Excitement about the restart of the MLS regular season was in the air around Allianz Field on Saturday night. Not only was the mood in the stadium high for the Loons’ return after several weeks away, but there was also anticipation of the new additions during the summer transfer window. The Loons did not disappoint, showcasing some of their newest talent. Defender Jefferson Díaz and attacker Kelvin Yeboah both made their MNUFC debuts as part of the starting lineup. Additionally, defender Anthony Markanich made his debut for the Loons as a substitute. While the new faces gave fans plenty of reason for optimism with their performances on the field, it was ultimately another night where Seattle saw through MNUFC, resulting in a 3-2 loss for the Black and Blue.
Seattle striker Jordan Morris dampened the crowd’s initial energy with a quick shot in the 11th minute, assisted by Obed Vargas and Christian Roldan. But one of the new additions would soon give the Wonderwall reason to cheer. On to the pitch came Kelvin Yeboah, who made a big impression with the Loons fans after taking a hard hit while attempting to win a header in the Seattle box. After a VAR review, Yeboah shook off the hit to take the penalty and stutter-stepped a shot into the bottom right corner without hitting Seattle goalkeeper Stefan Frei, tying the game at 1-1 in the 24th minute.
Unfortunately, Seattle quickly regained the lead just four minutes later with a header from Jackson Ragen in the 28th minute. But Yeboah was not done putting his stamp on the game.
The Ghanaian international struck again in the 56th minute of the second half, again skilfully handling the ball with a lob over Frei to put the ball in the net. This second goal was not only the equalizer, but also historic: Yeboah became the first player in the Loons’ MLS history to score a brace on his debut for the club.
Despite these heroics, the familiar troubles against Seattle soon followed. This time, it was midfielder Albert Rusnák’s quick footwork that unbalanced Robin Lod and gave Rusnák the space to fire a powerful line drive from the edge of the box. His shot was too fast for the diving Dayne St. Clair, found the back of the net and ultimately decided the game. Although they held their own against the Sounders, the Loons again came up short in the final score.
If the Loons hope to stay in the Western Conference playoff race, they will need to produce better results against San Jose next Saturday night at PayPal Park.
