TUKWILA, Wash. – The Swope Park Rangers got second-half goals from Kris Tyrpak and Mark Anthony Gonzalez to take a 2-0 victory against Seattle Sounders FC 2 at Starfire Stadium on Sunday evening. In an even first half, the Rangers had more chances, and S2 goalkeeper Charlie Lyon made a good save to deny Gonzalez in the 26th minute to keep things scoreless. Lyon was called upon again just before the hour-mark as Dane Kelly played a good 1-2 with Gonzalez and rifled a shot toward the right corner, only for Lyon to turn the shot aside. The Rangers took the lead in the 65th minute, though, as Tyrpak turned his defender well 35 yards from goal and fired home a shot from 20 yards into the right corner. The Rangers put the game away with two minutes to go, as Jonathan Grant blocked a clearance and played in Gonzalez, whose low shot found the left corner.

Scoring:
65’ – SPR – Kris Tyrpak (Ualefi)
88’ – SPR – Mark Anthony Gonzalez (Jonathan Grant)

Three Things That Matter:

• 1. The Rangers had taken a bit of a downturn in form in their past two games, but on Sunday they looked back to the dynamic side that took such an impressive win against Rio Grande Valley a few weeks ago. Swope Park could have taken the lead earlier in the contest, but when the breakthrough came it was a thing of beauty as Kris Tyrpak left his marker for dead on the turn, and then fired a great shot into the corner of the net for his third goal of the season.

• 2. Seattle was looking for a third consecutive victory on Sunday night, but appeared to lose its cutting edge in attack at just the wrong moments against SPR. The side forced just one save from Jon Kempin in the first half as it tried to be creative in its efforts on goal, and squandered other chances in the second half as it looked to get back into the game. At the midway point of the season, a return to the playoffs still isn’t out of question, but the side has to be sharper in the final third as it was a season ago.

• 3. The win jumped the Rangers back into the conversation for a place in the playoffs, with a cluster of six teams within two points of eighth place following their win. With a big game back on home turf against Saint Louis coming up next Saturday, the win in Seattle should provide a solid confidence boost after Saint Louis took a 3-0 victory in the first meeting between the teams in early May.

USLSoccer.com Man of the Match

Kris Tyrpak, Swope Park Rangers – The standout forward produced the moment that ended up deciding the game, with a brilliant turn, run and finish that gave the Rangers the lead and put them on the way to victory.

Upcoming Games:

Seattle Sounders FC 2 at Sacramento Republic FC – July 2, 11 p.m. ET, Bonney Field

Swope Park Rangers vs. Saint Louis FC – July 2, 8:30 p.m. ET, Children’s Mercy Victory Field