2012 Feb 19 2012 Feb 19
Preseason training match:
Florida Gulf Coast U 0 - 5 Seattle Sounders FC
IMG Soccer Academy, Bradenton, FL
Goals:
11' SEA: Eddie Johnson (Zach Scott)
14' SEA: Christian Sivebæk (PK)
28' SEA: David Estrada
73' SEA: Trialist
84' SEA: FGCU own goal
FGCU: Nathan Ingaham; Jelani Smith (Esteban Montano 71'), Christian Robbs, Federico Crespo, Christian Velez; Thomas Granitto, Jeremy Volimer, Juan Castellon (Santiago Echeverri 71'), William Morse; Andres Navas (Henry Penegos 47'), Xavier Silva (Nick Russo 47').
Seattle: Michael Gspurning (Andrew Weber 31', Bryan Meredith 61'); Zach Scott (Roger Levesque 31'), Andrew Duran, Patrick Ianni (Andy Rose 47'), Marc Burch (Amadou Sanyang 61'); Cordell Cato (Alex Caskey 47'), Servando Carrasco (Harlinton Guttieres 61'), Mike Seamon, Christian Sivebæk (Michael Tetteh 31'); Eddie Johnson (Sammy Ochoa 29'), David Estrada (Babayele Sodade 47').
Match report from Sounders FC:
Eddie Johnson came to the Sounders with a lot of fanfare on Friday. After two training sessions on Saturday, he showed the hype was warranted on Sunday when he scored a goal and had a hand in another in the first period in Seattle's 5-0 win over Florida Gulf Coast University.
Johnson scored the first goal and Christian Sivebæk and David Estrada added tallies before the end of the first period. Michael Gspurning, Andrew Weber and Bryan Meredith shared playing time evenly to earn the shutout, the third straight for Seattle, who improved to 3-0-2 on the preseason.
"He's got two good feet. He can shoot left or right-footed and he showed that on the left-footed goal he scored. He can hold the ball up up front for us as well. He's got speed to get behind," head coach Sigi Schmid said of Johnson. "I think he and Fredy Montero are going to be very good together."
Johnson established himself early as a threat in the attacking third, putting consistent pressure on the defense.
In the 11th minute, he gave a glimpse of why Seattle actively pursued him in a trade with the Montreal Impact on Friday. Taking the ball with his back to goal 40 yards out, Johnson turned a dribbled through the defense, doing a pair of step-overs before ripping a left-footed shot inside the left post for a goal and a 1-0 Sounders lead.
"I wasn't worried about the opponent we were playing. I just wanted to get sharp in front of the goal and when I get my opportunity, take it," Johnson said. "We did some finishing in front of the goal yesterday. So I guess it's a credit to coach."
In the 14th minute, Johnson flicked a header forward for David Estrada, who led Sivebæk into the box, where he was taken down by the goalkeeper for a penalty. Sivebæk, who was celebrating his 24th birthday on Sunday, knocked the PK low and to the goalkeeper's right, while the keeper dove left, for the goal and a 2-0 lead.
Johnson would show his setup chops in the 28th minute when he looped a pass over the top of the defense to lead Cordell Cato into the box. Cato went 1v1 with the goalkeeper, but his shot clanged off the crossbar. However, Estrada was there to knock in the third goal on a diving header of the rebound for a 3-0 lead.
After the play, Johnson pulled up holding his hamstring, but walked off under his own strength and was taken out for precautionary measures.
"I think I could have kept going," Johnson said. "It was probably a bit of fatigue, but I pulled myself out because I didn't want to make it worse."
The match featured many of Seattle's reserve players, as the expected starters for Wednesday's closed-door friendly against Atlante in Cancun, Mexico, did light fitness work on a nearby field. That allowed Estrada to continue to shine in preseason and thrust Cordell Cato and Alex Caskey into the spotlight as well.
In the third period, Seattle got a goal from an un-named trialist and were the beneficiaries of an own-goal to finish off the scoring for the day.
"It was a good opportunity for our guys to play," Schmid said. "I was pleased. The first 30 minutes were very good and I thought we got back into it the last 30 minutes and managed the game fairly well."
Misconduct:
None
Live blog from Sounders FC:
They will play three 30-minute periods today.
Sounders FC starters – Michael Gspurning, Zach Scott, Andrew Duran, Patrick Ianni, Marc Burch, Cordell Cato, Servando Carrasco, Mike Seamon, Christian Sivebæk, Eddie Johnson, David Estrada.
Florida Gulf Coast – Nathan Ingaham, Jelani Smith, Christian Robbs, Federico Crespo, Christian Velez, Thomas Granitto, Jeremy Volimer, Juan Castellon, William Morse, Andres Navas, Xavier Silva.
First Period
FGCU kicks off and we are under way, as they quickly earn a corner kick by pushing up the left side.
2: Christian Sivebæk pushes up the left side, but is taken down for a foul near midfield.
2: Sivebæk gets up the left side again, but loses the ball away for a goal kick.
3: Great ball by Zach Scott to sneak David Estrada in behind the defense up the right side, but Estrada's cross is slowed by the strong wind and is headed clear.
6: David Estrada pushes up the left side into the box, but Nathan Ingaham snags his cross, intended for Eddie Johnson at the far post.
9: Seattle works up the left side and earns a corner kick.
11: William Morse gets a shot away from 24 yards out, but misses it just wide for a goal kick.
11: Eddie Johnson takes a pass with his back to the goal 40 yards out, dribbles up the middle, works a quick step-over, then shoots a left-footed shot inside the far post for a goal. Sounders FC 1, FGCU 0.
14: Eddie Johnson flicks a header forward for David Estrada, who leads Christian Sivebæk into the box and Sivebæk is taken down for a PK.
14: Christian Sivebæk shoots a right footed penalty inside the left post while the keeper dives the wrong way for a Seattle goal. Sounders FC 2, FGCU 0.
16: Marc Burch pushes a long cross from the left side for the far post, but it drifts wide for a goal kick.
19: Christian Sivebæk takes a pass from Servando Carrasco up the left side, jukes his defender and rolls a cross to the middle, but it's deflected away for a corner kick.
19: Andrew Duran gets his head to the corner kick, but it skips into the arms of the keeper.
23: Marc Burch runs on a ball 23 yards out on the left side and nearly puts it inside the far post, but it goes just wide for a goal kick.
27: Christian Sivebæk picks off an attempted clearance, but lifts his shot from the top of the box just over the crossbar for a goal kick.
28: Eddie Johnson loops the ball over the defense and Cordell Cato runs onto it in the box, shooting past the goalkeeper, but hits the crossbar. David Estrada dives in to knock the rebound home for a goal. Sounders FC 3, FGCU 0.
29: On the goal, Eddie Johnson pulls up holding his hamstring, but walks off the field under his own strength. He is replaced by Sammy Ochoa for the final minutes of the period for precautionary reasons.
30: There is the final whistle of the first period.
Second Period
Roger Levesque and Michael Tetteh replace Zach Scott and Christian Sivebæk at the break. Levesque is playing right back with Tetteh at left mid.
Seattle kicks off to start the second period.
Andrew Weber also came on for Michael Gspurning at the break.
34: Marc Burch pushes Michael Tetteh up the left side. Tetteh goes 1v1 with his defender, but his cross is knocked clear for a corner kick.
36: William Morse runs up the left side, but Andrew Weber springs out to make the grab and minimize the danger.
38: David Estrada takes a pass from Sammy Ochoa and pushes up the middle. With no defenders coming to him, he shoots from 22 yards out, but the keeper parries it away for a corner kick.
39: After a long stretch of possession for Seattle, Marc Burch lofts a ball to Roger Levesque running to the right post, but the ball just barely eludes him and goes away for a goal kick.
42: Cordell Cato whips a strong cross from the right side, but the goalkeeper punches it away at the near post.
46: David Estrada makes a run on a ball up the right side, but finishes with a deep angle and shoots high and wide for a goal kick.
47: Babayele Sodade, Andy Rose and Alex Caskey replace Cordell Cato, Patrick Ianni and David Estrada. Sodade is playing forward with Ochoa, Caskey is on the right wing and Rose is in the midfield with Seamon, with Carrasco moving to center back.
47: Henry Penegos and Nick Russo sub on for Andres Navas and Xavier Silva.
55: Good ball by Sammy Ochoa, crossing for Babayele Sodade from the left side, but the keeper knocks it down.
58: Good timing on a ball from Michael Tetteh to lead Marc Burch up the left side. He crosses it to the far post, but Alex Caskey misses just over the crossbar for a goal kick.
60: Marc Burch and Sammy Ochoa trade passes up the left side, then Burch sends a low cross into the box for Babayele Sodade, who slides on the ball, but can't get to it before Nathan Ingaham gobbles it up.
There is the whistle to end the second period, Seattle still leads 3-0.
Third Period
Amadou Sanyang replaces Marc Burch at the break. He plays right back and Roger Levesque shifts up to the right side of midfield. Alex Caskey moves to the middle with Mike Seamon moving to the left side with Michael Tetteh shifting to left back. Harlinton Gutierres comes in at center back for Servando Carrasco and Bryan Meredith replaces Andrew Weber in goal.
Florida Gulf Coast kicks off to start the final period.
Also at the break, Santiago Echeverri replaces Juan Castellon for FGCU.
67: Seattle subs a trialist in for Mike Seamon.
I wouldn't read anything into this trialist - just a player the club is opting not to name.
71: Esteban Montano subs on for Jelani Smith for FGCU.
72: Babayele Sodade is fouled against the endline.
73: Alex Caskey sends the free kick into the box and it bounces around until the trialist knocks a left-footed shot home for a goal at the top of the box. Sounders FC 4, FGCU 0.
78: Babayele Sodade steps into a shot from the top of the box, but just misses for a goal kick.
79: Esteban Montano takes a left-footed shot from the left side, but it splits just wide of the far post for a goal kick.
80: Great cross by Sammy Ochoa to find Babayele Sodaded in the box, but his off-balance shot goes wide for a goal kick.
84: Babayele Sodade gets 1v1 with the keeper, but the keeper blocks the shot, however it spills off his defender and in for an own-goal. Sounders FC 5, FGCU 0.
90: Bryan Meredith skies to grab a corner kick out of the air, fending off an attacker in the process. Off the clearance the final whistle blows and Seattle wins 5-0.
