2004 Apr 17

Preseason match:
Seattle Sounders  3 - 2  Seattle University Redhawks
French Field, Kent, WA

Goals:
5' SS - Smith (Stark)
42' SS - Smith (Tomlinson)
61' SU - Doran (N Natale)
65' SU - Besagno (Doran)
73' SEA - Welton (Stark)

Sounders starters: Ryan Wittstruck; Jake Vaughn, Kevin Sakuda, Marco Velez, Seth Marsh; Greg Foisie, Kei Kinoshita, Shawn Percell; Craig Tomlinson, Jimmy Stark, Kyle Smith. Substitutes: Danny Waltman, Robbie Aristodemo, Fawzi Bellal, Darren Sawatzky, Welton, somebody wearing #3.

Seattle U starters: Chris Sorenson; Justin Miller, Nick McClusky, Chris Cheesman, Jeff Stock Jr, Pat Doran; Craig Johansen, Adam Jensen, Andy Stromberg; Alex Chursky, Bobby McAlister. Substitutes: Jacob Besagno, Nick Natale, Jason Bressler, Casey Mangold, Chris Natale.

Match pics: soundercentral.com

Match report (posted to the Sounders discussion site at soundercentral.com) by Heather Johnson:

From the land of the big hair and high-fivin' white guys, it was the almost-starters playing. Mostly. There were some guest appearances by guys who were regulars last season. And a handful of those playing tonight will likely make the lineup this year, too.

The Sounders started Wittstruck (GK), Vaughn (D), Sakuda (D; he's back!), Velez (D!), Marsh (D), Foisie (M), Kinoshita (M), Percell (M), Tomlinson (M), Stark (F), and Smith (F), while the Redhawks went with Sorenson (GK), Miller (D), McClusky (D), Cheesman (D), Stock (D), Doran (D), Johansen (M), Jensen (M), Stromberg (M), Alex Chursky (F), and McAlister (F).

Rather than cards (there were none), tonight's game had goals. Smith started it off pretty much right away, putting one in off of the roof of the goal at 4:56 from an assist from Stark. The Sounders dominated the first half from then on. Stark got a nice shot off (and nicely saved by Sorenson) from within the goalbox in the 19th minute, Smith had another shot in the 25th minute, and Smith scored his second of the night at 41:57, this time low and to the right, with the assist going to Tomlinson. Percell continued to do a good job, too. And have I ever mentioned that I think Velez does a fine job in defense?

SU made liberal use of subs, bringing Besagno in for Cheesman at 9:03, Nick Natale for Jensen at 24:49, Bressler for Johansen at 33:30, and Margold for Stromberg at 40:36.

The Sounders saved their lineup changes for the start of the second half, starting Wittstruck, Vaughn, Sakuda, Marsh, Kinoshita, Percell, Aristodemo, Bellal, Stark, Sawatzky, and Welton. SU began the half with Chris Natale (GK), Miller (D), McCluskey (D), Cheesman (D), Stock (D), Doran (D), Jensen (M), Bressler (M), Nick Natale (M), Besagno (F), and Alex Chursky (F).

The first part of the second half belonged to SU, who scored two goals in quick succession. The first was at 15:10 from Doran, assisted by Nick Natale, and the second was exactly 4 minutes later by Besagno, from McCluskey. Luckily, the Sounders settled down after Besagno's goal, and the game was fairly even for a bit. Sawatzky continued to play in a speedy fashion, and Aristodemo got a chance to display his skills. He's truly zippy. And can spin on the ball. Maybe 45 minutes isn't enough for a really great analysis, but I see him becoming a real fan favorite. Mark my words. As for Welton, I was really, truly, literally, just about to comment that he wasn't making much of an impression at all when he scored an awfully pretty goal (72:00). Go figure. Stark made a pass across the goal, from which Welton made a nice side-volley shot right into the net. Welton gets the spatial-awareness award of the night. He also got his first Sounder offside in the 86th minute, so he'll fit right in with the rest of the offense in no time, although, as David so astutely pointed out, he did score his first Sounder goal before he got his first Sounder offside, so make of that what you will. I thought I was paying attention, but at some point some guy who wasn't Darren Sawatzky showed up at forward wearing #3 for the Sounders. There was no announcement of a substitution, and no one in our little group noticed him come in, so I'm thinking there was some kind of transformation of matter going on. Maybe.

Match report from the Sounders:

On Saturday April 17, the Seattle Sounders faced off with the Seattle University Redhawks on a sunny evening at Kent’s French Field. The Sounders' 3-2 victory started off strong as they controlled the ball for most of the first 45 minutes of the game. In the second half the Redhawks put the pressure on Sounders goalkeeper Ryan Witstruck, forcing new Sounders to come up big.

Defender Jake Vaughn took a shot in the second minute quickly after forward Kyle Smith drove the ball hard into Redhawk territory. Just before the sixth minute, an impressive goal was made by forward Kyle Smith from twenty-two yards out when he buried it into the upper-left corner of the net, soaring by Redhawks goalkeeper Chris Sorenson.

Midfielder Greg Foisie took a shot closing in on the goal, but it was saved by goalkeeper Chris Sorenson. Another shot was made by midfielder Shawn Percell with a clean assist from Greg Foisie, but it was just shy of the post.

In the 23rd minute a free-kick taken by forward Alex Chursky was the first shot of the game for Seattle University. The free kick was a result of a foul by Sounders' Craig Tomlinson after wrestling Nick McClusky to the ground.

The Sounders made their second goal of the night in the 43rd minute, thanks to Kyle Smith with an assist from Craig Tomlinson.

The Seattle Sounders offensively controlled the ball for the majority of the first half and put pressure on the Redhawks goalkeeper Chris Sorenson. Late in the second half, Sounders midfielder Kei Kinoshita drove the ball up the middle of the field, then passed to Shawn Percell who took a shot that missed just wide, followed by a ferocious shot by forward Kyle Smith.

The Sounders defense dominated the first half, leaving the Redhawks only two shots compared to 16 made by Sounders. The Redhawks' second shot of the night didn't come until late in the first half, taken by Alex Chursky.

Sounders newcomers Welton and midfielder Robbie Aristodemo made their first appearances as Sounders in the second half. Welton's first shot was in the 52nd minute; Aristodemo took his first shot from 15 yards in the 53rd minute straight on to the goal, but it was saved by second half goalkeeping substitute Chris Natale.

Seattle University acheieved their first goal of the night by midfielder Pat Doran in the 61st minute with an assist from Nick Natale. Natale, from outside the box, sent a sharp pass to Doran in front of the goal, who redirected the ball into the back of the net, past a diving Wittstruck.

The Redhawks tied the game in the 65th minute on a throw-in from Doran to defender Jacob Besagno, who floated a header over the outstretched hands of Wittstruck.

In the 73rd minute, the Sounders put the game away on Welton's only goal of the night with an assist from Jimmy Stark to secure the Sounder victory.