Winners and losers: Sounders 4, FC Cincinnati 1

How was it? Put that in your narrative pipe and smoke it. The Sounders took flight in 2019, which is rare. The night could easily be overshadowed by any story. Honor Sigi. Honor the Sounders 2009. The return of Jordan Morris. But the Sounders have put together a remarkable performance to get the season off to a good start.

Victor Rodriguez

Earlier this week, Garth Lagerwey told the media that Rodriguez would be the team's third designated player, at least in the near future. Whether or not a simple accounting mechanism is neither here nor there after the performance that Rodriguez presented Saturday night, arguably the best player on the field. He created a high team of 5 chances. He scored 2 assists. He roasted Alvas Powell (more on this later) all night. And best of all, he showed the Sounders fans what he really was capable of when he was healthy. If it's the Victor we'll have for 2019, beware.

Kelvin Leerdam ankle surgery

Leerdam has spent most of 2018 with a mysterious ankle injury. That's perhaps one of the reasons he seemed at least to have had a disappointing year against his criteria. But now that it's healthy, it seems to be back to its best. He achieved a great performance, which he was stressed with a goal.

Raul Ruidiaz & Nico Lodeiro

We are short of positive adjectives to describe these two aspects. They are good. They are really very good. Lodeiro had two assists in the evening, putting him 38 since his arrival in 2016. This is the best score of the MLS over this period by far.

Ruidiaz has now scored 14 goals in 17 games for Seattle. It's crazy. Oh, and that:

Slow narrations

It's only a match. Brian Schmetzer was clear about this in his comments after the game. But you could say that giving Cincinnati a hiding place meant for the team on Saturday night. They are really tired of slow starts, and this performance proves they want to compete for first place in the Western Conference and even the Supporters' Shield.

Alvas Powell

It's rumored that Powell is still somewhere in CenturyLink Field. The former Portland Timber will probably do its best to forget with a fit Rodriguez who will run against him all night long. I think no one has ever been so relieved as he when he saw his figure rise in the 86th minute to be replaced. His evening may have been better illustrated by this game in the 54th minute, when the Sounders tackle him … what you'll never know, because he never shows himself in the camera.

The legend of the banger by Leonardo Bertone

Choose that, huh? FC Cincinnati won 1-0 in the 13th minute with a world-class goal. In another scenario, it makes Cincy win a surprise victory in his first game in MLS. It is more of a footnote, as FAC would continue to give 4 more goals and would be completely destroyed by the Sounders. A great goal to be sure, but ultimately not particularly meaningful.

Now, it's your turn, who are your winners and losers?