2004 Jul 17

Seattle Sounders 3 - 4 Portland Timbers
Qwest Field, Seattle, WA

Goals:
31' SEA - Velez (Somoza)
35' POR - Morrison (Bengard)
62' SEA - Velez (Sawatzky)
73' POR - Gordon (Alcaraz-Cuellar)
81' SEA - Bolaños (PK)
82' POR - Alvarez
110' POR - Alcaraz-Cuellar (Alvarez)

Seattle: Preston Burpo; Marco Velez (Kei Kinoshita 76'), Ryan Edwards, Zach Scott, Kevin Sakuda; Scott Jenkins (Viet Nguyen 46'), Chad Brown (Darren Sawatzky 56'), Ben Somoza, Jonathan Bolaños; Roger Levesque (Shawn Percell 103'), Kyle Smith (Craig Tomlinson 73'). Substitutes not used: Danny Waltman, Sean-Michael Callahan.

Portland: Josh Saunders; Gavin Wilkinson (Scott Thompson 81'), Shawn Saunders, Lee Morrison, Brian Winters; Hugo Alcaraz-Cuellar, Alex Bengard, Andrew Gregor, Jake Sagare; Alan Gordon, Byron Alvarez. Substitutes not used: Elfvin Bayard, David Henning, Scott Benedetti, Memo Arzate, Edwin Miranda, Dan Antoniuk.

Additional match reports: Seattle Times, Sounders.

Match report by Ron Stickney:

The host Seattle Sounders snatched defeat from the jaws of victory, losing 4-3 in added time after extra time to the Portland Timbers. Thrice Seattle took the lead on goals by Marco Velez, Velez again, and a penalty kick by Jonathan Bolaños. Thrice the Timbers came back on goals by Lee Morrison, Alan Gordon, and Byron Alvarez. Then in added time the golden goal was scored by Hugo Alcaraz-Cuellar.

Seattle played the last 35 minutes short a man after Zach Scott was sent off for his second yellow card.

The match was played on grass, laid down for the Chelsea-Celtic friendly next weekend.

Out injured were Sounders regulars Jason Farrell, Welton, Billy Sleeth, and Sean Henderson, and sweeper Danny Jackson served a suspension for yellow cards. Portland had played and lost the previous night in Vancouver.

First Half

The first shot of the match was Portland's when Scott fouled Alvarez in the arc. Andrew Gregor took the free kick and just barely cleared the bar and Burpo's fingertips.

Then Seattle had all the good chances for the next 22 minutes. Roger Levesque netted the ball twice, but was just barely offside both times. Kyle Smith served a short ball to Bolaños for a 15-yard shot, but it was yards over the bar. Smith was sprung on the left and crossed for Ben Somoza on the far post run, but he couldn't reach enough of the ball and headed it over the top near corner. A long free kick was headed by Ryan Edwards in front of goal for Levesque, who tried low for the far post, but Josh Saunders was there for the first save of the match.

For Portland, Jake Sagare tried from 25 yards but the shot rose over the far corner.

31' Velez (Somoza). The first goal came on a Seattle corner kick taken from the left side by Somoza. The in-swinger found Velez' head 6 yards out from the far post and he headed it low between J Saunders and the same post. 1-0 Seattle.

Then it was Portland with the rest of the chances in the half. Alex Bengard got inside the penalty area for a good chance, but Burpo dove to grab the shot aimed at the near post.

35' Morrison (Bengard). A long free kick from the left touch line by Bengard was allowed to drop untouched to Morrison's foot on the far post run, and he slotted it between Burpo and the same post. 1-1.

Portland had one more chance in the half when Alcaraz-Cuellar's cross from the right to the goal area gave Gordon a leaping header, but he couldn't get it under the bar.

Halftime: Seattle 1 - 1 Portland

Seattle took the momentum after the break. Bolaños' 35-yard free kick was watched wide of the post by J Saunders.

For Portland, a 30-yard free kick from the left by Bengard just missed the base of the far post.

For Seattle, Edwards tried from 25 but fired it right at J Saunders. Somoza's long throw-in was head-flicked on goal by Edwards, but Saunders dove for the save.

62' Velez (Sawatzky). A free kick 40 yards from goal was sent square to the middle by Darren Sawatzky for Velez, who launched a 40-yard missile that caught J Saunders by surprise as it caught the top right corner. 2-1 Seattle.

In the 68th Seattle should have had another when J Saunders' goal kick went straight to Smith in the middle. Smith dribbled at goal all alone and tried to touch it past Saunders, but Saunders dove and came up with the ball.

73' Gordon (Alcaraz-Cuellar). Portland had kept the ball in Seattle's end for a couple of minutes. Alcaraz-Cuellar was open on the right and eluded Viet Nguyen to send in a cross from the end line. Gordon near the spot headed it down past Burpo and inside the far post. 2-2.

Two minutes later Scott was sent off for his second caution after sliding under an opponent. Seattle would play the rest of the way a man short.

The next chance was Portland's as Alvarez was sprung for a shot from 20, but Burpo was out for the block save.

81' Bolaños (PK). A misplayed ball by a Portland defender went into the penalty area. J Saunders came out left of his goal for it, but the speedy Craig Tomlinson got to it just before Saunders, then Saunders upended Tomlinson. A penalty kick was awarded, and Bolaños put it inside the right post. 3-2 Seattle.

82' Alvarez. Seattle's last lead was short-lived. Portland got a gift when Edwards headed the ball at his own goal, expecting Burpo to be there. But Burpo had come way out and Edwards' header went well over Burpo. Alvarez got to it first to finish into the empty net from 3 yards. 3-3.

The last minutes of regulation saw two headers on goal by Alvarez, but Burpo had them covered. For Seattle, Morrison fouled Levesque in the arc for a prime free kick, but Bolaños wasted it a yard and a half over the bar.

90 minutes: Seattle 3 - 3 Portland

Extra time saw a good number of chances. Portland was first in the 94th when Sagare got inside the area for a hard shot, but Burpo had it covered.

Then the short-handed Sounders took the initiative. Nguyen's cross from the left flashed through the goal area, but nobody was on the far post run. Nguyen shot on goal from 23, but J Saunders had it covered. In the 101st, Tomlinson was sprung, but couldn't quite get the shot past J Saunders. Substitute Kei Kinoshita forced an easy save from 35. Substitute Shawn Percell had a great chance to end it when he was served a cross in the middle 15 yards from goal, but his shot was too soft and an easy diving save for Saunders. That would be it for Seattle's chances.

For Portland, Gregor sent a 20-yarder up the middle but right to Burpo. Alcaraz-Cuellar beat Kevin Sakuda to get close on the right for a 10-yard shot, but he rolled it just wide of the far post. Alvarez was sprung in close on the right for a shot from 10 that he ought to have buried, but he blasted it just wide of the near post.

110' Alcaraz-Cuellar (Alvarez). Alvarez just kept the ball from going over the end line and crossed from the right corner in added time. Alcaraz-Cuellar was there 7 yards out to head it in for the match winner.

Final: Seattle 3 - 4 Portland

Statistics:
         Seattle  Portland
Shots:      18       19
Saves:       7        8
Corners:     3        9
Fouls:      24       19
Offsides:    2        7

Misconduct:
22' POR - Gregor cautioned for elbowing Brown on an airball near the circle.
29' POR - Alvarez cautioned for twice tripping Edwards from behind.
45' SEA - Bolaños cautioned for failing to give 10 yards on a free kick.
51' SEA - Scott cautioned for a cleats-up challenge on Winters.
75' SEA - Scott cautioned for sliding under an opponent and sent off for his second caution.
80' POR - S Saunders for dissent after a penalty kick was awarded to Seattle.
100' SEA - Levesque cautioned for a foul in Portland's end.

Referees: Brian D'Amato; Mikhail Alnajjar, David Rowe; Josh Wilkins.
Attendance: 3,457