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The Sounders (17-8-8, 59 points) inched past Sporting Kansas
City (58 points) and the Colorado Rapids (58 points) for first
place with Seattle having one game left, at the Vancouver
Whitecaps on Sunday. Sporting K.C. still has two games
remaining: Wednesday at Austin FC and on Decision Day at home
against Real Salt Lake. The Rapids have one game to go, Sunday
vs. visiting Los Angeles FC.
Javier "Chicharito" Hernandez scored off a corner kick in the
19th minute for the Galaxy (13-12-8, 47 points), who moved into
sixth place in the Western Conference on a tiebreaker over the
Whitecaps. The Galaxy are one point behind fifth-place Minnesota
United, whom they will face at home on Decision Day.
Xavier Arreaga had a chance to give Seattle the late victory,
but a point-blank header in the second minute of stoppage time
was saved by the Galaxy's Jonathan Bond.
Bond had two saves, while Stefan Frei had three saves in goal
for the Sounders.
The Sounders welcomed the return of star forward Jordan Morris,
who spent eight months recovering from knee surgery after an ACL
injury while on loan with Swansea City in the English
Championship. Morris came off the bench to play the final 30
minutes.
The Galaxy jumped in front early off a corner kick from
Sebastian Lletget. Teammate Nick DePuy got a slight deflection
with his head, and the ball fell to the feet of Hernandez, who
used his right foot to back-heel the ball into the net.
It was Hernandez's 15th goal of the season and the first time he
scored in back-to-back games since June.
The Sounders got even in the second half after Los Angeles'
Oniel Fisher tripped Cristian Roldan as he entered the right
side of the penalty area. Ruidiaz converted the penalty on a
chip shot past Bond for his 17th goal of the season.
Ruidiaz moved into a tie for second place on the MLS goal list
with D.C. United's Ola Kamara. They are one goal behind New York
City FC's Valentin Castellanos.
--Field Level Media
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