US Open Cup, Third Round:
Colorado Rapids 1 - 0 Seattle Sounders
Mile High Stadium, Denver

26 COL: McKeon

Colorado: Ian Feuer; Peter Vermes, Matt McKeon, Jason Bent, Tahj Jakins; David Vaudreuil, Ross Paule, Joey DiGiamarino, Kevin Anderson (Darren Sawatzky); Jorge Dely Valdes, Wolde Harris (Marquis White 71).

Seattle: Preston Burpo; Bernie James (Viet Nguyen 69), Jason Annicchero, Craig Waibel, Kieran Barton, Scott Jenkins; Ralph Robertson, Shan Gaw, Peter Hattrup (Erik Storkson 51), Ian Russell; Mark Baena.

The Colorado Rapids knocked the visiting Seattle Sounders out of the US Open Cup with a 1-0 win. A 40-yard blast by defender Matt McKeon, helped by a tail wind, was placed perfectly in the top right corner in the 26th minute and the goal held up as the match winner. The Colorado Rapids play in the first division (MLS) while the Sounders play in the second division (A-League).

The Rapids had organized a doubleheader for this Cup match. In the evening’s first match, we watched the USA men's national team come from a 0-1 halftime deficit to beat the Derby County Rams of England's Premier League by a score of 2-1.

The Sounders recently signed Sean Henderson, who played for the Rapids last season, but Henderson was not eligible to play since he was not on the Sounders' roster for their first Open Cup match. The Rapids' #1 goalkeeper was ex-Sounder Marcus Hahnemann up until a couple of weeks ago when he signed with Fulham in England.

First Half

Seattle's strategy this match was to start out with a very defensive 5-4-1 lineup with Mark Baena as the lone striker, then add more forwards in the second half.

Colorado's Kevin Anderson took the first shot of the match 5 minutes in, a 25-yarder that was well over the bar.

Seattle's first chance at 10' was a dangerous one when Peter Hattrup chipped over the defense and Baena won the ball and made himself some space. With only Ian Feuer to beat from 15 yards, Baena tried a far-post shot, forcing a diving save by Feuer.

Craig Waibel pulled down Wolde Harris to give Colorado a free kick from the arc, but Seattle's wall stopped both the free kick and the second shot from the rebound.

For Seattle at 17', Ian Russell carried the ball up the middle for a 25-yarder, sent well over.

From a 20-yard Rapids free kick, Joey DiGiamarino was a yard high.

26' McKeon. Given the ball 40 yards from goal, McKeon decided to give it a try and fired a rocket to the top right corner that couldn't have missed the bar and the post by more than an inch. Goalkeeper Preston Burpo leaped sideways but couldn't reach the perfect shot. A strong tail wind helped the shot maintain its speed. COL 1 - 0 SEA.

Colorado had nearly all of the chances the rest of the half. Jason Bent dropped from the end line for Anderson, whose shot from the right corner of the area was a yard high. From Peter Vermes' cross, Tahj Jakins' header from 15 was just over. Bernie James was cautioned for tripping Harris, and Vermes' resulting free kick was headed from 18 by Harris toward the top left corner, and Burpo made the leaping save. From Ross Paule's corner kick, Jorge Dely Valdes headed up the middle and on goal, but his own man Anderson blocked the shot near goal.

Seattle finally got a chance in the 43rd when Kieran Barton stole a pass and tried a 25-yarder that missed the top right corner.

David Vaudreuil took a shot for Colorado in the final minute of the half and Russell, defending, deflected it slightly, the ball just missing the far post.

Halftime: Colorado 1 - 0 Seattle

Early in the second half, Harris sent a short pass to Paule, whose 15-yard shot was weak.

Seattle's Craig Waibel gave a try from the same spot McKeon scored from, but the shot was just wide.

DiGiamarino crossed from the end line for Harris at the far post, but the header was well over.

Seattle's Barton took a pass from substitute Storkson and with acres of space advanced to the end line. Barton's cross was behind Feuer, who had come out, and the cross flashed across the goal mouth and out for a corner kick.

At 56' the momentum swung in favor of Colorado for almost the rest of the match. McKeon tried a 25-yarder up the middle and was a yard high. Bent tried a sudden 30-yarder that hit the outside of the top near post. Substitute Darren Sawatzky just missed the far post with a low shot from the right corner of the penalty area. Another substitute, Marquis White, broke free on the right but Scott Jenkins tackled away the ball just before White could shoot.

At 85' Erik Storkson tried the hand-of-God move and knocked a cross into the net, but he was cautioned for obviously handling the ball.

Colorado had two good shots left. Valdes sent a 20-yarder up the middle that hit the left post squarely, and from McKeon's feed Sawatzky turned and shot from the arc, two yards over the bar.

The last shot was Seattle's when from Barton's long cross Storkson headed powerfully from 15 yards, but Feuer made a nice save, grabbing the ball above his head.

Final: Colorado 1 - 0 Seattle

Statistics
Shots: Colorado 20, Seattle 8
Saves: Feuer 3, Burpo 2
Corners: Colorado 5, Seattle 2
Fouls: Colorado 14, Seattle 18
Offside: Colorado 0, Seattle 2

Misconduct
37' James (SEA) cautioned for taking out Harris' legs.
69' Jenkins (SEA) cautioned for pulling down Sawatzky.
72' Annicchero (SEA) and McKeon (COL) both cautioned for a foul and retaliation.
85' Storkson (SEA) cautioned for knocking a cross into goal with his hand.

Referee: Richard Heron
Attendance: 20,376