Seattle Sounders Drop 6th Straight in 2-1 Loss to Portland, Fall to 9th

3 articles · Updated · Sounder At Heart · Aug 2

Seattle’s 2-1 defeat at Portland extended the club’s first six-game regulation losing streak in more than 50 years and dropped the Sounders into the Western Conference’s final playoff spot.
Kalani Kossa-Rienzi put Seattle ahead in the 27th minute after replacing injured Paul Arriola, but Kevin Kelsy equalized before halftime and Brandon Bye scored the 82nd-minute winner after Portland controlled most of the second half.
Seattle’s injury crisis again shaped the match: Arriola exited in the fourth minute, the squad was missing multiple regulars, and Brian Schmetzer had no true midfielder on the bench and few attacking options late.
The Sounders showed brief attacking life — finishing with more shots and getting strong first-half service from Albert Rusnak — but their strikers combined for little production as pressure grows for reinforcements up front.