2004 Sep 12

Playoffs, Western Conference Championship Series, 2nd leg:
Vancouver Whitecaps 1 - 1 Seattle Sounders
Swangard Stadium, Burnaby, BC

Goals:
18' VAN - Jordan (Corrazin)
44' SEA - Farrell

Vancouver: Mike Franks; Nick Dasovic (Jeremie Piette 88'), Geordie Lyall, Chris Franks; Martin Nash, Steve Kindel (Alfredo Valente 84'), Dave Morris (Kevin Harmse 66'), Johnny Sulentic, Dave Xausa (Winston Griffiths 14', Justin Thompson 77'); Carlo Corrazin, Jason Jordan. Substitutes not used: Alex Marques, Oliver Heald.

Seattle: Preston Burpo; Danny Jackson, Ryan Edwards, Zach Scott, Billy Sleeth; Kevin Sakuda, Jason Farrell (Chad Brown 72'), Ben Somoza (Marco Velez 57'), Jonathan Bolaños (Darren Sawatzky 88'); Roger Levesque, Welton. Substitutes not used: Danny Waltman, Scott Jenkins, Sean-Michael Callahan, Craig Tomlinson.

Additional match reports: Seattle Times, Whitecaps, Sounders.

Match report by Ron Stickney:

The Seattle Sounders claimed the Western Conference Championship with a 1-1 draw at the Vancouver Whitecaps. The Sounders won the series 2-1 on aggregate. The Sounders started the match with a 1-0 series lead from the match in Seattle 2 nights earlier.

Jason Jordan brought the series even with an early goal. Just before intermission, Jason Farrell scored to even the match, and the 2-1 aggregate lead stood through a scoreless second half.

The match saw major wierdness in the 72nd minute. The Sounders asked to substitute Chad Brown for Welton, but as the substitution was announced Farrell was spotted down in the center circle injured and needing to leave the match. The Sounders may have attempted to get the attention of the officials to change the substitution to Farrell instead of Welton. Welton was obviously confused, and hesitated coming off the pitch. With Farrell still down on the ground, referee Tiger Liu gave Welton a yellow-red as Welton was headed off and 5 yards from the touch line. Welton had earned his first yellow 3 minutes earlier for pushing while play was stopped as he tried to get position for a Seattle free kick. Referee Tiger Liu gets our award for wanker of the year for the weakest second yellow card we've ever seen. This left Seattle a man down for the rest of the match and may mean that they must play the Championship Match without their leading scorer. If we ever see Liu working a Sounders match again it will be too soon.

First Half

It didn't take long for the first shot. Vancouver's Jordan fired first in the 2nd minute and Preston Burpo dove to deflect it wide for a corner kick.

Seattle's first chance was in the 11th when Ben Somoza was served open on the right and crossed the ball past goal for a Welton header that went a half yard wide of the far post.

Vancouver came right back with a free kick from the first foul of the match. Burpo rejected Johnny Sulentic's free kick with his fists and the put-back shot by Steve Kindel was well wide.

Seattle was next with a shot by Danny Jackson from a corner kick, blocked by goalkeeper Mike Franks.

18' Jordan (Corrazin). Sulentic sent in a long cross. From near the end line left of goal, Carlo Corrazin dropped a diagonal pass to Jordan in the middle, and Jordan spun and buried it in the top left corner from 12 yards. 1-0 Vancouver, 1-1 on aggregate.

It was mostly Vancouver for the next 20 minutes. Martin Nash crossed to the far side for Corrazin, who headed just wide from 10. Burpo parried away a good shot from Jordan in the 33rd. Chris Franks' turn-and-shoot from 20 was just over the bar in the 38th.

Seattle showed life in the 40th when a cleared corner kick went to Farrell, whose shot from 20 was a yard wide.

44' Farrell. Somoza's cross from the right was headed by Welton and deflected away by Geordie Lyall. The ball went to Farrell for a shot from 20 up the middle, and he hit a rocket into the top right corner. 1-1, Seattle 2-1 on aggregate.

Halftime: Vancouver 1 - 1 Seattle, 1-2 on aggregate

Vancouver would dominate the second half, outshooting Seattle 11-2, but nobody would score. A minute after kickoff David Morris had a chance with only Burpo to beat but he curled it wide. Jordan got in close with only Burpo to beat and sent it wide. Sulentic took a 30-yard free kick and put it over the bar. Midway in the half Jordan tried a turn and shoot from 15 and missed just wide left.

Then in the 72nd came the surprising yellow-red to Welton, as mentioned above. Brown then entered for Farrell as intended, and the Sounders had to finish the match with 10 men.

The next good chance was Seattle's in the 81st. Burpo's goal kick made it through to Roger Levesque for a shot that had eyes for the top near corner, but Franks extended to push it over with a fine save. A minute later Marco Velez knocked Jonathan Bolaños' corner kick on goal, but right to M Franks.

The last 5 minutes saw chances for Vancouver. A free kick was laid off to Nash for a 30-yarder, but he fired it over the bar. Nash's free kick gave Alfredo Valente a header that went wide.

3 minutes of added time gave Vancouver one last chance, a shot by Lyall up the middle from 15, and Burpo pushed it over the bar to maintain Seattle's aggregate lead.

Final: Vancouver 1 - 1 Seattle, 1-2 on aggregate

Statistics:
        Vancouver  Seattle
Shots:      21        8
Saves:       4        4
Corners:     9        4
Fouls:       7       18
Offsides:    1        2

Misconduct:
37' SEA - Levesque cautioned for a late challenge in the circle.
58' VAN - Kindel cautioned.
69' SEA - Welton cautioned for pushing while the sides were setting up for a Seattle free kick.
72' SEA - Welton cautioned for not subbing out when his number was shown instead of Farrell's number. Welton was sent off for his second caution.
74' SEA - Edwards cautioned.
86' SEA - Brown cautioned.

Referees: Tiger Liu; Paul Ward, Simon Fearn; Kevin Duliba.
Attendance: 5,286