Morris, Ragen score to help Sounders beat NYCFC 2-1 in regular-season finale
Jordan Morris and Jackson Ragen each scored a goal on Saturday night and the Seattle Sounders beat New York City FC 2-1 in the regular-season finale for both teams.
Seattle (15-9-10), which has won three in a row, will be the No. 5 seed in the Western Conference and will play either Minnesota or Los Angeles FC in the best-of-three first round of the MLS Cup playoffs. NYCFC (17-12-5) is the No. 5 seed in the Eastern Conference and plays fourth-seeded Charlotte.
Ragen shed a defender near the top of the 6-yard box and went up high for a header, off a corner kick played in by Danny Leyva, that gave the Sounders a 2-1 lead in the 87th minute.
Morris opened the scoring on a set piece in the 61st. Albert Rusnák played a free kick from near the left sideline to the near post where Morris flicked a header inside the back post.
Nicolás Fernández scored on a shot from the right side of the area that skipped off of defender Nouhou Tolo — known simply as "Nouhou" — for NYCFC in the 82nd.
Each team had 50% possession but New York City outshot the Sounders 16-8.