2008 Jul 8 2008 Jul 8
US Open Cup Quarterfinals:
Seattle Sounders 0 - 0 Kansas City Wizards (Kicks from the mark: Seattle 6 - 5 Kansas City)
Qwest Field, Seattle, WA
Seattle: Chris Eylander; Taylor Graham, Zach Scott, Kevin Sakuda, Danny Jackson; Kenji Treschuk, Leighton O'Brien, Josh Gardner (Youssouf Kante 82'), Hugo Alcaraz-Cuellar (Jason Cascio 86'); Andre Schmid (Michael Rodríguez 61'), Sébastien Le Toux. Substitutes not used: Ben Dragavon, Noah Merl, Nik Besagno, Craig Tomlinson.
Kansas City: Eric Kronberg; Matt Marquess, Rauwshan McKenzie (Jimmy Conrad 45'), Tyson Wahl, Chance Myers; Jon Leathers (Ryan McMahen 82'), Kerry Zavagnin, Roger Espinoza, Lance Watson (Mike Harrington 63'); Mike Kraus (Nelson Pizarro 57'), Ryan Pore. Substitutes not used: Boris Pardo.
Goals:
none
Additional match reports: Sounders, Wizards, GOALSeattle.com, Seattle P-I, Seattle Times, Tacoma News Tribune, USOpenCup.com, Prost Amerika, MLSnet.com, Soccer America.
Match report from Ron Stickney:
The Seattle Sounders and the Kansas City Wizards went 120 minutes without a goal before the Sounders advanced to the US Open Cup Semifinals by winning kicks from the mark 6-5. Chris Eylander for Seattle and Eric Kronberg for Kansas City earned their shutouts by being in the right place whenever called upon, but in the end the critical difference was two saves by Eylander during the spot kicks. The match saw plenty of shots, 36 during the 120 minutes, split almost evenly, plus another 14 during kicks from the mark. It is rare to witness 50 shots in a match! Eylander had more saves, with 12 during play plus the pair during spot kicks versus 4 by Kronberg, but all of Kronberg's saves were more challenging than any of Eylanders, and the crossbar stopped another two Sounders shots.
Eylander now has shutouts in all 4 Open Cup matches this year, 420 minutes of shutout play.
The Sounders looked best out of the starting gate, with Sébastien Le Toux getting the first shot in the second minute after a give and go with Leighton O'Brien, but he missed the top far corner. The next minute Andre Schmid beat the offside trap and was sprung totally free up the middle, but his first touch was too heavy, allowing Kronberg to get out to cut off the angle and force Schmid's shot wide. In the 7th minute, Hugo Alcaraz-Cuellar chipped the ball into the penalty area for Schmid, who netted it after getting his jersey ripped in a hold, but Schmid was flagged offside on the play. Schmid would put on a new jersey in the second half, adding 20 to his number.
In the 8th minute the tide switched to the Wizard's favor. Their first shot, from a drop pass in the penalty area, was just wide of the lower far corner. Roger Espinoza tried from 35 yards, but was well wide. Mike Kraus slid feet first to poke a Ryan Pore's square cross at goal from 6 yards, but Eylander got down to block it and collect the leftovers.
The only card of the match came at 23' when Lance Watson saw the yellow for chopping Kenji Treschuk down in the circle.
Back to KC's attack, Pore at 26' worked against Taylor Graham to earn a shot from 15 yards, but Eylander had it covered. Watson from 25 yards in the middle forced an easy save. Kraus from the 18 forced another save at 29'.
In the 34th, a Seattle corner kick by Josh Gardner was met at the far post by Schmid head and shoulders above the rest, but he couldn't head his shot down.
Kansas City's last chance of the first half came when Pore got a hard shot by his marker, Zach Scott, but sent it right to Eylander's midsection.
Seattle regained the momentum at 38' when Le Toux was sprung free on the right and carried the ball into the penalty area for a shot at the far post, but Kronberg pushed it wide, and then a couple of dangerous crosses from the loose ball were dealt with by the Wizards defense.
At 41' referee Jeremy Vehar made the first of 5 or 6 decisions as to whether or not to call a PK when Le Toux was a half step ahead of Rauwshan McKenzie and was charged to the ground, but he ruled it a fair charge. On the counterattack, a KC attacker went down in the area between a pair of defenders after feet got tangled, but again play was waived on.
In the final minute of the first half O'Brien got the ball in the middle and worked a perfect wall pass to blast a 15-yard shot at the left post, and Kronberg made the save of the match, slapping it wide with one hand.
The Wizards tightened up their defense to open the second half, bringing on veteran defender Jimmy Conrad for rookie McKenzie.
At 47' Schmid seemed to be pulled down in the penalty area, but play on was allowed as O'Brien shot from the top of the arc and missed by 2 yards. At 50', Scott earned a close shot from a throw-in play, shooting low on goal from 8 yards, but Kronberg got down to block it and a defender was there to clear it.
Nelson Pizarro came on in the 57th and a minute later took a nice shot from 15 yards, and Eylander dove forward to make the save at the near post. Pizarro would finish the match with more shots than any of his teammates.
Gardner came closest for Seattle at 61', getting around the left end to power a shot from 10 yards that hit the crossbar and bounced down just on the wrong side of the goal line.
At 63', after Seattle defender Michael Rodríguez came on for forward Schmid and Kansas City defender Mike Harrington came on for midfielder Watson, both sides had 5 defenders on the pitch.
The next chance was Seattle's, as O'Brien fed Treschuk running around the left end for a shot at the lower right that was deflected wide. Then Rodríguez tried from 30 yards but missed by a couple of yards.
Kansas City took their first corner kick at 71' and it was cleared. The next minute Pore at the spot headed a cross wide. Then Pizarro fired nicely up the middle from 20, and Eylander made a fine diving save.
Back to Seattle at 78', an O'Brien quick free kick play saw Alcaraz-Cuellar roll the ball into the penalty area for Le Toux, and with Kronberg charging out Le Toux's attempted chip went off Kronberg's chest and looped towards the lower far corner, only to see defender Tyson Wahl get there in time to clear it.
For Kansas City at 81' Pizarro at the spot slid feet first to poke one at goal, and Eylander collapsed on the shot for the save. At 84' an attacker got by Kevin Sakuda for a shot from 10, and Eylander made the block save and his defense cleared the leftovers. A minute later Seattle substitute Youssouf Kante gave the ball away to Pore, whose shot from the top of the arc missed by 2 yards.
In the final minute of regulation a Kansas City free kick from just outside the penalty area was defended well, and on the counter Le Toux was almost free, but Marquess did well to send it wide for a throw-in.
Extra time saw 4 shots from each side. Seattle substitute Jason Cascio was first, working a give and go for a shot from the arc aimed at the left post, and Kronberg deflected it wide for a corner. A Seattle free kick from just outside the penalty area gave hope, but O'Brien sent it 2 yards over the top near corner.
At 98' Harrington shot from the top of the arc for the Wizards, but he didn't get much on it. Pizarro was open at the top of the arc for a shot, and missed the top corner by a yard.
At 111' Seattle hit the woodwork a second time when Le Toux's quick volley from the 18, after a pass from Treschuk, hit the bar and went over. A minute later Le Toux chipped a hospital ball to the spot for Cascio, but Kronberg got there first to block it and he upended Cascio in the process. Cascio got another chance at 115' when he broke free on the right inside the area, but his chip shot settled on the roof.
The final chance came in the last minute of extra time and was Kansas City's best of the match. A free kick from 25 yards by Kerry Zavagnin deflected off the top of the Seattle wall and looped dangerously on goal, but Eylander dove to make his best save during regular play.
Kicks from the Penalty Mark
The Sounders won the kicks from the mark 6-5, thanks to two saves by Eylander. Seattle sent mostly defenders up for the kicks, which may have been a good strategy as the forwards and mids couldn't find the goal in 120 minutes of play.
Kansas City Seattle
Pore - 1 Jackson - 1
Conrad - 0 (saved) Le Toux - 0 (hit crossbar)
McMahen - 1 Treschuk - 1
Espinoza - 1 Sakuda - 1
Zavagnin - 1 O'Brien - 1
Harrington - 1 Kante - 1
Wahl - 0 (saved) Scott - 1
Statistics:
Seattle Kansas City
Shots: 17 19
Saves: 12 4
Corners: 9 6
Fouls: 12 17
Offsides: 7 5
Misconduct:
23' KC: Watson cautioned for chopping down Treschuk in the circle
Referees: Jeremy Vehar; Mike Rottersman, Jeff Hosking; Scott Groce
Attendance: 4,674
