2011 Jun 7

Trialist Cillian Sheridan helps Sounders FC Reserves to win over Whitecaps Reserves

Seattle Sounders FC Reserves  2 - 0  Vancouver Whitecaps Reserves
Starfire Sports Stadium, Tukwila, WA

Goals:
7' SEA: Cillian Sheridan (Miguel Montaņo, Servando Carrasco)
26' SEA: Roger Levesque (Zach Scott)

Seattle: Terry Boss; Roger Levesque, Zach Scott, Leo Gonzalez, Michael Tetteh; David Estrada, Servando Carrasco, Michael Seamon (DeAndre Yedlin 90'), Miguel Montaņo (Sean Okoli 88'); Pat Noonan (Aaron Kovar 75'), Cillian Sheridan (Myron Samuel 45').
Substitutes not used: Josh Ford, Michael Gallagher.

Vancouver: Jay Nolly; Wes Knight, Greg Janicki, Kevin Harmse (La'Vere Corbin-Ong 45'), Blake Wagner; Russell Teibert, Jeb Brovsky (Caleb Brovsky 76'), Alexandre Morfaw (Peter Vagenas 45'), Michael Nanchoff; Omar Salgado, Long Tan.
Substitutes not used: Callum Irving, Ben Fisk.


Match report from Ron Stickney:

The Seattle Sounders FC Reserves took their record to 5-0-0 with a 2-0 win over the visiting Vancouver Whitecaps Reserves at Starfire.

The match featured two trialist forwards for the Sounders, each playing a half. Cillian Sheridan, a big 22-year-old from Ireland and Glasgow Celtic, made a statement with a fine goal early in the match. Myron Samuel, a speedy 18-year-old from St. Vincent and Grenadines, gave the Vancouver defense some scares in the second half. The insurance goal came from Roger Levesque in the first half.

Sheridan's first chance to impress came when he was found open on the left and crossed a nice ball to the far post, just ahead of David Estrada's run.

7' SEA: Sheridan (Montaņo, Carrasco). Miguel Montaņo sent an excellent cross from the left side fast and low through the goal area. Sheridan slid in at the far post, left cleat first, and slammed the ball into the net. 1-0 Seattle.

Sheridan had the next chance as well, earning a shot at the 18-yard line after Pat Noonan's feed and forcing goalkeeper Jay Nolly into a fine diving save at the lower corner.

Vancouver finally had a scoring chance at 25' when Russell Teibert shot well from 20 yards, and goalkeeper Terry Boss was well-positioned to take it.

26' SEA: Levesque (Scott). On a corner kick play, Levesque got his head on the service to the near post but couldn't get it on goal. The ball popped past goal and Levesque went down from a bump in the back. He picked himself up and lo and behold, Zach Scott headed the ball back to Levesque, who this time was open to get on top of the ball and head it in from close range. 2-0 Seattle.

Seattle kept up the pressure, with Montaņo forcing a save with a 25-yarder up the middle. Then Estrada won a battle on the front line to serve Michael Seamon, who beat the last defender with a feint for a double chance from 10 yards, the first one blocked by Nolly down low and the second one sent wide.

The final minute of the first half saw Vancouver's first corner kick play, and just when it appeared that the dangerous Omar Salgado would get a 15-yard shot Scott rushed in to break it up.

Vancouver brought in two substitutes to start the second half, and one of them was ex-Sounder Peter Vagenas.

Vancouver took the momentum for the first ten minutes of the half. Michael Nanchoff's cross to the far post was dangerous, but just out of reach. From a long Vancouver free kick to the far post, Greg Janicki headed a superb shot back across goal and Boss had to move fast on the post to post route to punch the shot wide. Jeb Brovsky missed with a long shot and Salgado couldn't get enough velocity on his 15-yard header.

Seattle finally threatened Vancouver's goal at 58' when trialist Samuel beat the offside trap on a through ball but missed the target with his chip shot. A minute later Michael Tetteh came close with a worm burner from 25 yards.

For Vancouver, Vagenas fed Nanchgoff in the middle for a powerful, rising shot and Boss did well to hold onto it.

Vancouver forward Long Tan had his bell rung when he challenged Scott for a 50-50 pop-up in Seattle's end. They both got a piece of the ball, and Tan got the worst of the head banging. He may have still been a bit woozy four minutes later when he got his foot on a long service to the doorstep but only managed a weak shot to Boss.

At 72' Noonan's low shot forced Nolly's first save of the half.

At 77' Boss was his own worst enemy when he misplayed a routine square pass and missed his goal by just a foot. It seems like in every match Boss has one moment of horror. He needs to eliminate those from his game.

Seattle's last chances were taken by Montaņo. He was put through by Estrada and Nolly nearly botched the play by hesitating, but the keeper recovered in time to collapse on Montaņo's low shot. Later Montaņo won a loose ball near goal and took a quick shot at the lower near corner, and Nolly reacted quickly to make the save.

Vancouver came close near the end when Teibert shot from the top of the arc and missed by just an inch when it appeared that he had Boss beaten.

In the end, Boss had done well enough to earn a shutout.

Statistics:
          SEA  VAN
Shots:     12    7
Saves:      5    5
Corners:    4    3
Fouls:     10    9
Offsides:   5    5

Misconduct:
None

Referees: Josh Wilkins; William Niccolls, Baboucarr Jallow; Ian Johnson

Attendance: 663