2005
Aug 13 2005
Aug 13
Seattle Sounders 1 - 1 Richmond Kickers
Qwest Field, Seattle, WA
Seattle: Preston Burpo; Taylor Graham, Billy Sleeth, Ryan Edwards, Zach Scott (Brett Wiesner 84'); Kevin Sakuda, Leighton O'Brien, Brent Whitfield (Ben Somoza 69'), Jake Sagare (Gabe Sturm 76'); Andrew Gregor, Roger Levesque (Chad Brown 85'). Substitutes not used: James Ward, Scott Jenkins, Welton.
Richmond: Ronnie Pascale; Pete Luzak, Tony Williams, Paul Williams, Kevin Knight; Tim Brown, Richie Williams (Mike Burke 58'), Sasha Gorres; Matt Delicate (Robert Ssejjemba 58'), Kevin Jeffrey, Chris Carrieri (Matt Bobo 89'). Substitutes not used: Steve Ankiel, Jeff Hare, Matt O'Toole.
Goals:
6' SEA - Whitfield (Sakuda)
88 RIC - Luzak (Burke)
Additional match reports: Seattle Times, King County Journal, Sounders.
Match report by Ron Stickney:
The Seattle Sounders took an early lead over the visiting Richmond Kickers from Brent Whitfield's goal, but ended with a draw after Pete Luzak scored late.
First Half
6' Whitfield (Sakuda). The first shot of the match was a nice goal. Kevin Sakuda worked a nice wall pass off Andrew Gregor on the left side, and Gregor's no-look return pass was placed perfectly into Sakuda's forward path. Sakuda carried the ball to the end line and crossed past goalkeeper Ronnie Pascale into the goal area, where Brent Whitfield was waiting all alone to tap it in. 1-0 Seattle.
In the 12th minute, Seattle sweeper Taylor Graham missed a chance for a goal, heading Gregor's corner kick powerfully, but a yard over the bar.
Richmond's first chance was a great one at 19', as Kevin Jeffrey beat the offside trap on the right and sent in a blast at the near post, but goalkeeper Preston Burpo made a fingertip save to touch it onto the post and out for a corner kick.
In the 20th, Richmond lived dangerously when Pascale came outside his penalty area to clear a ball, but cleared it poorly. Roger Levesque had a chance before Pascale recovered, but a defender deflected the shot wide, then Whitfield's shot at the far post was pushed wide by Pascale, who had recovered.
In the 29th, Richmond's Kevin Knight tried a quick bicycle kick from 15 yards, but trickled it wide of goal for goalkeeper Preston Burpo to take. Then Jeffrey's quick shot from the top of the arc missed the top left corner by a yard.
For Seattle in the 34th, Gregor's quick shot from 30 yards dove nicely to the top far corner, but Pascale made it there for an arm block.
For Richmond in the 37th, Tim Brown headed on goal after the ball bounced through a crowd, but Burpo had it covered for a save.
Last good chance was Seattle's, as a long ball to Whitfield on the right led to a cross that was dropped by Levesque for defender Billy Sleeth, whose shot was weak and just wide of the near post.
Halftime: Seattle 1-0 Richmond
Richmond had the chances just after intermission. In the opening minute, Matthew Delicate tried to sneak by his marker after the Sounders turned the ball over deep in their end, but a defender got a piece of the ball and it went off Delicate to Burpo for a save. Then Jeffrey beat a pair of defenders to break through for a 12-yard low shot that just missed the far post, leaving Jeffrey bent over in dismay.
Knight had a chance for Richmond at 56', flashing a shot-cross a yard wide of the far post with
a runner a step too late to meet it. Seattle controlled the next 25 minutes. Sakuda touched the ball square inside the penalty area
for Jake Sagare, who cleared the bar by a yard from 15. In the 62nd, Leighton O'Brien's corner kick
was flicked in front of goal by Edwards, and Zach Scott's shot from point-blank range was
reaction-saved by Pascale. In the 65th a ball deflected off a defender in front of Richmond's goal,
and Levesque seemed to chest it down cleanly and finish inside the near post, deflecting off Pascale.
But no, referee Colin Arblaster whistled a foul and indicated that Levesque had played the ball with
his arm, then he cautioned Levesque. The questionable decision may have robbed the Sounders of a
legitimate goal. Seattle continued the pressure in the 68th as Gregor beat Pascale to a ball only to have his right-footed
shot blocked by his marker. In the same minute, O'Brien hit the right post squarely from a 20-yard shot,
and the rebound shot from Gregor was caught by Pascale for a save. Then Sagare's shot-cross was
just over Levesque's head and easily caught by Pascale. The last 10 minutes saw long shots from Richmond and nothing from Seattle. In the 83rd Jeffrey
tried from 20 yards wide right but Burpo was waiting to collect it. Sascha Gorres tried from 20
on the left, but it again went right to Burpo. 88' Luzak (Burke). After Sleeth was cautioned for a hard foul, Mike Burke took the long free
kick from the left and the Sounders defense was napping as Pete Luzak was allowed to head it in,
hitting the inside of the far post. 1-1. The final shot was another long try from Gorres in the 3 minutes of added time, and he missed wide
right. Final: Seattle 1-1 Richmond Statistics: Misconduct: Referees: Colin Arblaster; Will Niccolls, Pat Pinzon; Cory Dean Attendance: 2,446
Seattle Richmond
Shots: 16 13
Saves: 5 5
Corners: 5 3
Fouls: 15 13
Offsides: 4 4
36' SEA - Scott cautioned for a tactical foul near the halfway line
65' SEA - Levesque cautioned for handling the ball and netting it, but he may have played it cleanly off his chest
88' SEA - Sleeth cautioned