Pedro de la Vega and Paul Rothrock each had a goal and an assist as the Seattle Sounders scored three times in a 15-minute span midway through the first half and trounced visiting Nashville SC 3-0 Saturday in their MLS match.
Danny Musovski also scored and Jesus Ferreira added two assists for the Sounders (3-3-3, 12 points), who won their second straight.
Seattle goalkeeper Stefan Frei made eight saves in posting the shutout. It was his 119th career clean sheet, second only to former Real Salt Lake goalie Nick Rimando (154) in league history.
Joe Willis stopped four shots for Nashville (4-4-1, 13 points).
The Sounders took the lead in the 19th minute, when de la Vega dribbled across the middle of the field and passed to Rothrock on the left wing. Rothrock sent a cross to Ferreira for a left-footed shot from 12 yards out. Ferreira scuffed the shot slightly and it rolled to Musovski just inside the top of the 6-yard box. Musovski flicked the ball with his left heel between his own legs and just inside the left post. The play was originally ruled offside, but a video review determined there was a defender behind Musovski and the call was overturned.
Seattle made it 2-0 in the 30th minute as Cristian Roldan stole the ball about 35 yards from the Nashville net and fed Obed Vargas on the right wing. Vargas dribbled to the end line before cutting a pass back to de la Vega, whose 8-yard blast into the far upper corner left Willis with no chance.
The Sounders scored again in the 34th minute as de la Vega sent a pass to Ferreira near the top right of the penalty area. Ferreira spun and sent a pass across the top of the box to Rothrock, who settled the ball and put a low shot past a diving Willis and inside the right post from 15 yards.
Defender Kim Kee-hee, who returned to Seattle in the offseason, made his first start for the Sounders since the 2019 MLS Cup in place of injured Jackson Ragen (hamstring), who is expected to miss four to six weeks.
Nashville was without defender Walker Zimmerman, the team captain, as he remained in the concussion protocol.
–Field Level Media
