Seattle Sounders head to MLS Cup final with 1-0 win over Colorado Rapids

The Seattle Sounders are heading to the MLS Cup final for the first time in their history, and Rookie of the Year Jordan Morris was the hero. Despite playing with an illness, Seattle’s homegrown star scored the only goal in their 1-0 win away to Colorado Rapids to seal a 3-1 aggregate victory.

Seattle was utterly dominated in the first half on Sunday, producing only one shot -- and that one was taken from 35 yards out. Colorado, in contrast, created 11 shots during the first 45 minutes, while the Sounders struggled to contain Jermaine Jones. The USMNT star looked fully fit for the first time since a knee injury took him out of action for nearly four months, but his excellent movement and passing didn’t lead to a Rapids goal.

While the Sounders started to look a bit more lively early in the second half, they didn’t look much like scoring until they created a goal out of nowhere in the 56th minute. Nelson Valdez set it up, winning a loose ball and playing a pass into the box for Morris, who poked past Zac MacMath from eight yards out.

Colorado set up in Seattle’s half for most of the rest of the way, but couldn’t fire their way back into the match. Marlon Hairston produced a solid save from Stefan Frei in the 68th minute and the Rapids screamed for a penalty on an incidental handball by Chad Marshall, but Seattle always looked well in control after scoring.

Jordan Morris cements his star status

When the Sounders were struggling, Morris continued to produce. In all of their playoff games before this one, he turned in excellent performances. But it’s running his tail off and scoring an away goal while he had flu-like symptoms that will really convince fans that Morris is a top pro. He spent most of the last two days in bed before this match and looked dead on his feet in the first half, but he kept fighting, and stayed on the pitch for all 90 minutes. He’s a Sounders legend forever after this, no matter what happens.

Zac MacMath is not Tim Howard

This is not to say that MacMath is bad. He had some very solid moments in this series. But none of Seattle’s three goals were unstoppable screamers, and MacMath could have done better on all of them. With Howard in net, the Western Conference finals could have been much closer, and Rapids fans will be thinking about that all offseason.

After a disastrous season, Seattle could host MLS Cup

Things got so bad for the Sounders that they fired their coach midseason. Their playoff status was in doubt on the final day of the regular season. Despite all that, they’re going to their first ever MLS Cup final, and if Montreal holds onto their lead out east, they’ll be hosting it. Absolutely anything can happen in MLS.