Sounders clean St. Louis City for fifth straight win

Jonathan Bell scored against his former team and Stefan Frei moved into a tie for second place in career shutouts as the Seattle Sounders defeated visiting St. Louis City SC 2-0 on Wednesday night in an MLS match.

Frei made two saves to post his third consecutive clean sheet as the Sounders (10-7-7, 37 points) won their fifth match in a row and extended their unbeaten streak to seven (6-0-1). It was Frei’s 112th shutout, tying the retired Kevin Hartman.

Roman Burki made five saves for St. Louis (4-10-10, 22 points), which lost its third straight and remained winless on the road this season (0-6-5).

The Sounders took the lead on a St. Louis own goal in the 27th minute. Seattle’s Cristian Roldan took a pass and dribbled toward the end line on the right wing before sending a cross toward Jordan Morris. The ball took one bounce off the turf, deflected off the knee of defender Tim Parker near the top of the 6-yard box and was redirected just inside the far post.

Bell tallied in the 49th minute. Albert Rusnak’s free kick from the right wing found Bell at the top left corner of the 6-yard box. Bell’s header went back across the goalmouth and took one bounce into the far side netting. It was the defender’s first goal of the season and the third of his MLS career.

Parker had saved a goal in the fifth minute, clearing a header by Seattle’s Jackson Ragen off the goal line following a free kick from the left wing to the back post.

Ragen did the same in first-half stoppage time, clearing Parker’s header off the Seattle goal line.

St. Louis’ best scoring opportunity of the half came in the 11th minute, as Frei was forced to make a shoulder save on a sharp-angled shot by Hosei Kijima from the right edge of the 6-yard box.

St. Louis’ Indiana Vassilev had to be subbed off at the half after taking a blow to the head and suffering a bloody nose.

–Field Level Media