2006 Sep 8

Vancouver Whitecaps  3 - 2  Seattle Sounders
Swangard Stadium, Burnaby, BC

Vancouver: Tony Caig; Steve Klein, Ryan Suarez, Steve Kindel, Geordie Lyall; Jeff Clarke, Dave Testo (Dave Morris 84'), Martin Nash, Jay Alberts (Adrian Cann 90'); Joey Gjertsen (Tony Donatelli 84'), Eduardo Sebrango. Substitutes not used: Josh Wicks, Alfredo Valente, Corey Woolfolk, Jason Jordan.

Seattle: Chris Eylander; Danny Jackson, Noah Merl (Jake Besagno 69'), Stephen Keel, Ben Somoza; Kevin Sakuda (Craig Tomlinson 77'), CJ Klaas (Seyi Abolaji 83'), Nate Boyden (Maykel Galindo 61'), Jordan Harvey (Santa Maria Rivera 77'); Roger Levesque, Jamal Sutton. Substitutes not used: Jimmy Ward, Zach Scott.

Goals:
30' SEA: Sutton (Boyden)
40' VAN: Sebrango (Nash)
57' VAN: Gjertsen (Lyall)
63' VAN: Testo (Alberts)
88' SEA: Sutton (Somoza)

Additional match reports: Sounders, Whitecaps.

Match report by Ron Stickney:

The Seattle Sounders travelled to the Vancouver Whitecaps in desperate need of a win to stay in control of the playoff race, but fell 3-2 to the hosts. Jamal Sutton scored first and last for the Sounders, but in between were Vancouver goals from Eduardo Sebrango, Joey Gjertsen, and Dave Testo.

The Sounders were forced to play without three offensive weapons, Cam Weaver, Andrew Gregor, and Leighton O'Brien, all out with yellow-card suspensions. Maykel Galindo got a visa earlier in the day and was able to travel with the team for his first trip over the border. Starting for the Sounders were loaned players Jordan Harvey and Stephen Keel, both of whom had played for the Sounders for several matches in the first half of the season.

First Half

Seattle had the first chance in the 3rd minute when Harvey stole the ball just above the arc in Vancouver's end and chipped a diagonal pass in front of Sutton, but it was a bit too far for Sutton to reach.

Vancouver's first chance came in the 12th when Jay Alberts was sprung up the right touch line well clear of Noah Merl and got close to the post for a drop cross, but the Sounders defense recovered and was there to clear the ball from danger.

A minute later Sutton did the stutter step to get by his marker on the left for a cross to the far side to a wide open CJ Klaas for a 15-yard shot, but he shot it over the bar when it seemed he had time to aim it. The first corner kick of the match was punched clear by Whitecaps goalkeeper Tony Caig, but right to Ben Somoza, who volleyed it back in, but Caig was there to push it wide.

Vancouver's first foul didn't get whistled until the 19th minute, and it resulted in a yellow card for Geordie Lyall.

Vancouver's offense got going at the midpoint of the half. First Sebrango worked free of two defenders for a shot from 18 yards in the middle, but he slipped as he shot and the ball rolled to goalkeeper Chris Eylander. Gjertsen soon had a better shot when he got open on the left for a shot from just 10 yards out, and Eylander got down to knock it onto the post, conceding a corner.

30' Sutton (Boyden). Nice passing among a few Sounders outside the top left corner of the penalty area ended up with Nate Boyden rolling a centering pass under a charging defender to Sutton just inside the area, and Sutton touched the ball sideways to get open for a shot from 15 yards that found the lower far corner, a great shot. 1-0 Seattle.

The rest of the first half was Vancouver's. In the 36th a counterattack up the left side led to a shot from 8 yards to the left, and Eylander again got down for a nice block save. Gjertsen was almost sprung up the middle, but a nice slide tackle slowed him down and another slide tackle cleared the ball.

40' Sebrango (Nash). Martin Nash sent a through ball on the left side straight ahead for Sebrango. Somoza tried for the ball and missed, leaving Sebrango totally alone. Sebrango went at goal with Eylander coming out, and Eylander only was halfway there when Sebrango shot low past the keeper and inside the far post. 1-1.

In the final minute of the half Somoza got beat again to give Vancouver another great chance from the left, and Eylander made a nice fingertip save overhead.

Halftime: Vancouver 1-1 Seattle

57' Gjertsen (Lyall). After a slow start to the second half, Lyall got open for a shot from 20 yards on the right. Lyall's shot was blocked by a defender halfway to goal, but the rebound trickled to Gjertsen at the penalty spot and he was open enough to take aim and hit the lower right corner. 2-1 Vancouver.

63' Testo (Alberts). Vancouver soon had an insurance goal. Alberts' cross from the right from inside the penalty area deflected off his marker's foot and went luckily right to Testo for a crisp volley from 12 yards that gave Eylander no chance. 3-1 Vancouver.

Just a minute later it was Alberts again working into the penalty area for a shot from 10 yards that was slowed and deflected to the far post by Eylander, and it looked like it would hit the post and go in when Noah Merl retreated just in time to clear the ball off the goal line. In the same minute Nash got a good chance from the left side and forced another save by Eylander.

Seattle's first shot of the second half finally came at 73' when someone got a 10-yard shot from a corner kick but Caig blocked it for a save, and the rebound was shot wide.

Then Vancouver continued their offensive pressure with Nash crossing from the right side to the spot for a rocket header by Sebrango that missed the right post by just an inch. A minute later a Nash cross from the left side gave Sebrango a shot from 10 yards that was deflected over the bar for a corner.

88' Sutton (Somoza). From a ways up the right touch line Somoza curled a long ball towards goal that came down about 8 yards in front of the middle of the goal. Caig came out for it, but Sutton slid in feet first to chest it past Caig and inside the right post. It pulled Seattle to within one goal, but Vancouver's defense prevented any more shots from Seattle, limiting them to just three shots in the half.

Final: Vancouver 3-2 Seattle

Statistics:
         Vancouver   Seattle
Shots:       15         8
Saves:        2         5
Corners:      5         9
Fouls:        8        11
Offsides:     6         3

Misconduct:
19' VAN: Lyall cautioned for taking down Harvey
26' SEA: Jackson cautioned
59' SEA: Harvey cautioned for a late charge
80' SEA: Sutton cautioned for a tactical foul at the halfway line

Referees: Steve Dipiero; Martin Reid, Kevin Duliba; Michelle Pie

Attendance: 5,385