2010 Feb 18 2010 Feb 18
Preseason, La Manga Cup:
Rosenborg BK 3 - 0 Sounders FC
La Manga Club, Spain
Goals:
2' ROS: Morten Moldskred
18' ROS: Per Ciljan Skjelbred
66' ROS: Rade Prica
Rosenborg: Daniel Örlund; Mikael Dorsin, Vadim Demidov, Kris Stadsgaard, Mikael Lustig; Morten Moldskred, Anthony Annan (Simen Wangberg 60'), Gjermund Hill, Steffen Iversen, Per Ciljan Skjelbred (Kjell Rune Sellin 75'); Rade Prica (Bakenga 80').
Seattle: Kasey Keller (Chris Eylander 46'); Tyson Wahl (Zach Scott 60'), Tyrone Marshall (Patrick Ianni 46'), Jhon Kennedy Hurtado (Jamel Wallace 60'), James Riley (Leo Gonzalez 60'); Lamar Neagle (Rayner Michael 46'), Peter Vagenas (Nathan Sturgis 46'), Osvaldo Alonso (Stephen King 60'), Sanna Nyassi (David Estrada 46'); Freddie Ljungberg (Roger Levesque 46'), Fredy Montero (Tye Perdido 46').
Match report from Sounders FC:
It wasn't the start the Sounders FC were hoping for when they entered the La Manga Cup, but after allowing a quick goal to Rosenborg BK Thursday in their first game of the Spanish leg of their preseason, Seattle held their own against the defending Norwegian champions. Though they ended the match with a 3-0 loss, the Sounders took some positives steps in building to MLS First Kick March 25 at Qwest Field against the Philadelphia Union.
Morten Moldskred opened scoring in the second minute and the Sounders were unable to recover. Per Ciljian Skjelbred added a second before the first half ended and Rade Prica made it 3-0 in the second half.
"Obviously they're a good team and for us it's good to play games against opponents of that quality. It gives us chance to take a measure of where we're at," Sigi Schmid said. "They're a quality that is going to be in the Champions League next year and I thought they played well. The early goal certainly helped them. Outside of that I thought we had some moments in the game, but we gave away some bad goals."
Moldskred got Rosenborg out on the right foot and they continued to control possession for much of the first half. Even through that, Seattle was able to generate some good offensive possession throughout the game.
In the seventh minute, Lamar Neagle made a run from the left side into the middle of the field near the top of the 18-yard box, but his shot was corralled by Rosenborg keeper Daniel Örlund. In the 16th minute, the Sounders held control of the ball in the offensive third for an extended period of time, but were unable to get the ball into a dangerous scoring position.
After turning away that last attempt, Rosenborg turned the other way and Skjelbred uncorked a shot from just left of center at the top of the box that just eluded the reach of Kasey Keller diving to his left and found the back of the net for a 2-0 Rosenborg lead.
Late in the half, the Sounders went back on the offensive, spurred by a dramatic parry-save by Kasey Keller on a shot from Prica in the 25th minute. Turning away the would-be goal set a spark for the Sounders, who through Freddie Ljungberg and the speed of Sanna Nyassi were able to build some offensive flow. It was the final touch into the box that they were missing though and the 2-0 Rosenborg lead held until halftime.
At the start of the second half, Schmid and the Sounders changed their lineup, bringing in seven new players to start the second half. The result was a more aggressive offensive attack, but it didn't render any more goals for the Sounders than the first half.
In the first five minutes of the second half, midfield trialist Rayner Michael made his presence felt with a cross from the left side that threatened Orslund and a shot from 25 yards out. Though neither bore any fruit, the maneuvers showed an aggressiveness that was lacking in the first half. Add to that the pressure up top from Roger Levesque and Tye Perdido and Nathan Sturgis leading the charge from the midfield and it's no wonder that the only things that seemed to be able to keep the Sounders from scoring were the swirling winds and the driving rain, slowing every run and leaving every ball passed through the air to float back like a balloon.
Then a tough rebound led to a 3-0 lead for Rosenborg. Chris Eylander had trouble fielding a cross from the left side and it spilled to Prica at the far post and he poked it in for a goal in the 66th minute.
The second-half subs continued to pour on the pressure as the rain poured from the sky, but they couldn't break the Rosenborg defense.
"I thought even with the weather we dealt with it well. I thought we had moments in the game where he got chances. We were around the goal for sure," Schmid said. "I didn’t think we embarrassed ourselves, but certainly the measure of the game they were the better team."
The Sounders FC will next face Norwegian club Stabæk on Sunday at 3 pm local time (6 am in Seattle).
Misconduct:
24' ROS: Moldskred cautioned
51' SEA: Ianni cautioned
Running blog from Sounders FC (with minor editing):
Starting lineup for the Sounders FC: Kasey Keller, James Riley, Tyrone Marshall, Jhon Kennedy Hurtado, Tyson Wahl, Sanna Nyassi, Osvaldo Alonso, Peter Vagenas, Lamar Neagle, Fredy Montero, Freddie Ljungberg.
Starting lineup for Rosenbog BK (Norway): Daniel Örlund, Mikael Lustig, Vadim Demidov, Kris Stadsgaard, Mikael Dorsin, Morten Moldskred, Gerrard Aaren, Per Ciljan Skjelbred, Anthony Annan, Steffen Iversen, Rade Prica.
There is rain falling down, so right now I am blogging from inside a van at one of the corner flags. We'll see how the weather holds up.
The Sounders are in green shirts and socks with blue shorts. Rosenborg is wearing white shirts and socks with black shorts.
01 - Fredy Montero touches the ball to Freddie Ljungberg, who plays the ball back to the backline and the game is underway.
02 - Morten Moldskred gets away on the right side of the box and shoots past Kasey Keller inside the far post. Rosenborg 1, Sounders 0.
04 - Rosenborg moves up the left side, but is whistled offside just outside the 18.
05 - Rosenborg regained possession and got into an attacking spot on the field just outside the 18, but Osvaldo Alonso stepped out in front to make the stop and turn the ball the other way.
07 - Rosenborg plays a ball into the box from the right side, but Jhon Kennedy Hurtado heads it away.
07 - Lamar Neagle makes a run into the middle just outside the box, but his shot is corralled by Daniel Orslund for the save.
09 - Foul whistled on Seattle 35 yards out. Rosenborg knocks a lofting ball into the box and Kasey Keller is alone to grab it to the right of the net.
10 - Rade Prica tries to chip a ball over Kasey Keller, but falls drastically short and Keller grabs it easily out of the air.
13 - Strong cross by Mikael Lustig is snared by Kasey Keller just outside the six-yard box.
16 - Seattle gets the ball into the attacking third and has some good possession, but can't generate a shot out of it and Rosenborg takes the ball the other way, only to be called offside.
18 - A shot from the top of the box by Per Ciljan Skjelbred eludes Kasey Keller diving to his left. Rosenborg 2, Sounders 0.
19 - Mikael Lustig crosses a ball into the box, but it is headed well high for a goal kick.
20 - Freddie Ljungberg plays a ball forward to Sanna Nyassi, but Nyassi is stripped as he gets into the box and Rosenborg turns the other way.
23 - Tough call on Sanna Nyassi. He looks to have beaten his man to the ball with a slide, but is whistled for the foul at midfield.
24 - A yellow card is issued to Morten Moldskred for a tackle in the midfield.
25 - Rade Prica races up the right side, but his shot is parried over the bar for a corner kick.
27 - Freddie Ljungberg takes a corner kick from the right side, but Daniel Örlund grabs it at the far post.
29 - Great ball played forward for Rosenborg, but Kasey Keller slides out to pick it off near the top of the box.
35 - Freddie Ljungberg plays a ball into the box, but Seattle is called offside.
36 - Peter Vagenas tries to find Lamar Neagle at the far post, but his cross just barely eludes Neagle and goes away for a goal kick.
37 - Freddie Ljungberg's corner kick from the right side is grabbed out of the air by Daniel Örlund.
40 - Sanna Nyassi takes the ball box-to-box before laying off to Fredy Montero for a shot from the left side, but Montero is called offside.
43 - The Sounders go on the attack for some great possession in the offensive third, but can't find a crack in Rosenborg's defense.
46+ - Kasey Keller makes a diving save to stop Rosenborg off a corner kick and blasts the ball forward for Fredy Montero, but Montero is called offside. After the whistle, the referee signals the end of the first half. Rosenborg BK 2, Sounders FC 0.
Second half starters for the Sounders are Chris Eylander, James Riley, Jhon Kennedy Hurtado, Patrick Ianni, Tyson Wahl, David Estrada, Nathan Sturgis, Osvaldo Alonso, Rayner Michael, Tye Perdido, Roger Levesque.
46 - Rosenborg kicks off to start the second half.
47 - Rayner Michael sends a ball into the box for Roger Levesque, but Daniel Örlund comes out to make the grab.
50 - Rayner Michael shoots from 24 yards out on the left side after working his way into space, but his shot fell well wide of the mark.
51 - Patrick Ianni is given a yellow card, though I could not make out from my vantage point what drew the call.
55 - Roger Levesque leads Tye Perdido with a ball into the box and Perdido lays it off for Nathan Sturgis coming in behind him, but Seattle can't get a shot out of it and Rosenborg turns it the other way.
57 - Roger Levesque hounds a Rosenborg defender and nearly gets a turnover in the box, but he plays it away at the last moment.
58 - Near chance for Rosenborg is poked away by Chris Eylander for a corner kick.
60 - David Estrada crosses a ball into the box from the right side and it's played away for a corner kick.
60 - The Sounders bring on Zach Scott, Leo Gonzalez, Stephen King and Jamel Wallace.
63 - Nathan Sturgis shoots from distance, but it is redirected for a corner kick.
63 - Zach Scott just misses getting his head on a corner kick and it gets cleared by the Rosenborg defender.
64 - The rains are REALLY coming down now.
66 - Tough rebound given away off of a ball played into the box from the left side. The wind did some funny things to the cross and Rosenborg was there to poke it into the net for a 3-0 lead. Rade Prica with the goal.
75 - Great clearance by the Sounders. Rosenborg took a hard shot from the top of the box and Seattle's defense kept knocking it away.
76 - Seattle plays a ball forward for Tye Perdido, but the wind deadens the looping pass and slows his momentum to the toal and Rosenborg plays it away.
82 - Great run of play for the Sounders and Tye Perdido gets a nice shot out of it from the right side but misses just outside the far post.
85 - Nathan Sturgis knocks a free kick into the box and the ball caroms to Roger Levesque for a shot, but he can't get any footing and it falls right into the arms or Rosenborg's keeper.
88 - Roger Levesque shoots a ball from the right side and it is knocked away for a corner kick.
88 - Nathan Sturgis knocks the corner kick short to David Estrada, who, after a short give-and-take on the right side blasts a cross in that goes clear for a goal kick.
90 - Roger Levesque shoots from the top of the box after playing himself into space, but it misses wide left for a goal kick.
92+ - Tyson Wahl crosses a ball from the left side, but Zach Scott can't get to it with his head and David Estrada just misses it at the far side and it goes clear for the Rosenborg throw in at the far side.
93+ - The referee blows the final whistle. Final score Roseborg BK 3, Sounders FC 0.
In the other opening match in the group, Denmark's FC Norsjælland beat Norway's Stabæk 1-0.
