Seattle Sounders cruise into MLS playoffs

Oct 25, 2015 at 11pm UK

Dempsey (5', 20'), Pappa (10')

FT(HT: 3-0)

Gil (77')

Clint Dempsey scores twice in the first 20 minutes as Seattle Sounders sealed an MLS Cup playoff spot with a comfortable win over Real Salt Lake.

Published: October 26 2015 | 01:15

Last updated: October 26 2015 | 20:14

Seattle Sounders have secured a spot in the MLS Cup playoffs with a comfortable 3-1 victory over Real Salt Lake on the final day of the regular season.

The hosts were without a win since September 19 but it took them just five minutes to break through as they took advantage of poor defending from the visitors, Obafemi Martins sliding the ball across goal for Clint Dempsey to score from close range.

The early setback seemed to rattle Salt Lake, and Sounders doubled their advantage before the 10-minute mark thanks to a fine strike from Marco Pappa as the Guatemalan curled the ball inside the far post from 20 yards.

Dempsey and Andreas Ivanschitz had free kicks blocked as Sigi Schmid's side kept coming, and they put the result beyond doubt with less than a quarter of the match gone when Dempsey netted his second after Jeff Attinella had denied Martins in a one-on-one.

The visitors finally had their first efforts three minutes before the break when Juan Manuel Martinez and Javier Morales saw shots blocked as Sounders sat back, but by that point the damage had been done.

Luis Gil pulled a goal back from close range with 13 minutes remaining, but Seattle saw out the victory with little trouble to keep themselves in the running for MLS Cup glory.

Share this article now:

Eastern Conference

	Team	P	W	D	L	F	A	GD	PTS
1	Inter Miami Inter Miami	34	22	8	4	79	49	30	74
2	Columbus Crew	34	19	9	6	72	40	32	66
3	FC Cincinnati Cincinnati	34	18	5	11	58	48	10	59
4	Orlando City	34	15	7	12	59	50	9	52
5	Charlotte FC Charlotte FC	34	14	9	11	46	37	9	51
6	New York City FC NY City	34	14	8	12	54	49	5	50
7	New York Red Bulls NY Red Bulls	34	11	14	9	55	50	5	47
8	CF Montreal Montreal	34	11	10	13	48	64	-16	43
9	Atlanta United Atlanta	34	10	10	14	46	49	-3	40
10	DC United	34	10	10	14	52	70	-18	40
11	Philadelphia Union Philadelphia	34	9	10	15	62	55	7	37
12	Toronto	34	11	4	19	40	61	-21	37
13	Nashville SC Nashville	34	9	9	16	38	54	-16	36
14	New England Revolution New England	34	9	4	21	37	74	-37	31
15	Chicago Fire	34	7	9	18	40	62	-22	30

Western Conference

	Team	P	W	D	L	F	A	GD	PTS
1	Los Angeles FC Los Angeles	34	19	7	8	63	43	20	64
2	Los Angeles Galaxy LA Galaxy	34	19	7	8	69	50	19	64
3	Real Salt Lake Salt Lake	34	16	11	7	65	48	17	59
4	Seattle Sounders Seattle	34	16	9	9	51	35	16	57
5	Houston Dynamo Houston	34	15	9	10	47	39	8	54
6	Minnesota United Minnesota Utd	34	15	7	12	58	49	9	52
7	Colorado Rapids Colorado	34	15	5	14	61	60	1	50
8	Portland Timbers Portland	34	12	11	11	65	56	9	47
9	Vancouver Whitecaps Vancouver	34	13	8	13	52	49	3	47
10	Austin FC Austin	34	11	9	14	39	48	-9	42
11	Dallas	34	11	8	15	54	56	-2	41
12	St Louis City	34	8	13	13	50	63	-13	37
13	Sporting Kansas City Kansas	34	8	7	19	51	66	-15	31
14	San Jose Earthquakes Earthquakes	34	6	3	25	41	78	-37	21