Sounders skunked 5-0, worst MLS loss ever

The New England Revolution peppered Seattle goalkeeper Stefan Frei for three goals in a 13-minute span of the first half and tallied a quartet before halftime en route to an absurd 5-0 pasting of the Seattle Sounders Sunday at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, MA. The Sounders (7-3-1) entered the match with a club-record five-game winning streak and ended it with the worst MLS defeat in franchise history.

In six seasons, the Sounders had never before allowed five goals in a shutout loss. Seattle lost 4-0 to the Los Angeles Galaxy, and also suffered a four-goal embarrassment at Colorado last Oct. 5, losing 5-1. That was the last time the club ceded five goals in a match.

The teams exchanged goal-scoring opportunities for the first 13 minutes, but New England busted through in the 14th when Patrick Mullins knocked in a shot. The avalanche came swiftly, as New England added goals in the 29th, 33rd, 36th, 41st and 46th minutes.

In compiling a 7-2-1 record (22 points) before Sunday, the Sounders won a league-high four matches when ceding the first goal, but that stat had no meaning Sunday when Seattle was completely outplayed after the 14th minute.

Diego Fagundez scored twice for the Revolution, in the 29th and 41st minutes. Teal Bunbury (36th) also tallied for the Revs, who added another score on an own goal by Seattle’s Chad Marshall in the 46th. It could have been worse: Frei recorded six saves.

The Sounders controlled the ball for 61 percent of the match to New England’s 39 percent, and had eight corner kicks to the Revs’ four. Seattle managed six shots on goal.

Seattle’s Clint Dempsey made his first start in Foxborough since 2006, when he played for the Revolution. But the focus of the match shifted when Mullins tallied in the 14th minute on a rebound for his second career goal.

Fagundez, who scored 13 goals last year, scored his first this season when he buried a lead pass from Chris Tierney from the top left side of the box in the 29th minute. Fagundez nailed his second goal in the 41st inside the far left post.

The Sounders had two shots on goal in the first 12 minutes from Lamar Neagle and Obafemi Martins, but both were thwarted by Revs goalkeeper Bobby Shuttleworth. The Sounders didn’t get another shot against Shuttleworth until the 54th minute when the issue was decided. Shuttleworth stopped that one too, a header by Marshall.

NEXT: The Sounders return to CenturyLink Field Saturday against San Jose Earthquakes and will conclude May with a Cascadia Cup match at Vancouver May 24 and a home match vs. Real Salt Lake May 31.