Ruidíaz scored on penalties, but missed: Seattle Sounders was eliminated

The 2021 season officially ended for Raúl Ruidíaz and Seattle Sounders. The Peruvian team lost (6-5) on penalties to Real Salt Lake, after drawing without goals until overtime, in the key for the first round of the Western Conference of Major League Soccer (MLS).

Ruidíaz was a substitute and entered in the second half, replacing Fredy Montero. The ‘Pulga’ was the protagonist of a play in which he was able to sign the 1-0, after a shot from outside the area, in which the ball crashed into the crossbar. In the shots from the twelve steps, the forward scored the first goal of his team.

Justen Glad scored the decisive goal for Real Salt Lake to advance the round, seconds after Seattle Sounders’ Kelyn Rowe missed her shot.

Raúl Ruidíaz returned to activity wearing a Seattle Sounders jersey after overcoming an injury to the back of his left thigh. Because of this, the ‘Flea’ could not play the last game of the MLS regular phase against the Vancouver Whitecaps.

For the game against Real Salt Lake, although coach Brian Schmetzer revealed in the preview that Ruidíaz was already one hundred percent, he decided not to make him start. The same happened with the Uruguayan Nicolás Lodeiro, who recovered from a knee injury.

In the year, Ruidíaz participated in 27 meetings with the Sounders and managed to score 17 goals. The former striker of Monarcas Morelia, University of Sports, among others, was left behind two of the top gunners: Valentín Castellanos (New York City) and Ola Kamara (DC United).