Sounders Couldn't Finish It: Cristian Roldan's Brutal Mistake Costs Seattle in Kansas City

The Sounders came to Children's Mercy Park Saturday looking dominant and left with a 1-1 draw they absolutely should have won. Seattle controlled the match, held 61% possession, and outshot Sporting KC 27-11. But one catastrophic error from Cristian Roldan handed Kansas City a lifeline and snapped the Sounders' three-match win streak.

That One Play That Won't Stop Hurting

Here's what stings: Roldan, who's in the mix for the USMNT World Cup squad, badly mistimed a backpass early in the second half that looked destined for his goalkeeper. Dejan Joveljic was absolutely waiting for it. The Sporting KC forward reacted faster, drove a low first-time finish through Andrew Thomas, and there it was. A gift. A 1-1 game when Seattle should have been chasing three points.

Paul Rothrock had given Seattle the lead just two minutes in on a slick move off an early diagonal from midfield. He guided a first-time finish across Stefan Cleveland's body and inside the far post. That's how you start a game. But nothing after that mattered once Roldan's pass went sideways.

Sounders Had Chances. Lots of Them.

This is what makes the draw even more frustrating: Danny Musovski flashed a promising header over the goal in the 57th minute. Paul Arriola saw his dangerous left-sided strike accidentally blocked by teammate Albert Rusnak in the 65th. In the 70th minute, Cleveland made a double save on Kalani Kossa-Rienzi and Musovski combined. Thomas later denied Joveljic in the 82nd minute and made another tough save on Taylor Calheira's spinning effort in the 85th. Chances everywhere. No finish.

The Streak Lives (Sort Of)

Seattle's seven-match unbeaten run extends, and the league win streak hit three before this stalemate. But 1-1 at Kansas City when you're that dominant feels like a loss. Sporting KC snapped a six-match losing streak with this draw, lifting them to 1-7-2 with 5 points. The Sounders sit at 6-1-2 with 20 points but left clear points on the pitch.

This one's going to sting for a while.

This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.