Seattle, WA – The longest winless streak in club history came to an end on Saturday for Seattle Sounders FC as second-half goals from Alvaro Fernandez and Eddie Johnson handed the home side a 2-1 victory over another struggling team, the Colorado Rapids.
Seattle entered the contest on a nine-game winless run, while the defeat is the fourth in five games for the Rapids, who found themselves on the back foot for a large portion of Saturday's match.
Colorado goalkeeper Matt Pickens was busy early on as he needed to make saves on both Fernandez and Johnson in the first 11 minutes.
The second half saw Seattle begin to take control and the Sounders finally went in front in the 52nd minute when Mauro Rosales drove a corner kick to the middle of the area for Fernandez, who sent a powerful header past Pickens from eight yards.
Fernandez missed a great chance to extend the lead when he got behind the defense and caught Pickens off his line, only to badly scuff his shot wide.
But Seattle doubled the lead in the 64th with Rosales once again playing provider as Johnson headed home his left-wing cross from six yards.
The Rapids pulled a goal back through Omar Cummings in the 79th minute when he made a run to the back post and got on the other end of a cross from Luis Zapata to volley the ball past goalkeeper Bryan Meredith.
And Colorado had the ball in the net again in the 85th minute, only for the goal to be called back for an offside decision.
The Rapids had one final chance to steal a point in stoppage time, but Martin Rivero fired over the net from the top of the box with a good look at goal.
The win was a big one for Seattle, but so too was the appearance of winger Steve Zakuani, who returned to action for the first time in over a year since suffering a broken leg as he entered the match as a substitute in the 86th minute.
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