Jordan Morris Breaks Sounders Regular-Season Goals Record in 3-1 Win Over Minnesota United

Jordan Morris has been rewriting the Seattle Sounders record book for a while now. On Saturday, he added another page, and the club's head coach signed one of his own on the way out.

Morris opened the scoring in the 16th minute with his 73rd regular-season goal for Seattle, passing Raúl Ruidíaz for the most in Sounders history, per MLS, and the Sounders beat Minnesota United FC 3-1 at Lumen Field. Hassani Dotson and substitute Paul Arriola also scored, Albert Rusnák set up two goals, and Brian Schmetzer collected his 150th MLS regular-season win as a head coach.

Morris Makes History Early

Minnesota actually started brighter. Wil Trapp fired high off a corner in the first minute, and in the 11th, Trapp slipped Kelvin Yeboah through for a shot that just missed the top left corner.

Seattle made the visitors pay for not taking it. In the 16th minute, Rusnák threaded a through ball to Morris on the right side of the box, and Morris finished into the bottom left corner. MLS described it as an acrobatic finish, and it was his first goal since late April. Per the league, Morris had already broken Ruidíaz's all-time club scoring record in March of last season. Now he owns the regular-season mark, too.

The hosts kept coming. Drake Callender saved from Rusnák in the 18th minute and from Danny Musovski at close range in the 32nd, and in the 35th he blocked a Morris header from point-blank range. Seattle won a corner, and Dotson pounced from close range, sweeping a left-footed finish into the bottom right corner to make it 2-0.

Minnesota responded with a flurry before the break. In the 40th minute alone, Marcus Caldeira and Anthony Markanich had efforts blocked and Yeboah missed off a corner, and Caldeira and Markanich both had chances again in the 43rd. None of them troubled the Seattle goal, and the Sounders took a 2-0 lead to halftime.

Markanich Opens the Door, Arriola Shuts It

Minnesota sent on Bongokuhle Hlongwane for Kyle Duncan at halftime, and the change paid off. After Tomás Chancalay and Markanich both went close early in the half and Callender stopped Alex Roldan from inside the six-yard box in the 54th, the Loons broke quickly in the 57th minute. Hlongwane crossed, and Markanich volleyed a left-footed shot into the bottom left corner to make it 2-1.

Schmetzer answered almost immediately, sending on Arriola and Sebastian Gomez in the 59th minute. Owen Gene had already been booked for Minnesota, and Dotson picked up a yellow card for Seattle in the 71st. Callender kept his side in it with a save on Cristian Roldan in the 70th, and Morris headed wide off a corner in the 75th.

Then, in the 83rd minute, Seattle broke the other way and ended the debate. Seattle broke quickly, Rusnák found Arriola on the right side of the box, and Arriola hammered a right-footed finish into the top right corner. Minnesota's late substitutes produced two blocked shots in the 89th minute, and that was as close as it got.

Morris, Rusnák and the Coach

Morris finished with three shots, two on target and the record-breaker. According to the club, it was also his 250th start for Seattle in all competitions, the fifth-most in club history. He came off in the 90th minute in front of a crowd of 32,331, per the club.

Rusnák was the creative engine with two assists, giving him a team-leading 12 this season, all in regular-season play, per the Sounders. He now has five goal contributions in his last three matches. Dotson's goal was his second of the season, and Arriola's was his second in MLS and fourth in all competitions. It was also Danny Musovski's 100th appearance in all competitions for Seattle, per the club, and Yeimar Gómez came off the bench in the 84th minute for his first appearance since March 7.

Then there is Schmetzer. The club said he became only the ninth coach in MLS history with 150 regular-season wins, and MLS added that only Bruce Arena and Bob Bradley reached that number faster. Schmetzer did it in 334 games.

For Minnesota, Callender made five saves to keep the scoreline respectable, and Markanich led all players with five shots.

The 83rd-Minute Counter

The turning point came with Minnesota pushing for an equalizer. At 2-1, the Loons had momentum and were committing bodies forward. One quick break later, Rusnák's pass and Arriola's finish restored the two-goal cushion and drained the life out of the comeback. That is what an impact substitution looks like.

The Numbers

• Shots: Minnesota 14, Seattle 13. On target: Seattle 8.
• Possession: Seattle 55.1 percent, Minnesota 44.9 percent.
• Saves: Drake Callender 5.
• Clearances: Seattle 33, Minnesota 9.
• Tackles: Minnesota 20, Seattle 9.

What It Means

Seattle improved to 9-8-9 with 35 points, which the club said left it eighth in the Western Conference at the time of writing. The Sounders have won two straight after a 2-0 home win over Real Salt Lake on Wednesday, and they are unbeaten in seven league matches, with two wins and five draws. MLS noted they are chasing a fourth straight playoff berth. The club added that Seattle has now won 13 of 19 regular-season meetings with Minnesota, including nine of 10 at Lumen Field. Seattle stays home to host Sporting Kansas City on Oct. 1.

Minnesota fell to 7-8-12 with 29 points and has lost five straight, a run that began with a 5-4 loss at Portland on Sept. 5. The sides had drawn 0-0 in Minnesota in March. The Loons return after the international break to host Houston Dynamo FC on Oct. 10.

Gotta Catch 'Em All

At this point, club records are Morris's Pokémon, and he is clearly trying to catch them all. The all-time mark was already his. Now the regular-season record is too. On a night his coach joined an exclusive club of his own, Seattle's Mercer Island native made sure the headline belonged to him.

Stats from ESPN's match data. Match notes as reported by Seattle Sounders FC (soundersfc.com) and MLSsoccer.com.