2008 Sep 13

Seattle Sounders  1 - 1  Atlanta Silverbacks
Starfire Sports Complex, Tukwila, WA

Seattle: Chris Eylander; Taylor Graham (Michael Rodríguez 58'), Danny Jackson, Kevin Sakuda, Zach Scott; Kenji Treschuk, Youssouf Kante, Josh Gardner (Sanna Nyassi 70'), Leighton O'Brien; Roger Levesque (Kevin Forrest 68'), Sébastien Le Toux. Substitutes not used: Ben Dragavon, Noah Merl, Jason Cascio, John Fishbaugher.

Atlanta: Felipe Quintero; Brent Sancho, Justin Moore (Zach Kirby 45'), David Hayes, Matt Bobo; Rodrigo Ríos (Chris Mahaffey 88'), Tony McManus (Scott Buete 85'), Josh Bolton; Jason McLaughlin, Sean Cameron (Aaron Paye 37'), Macoumba Kandji (Duke Hashimoto 81'). Substitutes not used: none.

Goals:
38' SEA: Le Toux (Treschuk)

55' ATL: Kandji


Additional match reports: Sounders, Silverbacks, Seattle Times, GOALSeattle.com, Prost Amerika, Seattle Soccer Show ratings.


Match report from Ron Stickney:

A point was all the Seattle Sounders needed to qualify for the playoffs, and a point is all they got from a 1-1 draw with the visiting Atlanta Silverbacks. Seattle won the first half with a goal from Sébastien Le Toux, but Atlanta took the second half with Macoumba Kandji's goal.

Unlike in their previous match, the Sounders created scoring chances early. Josh Gardner took the first shot on 4 minutes, a right footer from 20 yards, easily saved by Felipe Quintero. A nice series of passes from Le Toux to Leighton O'Brien to Roger Levesque put Levesque in dangerous territory, but a defender managed to knock the ball out for a corner. At 13' Taylor Graham at the end line nodded a Kenji Treschuk throw-in down for Levesque 6 yards from goal, but he shot wide of the near post. A minute later a square pass to Le Toux 8 yards from goal was very promising, but Le Toux couldn't control it and fell.

Atlanta's first chance came midway in the half when a forward pass found Kandji 6 yards from goal, but Chris Eylander was there to block the shot. Kandji soon had a chance to shoot from just inside the top right corner of the penalty area and he fired a half yard over the bar.

A half hour in Levesque fed Le Toux at the 18 for a quick chip shot that would have been a great goal if it had gone in, but it went a foot wide of the far post.

Next was Atlanta's turn as Jason McLaughlin got a good look from the 18 but he missed 2 yards high.

38' SEA: Le Toux (Treschuk). Showing great determination, Treschuk dribbled at goal, chipped the ball into the corner of the penalty area, and ran past two teammates to win his own pass. Continuing his run he split two defenders to get close to the left post, drawing Quintero to the post, then rolled a perfect square pass into the goal area for Le Toux charging the goal. Le Toux easily finished the play. 1-0 Seattle.

Two minutes later Atlanta's Aaron Paye earned a chance at the center of the 18-yard line and fired a rocket a half yard over the center of the bar. Paye had just come on for Sean Cameron, who left with a knee injury.

The last chance of the half was Seattle's when O'Brien worked awhile to earn a shot from the 18 that missed the lower far corner by just inches.

55' ATL: Kandji. As a lone attacker on a counterattack, Kandji beat Danny Jackson, then won a physical challenge with Graham that left Graham on the ground with the loose ball goal side of him. With nobody else nearby Kandji regained his feet and claimed the loose ball with only Eylander left to beat, and beat him with a low shot clinically placed to the far corner. 1-1.

Kandji got the next two chances as well, both from the right side and both sent 2 yards over the bar.

The last 20 minutes was a defensive battle, with Seattle's defense giving up no shots and Seattle's offense earning just three chances. On a corner kick play, Le Toux's shot from 15 yards was deflected just wide of goal. Substitute Kevin Forrest's cross to substitute Sanna Nyassi was shot at the post and saved with a dive by Quintero. The last chance came at 82' whe Forrest fed Le Toux at the near post, but Quintero got there to block the shot.

Statistics:
          Seattle    Atlanta
Shots:       10         8
Saves:        2         4
Corners:     13         2
Fouls:        6        11
Offsides:     2         3

Misconduct:
28' ATL: Moore cautioned
78' ATL: Hayes cautioned
83' ATL: Paye cautioned

Referees: Mark Kadlecik; Kevin O'Daniel, Josh Wilkens; Will Niccolls

Attendance: 3,650