2004 Jun 12

Minnesota Thunder  2 - 1  Seattle Sounders
James Griffin Stadium, St. Paul, MN

Goals:
58' SEA - Jackson

77' MIN - Tarley
81' MIN - Ferruzzi (Tarley)

Minnesota: Joe Warren; Dustin Branan, Brian Roberts (Michael Wilson 46'), Freddy Juarez (Chris Vorenkamp 84'); Chris Brunt, Jeff Matteo (Marco Ferruzzi 62'), Kevin Friedland, Jay Alberts, Godfrey Tenoff; John Menyongar (Marshall Morehead 66'), Melvin Tarley (Amos Magee 88').

Seattle: Preston Burpo; Danny Jackson, Scott Jenkins, Marco Velez, Ryan Edwards (Chad Brown 29'); Billy Sleeth, Jason Farrell, Viet Nguyen (Sean-Michael Callahan 62'), Sean Henderson; Kyle Smith, Welton (Craig Tomlinson 74').


Additional match reports: Thunder, Mini Soda fan Bruce at fan site Blue Sky Soccer.

Press release from the Seattle Sounders:

Sounders struck by lightning, fall to Thunder

(St. Paul, Minn.) - The Seattle Sounders could not contain Melvin Tarley and fell, 2-1 to the Minnesota Thunder in A-League action Saturday at Griffin Stadium.

Entering the match Minnesota and goalkeeper Joe Warren had allowed just two goals against in nine previous games. They proved just as stingy against Seattle in the first half, although Sounder forward Welton almost took the zero off the board in the 36th minute. Welton and Warren both made a move on a ball bouncing toward the Thunder penalty box. Welton arrived first and from 18 yards out popped the ball up and over the sliding 6'5" Warren. Warren's slide took Welton out of the play. As the ball headed toward the Minnesota goal, Thunder defender Dustin Branan chased it down and right footed it out of danger two yards from the goal line.

Minnesota's best opportunity in the first half came in the 41st minute off a throw-in deep in Sounder territory. Kevin Friedland sent one towards the far-left post but Seattle 'keeper Preston Burpo knocked the ball away as it arced toward the back of the goal.

Seattle struck first off a corner kick in the 58th minute. Jason Farrell sent the ball across the penalty area to Scott Jenkins who dived headfirst on the ball from 15 yards. The ball ricocheted off the feet of Warren at the right post to Sounder midfielder Viet Nguyen. His left footer pinballed out to Danny Jackson who lined it from 20 yards past Warren at the left post.

It took Tarley and Minnesota four minutes to turn the tide. Tarley entered the Sounder penalty area off the left post and weaved through two Seattle defenders. Burpo came off his line, and diving into the shot, made the initial save. The ball bounced to Godfrey Tenoff but his blast rang off the crossbar.

The rebound fell right on the left foot of Tarley who knocked it into the back of the net in the 77th minute.

It was almost a carbon copy when Tarley made the same move in the 81st minute. Only this time he slipped a pass back to an onrushing Marco Ferruzzi. Ferruzzi, who entered the game in the 62nd minute, lined a right footer just inside the post for the game winner.

Seattle played the game without forward Roger Levesque. Levesque was called up by the MLS San Jose Earthquakes for one game. He is scheduled to rejoin the Sounders on Sunday in Milwaukee.

Statistics:
        Minnesota  Seattle
Shots:      13       12
Saves:       1        3
Corners:     6        3
Fouls:      10       16
Offsides:    4        2

Misconduct:
89' SEA - Velez cautioned.

Referees: Doug Jotzke; Troy Cohrs, Ken Lamb; Sam Trigui.
Attendance: 3,210