2005 May 21

Seattle Sounders Women  1 - 2  Mile High Mustangs
Qwest Field, Seattle, WA

Goals:
48' MH - Guante
53' SEA - Frimpong (Smith)
58' MH - Guante

Seattle: Katie Hultin; Shannon Forslund, Nicole Martinez, Sarah Groves; Kelli Smith, Michelle French (Dana Kimble 13', Mary Kuder 82'), Malia Arrant, Janelle Munnis (Hillary Heath 65'), Chalise Baysa; Brenda Mueller, Tina Frimpong. Substitutes not used: Lisa Brookens, Sheryl Williams, Patty Blankenship, Amy Carnell.

Mile High: Jessica Keller; Ashlie Mihalcin, Kristen Warren, Jamie Norwood; Katie Antongiovanni, Laura Probst, Camile Flenniken (Megan Beasley 62'), Alison Baker; Mary Everett (Angie Portincaso 76', Kimberley Boyer 90'), Jessica Heller, Ymara Guante. Substitute not used: Kaitlin Neary.


Additional match report: Sounders.

Match report by Ron Stickney:

The Seattle Sounders Women lost at home to the Mile High Mustangs 2-1, giving up a pair of goals from defensive turnovers early in the second half. The gift goals by Ymara Guante sandwiched a lone Seattle goal by Tina Frimpong.

First Half

The Sounders lost their leader in the midfield, Michelle French, to a medial collateral ligament injury in the 9th minute. French was injured blocking a cross in the corner and will probably be out at least 8 weeks. Dana Kimble came on for French and Kelli Smith pushed up to outside midfielder.

The first shot was from Mile High in the 16th minute when Guante beat 2 defenders to shoot from the arc right to goalkeeper Katie Hultin's bread basket.

After no shots the first 27 minutes, Seattle exploded with a flurry of good chances. Janelle Munnis shot first, from the top left corner of the penalty area, bending it just clear of the crossbar. Malia Arrant blasted a shot up the middle from 20 yards and goalkeeper Jessica Keller leaped left to swat it wide for a corner. Arrant's corner kick was headed at the top far corner by Shannon Forslund, but Keller leaped right to touch it out for another corner. The cleared corner kick was shot back in by Kimble but wide of the goal. In the 32nd, Smith's cross from the right along the 6-yard line was dummied by Frimpong and shot at the lower far corner by a sliding Brenda Mueller, and Keller dove to push it wide for another corner.

Both sides missed a shot or two, and in the final minute Seattle's Chalise Baysa blasted a shot from 20 yards and Keller was there for her 4th save.

Also in the final minute Mile High worked the ball into Seattle's goal area with 3 attackers there, but they couldn't manage a shot and finally the Sounders cleared.

Halftime: Seattle 0 - 0 Mile High

48' Guante. After a good first half, the Seattle defense broke down in the second. A Seattle pass just outside their penalty area let Guante pressure two defenders at the 18-yard line and she stole the ball, turned on goal a step ahead, and finished inside the far post from 15 yards. 1-0 Mile High.

53' Frimpong (Smith). Seattle came right back from the first deficit. Smith worked the ball through a cluster of 3 or 4 defenders at the edge of the penalty area on the left and passed goalward nicely for Frimpong, who bent a 10-yard shot around Keller and inside the far post. 1-1.

58' Guante. Seattle promptly fell behind again when Nicole Martinez' attempted back pass to her goalkeeper was struck very weakly. Guante said thank you and took the ball into the penalty area with no other defenders nearby. Martinez recovered to block Guante's path in the area, but Guante easily juked Martinez for a shot from 12 yards that went low under Hultin. 2-1 Mile High.

Seattle had a good chance in the 67th when a cross for Forslund gave her an open shot with plenty of available target, but she blasted it right to Keller.

In the 68th Guante got open for a 20-yarder, saved by Hultin on the first bounce. A long shot by Mile High had eyes for the top far corner, but Hultin got there just in time to touch it wide for a corner kick. In the 81st, Katie Antongiovanni headed just wide from a long cross.

Seattle's Forslund had the last two chances. In the 88th she forced a save with a 30-yard shot and a rebound was given up, but Frimpong failed to follow up the shot when she could have had the rebound. Forslund tried another long shot in the 90th but sent it right to Keller.

Final: Seattle 1 - 2 Mile High

Statistics:
         Seattle  Mile High
Shots:      14       10
Saves:       3        7
Corners:     2        2
Fouls:       5       12
Offsides:    1        3

Misconduct:
None

Referees: Debora Brock; Krystin Lambalot, Pam Davis
Attendance: 253