Los Angeles FC, who average 46.9% on the road, finished with 61%, which meant the home side spent long periods defending without the ball at their feet. That gap between possession and goals is the thing a neutral would remember, because the team with less of the ball is the one that won.

The chances tell a sharper version. Los Angeles FC took 23 shots, well above the 14.4 they average away and the league figure of 12.8 per side. Expected goals, a measure that gives each chance a value based on how likely it was to go in, came to 1.78 for the visitors against a road average of 1.25. Seattle managed five shots, down from a home average of 14.8, and an expected goals figure of 0.57 against their usual 1.24. Eight of the visitors' efforts were blocked by Seattle defenders, which says the home side got in the way often enough to keep the total down.

Seattle turned that thin supply into two goals. Rusnák's opener was followed by Sebastian Gomez doubling the lead on 31 minutes, set up by Rusnák himself. Two goals is above the 1.5 Seattle usually score at home, and the gap between their goals and their expected goals suggests they made the most of the few chances they had. The total of three goals matched the league average of 3.2 per match, so the scoreline itself was ordinary even if the chances were not.

Two players stand out for opposite reasons. A. Thomas made seven saves in the Seattle goal, which is the number that kept the scoreline where it was. On the other side, D. Bouanga had four shots, three of them on target, and came away without a goal. Armindo Sieb, who came on for Los Angeles FC in the 72nd minute, took seven shots of his own in the time he had.

Late on, Eddie Segura pulled one back for Los Angeles FC on 81 minutes, set up by Ryan Porteous, and the closing stages became tense. Seattle received three yellow cards and Los Angeles FC one, with no sendings-off on either side.

The result leaves Seattle tenth in the table on 43 points, with Los Angeles FC sixth on 47.

Player of the matchA. Rusnák1 goal · 1 assist8.3

C. Roldan1 assist7.7

S. Gomez1 goal7.6

E. Segura1 goal7.5