June 28, 1998

Seattle Sounders  1 - 0  Toronto Lynx
Memorial Stadium, Seattle
 
Hoggan (Sea) 86

Sea: Dusty Hudock; Bernie James, Scott Jenkins, Jason Annicchero; Neil Megson (69 Kei Kinoshita), Randy Mann, Brandon Prideaux, Fabian Davis, David Hoggan; Mark Baena, Erik Storkson (59 Paul Gelvezon).

Tor: Hubert Busby Jr; Franco Spadafina, Rick Titus, Daryl Holmes, Peter Sarantopoulos; Ralph Golen (88 Guiseppe Lanotte), Brian Ashton, David DiPlacido, William Giummarra (70 Luca Centurione); Nikki Vignjevic, Phil Caporrella (83 Dragan Ianosev).


Match report from Ron Stickney:
 
David Hoggan manufactured a goal four minutes from time to lift the Seattle Sounders over the visiting Toronto Lynx in the first meeting between these teams. The Lynx were a new team last year. The crack Hoggan found in the Lynx' tough defense was the spot vacated by sweeper Franco Spadafina, who was sent off six minutes earlier for pulling Mark Baena down to prevent what would have been a good shot at the match winner.

Seattle Forward Patrick Beech sat out the match due to a red card in the June 13 San Diego-Seattle match.

First Half

Toronto's Phil Caporrella was dangerous in the early going, getting to a through ball in the 3rd minute for a good chance from the right, but he hit the shot weakly to Dusty Hudock for the save. Randy Mann intercepted a Toronto pass and took Seattle's first shot, but he also aimed it right at the keeper, Hubert Busby.

For the rest of the half, Toronto could not manage any more good chances, and Seattle took just a few good shots. Fabian Davis blasted a 30-yard free kick a yard over. Erik Storkson got his head on a Davis free kick from the right touch line, but again the shot on goal was also on the keeper. Seattle's best shot came near the end of the half, Davis' wormburner up the middle that was saved by Busby.

Halftime:  Seattle  0 - 0  Toronto

The game opened up some in the second half. Baena chased down a loose ball in the Lynx area for a 12-yard shot at the near post, but Busby dove to push the ball around the post for a corner. Davis missed the top left corner by a yard with a shot up the middle.

Toronto earned their chances; first Brian Ashton forced a Hudock save from the right.

Then a strong Toronto attack led to a shot and a save, with a player from each team going down near the penalty spot and the rebound rolling next to them. Hudock surveyed the situation for a second, then made it a dogpile as he dove into the fray. The ball seemed like a black hole, sucking in half of the players on the pitch. Hudock emerged from the crowd holding the ball, fighting off a couple of Toronto players to get free. By then, a pushing contest had started and referee Oscar Myre whistled the ball dead and signaled for a Seattle free kick. The pushing and shoving persisted until Myre picked out a pair of deserving players and ordered them aside, showing the yellow card to Toronto's Rick Titus Seattle's player/coach Neil Megson. Megson then benched himself, with Kei Kinoshita stepping on.

A loose ball in Seattle's area led to a dangerously close-in shot for Caporrella, but Seattle sweeper Bernie James slid in like a keeper to block the shot with his legs.

At 80' Baena beat sweeper Spadafina to a ball chipped over Toronto's defense and it looked like Baena would have only the keeper to beat, but Spadafina pulled Baena down backwards in the arc to prevent the goal-scoring opportunity. The laws say a red card is mandated for this, and Myre showed one to Spadafina.

At 84' Nikki Vignjevic, invisible for most of the match, made a spectacular sideways volley from a crossed pass and put the shot on goal nicely, but Hudock made a good save to keep the shutout intact.

86' Hoggan (Davis). Hoggan saved the fans from another overtime period when he won a ball in the center circle, carried it forward into space and worked a wall pass with Davis to earn a good shot from the left side of the penalty area. Hoggan drilled his shot past the onrushing Busby and put a bulge in the back of the net.

Final:  Seattle  1 - 0  Toronto

Randy Mann and Brandon Prideaux both took some hard hits in the head battling for air balls. Mann was out for several minutes midway through the second half getting medical attention. Prideaux went down in the 88th, hit in the jaw by an elbow. Prideaux left soon after the match to have his jaw x-rayed.

Seattle next takes on I-5 rival Vancouver on Saturday, July 11, at 7:00 PM. Then three more home matches: US Pro 40 Select on July 17, San Diego Flash on July 19, and Nashville Metros on July 24.

Statistics

Shots: Sea 13, Tor 9
Saves: Hudock 5, Busby 6
Corners: Sea 8, Tor 2
Fouls: Sea 14, Tor 10
Offside: Sea 6, Tor 1

Misconduct:
15 DiPlacido (Tor) cautioned for fouling Mann in the air
40 Baena (Sea) cautioned (something he said?)
68 Titus (Tor) and Megson (Sea) cautioned when a shoving match involved most of both teams
80 Spadafina (Tor) sent off for pulling Baena down to prevent a good shot

Referee: Oscar Myre