Jackson Ragen and Paul Rothrock each score a goal as Sounders beat Sporting KC 2-0

SEATTLE — Jackson Ragen and Paul Rothrock each scored a goal Sunday to help the Seattle Sounders beat Sporting Kansas City 2-0.

The Sounders have won back-to-back games and three of four since returning from the Leagues Cup break. Seattle, which is 9-1-2 in its last 12 games, moved past the Houston Dynamo and Vancouver into fifth in the Western Conference standings and is just two points behind second-place Los Angeles FC.

Ragen opened the scoring in the 19th minute with a rising one-touch shot from point-blank range. Jordan Morris, near the penalty spot, played a header off a corner kick by Albert Rusnák that was parried by goalkeeper Tim Melia but Ragen was there for the putback to give Seattle (13-9-7) a 1-0 lead.

Rothrock made it 2-0 when he capped a series of passes with a sliding first-touch goal from 6-yards out. Rusnák, at the edge of the area, tapped a pass backward to Cristian Roldan, who played an arcing ball back to Rusnák for a centering header to Jordan Morris for a one-touch pass to Rothrock for the finish.

Kansas City (7-15-7) had its three-game unbeaten streak snapped.

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