COMMERCE CITY, Colo. (AP) — Albert Rusnák scored a goal in the 48th minute, Stefan Frei had three saves and the Seattle Sounders beat the Colorado Rapids 1-0 Saturday night.
Seattle (16-9-8) has 56 points, third most in the Western Conference and just two behind second-place Los Angeles FC. The Sounders have won three games in a row — all shutouts — and have five wins during their current six-game unbeaten streak.
Colorado (15-13-5) has lost three games in a row and four of its last five. The Rapids are sixth in the Western Conference with 49 points, a point behind the Houston Dynamo and a point ahead of seventh-place Minnesota United.
Jordan Morris had a shot parried by goalkeeper Zack Steffen but the rebound went directly to Rusnák, whose one-touch putback deflected off Steffen and slowly rolled into the net to give Seattle a 1-0 lead early in the second half.
That goal gives Rusnák 25 goal contributions in 2024, tied with former Sounder Clint Dempsey for the second-most in a single season (2014).
The result keeps Seattle in third place in the MLS Western Conference and locks down a top-four seed in the Western Conference, giving the Rave Green home-field advantage to open the MLS Cup Playoffs.
