2008 Jul 18 2008 Jul 18
Seattle Sounders 1 - 3 Rochester Rhinos
Starfire Sports Complex, Tukwila, WA
Seattle: Chris Eylander; Danny Jackson (Nik Besagno 90'), Noah Merl (Hugo Alcaraz-Cuellar 45'), Kevin Sakuda (Andre Schmid 82'), Zach Scott; Michael Rodríguez, Kenji Treschuk, Youssouf Kante (Craig Tomlinson 80'), Josh Gardner (Jason Cascio 69'); Leighton O'Brien, Sébastien Le Toux. Substitutes not used: Ben Dragavon, John Fishbaugher.
Rochester: Scott Vallow; Tenywa Bonseu, Danny Earls, John Ball, Scott Palguta; Alfonso Loera, Ze Roberto (Steve Guppy 35'), Luke Kreamalmeyer, Andrew Gregor, Johnny Menyongar (Chad Severs 90'); Mauricio Salles (Matthew Delicâte 73'). Substitutes not used: Tim Melia, Nate Craft, Tiger Fitzpatrick, Rey Angel Martinez.
Goals:
15' ROC: Kreamalmeyer (Menyongar)
17' SEA: O'Brien (Le Toux)
27' ROC: Gregor (Menyongar)
75' ROC: Delicâte (Earls)
Additional match reports: Seattle Times, Seattle P-I, Sounders, Rhinos, GOALSeattle.com.
Match report from Ron Stickney:
The Seattle Sounders returned home for a match with the Rochester Rhinos, but returned to poor form, losing 3-1. Rochester's Luke Kreamalmeyer scored the first goal, as he did in Rochester's recent 1-0 win over the Sounders in Rochester. Leighton O'Brien quickly tied it up for the Sounders. The match winner came from ex-Sounder Andrew Gregor, and Matthew Delicâte added an insurance goal.
Seattle coach Brian Schmetzer started a fairly defensive lineup, but the tactic failed to get the desired result -- three goals is the most given up by the Sounders this season.
The Rhinos forced the first save 5 minutes in when an attack from a goal kick ended with Johnny Menyongar open from 15 yards, forcing a dive by Chris Eylander.
The Sounders came back with a good chance by O'Brien from a wall pass, but his shot was 2 yards high. O'Brien was listed as a forward for this match, alongside Sébastien Le Toux.
15' ROC: Kreamalmeyer (Menyongar). On a Rochester attack, Menyongar sent a diagonal pass to the right for Kreamalmeyer, who went one on one with Noah Merl in the box. Kreamalmeyer managed to get a good shot past Merl that found the lower far corner, past a diving Eylander. 1-0 Rochester.
17' SEA: O'Brien (Le Toux). Seattle came right back from the first goal. Le Toux was sprung on the left and took the ball into the left side of the penalty area. Double-teamed, he turned back and sent a perfect low cross to the center of the 18-yard line in front of O'Brien, who was making a nice run at goal with speed. O'Brien first-timed a powerful shot just inside the right post, giving goalkeeper Scott Vallow no chance. 1-1.
A long free kick by Gregor in the next minute was aimed at the top far corner, but Eylander got up to pull it down.
The next few minutes saw O'Brien give good chances to Le Toux, who was well marked and had his shot saved, then Kenji Treschuk, whose header from a corner kick missed the far post by a half yard.
27' ROC: Gregor (Menyongar). After one too many turnovers by the Sounders in their own end, Menyongar punished them by sending a diagonal pass forward to the left side after drawing Eylander out. Two Rhinos were attacking unmarked, and it was Gregor who shot past the beaten Eylander for what would be the match winner. 2-1 Rochester.
Rochester's Ze Roberto left injured in just the 35th minute, replaced by Steve Guppy.
Treschuk had Seattle's best chance to level the score in the first half when he was open at the penalty spot for a header from Kevin Sakuda's cross, but it was aimed dead center where Vallow was waiting.
Last chance of the half was for Rochester defender Tenywa Bonseu, who headed Kreamalmeyer's corner kick just wide of the far post.
Seattle pulled defender Merl at intermission, opting for attacking midfielder Hugo Alcaraz-Cuellar. Zach Scott dropped to left back from the central defender position, and Michael Rodríguez dropped from the midfield to central defender.
The second half opened with 20 minutes without a good shot either way, then Seattle's Youssouf Kante finally threatened the goal after muscling into the penalty area for a shot aimed at the near post that was covered by Vallow.
Rochester came right back with a good chance up the middle for Scott Palguta from a cleared corner kick, but he sent it dead center to the waiting Eylander.
For Seattle at 69' Sakuda turned the corner on the right to send a square cross along the 6-yard line to Kante who was running at goal, but Kante had to reach back for the ball and could not manage a shot.
The Sounders started bringing in all three forwards from their bench in the final 20 minutes, with Jason Cascio first in. They would manage a lot of shots, but no goals.
75' ROC: Delicâte (Earls). Delicâte scored the insurance goal shortly after replacing Mauricio Salles at forward. A turnover by the Sounders near the circle let Danny Earls send the ball forward for Delicâte, who was one on one with Rodríguez. Delicâte got his shot by the retreating Rodríguez and inside the near post, off the hand of the diving Eylander. 3-1 Rochester.
The final 10 minutes plus added time saw three shots by Andre Schmid that missed the target and one by Cascio that was deflected just wide for a corner.
The 3-match season series went to Rochester, who claimed two wins and a draw in spite of the fact that two of the matches were in Seattle.
Statistics:
Seattle Rochester
Shots: 18 10
Saves: 3 5
Corners: 6 4
Fouls: 10 9
Offsides: 3 1
Misconduct:
63' ROC: Salles cautioned
89' SEA: Tomlinson cautioned
Referees: Tyler Ploeger; Mark Matthews, Jeremy Hanson; Vince Blair
Attendance: 2,965
