Sounders still searching for first win after being forced to settle for late draw

SEATTLE – Andrew Thomas had answered the call. At every opportunity, the Russian goalkeeper stepped up and delivered.

With the game seemingly hanging in the balance during the 68th minute and his team down a man, Thomas saved a penalty by Colorado Rapids midfielder Djordje Mihailovic to keep the Sounders up by a goal. He hadn’t conceded a goal since Feb. 24, a streak of 218 scoreless minutes.

So as he leapt through the air to get a hand on Mihailovic’s free kick in the 88th minute and palm the ball onto the frame of his goal, Thomas seemed to have saved the Sounders again.

Instead, no Sounders player reacted when the ball bounced off the post. Rapids winger Kevin Cabral was the first one there, tapping home a goal from close range to end Thomas’ scoreless streak and condemn the Sounders to a draw.

Cabral’s late goal settled a 1-1 draw between the Sounders and the Rapids at Lumen Field on Saturday. Forward Raul Ruidiaz put the Rave Green ahead early from the penalty spot, but Josh Atencio’s red card proved too much for the Sounders to overcome.

The Sounders are still winless in the MLS this season after three games. They haven’t scored a goal from open play in 276 minutes.

Coach Brian Schmetzer made no changes to his starting lineup, sticking with the same 11 who only played 6 minutes against the Philadelphia Union on March 9 before the game was postponed because of field conditions.

Thomas made his fourth start of the season in goal in place of Stefan Frei. Forwards Jordan Morris and Ruidiaz also retained their spots as a strike partnership despite the Sounders’ early-season scoring drought, in which Schmetzer’s team had only scored one goal across the first 186 minutes of the MLS season.

The Sounders got some much-needed reinforcements on the bench. Midfielder Albert Rusnak returned to the game-day squad as a substitute after missing the first three games of the season with an ankle injury. He came on for his season debut in the 60th minute for left winger Leo Chu. Defender Yeimar Gomez Andrade also made the bench after reporting late to camp because he was obtaining his U.S. green card.

The Sounders weren’t able to get Frei (hamstring), midfielder Reed Baker-Whiting (hamstring) or midfielder Joao Paulo (hip) back in time for the matchup with the Rapids. Brazilian defender Nathan also missed out as he awaits a U.S. green card.

The Rave Green dominated play early, albeit mostly possessing the ball in their own half with Colorado pressing and trying to force turnovers high up the pitch. The Sounders’ first real threat of the game came in the 11th minute, when Ruidiaz found himself in the half-space on the left side of the penalty box.

Ruidiaz flicked the ball toward the middle of the box with the outside of his right foot, but the ball clearly bounced off the outstretched arm of Rapids right back Keegan Rosenberry for a penalty. Ruidiaz stepped up to the spot and coolly converted a Panenka penalty, chipping the ball right down the middle over Colorado goalkeeper Zack Steffen, a former U.S. men’s national team player.

Steffen picked up a yellow card for dissent following the goal, while Ruidiaz celebrated his first goal of the MLS season in front of the Seattle faithful.

The Sounders continued to put pressure on the Rapids from wide areas throughout the first half. Fullbacks Nouhou and Alex Roldan both had success getting forward, with the latter in particular forcing Steffen into action with right-footed crosses.

Both teams had good chances before halftime. Ruidiaz just missed out on a first-half brace in the 28th minute when his right-footed shot from just outside the box grazed the top of the net on its way over Steffen’s crossbar. Four minutes later, defender Xavier Arreaga’s header off a Roldan corner was inches off target.

Colorado almost capitalized on a mistake by Sounders defender Jackson Ragen, who was caught in possession on the edge of his penalty box in the 31st minute, but Thomas made the save to keep the Sounders ahead. The Rapids threatened again in transition during the 34th minute, but Ragen made up for his earlier error with a crucial pass breakup as the last defender, and Colorado’s Omir Fernandez dragged his follow-up shot wide left.

The game seemed to be settling in for a cagey finish in the second half, but everything changed in the 58th minute. Atencio committed a foul as the Rapids attacked in transition, but referee Trevor Wiseman called for advantage.

Several minutes later, when play finally stopped, the referee went back and gave Atencio, who’d been booked in the 48th minute, another yellow card and sent him off the field.

Atencio’s red card was quickly followed up by a clumsy foul by Ragen in the box, though Thomas’ penalty save helped preserve the lead briefly.

Cabral’s late goal, however, meant the Sounders were forced to settle for a draw.