It wasn’t pretty, but Jordan Morris came up big in the right spot for the Seattle Sounders . The Western Conference semifinal between Seattle and hosts Los Angeles FC had been a cagey affair. Regulation wasn’t enough to settle a rivalry deadlock, with a Ryan Hollingshead goal in the 50th minute negated by a Maxime Chanot goal merely nine minutes later to carry a 1-1 deadlock into extra time.
Advertisement Just as the second portion of extra time kicked off, the Sounders earned a rare corner kick on the night, just their third in 108 minutes of play. It was all the visitors needed, with recirculation catching Morris as defensive mark Lewis O’Brien kept him onside. The forward spun over his right shoulder and powered a shot past France great Hugo Lloris , giving his side a narrow 2-1 lead protected by the Sounders in the final minutes.
JORDAN MORRIS GIVES SEATTLE THE LATE LEAD! 😤 @SoundersFC // Audi #MLSCupPlayoffs pic.twitter.com/PhnbwOHUVF — Major League Soccer (@MLS) November 24, 2024 The result gave Seattle its first berth in the Western Conference final since 2020 when it made its fourth trip to MLS Cup in a five-year span.
It also ended a brief two-year streak of trips to the conference final by LAFC, taking the West’s top seed out of contention to make the MLS Cup. Seattle’s win would not have been possible without the shot-stopping exploits of Stefan Frei . The two-time MLS Cup-winning goalkeeper came up big in Los Angeles, making eight saves to stifle LA.
