2003
Sep 5 2003
Sep 5
Playoffs, 1st round, 1st leg:
Seattle Sounders 0 - 0 Vancouver Whitecaps
Seahawks Stadium, Seattle, WA
Goals:
none
Seattle: Rich Cullen; Zach Scott, Ryan Edwards, Scott Jenkins; Kevin Sakuda, Sean Henderson (Viet Nguyen 46'), Chad Brown, Sean-Michael Callahan (Darren Sawatzky 71'), Andrew Gregor; Marco Velez (Herculez Gomez 82'), Kyle Smith (Roger Levesque 59'). Substitutes not used: Preston Burpo, Craig Tomlinson, Ben Somoza.
Vancouver: Mike Franks; Chris Franks, Jeremie Piette, Geordie Lyall; Nick Dasovic (Paul Dailly 45'), Steve Kindel, Oliver Heald, Johnny Sulentic (Alfredo Valente 39'), Jeff Clarke (Andrew Veer 23'); Jason Jordan, Carlo Corazzin (Niall Thompson 75'). Substitutes not used: Alex Marques, Tiarnan King, Dave Morris.
Match report by Ron Stickney:
In the first match of their first-round playoff series, the Seattle Sounders and the visiting Vancouver Whitecaps played to a 0-0 draw. Neither side came close to a goal, with Seattle having a slight edge in shots at 11-8, but we're being generous in counting shots. In goal for the shutouts were Rich Cullen for Seattle and Mike Franks for Vancouver.
The draw gives Vancouver home pitch advantage for the second leg, to be played two days hence.
First Half
The first half saw few scoring chances, with each side taking just two shots and forcing one easy save each way. Seattle's only shot on goal was a 60-yard free kick that floated in to Mike Franks. An early, dangerous cross by Sean-Michael Callahan rolled through the goal area untouched.
Vancouver had some near chances, but Kevin Sakuda stuffed Nick Dasovic's shot from a broken corner kick play, Cullen pulled a through ball off Johnny Sulentic's foot, and Jenkins cleanly slide-tackled the ball wide when Alfredo Valente was sprung with another through ball. Jeremie Piette forced Cullen's only save of the half with a 30-yarder right to Cullen's feet.
Vancouver substituted three times in the first half as Jeff Clarke, Sulentic, and Dasovic all went off injured.
Halftime: Seattle 0 - 0 Vancouver
The first good shot came in the 47th minute when Seattle's Chad Brown tried to put one over the top of Mike Franks from 25 yards, but Franks deflected it slightly to the top of the crossbar. Andrew Gregor's 30-yarder to the near post was caught easily. In the 51st Callahan was served on a diagonal run into the penalty area for a shot, but he sent it weakly to Mike Franks.
Vancouver had a golden opportunity with a free kick from the 18 when Cullen carried the ball outside his area, but Oliver Heald's free kick was sent into the wall. Valente fired a rocket from 20 yards on the left, but right at Cullen.
Gregor had a good opportunity with a 25-yard free kick from his favorite side, but like Heald he wasted it into the wall. Seattle's best chance yet came in the 73rd when Brown's short drop inside the area gave Gregor a 15-yard shot, but Mike Franks had it covered and palmed the ball wide. A long Gregor free kick from his own half put substitute Herculez Gomez ahead of the defense on the left, but he shot into the outside of the net from 10 yards when he had only the keeper to beat.
Vancouver's best chance of the match came in the 89th minute when a long free kick put substitute Niall Thompson open on the right for a 15-yard shot, but again the shot went right to Cullen and Thompson was left holding his head in frustration.
Final: Seattle 0 - 0 Vancouver
Statistics:
Seattle Vancouver
Shots: 11 8
Saves: 4
5
Corners: 6 5
Fouls: 23 23
Offsides: 2 1
Misconduct:
14' SEA - Velez cautioned for an unfair charge in Vancouver's half.
15' SEA - Jenkins cautioned for an unfair charge in Vancouver's half.
34' SEA - Edwards cautioned for a trip 15 yards into Seattle's half.
35' VAN - Corrazin cautioned for unfairly charging Cullen on an air ball.
87' VAN - Heald cautioned for tripping Scott deep in Seattle's half.
90' VAN - Dailly cautioned for delay for kicking the ball away.
Referees: Cory Dean; Mohammed Zarrabi-Kashani, Doug Pinski; Sandy Hunt
Attendance: 2,178
