SEATTLE (AP) — Gyasi Zardes scored in the first half to give Columbus the lead, but Seattle’s Raul Ruidiaz scored on a second penalty-kick attempt midway through the second half as the Crew and Sounders played to a 1-1 draw.
Zardes scored in the 33rd minute to give Columbus the lead.
Ruidiaz scored late in the second half after his first penalty attempt was saved.
Video review ruled Columbus goalkeeper Eloy Room came off his line early and Ruidiaz didn’t miss the second attempt.
The match had a crowd of 33,080 at CenturyLink Field where the Sounders typically don’t have problems drawing between 35,000 and 40,000 for home MLS matches and had more than 40,000 for last week’s season opener.
But it was clear some fans stayed away from the first major sporting event in Seattle since the region saw a significant rise in the number of diagnosed cases and deaths.
According to officials, there have been 16 deaths and 102 diagnosed cases in Washington state.