2000 Jun 23
Rochester Raging Rhinos 3 - 0 Seattle Sounders
Frontier Field, Rochester, NY
76 ROC - Lowe (Allnutt)
81 ROC - Allnutt
(Nash)
90 ROC - Allnutt
(Lowe)
Rochester: Scott Vallow; Scott Schweitzer, Craig Demmin, Carlos Zavala (Tim Hardy 84), Mike Kirmse (Mali Walton 87); John Ball, Martin Nash (Nate Daligcon 81), Tommy Tanner (Yari Allnutt 67), Jimmy Glenn (Onandi Lowe 46); Eduardo Sebrango, Lenin Steenkamp.
Seattle: Bill May; Ali John Utush, Kieran Barton, Scott Jenkins, Craig Waibel; Dick McCormick, Greg Howes (Kei Kinoshita 53), Sean Henderson (Craig Tomlinson 66), Andrew Gregor; Viet Nguyen (Rashid Utush 58), Darren Sawatzky.
Rochester's substitutes scored three late goals to give the host Rhinos a 3-0 victory over the Seattle Sounders. Seattle goalkeeper Bill May had been man of the match through 75 minutes but Rochester finally beat him in the final 15 minutes. Onandi Lowe scored the match winner in the 76th. Yari Allnutt played only the final 23 minutes but notched an assist on the match winner followed by two insurance goals.
When all was over, Seattle had forced only three saves by Rochester goalkeeper Scott Vallow.
First Half
Seattle had chances in the first 15 minutes. Rochester defender Craig Demmin scared the home fans when he tried to beat two, then three Sounders and coughed up the ball just outside his penalty area. Andrew Gregor ended up taking the ball into the penalty area but missed his target with his pass. Darren Sawatzky was free in the penalty area on the right and dropped for Greg Howes, who centered the ball for Sean Henderson, who tried to redirect the ball on goal but sent it wide. Defender Scott Jenkins crossed from the left touch line for Sawatzky out from the near post. Sawatzky slid in feet first and got a toe on the ball, but couldn't get enough of it and the ball rolled harmlessly a yard wide of the far post.
Seattle goalkeeper May claimed a couple of dangerous, early crosses, then at 19' Martin Nash started a string of Rochester chances when he took Rochester's first good shot, a 30-yarder, wide left. Mike Kirmse drove a cross to Eduardo Sebrango's forehead but the pressured header went over the bar. Rochester goalkeeper Scott Vallow had to chest down a hard backpass for a "save." Jimmy Glenn took a pass on a counterattack and beat a pair of defenders for a hard shot from the arc, forcing the first of a series of acrobatic saves by May. The rebound was put out for a corner by Howes to deny a put back.
At 30' AJ Utush literally slid under the turf to block a shot by Nash. Rochester play on a baseball field and Utush's feet went under the turf that is laid over the baseball infield, forcing a short delay for pitch repairs. Demmin got a chance up the middle when he beat Sawatzky to a 50-50 ball and fired a rocket at the lower left corner, but May dove to push the attempt wide for a corner. Nash crossed from the left touch line just out of the reach of a forward-diving John Ball. Tommy Tanner juked Jenkins to earn a shot from the 18-yard line aimed at the far post, and May made the diving save. Defender Scott Schweitzer came up for a 25-yard shot from the left, struck hard but comfortably caught by May.
A few minutes before halftime Seattle had a chance when Viet Nguyen juked his marker to cross squarely from the left touch line. Beyond the far post, Sean Henderson headed the cross back in front of goal where Vallow pushed the ball away from Andrew Gregor's head, then dove to collect the loose ball. Sawatzky appeared to be sprung for a shot from the right side, but Demmin recovered to block the attempt.
Rochester had the final chances of the half. Nash missed the top near corner from the right. Sebrango's left-footer from 25 up the middle forced another leaping save by May, who pushed the ball wide for another Rochester corner.
Halftime: Rochester 0 - 0 Seattle
Plenty of substitutes came on in the second half, starting with Rhino Onandi Lowe for Glenn at the kickoff and Sounder Kei Kinoshita for Howes eight minutes in.
Rochester's defense gave Seattle a chance from an errant backpass and Gregor fed Sawatzky on the right for a low, far-post shot that was deflected wide by a diving Vallow.
For Rochester, Nash tried a near-poster from the left but May smothered it. Sebrango chested down a throw-in in front of goal, then shot over the bar from 8 yards. Lowe chested down a cross and tried a 20-yard, right-footed shot that was sent way over.
At 75' Seattle had their best chance yet when defender Craig Waibel sent a long pass up the touch line for Gregor, who got past Demmin and was 1v1 against Vallow. Gregor's low shot rolled just wide of the far post. Then Rochester cracked the scoreboard.
76' Lowe (Allnutt). Recent substitute Yari Allnutt flicked a ball forward for Lowe, who beat AJ Utush and chipped in over the onrushing May. Rochester 1-0.
Allnutt got a chance from 18 yards but missed the top corner.
81' Allnutt (Nash). Dick McCormick ran over Lowe from behind, 40 yards from goal, to give Rochester a free kick. But first, Kirmse was cautioned for some dead-ball nastiness away from the ball and off camera against Gregor. Nash sent the free kick right in front of goal, where Allnutt beat the defense to the ball and volleyed inside the far post. Rochester 2-0.
Ex-Sounder Nate Daligcon entered for Rochester in the 81st minute.
Seattle substitute Craig Tomlinson was sprung for a chance from 15 yards, but his marker recovered to pressure the shot and Tomlinson sent it wide of the near post.
90' Allnutt (Lowe). In added time, Lowe held a forward pass, then pushed the ball straight ahead for Allnutt, who ran by two tired defenders and hit the top left corner with his shot.
Final: Rochester 3 - 0 Seattle
Post Game Quotes -- Sounders Head Coach Neil Megson:
Even though we lost the game, I thought that our team played well tonight.
Rochester is one of the top two teams in the A-League. We were not helped
by the referee who didn't call the push on Lowe against AJ (Utush) that
set up their first goal. We need to stay positive and not get down. We
have to try and turn things around and get this third game in Montreal
on Sunday.
Statistics:
| Rochester | Seattle | |
| Shots: | 19 | 11 |
| Saves: | 3 | 6 |
| Corners: | 10 | 3 |
| Fouls: | 12 | 11 |
| Offsides: | 0 | 4 |
Referee: Lorenzo Sanz
Attendance: 12,744
