2002 Jul 12

Seattle Sounders  3 - 0  Calgary Storm
Memorial Stadium, Seattle, WA

Goals:
22' SEA - Edwards (Farrell)
48' SEA - Ching (Daligcon)
69' SEA - Farrell (Nguyen)

Seattle: Preston Burpo; Kieran Barton, Zach Scott, Ryan Edwards; Scott Jenkins (Kyle Smith 70'), Nate Daligcon  (Greg Foisie 78'), Jason Farrell, Viet Nguyen; Jason Boyce, Darren Sawatzky, Brian Ching.

Calgary: Wotjek Zarzycki; Sal Borgh, Angelo Sestito, Liam DeSilva, Jamie Auvigne; Conrad Chala (Nic Zuniga 64'), Waldo Dutra (Orlin Chalmers 73'), Matthew O'Connor, Nik Ledgerwood; Damir Jesic, Jordan Gillespie.

Match report by Ron Stickney:

3-nil one might have predicted with the Seattle Sounders (best record in the A-League) hosting the Calgary Storm (worst record in the league), and 3-nil it was behind goals by Ryan Edwards, Brian Ching and Jason Farrell. Seattle's defense allowed Calgary only five shots all match and only one came close. Preston Burpo made just one easy save en route to the shutout.

The Sounders had three on the bad boys list, Leighton O'Brien and Andrew Gregor due to yellow cards and Chad Brown due to a red. Making his first appearance on the sub list was rookie defender Danny Huet, but he didn't get any minutes. The match was televised on Fox Sports World.

First Half

The first chance came when Calgary goalkeeper Wotjek Zarzycki caught Darren Sawatzky's throw-in and carried it over the 18-yard line. Angelo Sestito earned a yellow card by delaying Seattle's free kick. Farrell took the free kick and skied it.

Calgary's first shot was Damir Jesic's header from the penalty spot off Jordan Gillespie's free kick, sent wide by a few yards.

The Sounders turned it up in the 18th when Scott Jenkins, playing as left midfielder, broke through on the left and crossed for Boyce, who was racing up the middle, and Boyce was through for a shot that was well saved by Zarzycki with a sideways dive. Boyce earned the match's first corner kick and Farrell sent it to a crashing Zach Scott, who couldn't reach enough of the ball to head it on goal.

22' Edwards (Farrell). From Jenkins' throw-in on the left, Farrell out from the far post headed the ball back into the goal area where defender Edwards finished it into the right side netting with his right foot, a finish one of the forwards would have been proud of. 1-0 Seattle, and the goal would stand up as the match winner.

In the 32nd, Boyce sped around the left side and got close for a shot from a steep angle, but Zarzycki covered the goal well and Boyce shot a yard wide of the far post.

Calgary's best shot came in the 39th when Gillespie on a counterattack charged by Kieran Barton to earn a 15-yard shot from the left with only Burpo to beat, but the shot nicked the top of the bar at the near post.

Halftime: Seattle 1 - 0 Calgary

48' Ching (Daligcon). Seattle netted an insurance goal at the start of the second half. On a Sounders counterattack up the middle, Darren Sawatzky got the ball near the arc and dished it to Nate Daligcon overlapping on the right. Daligcon first-timed it towards the far post for Ching on a well-timed run, and Ching beat Zarzycki to put the Sounders up 2-0.

The good chances would be all for Seattle for the duration. Sawatzky shot low from a corner kick, but right to Zarzycki. Boyce sent a long cross from the left touch line to Sawatzky at the spot, and Sawatzky's acrobatic try at a volley was too much of a stretch and he missed the target. Sawatzky had another chance when he stole the ball from Conrad Chala in Calgary's end and was in alone for a shot, but Zarzycki stopped the low shot and collected the leftovers.

69' Farrell (Nguyen). The Storm defense won possession in their penalty area, but Viet Nguyen stole it right back, beat a man, and centered the ball for Farrell 15 yards from the center of the goal. Farrell fired accurately just inside the left post, beating Zarzycki. 3-0 Seattle.

In the 76th, an extra ball entered the pitch from the stands and during play referee David Simon kicked it back where it came from.

Sawatzky had another chance in the 78th when he broke through in the area and volleyed from his chest trap, but he sent it over the bar. A minute later Ching had the last good shot when he was sprung on the right, but Zarzycki blocked it wide of the near post.

Final: Seattle 3 - 0 Calgary

Statistics:
        Seattle  Calgary
Shots:     15        5
Saves:      1        4
Corners:    5        2
Fouls:     21       14
Offsides:   3        4

Misconduct:
5' CAL - Sestito cautioned for delaying the free kick after Zarzycki carried the ball over the 18-yard line.
16' SEA - Jenkins cautioned for a seemingly routine foul near the touch line.
31' SEA - Edwards cautioned.
62' CAL - Dutra cautioned for a foul at the halfway line.
85' CAL - Jesic cautioned for a foul at the halfway line.

Referees: David Simon; Kevin Boisen, Doug Pinski; Jeff Hosking.
Attendance: 2,547