2004 May 28

Goals:
45' MIL - Oliviero (Todd Dusosky)
64' SEA - Farrell (Sleeth)
90' SEA - Welton (Levesque)

Seattle: Preston Burpo; Danny Jackson, Scott Jenkins, Billy Sleeth, Marco Velez; Chad Brown, Jason Farrell, Robbie Aristodemo (Sean Henderson 63'), Viet Nguyen (Welton 54'); Kyle Smith, Roger Levesque. Substitutes not used: Danny Waltman, Darren Sawatzky, Zach Scott, Ryan Edwards, Craig Tomlinson.

Milwaukee: Jim Larkin; Steve Lawrence, Joey Hammes, Troy Dusosky (Sean Reti 74'), Chad Dombrowski; Chris Morman (Nino Marcantonio 85'), Giuliano Oliviero (Dave Wagenfuhr 61'), Matt Schmidt, Greg Howes; Johnny Torres, Todd Dusosky. Substitutes not used: Jeff Richey, Nick Walls.

Additional match reports: Seattle Times, Seattle P-I, Bremerton Sun, Sounders

Match report by Ron Stickney:

A match winner in the 90th minute is a rare treat in soccer. Welton gave the Sounders one this evening as they beat the visiting Milwaukee Wave United 2-1. Giuliano Oliviero scored in the last minute of the first half to send the visitors into the locker room with a 1-0 lead. Captain Jason Farrell leveled the score in the second half, setting the stage for Welton's dramatic match winner.

We got lucky with the weather. Squalls dropped heavy rain around the area all day long, but only a few drops fell during the match.

The referee crew featured the most appropriately named referee we've seen -- Sasha Mitelman was the middle man.

First Half

Milwaukee threatened early. A Johnny Torres free kick from 25 yards on the left was saved by Preston Burpo out from the near post, but an attacker running in alone from the far side nearly got to the ball first. A 25-yard shot in the 11th minute deflected off a Sounders defender towards the near post, and Burpo did well to get there to push it wide for a corner.

Then the Sounders began to dominate the chances. Robbie Aristodemo beat his marker at the top left corner of the penalty area and took a low shot that was blocked by goalkeeper Jim Larkin, but the rebound went to Viet Nguyen on the far side. With only Larkin to beat, Nguyen rushed his shot and skied it. Billy Sleeth's cross past the goal was half-volleyed by Aristodemo on goal, but Larkin was there for the save. A ball was served up to Roger Levesque playing the target man 30 yards from goal, and a short through pass to Kyle Smith running up the middle created a good chance, but the shot from 15 yards hit Larkin halfway out from his line.

Milwaukee had a golden chance in the 24th when a cleared ball was sent back in to Todd Dusosky, who beat the offside trap and had only Burpo to beat from 8 yards, but Burpo cut down the angle and caught the shot on a bounce.

For Seattle, Chad Brown's short drop from the 18 let Farrell blast a low shot from 25, but it went a half yard wide of the far post. A Sounders attacker with the ball was tripped a yard inside the right edge of the penalty area, but Mitelman wouldn't give the PK and spotted the free kick right on the line. Isn't the line part of the penalty area? Farrell sent the free kick low through the goal area but nobody was at the far post to finish.

45' Oliviero (Todd Dusosky). Troy Dusosky's cross from the left corner was won by his twin brother Todd Dusosky deep in the penalty area. The ball was dropped for Oliviero on a run up the middle, and from 12 yards Oliviero slotted it between Burpo and the left post. 1-0 Milwaukee.

Halftime: Seattle 0 - 1 Milwaukee

It probably wasn't a pleasant halftime talk by coach Brian Schmetzer. The Sounders responded by getting the job done in the second half.

First chance was Smith's at the far post, as he volleyed Aristodemo's corner kick a yard wide. In the 53rd referee Mitelman went down hard, bowled over from behind by Farrell, who was chasing a loose ball near the halfway line.

For Milwaukee, ex-Sounder and Tacoma native Greg Howes had a chance from 20 yards in the 54th, but he bent it a couple of yards over the bar.

64' Farrell (Sleeth). A short pass from Sleeth in the middle gave Farrell a 25-yard chance, and he powered a beautiful bender over Larkin and under the crossbar for the Sounders' best goal of the young season. 1-1.

For Seattle, substitute Sean Henderson tried from 23 yards but rolled it a half yard wide.

For Milwaukee in the 81st, Howes tried up the middle from 35 and was a half yard over the bar. A miscleared ball that failed to leave the penalty area gave Todd Dusosky a chance from 15 with only Burpo to beat, but Dusosky misfired and shot way high. A Torres free kick from just outside the top right corner of the penalty area was a good opportunity, but a Seattle defender managed to head the service over the bye line for a corner.

90' Welton (Levesque). Just past 90' Henderson got the ball from sweeper Danny Jackson and chipped it in. Smith head-flicked it on to Levesque in the arc, who headed it up the middle towards the penalty spot. Welton raced to the ball with a defender on each flank and got off a shot from 8 yards that beat Larkin and went just inside the left post. 2-1 Seattle.

Two minutes of added time gave Milwaukee one more chance, a 20-yarder by substitute Nino Marcantonio, but Burpo was well positioned for the save.

Final: Seattle 2 - 1 Milwaukee

Statistics:
         Seattle  Milwaukee
Shots:      15       12
Saves:       4        4
Corners:     3        5
Fouls:      19       15
Offsides:    5        1

Misconduct:
65' SEA - Smith cautioned for a foul a few yards outside the Milwaukee penalty area.
88' MIL - Reti cautioned for knocking Brown down from behind.

Referees: Sasha Mitelman; Kevin O'Daniel, Vince Bair; Cory Dean.
Attendance: 1,375