2004 Aug 2

Edmonton FC 1 - 2 Seattle Sounders
Coronation Field, Edmonton, AB

Goals:
14' SEA - Somoza (Callahan)
27' SEA - Welton (PK)
40' EDM - Bosch (Fraser)

Edmonton: Nic Stankov; Chris Devlin, Robin Hart, Simon Kassaye (Ibrahim Mollaibrahimagaoglu 84'); Kurt Bosch (Desmond Tachie 80'), Paul Dhaliwal, Sean Fraser, Eric Munoz, Nikola Vignjevic; Daniel Drummond (Carmelo Rago Jr 66'), Sipho Sibiya (Fred Akok 58'). Substitutes not used: Robert Stankov.

Seattle: Preston Burpo; Danny Jackson, Marco Velez, Ryan Edwards, Zach Scott; Kevin Sakuda, Sean-Michael Callahan (Scott Jenkins 57'), Ben Somoza (Kyle Smith 71'), Jonathan Bolaños; Roger Levesque, Welton (Darren Sawatzky 68'). Substitutes not used: Danny Waltman, Craig Tomlinson, Kei Kinoshita.

Additional match reports: Edmonton fan Sergio Teixeira, Edmonton fan David Beach, Sounders.

Match report by Ron Stickney:

The visiting Seattle Sounders took a 2-1 win from Edmonton FC behind goals by Ben Somoza, his first of the season, and Welton, a penalty kick. Kurt Bosch brought Edmonton back to a goal behind late in the first half, but the side never managed a good chance at an equalizer.

First Half

Edmonton started out strong. Sipho Sibiya got an open shot from the right after Danny Jackson slipped and fell, but the shot was a yard too high. Then Sean Fraser, who would be dangerous all evening, started an attack up the right side with a man advantage. Fraser crossed to Sibiya 15 yards from goal in the middle, and his shot was deflected onto the post by diving goalkeeper Preston Burpo, who then got up and jumped on the loose ball a yard from the goal line.

For Seattle in the 9th minute, Zach Scott got his head on Jonathan Bolaños' free kick but sent it well over the bar.

Nikola Vignjevic replied with a 25-yard free kick up the middle, sent 2 yards over the bar.

14' Somoza (Callahan). Sean-Michael Callahan raced around the corner on the left to bend a cross over the crowd for Somoza, who volleyed a worm burner with the inside of his right foot and it went in off the far post. 1-0 Seattle.

Four minutes later Edmonton's Fraser fired a powerful line drive from 25 yards on the right. It was all Burpo could manage to parry it straight up, falling on his back. Burpo got up and collected the leftovers inside the goal area. It was an amazing shot and save.

27' Welton (PK). A marginal penalty kick was awarded when Bolaños got to a through ball right of goal first and touched it towards the bye line, then was tripped by goalkeeper Nic Stankov. Bolaños made the most of it, performing a somersault as the ball went over the end line. He probably wouldn't have reached the ball in time to keep it in. But Stankov got the player and not the ball, and referee Alnar Bernhardsson awarded the penalty kick. Welton put the PK into the top left corner and it caught much of the crossbar, bounced down behind the goal line, back up into the bar, and back behind the line. 2-0 Seattle.

Edmonton came back with another great shot in the 36th when from a corner kick play Eric Munoz was alone at the top of the arc for a blast at the left post. Burpo dove sideways and held it for another great save.

40' Bosch (Fraser). Edmonton netted a nice goal to bring them within one. Fraser's cross from the right found Bosch ahead of the defenders 8 yards in front of goal to head it low to the far corner past Burpo. 2-1 Seattle.

The last chance was Seattle's when Bolaños' 25-yard free kick up the middle was aimed at the left post, but Stankov was there comfortably for the save.

Halftime: Edmonton 1 - 2 Seattle

Seattle were tired the second half, having played the previous day in Calgary, but the defense was good enough, preventing any strong chances by Edmonton and allowing just 3 shots.

Seattle's first chance was almost an own goal when an Edmonton defender nearly deflected a Seattle throw-in into goal. Next was Welton from a steep angle near the right flag, inches wide of the far post. In the 61st Kevin Sakuda's cross from the right flag was headed by Roger Levesque just wide of the far post. Kyle Smith's shot/cross from the right corner was saved at the bar by Stankov. Last chance was in the 89th when Darren Sawatzky crossed the ball from a corner kick play and Levesque again headed it just wide of the far post.

Final: Edmonton 1 - 2 Seattle

Statistics:
         Edmonton  Seattle
Shots:      10       10
Saves:       4        6
Corners:     5        2
Fouls:      11       19
Offsides:    0        8

Misconduct:
24' EDM - Dhaliwal cautioned for not giving 10 yards on a free kick.
81' SEA - Sakuda cautioned for tripping.

Referees: Alnar Bernhardsson; Dave Cantar, Cal David; Cam Blair.
Attendance: 625