2006 Sep 1

Seattle Sounders  1 - 2  Charleston Battery
Qwest Field, Seattle, WA

Seattle: Chris Eylander; Danny Jackson, Noah Merl, Jake Besagno; Kevin Sakuda, CJ Klaas, Roger Levesque, Ben Somoza (Jamal Sutton 68'), Jake Sagare (Santa Maria Rivera 29'); Maykel Galindo, Cam Weaver. Substitutes not used: Jimmy Ward, Zach Scott, Seyi Abolaji, Nate Boyden, Craig Tomlinson.

Charleston: Dusty Hudock; Tim Karalexis, Chris Corcoran, Brandon Curren, Anthony Catalano; Omar Daley (Troy Lesesne 62'), Ugo Okoye, Armando Romero (Luke Vercollone 80'); Ian Fuller (Teba McKnight 62'), Ben Hollingsworth (Jordie Hughes 82'), Stephen Armstrong. Substitutes not used: Keith Wiggans, Kevin Nylen, Lazo Alavanja.

Goals:
54' CHA: Hollingsworth (Romero)
76' SEA: Galindo (Sutton)
89' CHA: McKnight (Karalexis)

Additional match reports: Sounders, Seattle Times, Seattle P-I, SounderCentral.com, Battery.

Match report by Ron Stickney:

The host Seattle Sounders outshot the Charleston Battery 25-5, but lost 2-1 when Seattle's defense broke down twice to allow goals. Charleston scored first with a second-half goal by Ben Hollingsworth. Seattle canceled that with a goal by Maykel Galindo. In the 89th minute Charleston claimed the match with Teba McKnight's goal.

With Leighton O'Brien and Andrew Gregor both suspended 2 matches for their 8th yellow cards, midfield starts went to Jake Sagare and Ben Somoza.

First Half

The first shot came in the 2nd minute, a 20-yarder by CJ Klaas from a Galindo feed, bent nicely but a yard over the bar.

Charleston's first shot came soon thereafter when Hollingsworth rolled a 20-yarder on goal for an easy first save by Chris Eylander.

In the 5th Klaas took the first corner kick of the match and Danny Jackson headed it sharply on goal on the bounce, but ex-Sounder Dusty Hudock had it covered for his first save.

Sounders rookie and leading scorer Cam Weaver picked up a yellow card in the 12th minute for what looked like a routine foul. It was Weaver's 5th yellow of the season, meaning he will be suspended for the next match in Vancouver. The card would be Seattle's only card of the match, and Charleston would also get just one yellow.

At 16' Somoza made his second cross of the match a nice one, on Roger Levesque's head for a 15-yard header powered a yard wide of the far post. In the 22nd Sagare turned nicely into the penalty area to earn a low shot from 15 yards that missed the near corner by inches. In the 24th Weaver used his strength to win a ball served forward and he fed Galindo for a steep-angled shot from the left, saved at the near post when Hudock collapsed to block.

Charleston's second shot of the half came at 25' on their first corner kick when Armando Romero headed a shot a couple of yards wide of the top far corner.

Sagare left the pitch in the 26th with an arm problem, and it was later reported that the preliminary diagnosis is a fractured left forearm. Santa Maria Rivera came on to replace Sagare.

In the 28th Galindo took a pass from Somoza and skillfully made room for a shot, but Hudock was at the near post for a collapse save.

Klaas took all 12 Seattle corner kicks, and at 31' Weaver headed one of them a yard over the bar.

Charleston's third and last shot of the half came at 39' when Omar Daley took a shot from a ball cleared left, but he was not close to the far post.

Weaver managed a shot in the 40th as he got in close and was falling, but he couldn't get it on target. In the 45th Weaver headed clear Charleston's 2nd corner kick of the match and Galindo took off up the middle on a counterattack. Galindo fed right to an open Klaas, who crossed it back to Galindo nicely for a sharp 10-yard header, unfortunately sent right at Hudock, who made a reaction catch while falling backwards and landing a yard in front of the goal line.

Seattle had outshot Charleston 9-3 in the first half, but the scoreboard still showed goose eggs.

Halftime: Seattle 0-0 Charleston

Seattle had the first chances of the second half. In the 49th, Klaas' shot was deflected just wide by a defender, nearly an own goal. On the corner kick, Levesque's shot was cleared from the near post by Ugo Okoye.

53' Hollingsworth (Romero). On a through ball from Romero, Hollingsworth claimed it a step clear of his marker, Noah Merl. From 15 yards, Hollingsorth had only Eylander to beat, and he beat him to the top near corner. Charleston 1-0.

Klaas also took all of the Seattle free kicks near goal, and from a long one in the 57th Jake Besagno flicked a header a half yard over the bar. Seattle had a favorable free kick from 23 yards at 58', but Klaas curled it easily to Hudock. In the 64th Kevin Sakuda rolled a shot up the middle too slowly, giving Hudock another easy save.

Seattle came close in the 71st when Galindo headed Klaas' corner kick on goal from close range, resulting in a fine reaction save by Hudock. Weaver immediately chested the rebound back on goal, and Hudock made another reaction save.

In the 73rd Galindo worked hard to beat a defender and Hudock to a through ball near the right post and he tried to touch it past the charging Hudock, but the ball trickled harmlessly wide of the near post.

76' Galindo (Sutton). Substitute Jamal Sutton was fed on the right and used stutter steps to nicely get free for a cross. The cross went into the goal area and Galindo was first to it to knock it in from 4 yards. 1-1.

Just two minutes later Galindo had a chance for another when Sutton chased a ball to the bye line and just in time rolled a nice 45-degree drop pass into Galindo's path, but Galindo's blast on the full run just missed the near post.

In the 81st a 32-yard free kick up the middle was struck hard by Klaas but right at Hudock. In the 83rd a Klaas free kick was head-flicked on goal by Levesque but it bounced right to Hudock for another easy save.

For Charleston in the 87th substitute Luke Vercollone got open on the right for a 10-yard shot, but Eylander was at the near post to make the save.

89' McKnight (Karalexis). Tim Karalexis' long throw-in from the right went to substitute McKnight in the middle 10 yards from goal, and he looped his header over Eylander, who was caught off his line. The ball went in off Eylander's fingertips, a shot that should have been touched over the bar. 2-1 Charleston.

Sutton tried to get one back in the 89th when he worked free for a shot from the top left corner of the penalty area, and while it was not quite on frame it was touched wide of the near post by Hudock for a corner. Seattle failed to get a shot from the corner kick.

Seattle had two chances in added time. After a tripping foul by Charleston, a 23-yard free kick by Klaas was deflected by the wall wide for a corner kick that again failed to produce a shot. Seattle's last chance came from another corner kick that was headed looping on goal, but headed clear near the bar by a defender.

Final: Seattle 1-2 Charleston

Statistics:
          Seattle   Charleston
Shots:       25         6
Saves:        2        10
Corners:     12         3
Fouls:        8        17
Offsides:     2         6

Misconduct:
12' SEA: Weaver cautioned for something in Charleston's penalty area
58' CHA: Karalexis cautioned for a tactical foul 23 yards from Charleston's goal

Referees: Fotis Bazakos; Mark Matthews, Mike Rottersman; Will Niccolls

Attendance: 2,697