Danny Musovski scores again, but Sounders leave Colorado with draw

Another goal-scoring feast seemed to be on the table for the Sounders long before kickoff Saturday.

Colorado has been scrambling to plug their gaps in goal since backup keeper Adam Beaudry injured his ankle. The club signed Nico Hansen earlier this month then lost U.S. international Zack Steffen to a one-game suspension, which he served against the Sounders.

The Rapids signed 18-year-old Zackory Campagnolo on Saturday and put him on the bench with Hansen, 23, in goal against Seattle. It was the latter’s MLS debut.

Hansen made some errors but Seattle was outwitted in the second half by the field players, leaving Dick’s Sporting Goods Park in Commerce City, Colo. with a 1-1 draw.

“We talked about getting shots up because this goalie is inexperienced and putting pressure on him,” Sounders midfielder Cristian Roldan said. “But they played well and we at times survived during the game.”

Majority of the 16,312 in attendance booed the conclusion because a possible game-winning goal by forward Rafael Navarro was waived off in the 86^th minute. Referee Alexis Da Silva ruled the Brazilian fouled Sounders defender Yeimar in the box as he whipped a header into the net.

The Sounders (3-3-4) escaped to build a three-game unbeaten streak. Yet, forward Jordan Morris suffered another hamstring injury. The severity won’t be known until the team returns to Washington.

Sounders coach Brian Schmetzer didn’t alter his starting lineup despite designated players Albert Rusnák (adductor) and Morris (adductor) and mainstay right back Alex Roldan (quad) returning from injury.

The attack with forward Danny Musovski up top was fruitful for a third consecutive match.

Sounders midfielder Jesús Ferreira had a line-breaking pass to Kalani Kossa-Rienzi to set up a Musovski goal in the 45th minute. Kossa-Rienzi hustled to gather the ball near the endline and sent it back to Musovski, who stretched his right leg to direct the ball into goal with his pointed toe.

Musovski is tied with Morris with three goals this season. The backup had game-winners against Dallas and Nashville.

“Me and Moose have been talking about that ball for weeks now,” said Kossa-Rienzi of his first MLS assist. “I told him I’m just going to rip it across the front of the post and he’s usually there at the front post. It ended up working out well.”

Morris subbed on at the break. But left the match one minute into stoppage time after a 50-yard run to get forward Paul Rothrock an attempt in the 89^th minute that didn’t make it into goal.

After sitting on the field waiting for play to stop, Morris walked directly to the locker room. Morris also suffered a hamstring injury in March that needed a month to heal.

“He doesn’t think it’s that bad,” Schmetzer said.

Rapids midfielder Djordje Mihailovic slipped a shot under Seattle’s wall and past keeper Stefan Frei for the equalizer in the 54^th minute.

Yeimar committed the foul that set up the free kick inches outside the box. The Sounders block jumped in anticipation of an aerial attempt, but Mihailovic went low for his fifth goal this season.

Cristian Roldan said the team discussed having a player lie on the ground but didn’t because it’s not what’s trained. Usually the players don’t jump as high as they did Saturday.

“That’s on me,” Schmetzer said. “When it’s that tight to the 18-yard box, a lot of teams around the world do it [have a man on the ground behind the wall]. The way we do it is the guys just go on their tippy toes. They’re not supposed to jump because the geometry, the angle of a guy that close to goal, [the chance] they have to get up and over is very slim. That’s why I don’t put a guy on the ground. In the heat of the moment, they jumped as high as they could and credit Mihailovic for a smart soccer play.”

Schmetzer subbed on Roldan (Kossa-Rienzi) and Rusnák (Pedro de la Vega) in the 55^th minute. Sounders winger Ryan Kent, who was signed in March, made his second appearance, entering the match in the 71^st minute for Ferreira.

Rusnák had a strong chance to net the game-winner in the 81^st minute but it flew wide of target.

For most of the match, the veteran Sounders were trying to clean up their errors instead of testing a young keeper. Frei and Hansen had two saves each.

“We were just too sloppy in our possession,” Schmetzer said. “We gave them the momentum in a lot of different moments in the first half and second half. We just weren’t very sharp on the ball.”

The Sounders return to Lumen Field next week to play St. Louis City. They lost 1-0 to City on the road in March. It started a four-game winless skid.

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