2010 Sep 22

Sounders FC bow out of CCL in Monterrey after blowing 2-0 lead

Monterrey  3 - 2  Seattle Sounders FC

Estadio Tecnologico, Monterrey, Mexico

Goals:
28' SEA: Monterrey own goal (Hiram Mier)
44' SEA: Mike Fucito (Nate Jaqua, Alvaro Fernandez)

74' MON: Aldo de Nigris (Humberto Suazo)
75' MON: Humberto Suazo (Aldo de Nigris)
77' MON: Luis Perez (PK)

Monterrey: Jonathan Orozco; Sergio Perez (Neri Cardozo 46'), Duilio Davino (Luis Perez 53'), Hiram Mier, Severo Meza; William Paredes (Humberto Suazo 63'), Miguel Morales, Walter Ayovi, Jesus Arellano (sent off 90'); Aldo De Nigris, Dario Carreņo. Substitutes not used: Juan Ibarra, Pierre Ibarra, Jose Maria Basanta, Osvaldo Martinez.

Seattle: Terry Boss; Tyson Wahl, Tyrone Marshall, Taylor Graham, Zach Scott; Miguel Montaņo (Sanna Nyassi 66'), Mike Seamon (Nathan Sturgis 84'), Alvaro Fernandez, David Estrada; Mike Fucito, Nate Jaqua (Fredy Montero 73'). Substitutes not used: Kasey Keller, Jeff Parke, Patrick Ianni, Peter Vagenas.


Match report from Ron Stickney:

The Seattle Sounders FC had a great chance to be the first MLS team to win a CONCACAF Champions League match in Mexico when they took a 2-0 lead to 73 minutes, but in just four minutes they broke down to allow three for Monterrey and lost 3-2. Mike Seamon's shots produced the first two goals, with the first one poked past the goalkeeper by defender Hiram Mier for an own goal. Substitute Humberto Suazo was instrumental in all three goals for Monterrey, with Aldo de Nigris finishing the first one, Suazo the second one, and Luis Perez the last one from a penalty kick.

With the win Monterrey qualify for the knockout rounds while Seattle are all but eliminated. Saprissa and Marathon, the other teams in the group, are both on 6 points and either can move out of Seattle's reach with a home draw against Monterrey even if the Sounders beat them both in Seattle.

Seattle looked great out of the starting gate and an early attack led to a drop pass in the penalty area for a 15-yard shot just 15 seconds in by Miguel Montaņo. The top far corner was available but he missed it. Two minutes later Montaņo beat the last defender to run down the left touch line, but his cross was within reach of goalkeeper Jonathan Orozco. After winning a ball in Monterrey's penalty area at 8', a series of passes in the area led to Montaņo's hard shot at the lower near corner, but Orozco had it covered. At 10' Zach Scott ran down Fucito's forward pass and crossed nicely from the end line giving Nate Jaqua a header out from the far post, but Jaqua couldn't quite get on top of the ball and it sailed over the bar.

The tide turned in favor of Monterrey 12 minutes in when Miguel Morales headed a corner kick on goal from the 18, forcing Terry Boss' first save. Four minutes later the hosts got in with a good chance but Tyrone Marshall got there to block the shot. A counterattack gave Dario Carreņo a shot that was deflected wide, and the corner kick play led to a shot sent a yard wide and taken by Boss.

Midway in the half Monterrey beat Seattle badly on the right and it seemed that the open cross would give de Nigris a goal, but David Estrada raced in to send the ball out for a corner.

28' SEA: Own goal (Mier). Fucito got the ball in the D and played himself open for a shot that would have gone harmlessly to Orozco, but Mier could not resist poking a foot at it and deflected the shot past Orozco, who was leaning the other way. 1-0 Seattle.

Seattle's Alvaro Fernandez had the next chance, heading a corner kick well over the bar.

Then Monterrey's Ecuadorian midfielder Walter Ayovi got dangerous. He got open for a shot up the middle and just missed from 22 yards. He fed de Nigris for a shot from the 18 and Boss had it covered at the lower near corner. Ayovi's cross over the crowd gave William Paredes a nicely taken head chip on goal and only Boss' fingertips deflected it just wide.

44' SEA: Fucito (Jaqua, Fernandez). A fast Seattle counterattack put them up two goals. From the right, Fernandez passed goalward to Jaqua, who quickly centered the ball in front of Fucito's run. Fucito was ahead of the last defender and used the outside of his right foot to beat Orozco's stabbing foot with a shot to the lower near corner. 2-0 Seattle.

Monterrey came close early in the second half when de Nigris at the near post headed a corner kick inches wide of the far post.

For Seattle, a 22-yard free kick in the middle was taken by Fernandez and wasted well over the bar.

In the same minute, Mike Seamon was unjustly cautioned when he got the ball first, and the undeserved 20-yard free kick was sent just over the bar.

For Seattle, Fucito had a good chance to extend the lead at 59' but he wasted the shot high. Then Montaņo had a chance from inside the penalty area and bent it the wrong way.

Monterrey's Chilean Humberto Suazo replaced Paredes just past the hour mark and soon took over the match. His first chance was a 23-yard shot that bent wide by a yard or two. But then his work produced three goals.

74' MON: de Nigris (Suazo). Suazo was served near the penalty spot for a shot at the lower left corner. Boss got down to make the save, but the rebound popped up and was headed in by the unmarked de Nigris. De Nigris might have been offside if Zach Scott had hustled back to the offside line, but the replay showed him strolling back from the end line, putting de Nigris on. 2-1 Seattle.

75' MON: Suazo (de Nigris). At the top of the penalty area, de Nigris backheeled a short pass in front of Suazo, who shot from just inside the 18 and beat Boss with a shot to the lower far corner. 2-2.

77' MON: L Perez (PK). Seattle's defense broke down very badly. A ball in midfield was headed back to Tyrone Marshall, and Marshall let Suazo easily beat him to the ball. Suazo entered the penalty area with Marshall chasing, and Boss came off his line to try for the ball. The replay showed that Boss probably touched the ball first, but a questionable penalty kick was awarded when Suazo tripped over Boss' outstretched arm. Luis Perez powered the penalty kick inside the right post while Boss dove the opposite way. 3-2 Monterrey.

The last ten minutes gave Seattle a few chances. Scott got his head on a corner kick but sent it over the bar. Substitute Fredy Montero had two chances, first wasting a 23-yard free kick well over the bar and then missing by a yard with another 23-yard shot.

In added time, Monterrey's Jesus Arellano received his second caution for a late challenge and was shown the red card. But Seattle's man advantage lasted only about five seconds until the final whistle.


Statistics:
          MON  SEA
Shots:     15   11
Saves:      1    5
Corners:    9    2
Fouls:     10   14
Offsides:   6    1

Misconduct:
36' SEA: Scott cautioned for a tactical foul at the halfway line
44' MON: Arellano cautioned for tripping Montaņo from behind
54' SEA: Seamon cautioned inappropriately when he got the ball just before Ayovi
70' MON: Cardozo cautioned for a late foul on Seamon
90' MON: Arellano cautioned for a late challenge and sent off for his second caution

Referees: Marlon Mejia; Douglas Bermudez, Miguel Angel Endez; Marco Rodriguez

Attendance: 19,617


Postmatch Quotes

Seattle Sounders FC

Sigi Schmid - Head Coach

On thoughts on the match: "Disappointed. Obviously we are disappointed that we were up two-nothing and when you are up two-nothing you should never give the game away, so we are disappointed...I was disappointed with how we performed in the last thirty minutes of the game."

On playing in CONCACAF Champions League: "We played a lot of our young players today. We wanted to give them a look. I think we have been a little bit unlucky in CONCACAF. We should have probably won at Marathon. Without the red card at Saprissa we would have done much better. We had a bad ten minutes today. But certainly we are still a young team in the second year of existence as a franchise. We learn every time we play together. We want to be back next year in CONCACAF and we will do much better."

Mike Fucito

On the first Seattle goal: "Nate and I talked before the game...When I drop, I'll try to make a run off him and wait for it...I was able to pull it back, turn and get the shot off. I got a little bit lucky with the deflection, but I'll take it."

On his goal: "It was a good combination. I think Alvaro played in to Nate and Nate played a great ball through. I was able to beat the goalie there."

On thoughts on the match: "Every time you come down here it is difficult to play. I think it's definitely a good learning experience. I thought we did a lot well, so it's a little bit frustrating. I think it was just a couple-minute lapse that was the difference. We will take the positive things from this. I think there's some stuff that tactically we need to work on and make sure that we are concentrating for 90 minutes."