Albert Rusnák scores twice on PKs after halftime to rally Sounders to 2-1 victory over Fire

SEATTLE (AP) — Albert Rusnák netted two goals on second-half penalty kicks, scoring the winner in stoppage time to rally the Seattle Sounders to a 2-1 victory over the Chicago Fire on Saturday night.

Chicago (4-10-6) grabbed a 1-0 lead in the 30th minute and took it into halftime on a goal by Maren Haile-Selassie. Gastón Giménez earned his second assist of the season on Haile-Selassie's fourth goal.

The Sounders (7-7-7) pulled even early in the second half when Rusnák, who had just one goal this season entering play, scored in the 57th minute. The PK was set up when Paul Rothrock, who subbed in for Alex Roldan to begin the second half, drew a foul on Chicago's Jonathan Dean following a video review.

Rusnák's winner came in the third minute of stoppage time on a right-footed shot to the bottom left corner of the net. Jordan Morris drew a foul on the Fire's Mauricio Pineda to earn the PK.

Stefan Frei finished with three saves through 10 minutes of stoppage in goal for the Sounders. Chris Brady saved four shots for the Fire. Both keepers had one save in the first half.

The Fire beat the Sounders 1-0 at Soldier Field in Chicago in July of 2022 in the most recent matchup.

Seattle fell behind by two goals in its previous two matches before rallying for a 2-2 draw against the Dynamo in Houston and a 3-2 victory at home over FC Dallas.

The Sounders have gone 3-0-1 since losing 1-0 on the road to Sporting Kansas City to begin the month.

The Fire have lost two straight after posting victories over the Los Angeles Galaxy and Toronto FC to open June.

Chicago returns home to host the Philadelphia Union on Wednesday. Seattle will host the New England Revolution on Saturday.

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Seattle Sounders midfielder Léo Chú volleys the ball past Chicago Fire defender Arnaud Souquet during the first half of an MLS soccer match Saturday, June 29, 2024 in Seattle. (Jennifer Buchanan/The Seattle Times via AP)

Seattle Sounders midfielder João Paulo, right, and Chicago Fire midfielder Fabian Herbers go up for the ball during the first half of an MLS soccer match Saturday, June 29, 2024 in Seattle. (Jennifer Buchanan/The Seattle Times via AP)

Chicago Fire midfielder Maren Haile-Selassie. left, puts a shot past Seattle Sounders FC goalkeeper Stefan Frei for a goal during the first half of an MLS soccer match Saturday, June 29, 2024 in Seattle. (Jennifer Buchanan/The Seattle Times via AP)

Seattle Sounders midfielder Albert Rusnák can only watch as Chicago Fire midfielder Gastón Giménez dribbles away with the ball after a steal during the first half of an MLS soccer match Saturday, June 29, 2024 in Seattle. (Jennifer Buchanan/The Seattle Times via AP)

Seattle Sounders midfielder Reed Baker-Whiting, left, and Chicago Fire defender Allan Arigoni go up for a head ball during the first half of an MLS soccer match Saturday, June 29, 2024 in Seattle. (Jennifer Buchanan/The Seattle Times via AP)

Chicago Fire goalkeeper Chris Brady clears the ball past Seattle Sounders forward Jordan Morris, left, and Fire defender Mauricio Pineda during the second half of an MLS soccer match Saturday, June 29, 2024 in Seattle. (Jennifer Buchanan/The Seattle Times via AP)

Chicago Fire forward Hugo Cuypers, front, goes up for a header with Seattle Sounders defender Jackson Ragen during the second half of an MLS soccer match Saturday, June 29, 2024 in Seattle. (Jennifer Buchanan/The Seattle Times via AP)

Seattle Sounders midfielder Cristian Roldan, left, celebrates with Albert Rusnák after Rusnák scored on a penalty kick against the Chicago Fire during the second half of an MLS soccer match Saturday, June 29, 2024 in Seattle. (Jennifer Buchanan/The Seattle Times via AP)

Seattle Sounders midfielder Albert Rusnák scores on a penalty kick against the Chicago Fire during the second half of an MLS soccer match Saturday, June 29, 2024 in Seattle. (Jennifer Buchanan/The Seattle Times via AP)

Darrell L. Christian, a former managing editor and sports editor of The Associated Press known for a demanding demeanor and insistence on excellence during more than four decades with the news agency, died Monday. He was 75.

Christian died of Parkinson’s disease at Elegant Senior Living in Encino, California, according to his wife, Lissa Morrow Christian. He had been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease around 2015, his wife said.

“Darrell was the finest story editor I ever saw, with an unerring instinct for the lead and shape of copy and zero tolerance for anything but the best,” said Mike Silverman, the AP’s managing editor from 2000 to 2007 and senior managing editor through 2009. ”I had the great good fortune to be his deputy for several years when he was managing editor and much of what I later brought to the job I owed to him.”

A no-nonsense editor known for directness and rigor, Christian modernized AP’s sports coverage during seven years in charge, emphasizing breaking news and in-depth reporting on issues as the sports business, academics and high school safety standards. That coverage earned him a promotion to managing editor under William E. Ahearn, then the executive editor.

“Sports is just an extension of hard news with a slightly different flavor,” Christian told the National Press Club in 2007.

Born on Dec. 26, 1948, Christian was a native of Henderson, Kentucky. He began his newspaper career as a sports writer and sports editor at the Henderson Gleaner in 1964, worked two summers in the AP’s bureau at Charleston, West Virginia, and received a bachelor’s degree from the University of Kentucky in 1969. After serving in the Navy from 1969-1972, Christian joined the AP in Indianapolis in 1972. He became news editor in 1975, moved to the Washington bureau in 1980 and became deputy sports editor in New York the following year.

Christian was promoted to sports editor in 1985, coordinating coverage of the 1988 and 1992 Winter and Summer Olympics and overseeing the addition of featurized approaches to game stories on all major sports events — something he brought to news stories as managing editor.

“When Jackie Robinson came along, sports began to develop a social consciousness,” Christian said at the National Press Club. “It really exploded in the 1970 and early ’80s with television coverage, which brought sports events into the living room and the proliferation of money in sports, the free agency where you suddenly created a whole generation of instant millionaires. And what happened between the lines was no longer enough. That created a public appetite for everything you could possibly want to know about these athletes.”

Called "DLC” throughout the AP, Christian was known for his sharp, concise critiques sent to reporters, left in mailboxes in blue envelopes in the pre-digital era. The “blue notes” were feared among the staff.

Christian said the top story he covered as sports editor was Ben Johnson testing positive for a banned steroid at the 1988 Olympics in Seoul, South Korea, which caused him to work for 48 consecutive hours. Among the major stories he oversaw as managing editor: the O.J. Simpson saga, whose coverage he led with aplomb.

“It was indeed the circus of the century and it was one wild ride to cover it on a day-in, day-out basis,” Christian said.

Christian replaced Martin C. Thompson as managing editor in 1992 and chaired the Pulitzer Prize investigative jury in 1995 and 1996.

“Darrell was an old-school competitive newsman who valued creative stories delivered quickly to readers,” said Kathleen Carroll, the AP's executive editor from 2002 to 2016. Those values infused every decision he made leading state, national and sports coverage: Make it interesting, write cleanly and get it out the door. His crusty exterior and droll sense of humor barely disguised his deep devotion to fast, accurate, interesting stories and the people who wrote them.”

After six years as managing editor, Christian was succeeded by Jonathan P. Wolman and became director of MegaSports, the AP’s multimedia sports service for newspaper and broadcast members and commercial online services and websites.

“Darrell combined old-school editing skill with a hunger to stay on top of the latest and innovation that would help keep AP competitive at the very beginning of the internet news age,” said Michael Giarrusso, AP’s deputy for newsgathering-global beats, who worked under Christian. “He was as comfortable editing the lead on a story as he was meeting with tech startups that wanted access to AP news or photos.”

Christian became business editor in 2000, and in 2003 was appointed to the newly created position of director of sports data, combining AP Digital’s MegaSports service with the AP’s newspaper sports agate service.

“Behind the gruff old-school newsman exterior was an editor who proved to be a mentor for the next generation of journalists," said Brian Orefice, a manager of the data division and now vice president of product at Stats Perform, the renamed digital company. “His professional credentials were unquestioned and his advice invaluable.”

Christian became editor at large in 2006, then created the AP’s Top Stories Desk in 2008 and managed it until his retirement in 2014, when he moved to California.

“Darrell never really stopped doing what he loved, which was to edit and illustrate,” AP golf writer Doug Ferguson said. “He put an emphasis on letting details do the work of adjectives. And he had this terrific ability of knowing what the story was and how to get there. He made us better.”

Christian had been living at home in Encino and still going to a gym and playing golf and softball before he entered Encino Hospital Medical Center on May 24. He was transferred to a rehabilitation facility a few weeks later and moved to the senior living facility on June 25.

Christian's first marriage ended in divorce. He met Lissa Morrow when he was supervising AP’s coverage at the 1984 Super Bowl in Tampa, Florida, where she was covering for a radio station. In addition to his wife, he is survived by a brother, Scott, and niece Erika Whitman.

FILE - Associated Press Gramling Award winners, including from left, Sally Jacobsen, Michael Boord, Colleen Newvine, Darrell Christian of the Stylebook team, Achievement Award; Julia Weeks, Scholarship Award; and AP President Tom Curley pose for a photo during the Gramling Awards dinner at New York headquarters, Oct. 26, 2011. Christian, a former managing editor and sports editor of the AP known for a demanding demeanor and insistence on excellence during more than four decades with the news agency, died Monday, July 1, 2024. He was 75. (AP Photo/Stuart Ramson, File)

FILE - Associated Press Sports Editor Darrell Christian addresses a writing seminar for the AP's Nashville staff in September 1980, in Nashville, Tenn. Christian, a former managing editor and sports editor of the AP known for a demanding demeanor and insistence on excellence during more than four decades with the news agency, died Monday, July 1, 2024. He was 75. (AP Photo/Corporate Archives, File)