CINCINNATI — For 83 minutes, FC Cincinnati looked like the better side.
For the final seven, it looked like two valuable points slipped away.
Evander continued his outstanding season with another goal Saturday night, but Seattle's Kalani Kossa-Rienzi equalized late as FC Cincinnati settled for a frustrating 1-1 draw before a sellout crowd at TQL Stadium.
The Orange and Blue controlled much of the evening from the opening whistle.
After several quality chances were denied in rapid succession, the ball fell kindly to Evander near the penalty spot in the 24th minute. The MLS All-Star made no mistake, rifling a left-footed strike into the roof of the net to give Cincinnati a deserved 1-0 advantage. The goal marked his sixth consecutive home MLS match with a goal and further strengthened his case as one of the league's top MVP candidates.
Cincinnati appeared poised to add to its lead throughout the second half.
The Orange and Blue dominated possession, generated chance after chance and repeatedly forced Seattle goalkeeper Andrew Thomas into difficult saves. Despite controlling nearly every statistical category, however, FC Cincinnati couldn't find the insurance goal it desperately needed.
That opened the door for Seattle late.
In the 83rd minute, Albert Rusnák delivered a cross into the penalty area that found Kossa-Rienzi, who finished from close range to spoil what had been an otherwise commanding performance by Cincinnati. It was one of the Sounders' few quality opportunities all night, but it proved enough to steal a point.
The result snapped FC Cincinnati's four-match home winning streak in MLS play and left the club disappointed with only a point after producing one of its most complete performances of the season. The Orange and Blue finished with 17 shots, nine on target, while limiting Seattle to just three shots on goal.
Sometimes soccer can be cruel.
Saturday night was one of those nights.
FC Cincinnati played well enough to win, controlled the run of play for long stretches and created more than enough chances to secure all three points. Instead, one defensive breakdown late in the match erased what otherwise would have been an impressive victory.
What's Next: FC Cincinnati heads to Nashville next Saturday for a key Eastern Conference matchup before returning home Sept. 5 to host D.C. United.