Sounders Header April 26, 1997

Seattle Sounders 2 - 3 Colorado Foxes



Gailey (S) 28

Ashton (C) 28

Huber (C) 81

Lujan (C) 87

Adair (S) 89



Seattle: Hudock, James, McNiel (Enneking 85), Jenkins, Stoddard, Hoggan, Crothers (Daligcon 85)

Earl, Chilo (Kinoshita 41), Gailey, Adair.

Colorado: Harrington, Todd, Nunley, Martinez, Adams, Tadlock, Guthrie, Lujan, Ashton, 

Patterson (Huber 58), Wescott.



Attendance: 2505
Cautions:  Seattle:  Stoddard, Earl.  Colorado:  Todd.
Shots:  Seattle 15, Colorado 17

Saves: Hudock 3, Harrington 6

Offsides:  Seattle 3, Colorado 3

Fouls: Seattle 14, Colorado 10

Corners:  Seattle 5, Colorado 11

After a pleasant day, the rain started coming down 5 minutes into the match and it never let up, turning the plastic pitch into a slip and slide.  Stoddard earned an unusual yellow card at 11' when he neglected to ask permission of the referee as he left to change into different shoes to get better footing on the wet pitch.

Much to our surprise, the clock started at 00:00 and counted up, the way it does throughout the world!  For the second half, it counted from 45:00 to 90:00.  Some of us fans really appreciated that!

The match looked promising for Seattle at 20' when Gailey took a pass from Hoggan, noticed Harrington off his line, and looped a 30-yard shot over Harrington and into the top left corner.

Seattle's young fullbacks were turning the ball over in their own half too often and at 28' Colorado made them pay for it as Rivers Guthrie rolled a crossing pass into the area from the near left corner flag and Chad Ashton ran onto it and fired it just inside the right post to level the score.

Near the end of the first half Chilo was taken down from behind near the touchline.  A card was deserved but not given.  Chilo was carried to the bench, unable to continue on his sprained ankle.  Kinoshita, former of the J-League's Vissel Kobe, entered the match, marking the first time a Japanese professional soccer player has played for a US pro team.

For most of the second half, neither team demonstrated good soccer or good luck.  Colorado pressured Seattle incessantly and often caused them to cough up the ball, but Colorado couldn't do much with the ball either.

At 81' Seattle's defense broke down badly as Colorado substitute Huber took a long pass at the left touchline just over the midfield line on the counterattack, juked his marker and saw sweeper Bernie James slip down on the wet pitch trying to make the stop.  Huber was then free to dribble straight to goal and he beat the charging keeper Hudock for the go-ahead goal.

Seattle had an opportunity four minutes later when the referee's assistant flagged Harrington for carrying the ball well outside the penalty area as he punted.  Seattle's direct free kick penetrated the wall but hit someone just behind the wall to prevent the goal.

Colorado had wasted ten corner kicks throughout the match, but they made good on their last one at 87' when Ashton took the corner and sent a worm burner to the top of the area and Lujan shot low through the crown and inside the right post for what would prove to be a necessary insurance goal.  The ball traveled the entire path on the ground from the corner to the 18 yard line to the goal without any Sounder getting a foot on it.

Seattle had been trying the long ball in the air often throughout the match and at 89' it finally paid off, as Gailey headed the ball towards the goal and it deflected off a defender, falling in front of Adair who beat the keeper with a low shot from 10 yards to pull Seattle within a goal.  Seattle earned a couple of good shot in the final two minutes, but missed with them.

Seattle has now lost both home matches by a goal and won both away matches by a goal.  Perhaps fortunately, Seattle's next two matches are away at Orange County Zodiac 2 May and at California Jaguars 4 May.  The next Sounders home match is 10 May against the team with the longest name in US professional soccer, the New Orleans Riverboat Gamblers.
 

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