2008 Sep 6

Seattle Sounders  3 - 0  Miami FC Blues
Starfire Sports Complex, Tukwila, WA

Seattle: Chris Eylander; Taylor Graham, Danny Jackson, Kevin Sakuda, Adam West (Jason Cascio 73'); Kenji Treschuk, Youssouf Kante (Hugo Alcaraz-Cuellar 71'), Josh Gardner, Leighton O'Brien (Sanna Nyassi 82'); Roger Levesque (Kevin Forrest 24'), Sébastien Le Toux. Substitutes not used: Ben Dragavon, Michael Rodríguez, Nik Besagno.

Miami: Josh Saunders; Eric Brunner, Chris Williams, Cristiano Dias (Juan Pablo Falavis 60'), Walter Ramirez (Eric Vasquez 60'); Jarryd Goldberg, Bruno Menezes (Connaly Edozien 79'), Ricardo Calvacante, Leo Inácio Nunes (Cauê da Mata 60'); Ansu Toure, Sean Fraser. Substitutes not used: Sam Reynolds, John Pulido.

Goals:
33' SEA: L O'Brien (PK)
49' SEA: Le Toux (Treschuk)
77' SEA: L O'Brien (Le Toux)

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

Match report from Ron Stickney:

The Seattle Sounders took care of business at home against the last place Miami FC Blues, winning 3-0. Leighton O'Brien opened and closed the scoring, with the middle goal going to Sébastien Le Toux. It was O'Brien's first match since he broke his wrist in the July 26 match.

Seattle's defense kept things tidy, allowing Chris Eylander to pick up a shutout without needing to perform any miracles. Adam West was much improved this match filling in for Zach Scott at left back. Scott was serving the second of a 2-match suspension for yellow card accumulation.

With his return, O'Brien replaced his brother Ciaran in the lineup, as Ciaran had been recalled by the Colorado Rapids.

Miami goalkeeper Josh Saunders didn't have a good day at work. He gave Seattle their first opportunity when he failed to win an air ball at the edge of the penalty area, giving Youssouf Kante a shot, but a defender was at the post to clear the ball. At 15' Roger Levesque was served on a run from the right side and he chipped over Saunders, but again a defender, Eric Brunner, was there to stop the shot.

Miami's first good chance came from a 25-yard free kick at 19' that Ansu Toure aimed nicely at the lower near corner. Eylander dove to punch it wide to one of his defenders.

Midway in the half Josh Gardner's right-footed shot from 20 yards forced Saunders' first save, an easy one.

Levesque had to leave early after being kneed in the back, dirty play from Cristiano Dias. Kevin Forrest took Levesque's place up front. Later Dias would deliberately get Le Toux in the back, then eventually get a yellow card for getting Forrest in the back.

33' SEA: L O'Brien (PK). After Le Toux was served nicely while open in the penalty area, he held the ball facing away from goal with Saunders on his back. Le Toux tried to round Saunders towards the goal line but was tripped by Saunders. Le Toux might have embellished it a bit, but if so give him a 10 for the dive. Referee Andrew Gage immediately pointed to the spot. O'Brien fired hard inside the left post. 1-0 Seattle.

Miami's best shot of the match came when Walter Ramirez' corner kick was headed hard on goal by Dias. Eylander did well to parry the shot up, then claim the ball when it came down. They had another golden chance in the final minute of the half when another corner kick was knocked down in front of goal, but from point blank range the shot went wide of the far post.

Seattle had an opportunity at the start of the second half when Forrest earned a 20-yard free kick, but O'Brien fired it two yards over the bar.

49' SEA: Le Toux (Treschuk). Kenji Treschuk worked hard to get around the corner on the left and sent a square cross into the goal area. Saunders got a piece of the ball, but knocked it right at the charging Le Toux's knees, and Le Toux one-touched it in. 2-0 Seattle.

At 58' Seattle right back Kevin Sakuda was given a chance to shoot from 20 yards and tried to hit the top far corner but sent it a yard high. Josh Gardner fought to earn a shot from the 18 and forced a diving save by Saunders.

At 68' Miami was given a free kick at the top of the arc and substitute Cauê da Mata barely missed the right post, then felt compelled to perform the classic two hands to the head gesture.

77' SEA: L O'Brien (Le Toux). On the attack, Hugo Alcaraz-Cuellar passed ahead to an open Le Toux. From the right side, Le Toux spotted O'Brien on a run up the middle and crossed to him. A defender got a slight touch on the ball but it went where it was supposed to, in front of O'Brien. The shot was low to the near post, glancing in off the post after Saunders almost got there in time. 3-0 Seattle.

Miami substitute Connaly Edozien tried a bicycle shot at 85' but sent it a couple of yards over the bar. That was about their only chance in the final minutes as the Seattle defense closed this one out nicely.

Statistics:
          Seattle     Miami
Shots:       14        13
Saves:        4         2
Corners:      3         7
Fouls:       13        11
Offsides:     1         4

Misconduct:
19' SEA: Jackson cautioned
48' MIA: Dias cautioned
62' MIA: Brunner cautioned
90' SEA: Nyassi cautioned

Referees: Andrew Gage; Scott Groce, Levi Rippy; Soo-Hui Um

Attendance: 3,676