Realio’s Ratings: For real for real?

Seattle returned home to play Nashville SC last weekend, and wow, did they show improvement. Suddenly energized with some key attacking pieces back, and a better understanding of tactical setup and positional play, meant an organized team weathered a good opponent, then buried them. In the first half, the Sounders’ three goal outburst in 15 minutes was exactly what they have not done lately. They got an early lead, added to it, and looked dynamic and exciting throughout those moments. The rest of the match was more game management, seeing out the win, but the return of important players in the second half meant Seattle stayed on the front foot, even if they didn’t add to the halftime lead. The final was a comfortable 3-0 win at home, and their play had Sounders fans and MLS commentators saying “finally, this is the Seattle team we expected in 2025.” 

Are we for real? Winning two in a row where the only likely outcome for a majority of those 180 minutes was six points, and then actually earning those six points, makes a statement. An offense on the rise, a defense holding strong, and depth galore are suddenly on display. 

Pump the brakes? A 15-minute goal frenzy against a team above Seattle in the standings is a good sign, but the inability to add more, especially in the second half, shows this isn’t yet a complete team with the killer instinct needed. 

Verdict: Seattle has never been a big rotational team, and finding the right combination of players will take time. There is reason to hope that they can figure it out soon. 

Goalkeeper

Stefan Frei – 7 | Community – 7.3

Stef Frei earned another shutout and this time had to work for it. Credited with eight saves, two of them were exceptional and likely prevented goals against. The first came in the 45th and the second in the 49th, and were the kind of quality saves Frei has been known to make on solid chances from opponents. 

Is he for real? After criticizing Stef’s early season form, he’s dropped two shutouts in a row. This was impressive, as his quality saves ensured that there wasn’t so much late-game anxiety. Making a number of near-post saves looked routine but were excellent moments, and Frei allowed no rebounds or nervy controls.

Pump the brakes? None of Frei’s saves required him to move off the safety of his goal line. His distribution is an adventure when the midfield isn’t online. 

Verdict: Slow start aside, this defense is one of the best, and Frei made the needed saves to earn another shutout. The team might be better with a more mobile keeper, but they’re doing pretty dang well right now. 

Defense

Nouhou – 7 | Community – 6.9

Nouhou continues to rack up great matches in a row, combining on defense for a fairly comfortable shutout while moving the ball quickly through the midfield. He had the second longest progression stats on the team, constantly moving the ball via pass and dribble up the left side. 

Is he for real? Nouhou is a monster when he combines his recognition of defensive needs with his physical range. He reads the play and denies opponents so frequently that you can see their frustration as they lash out after Nouhou steals the ball and dribbles the other way. A last minute curving pass into the vertical run of Jordan Morris was sublime. 

Pump the brakes? Maybe it was just game state, but there was limited need for Nouhou to charge up field into the offense, yet apparently old habits die hard and he pushed very high at times, exposing the back line. 

Verdict: This formation allows Nouhou to shine in the left channels, and his coverage and defensive control are fantastic. He is adding smart connective play. 

Kim Kee-hee – 7 | Community – 7.0

KKH got his first Sounders start in five-plus years and did an excellent job controlling the middle, adding his flavor of hard physicality to a cultured and controlled defense. His 93 percent passing was clean, but also conservative (except for his amazing 46th minute backheel). 

Is he for real? Seattle’s defense has yet to concede with Kim on the field and may never do so, with him dropping 90+ percent passing and nine defensive actions while not being dispossessed once. His leadership and instant control of the back line are apparent. 

Pump the brakes? Sure, KKH passes the ball cleanly, but it’s all to the width, with few attempts to push the ball forward. This brings back bad memories of Magnet of Skull play, and we’ll miss Jackson Ragen’s vertical passing sooner or later.

Verdict: It took 15 minutes for Seattle to adjust to the lack of vertical passing from the back, but they did, which allowed the defense to do its job. If the offense can continue to produce without that creative need for vertical passing, KKH is perfect for the tactical needs in the back. 

Yeimar – 8 | Community – 7.1

Eleven clearances! Yeimar was a defensive force that constantly rebuffed Nashville at every opportunity. He added five tackles and four interceptions, won five aerials, had 80 percent passing accuracy, shined Pedro’s shoes, ate B.J. Callaghan’s lunch, and sang the national anthem. Any time Nashville attempted to do anything, there was Yeimar. 

Is he for real? Not only does he dominate with defensive work at the level only a few other MLS players have ever reached, now he’s dropping dimes like his 14th and 32nd minute through balls. What can’t he do?

Pump the brakes? There are some mistakes that Seattle covered up, including a poor 4th minute pass and some aggressive plays that needed defensive midfield support. Game state made this one easy for the last hour, which played perfectly into Yeimar’s aggressive style. 

Verdict: It’s Yeimar, and he is big, strong, smart, and dominating. He and Nouhou cover huge amounts of the field, but in offset areas that complement each other well.

Midfield

Paul Rothrock – 7 | Community – 7.0 (off 84’ for Kent)

Paul stepped up his game just when Seattle did the same. In his 84 minutes, he only had a single shot, but he smacked that one into the net. He added tireless work down the left to combine with teammates, notably earning a secondary assist on the first goal. It wasn’t always pretty, and it didn’t always work, but the effort was there and in the biggest moment, he came through. 

Is he for real? There was a lot going on in the 34th minute for PR, including keeping up with a devastating direct pass from PDLV to Jesús, and opening up wide to be an option. Rothrock then had to control a tough pass that went through multiple opponents, set up and take a shot with another defender closing him down, and finish around the keeper, which he did with precision. 

Pump the brakes? There could have been more had Paul been cleaner with other opportunities, like a 39th minute chance to release the Moose that didn’t work. That’s the frustrating part of Paul’s game: he can look so automatic, scoring a great goal, yet moments later stumbling over the ball, showing an infuriating lack of consistency. 

Verdict: There it was. You were starting to doubt Paul, and then he came through. However, he may fit better as a depth piece, not an every-match starter. 

Cristian Roldan – 8 (MOTM) | Community – 7.7

Cristian was incredible against Nashville, in overt ways that directly impacted the scoreboard, and in subtle ways that made the team tactics work. After being on their back foot for the first 10 minutes, a tactical adjustment by Roldan made all the difference. Dropping deeper to support the distributive needs of the Sounders, Seattle immediately surged forward with Cristian as their fulcrum playing a true “6” position, and the ball flowed much better. He led the team with four shots, had 11 passes into the final third, progressed the ball the furthest, had 10 recoveries, and wasn’t dispossessed a single time. 

Is he for real? Nobody reads the game as well as Cristian, who after fixing the distribution in the back, immediately kick-started the offense by counter pressing Nashville into oblivion. Seattle’s first two goals came after Roldan won possession in midfield and started a quick transition. 

Pump the brakes? As we’ve seen in other matches, the consistency isn’t there yet for Roldan this year. A bad pass in the 6th minute showed how, when others are struggling, he can force-multiply the bad too, and his connection with Obed hasn’t completely gelled. 

Verdict: When he plays like this, Cristian Roldan is the best defensive mid in the league, solidifying a shutout defense and simultaneously creating offense directly and indirectly through teammates. He is the absolute total package.

Obed Vargas – 7 | Community – 7.5 (off 77’ for JP)

Obed had an excellent match, playing as a free “8” in conjunction with Cristian. His ability to float and combine with other creative players was on full display against Nashville. Although he only completed 77 percent of his passes, Obed was a huge part of Seattle’s two-way play, defending well (12 defensive actions) while possessing the technical ability to run off the creative offensive players and combine to create chances. 

Is he for real? In the 30th minute, Obed made a smart vertical run into the box and sold the cutback with a full body fake, before diving toward the end line to cut back into the waiting run of PDLV, who smashed it home with authority. That shoulder dip fake at full speed made an absolute fool of the defender, and is another one of the highlight-worthy moves Vargas shows every match. 

Pump the brakes? Having a babysitter like Roldan behind him covering his slow reactions and slow recovery speed at times is necessary, and Vargas is still good for the occasional terrible pass, like in the 57th minute. 

Verdict: Obed is an attack-minded midfielder who excels when things are going well and he can combine creatively with like-minded teammates. Playing shut down defense or uphill still has room for improvement. 

Kalani Kossa-Rienzi – 6 | Community – 6.0 (off 77’ for A. Roldan )

Kalani had an understated match, which was exactly what he needed. Not just charging forward and forgetting defense, he found a comfortable balance between the needs of the position. His 77 percent passing was okay, and he added three interceptions defensively. 

Is he for real? The vertical instincts are there, and with Yeimar and Cristian defending around him, Kalani had opportunities to go forward and show off his cultured offensive skill set. Although he missed Morris in the 70th minute, KKR understood where to be and how to join the attack in a cohesive manner. 

Pump the brakes? In the 33rd minute, Kalani was beaten on a back post cross, and had the header been better or Frei been worse, the game state could have been completely altered. This sort of defensive lapse is a potential killer moment. 

Verdict: KKR showed growth in his understanding of the game needs, and higher quality offense coming back will take some of the onus off him to be a vertical threat. He’ll likely return to a backup role, but should be a solid one. 

Attacking Midfield

Jesús Ferreira – 8 | Community – 7.5

On the day before Easter, Seattle saw what Jesús could bring. Ferreira roamed the midfield and connected with teammates like what he’s been doing on a smaller scale, but this time with better results. The two assists lit up the stat sheet, but it was his constant creative passing and movement that filled in all the gaps. Three key passes and a shot with 73 percent passing and some defensive work was performed on only 50 touches. 

Is he for real? Not many guys in the league make the long diagonal run forward and expect the ball he got from Pedro in the 34th minute. Few understand how to control that in traffic and open up the field by pivoting away from defenders but still remain goal dangerous. Fewer still have the vision to recognize smart Rothrockian movement and can quickly get the ball off their foot to give Paul time to finish. The ability to do all those things on the same play and convert a half chance into a goal was brilliant. 

Pump the brakes? The first assist was a flubbed shot and had Moose not done some dark magic to score, it would have been another big chance wasted, of which there have been more than a handful this season. 

Verdict: Jesús did a lot of the same stuff he’s been doing, but quicker and more efficiently, and the results were drastically better. The floor for him should be this level. 

Pedro de la Vega – 7 | Community – 7.8 (MOTM) (off 62’ for Rusnák)

Pedro did many great things against Nashville, but was especially clean on the ball, with a sparkling 94 percent passing completion rate. It was surprising, because de la Vega was trying difficult passes, and creating mismatches off the dribble. He had two shots, scored a goal, and earned his first assist of the season on a nifty attacking ball forward. He looked fit and aggressive. 

Is he for real? In the 30th minute, after Cristian Roldan earned possession on the right, Pedro drifted into the box, shouldered off a challenge from Paul Rothrock, and slammed home a goal with authority through the Nashville keeper. Staying invested in the play, running by defenders and finishing cleanly is exactly what Seattle needed, and he read it perfectly. 

Pump the brakes? The assist he had was passing forward into the box and then the magic of Jesús, so while technically an MLS assist, he isn’t setting up others yet as well as hoped. 

Verdict: When surrounded by capable teammates, PDLV plays champagne football, adding flair and creativity and a “try shit” attitude that is fun to watch, but more importantly, valuable. 

Forward

Danny Musovski – 7 | Community – 7.2 (off 62’ for Morris)

Moose earned another start with Morris slowly returning, and again Danny did a lot of great things. His smart movement opened up critical space for the team to work, and he constantly moved into valuable strike areas deep in the box. Three shots, a key pass, and 78 percent passing were part of a high quality outing. 

Is he for real? All this guy does is get into great positions in the box and create chances. Did we know he had rabona flick finishes in his bag? Nah. And that ability to improvise inside the six yard box meant Seattle got an early goal, momentum, and were off to the races because Moose dared to attempt it. 

Pump the brakes? This is the same guy who led the league in xG but only had one actual G. He didn’t suddenly turn into Obafemi Martins on finishing, which was evident in the 55th minute as he missed what should have been a tap-in. 

Verdict: Having a backup forward who does actual forward stuff is essential. He moves to good spaces, has a nose for the ball, and showed this week that those skills can pay off for both his team and the Moose himself. 

Substitutes

Jordan Morris – 5 | Community – 6.1 (on 62’ for Musovski)

Morris returned from injury and immediately made his presence felt. Seattle looked strong as Jordan made vertical runs and continually outran the tired Nashville defense. In only nine touches he earned two shots, both on target. 

Is he for real? Both of Morris’ shots were considered big chances and each was from his smart movement. In the 86th minute he got through, only to be denied by a big save. In the 96th after a brilliant Nouhou through ball (that felt weird to write), again Jordan’s pace and run put him 1-v-1 with the keeper, and forced another huge save. 

Pump the brakes? A 65th minute rust moment meant a Sounders breakaway was only almost great. Two minutes later he got a bit lost. At the end of the game it may have been better to try to cross to Ryan Kent, although with the defender dropping off, that wasn’t so black and white.

Verdict: Two massive chances in 20 minutes shows how awesome Morris can be. Those chances will average out, and it’s essential to recognize that Jordan barely played and still created some of the biggest chances of the afternoon. 

Albert Rusnák – 5 | Community – 6.1 (on 62’ for de la Vega)

Another backup subbed on early in the second half as he returned from injury. Albert ended with 100 percent passing in limited influence. 

Is he for real? Some of the vision he showed was excellent, with a 65th minute vertical attempt a near miss. Guy looks to have real potential to contribute. 

Pump the brakes? This guy is a DP? No goals or assists. For shame. 

Verdict: With the game long decided, Albert brought control and Seattle comfortably saw out the home win. It remains to be seen how he best fits when everyone is in full health, but Rusnák is by far the top creator on the team thus far in 2025. 

João Paulo – 5 | Community – 6.1 (on 77’ for Vargas)

JP got a workout in the last 15 minutes of the match, earned a lot of touches, and helped Seattle run the clock out while still creating chances. 

Is he for real? Ninety-five percent passing and 27 touches are fantastic output for a player brought in to help control the match. His 86th minute defense was awesome. 

Pump the brakes? An 82nd minute yellow card was part of a sloppy physical night for Seattle. 

Verdict: JP still can play at a high level, but likely not every day. This sort of role, coming in and saving teammates’ legs while still playing well, is where he can excel. 

Alex Roldan – 5 | Community – 5.7 (on 77’ for Kossa-Rienzi)

Another player returning from injury, Alex subbed in to spell Kalani and get some fitness. He had 16 touches. 

Is he for real? Alex did well to get the ball forward, consistently linking up with teammates and ending with three passes into the final third and completing his only cross attempt. 

Pump the brakes? Sixty-seven percent passing was rough. The worst came in the 82nd minute when he played a poor central pass – the kind of dangerous pass Seattle must stop making. 

Verdict: Having Alex back likely improves the defense on the right and may help some possession/attack. He sets up a nice contrast with KKR’s skills. 

Ryan Kent – 5 | Community – 6.3 (on 84’ for Rothrock)

Exciting new prospect Ryan Kent got his first cheer from the home Sounders crowd as he entered late in a won match. He immediately contributed smart movement, quality touch, and looked to fit the team setup well. 

Is he for real? Signs sure point towards yes! It wasn’t just his 86th minute turn in traffic, exhibiting clean control, it was playing defense in the 88th minute because that is what the gamestate demanded. An audacious 92nd minute no-look pass was a tantalizing glimpse of what may be in store as soon as players like Ferreira are ready for that sort of brilliance. 

Pump the brakes? A 91st minute breakout was a chance to show the vertical skill promised from Ryan’s hype video, but he lost possession. 

Verdict: It seems like only a matter of time before Kent earns the starting left wingback position that he played so well in short minutes against Nashville. 

Georgi Minoungou (and others) – Subs not used

Verdict: Players with Georgi’s skill and ability (and three assists on the season) are healthy scratches from the bench due to depth. Holy moley. 

Referee

Ricardo Fierro – 6 | Community – 5.9

Fierro reffed a quiet match, but it was not without fouls. A combined 33 fouls meant a lot of whistles and stoppages as well as physical play, but it didn’t get out of hand. VAR was called into use on a number of occasions and did its job well. 

Is he for real? Some good choices came in the first half, highlighted by a 27th minute advantage play for PDLV that was brought back appropriately. His card to Obed was correct and it was nice to see a deliberate flop from Nashville in the 76th minute ignored, although a yellow card for simulation would have been even better.

Pump the brakes? It seemed odd that Seattle earned all four cards in the match when the foul numbers were almost equal. In the 66th minute, Kim Kee-hee had every right to jump vertically to win a header attempt on a corner kick. Instead, he was called for a foul because the goalkeeper ran into him. 

Verdict: Having a game get one-sided in the first half led to more of a cruise control second half, and the referee did a pretty good job overall. 

Nashville SC MOTM

The community baffles once again! Your winner is (somehow) Joe Willis. You know, the guy who let in three in 15 minutes. Sure, it could have been worse. He did make four saves, so he’s basically half a Stef Frei. And yes, it’s tough to pick a standout in a 3-0 trouncing, but we would have loved to have spent the last few sentences discussing Jeisson Palacios or halftime spark plug Edvard Tagseth instead. Alas.

Upcoming: On the road to play the Fightin’ Josh Atencios in a battle to see who is the best non-Canadian team in the West.