2007 Aug 31

Seattle Sounders  1 - 2  Minnesota Thunder
Qwest Field, Seattle, WA

Seattle: Chris Eylander; Danny Jackson (Craig Tomlinson 76'), Taylor Graham, Zach Scott, Kevin Sakuda (Jake Besagno 89'); Kenji Treschuk, Leighton O'Brien, Santa Maria Rivera (Noah Merl 46'), Greg Howes; Roger Levesque, Nathan Knox (Andre Schmid 66'). Substitutes not used: Ben Dragavon, Adam West, Gabe Sturm.

Minnesota: Nicolas Platter; Kevin Friedland, Kyle Zenoni, Derek Smith, Jonathan Greenfield; Freddy Juarez, Brian Farber, Ansu Toure (Dale Weiler 89'), Jeremiah Bass; Sasha Gotsmanov (Rodrigo Hidalgo 83'), Keisuke Ota (Darren Spicer 58'). Substitutes not used: Joe Warren.

Goals:
23' MIN: Zenoni
45' MIN: Zenoni (Farber)
79' SEA: Levesque (Schmid)

Additional match reports: Seattle Times, Seattle P-I, Sounders, Thunder, GOALSeattle.com.
Photos: SPM Sportspage.

Match report from Ron Stickney:

The Seattle Sounders lost at home 2-1 to the Minnesota Thunder, ending a 9-week streak without a loss. The Thunder had nothing to play for but pride, having been eliminated from playoff contention the previous night in Vancouver, but play they did. Both Minnesota goals came from defender Kyle Zenoni in the first half, his only goals of the season. A second-half goal from Roger Levesque made it close, but the Sounders couldn't find another. The Sounders loss keeps first place in doubt, as Portland and now Montreal, after a win tonight, are a point back.

On the injured list for the evening were Sebastien Le Toux, Josh Gardner and Hugo Alcaraz-Cuellar. Getting starts instead were Nathan Knox, Greg Howes, and Santa Maria Rivera, and all three failed to make a statement.

First Half

Howes had the first chances of the match. At 11' Levesque fed Howes in close, but the shot was deflected wide for a corner kick. At 21' Rivera gave Howes a nice cross in close, but again the shot was deflected wide.

23' MIN: Zenoni. A ball cleared from the penalty area gave Zenoni a chance, and he volleyed it beautifully from 19 yards, glancing it in off the underside of the crossbar. 1-0 Minnesota.

Seattle's only other shot in the first half came at 39' when Rivera ran down a ball in the left corner and crossed to Levesque, whose header was again deflected wide for a corner.

Minnesota were getting more chances, and in the 41st minute Brian Farber's near-post head flick from Sasha Gotsmanov's corner kick went inches over the top far corner.

45' MIN: Zenoni (Farber). A long throw-in went to the end line near goal, where Farber headed it to the other side for Zenoni to run onto unmarked. Zenoni beat Chris Eylander with a low shot to the near side. 2-0 Minnesota.

Halftime: Seattle 0 - 2 Minnesota

Off the opening kickoff, Seattle created a chance for Levesque, who shot from 20 yards and bent it wide of the top left corner by a yard.

Minnesota pressured at 67', getting a good shot from the left and forcing Eylander to collapse for a good save. Two minutes later Eylander did well when he just beat an attacker to an air ball to the side of goal and punched it clear.

79' SEA: Levesque (Schmid). Seattle's goal came from a Kenji Treschuk throw-in, head flicked to Levesque by Andre Schmid and headed in from close range by Levesque. The goal gives Levesque 8 in the season, one away from the league lead. 2-1 Minnesota.

Two minutes later Sounders substitute Craig Tomlinson juked his way loose for a shot from the left, but goalkeeper Nicolas Platter had it covered at the near post. Then Zach Scott had a try, heading Leighton O'Brien's corner kick an inch over the bar. Soon Levesque headed the ball across goal to Schmid, who headed it wide.

The Sounders' last chance came in the 90th when Schmid headed O'Brien's free kick a half yard over the bar.

Final: Seattle 1 - 2 Minnesota

Statistics:
          Seattle   Minnesota
Shots:       10         9
Saves:        2         2
Corners:     11         4
Fouls:       18        18
Offsides:     4         2

Misconduct:
18' SEA: Jackson cautioned for punching Ota in the shoulder in retaliation
18' MIN: Ota cautioned for the front end of the minor altercation
50' SEA: Merl cautioned for a foul on Ota at the halfway line
71' MIN: Zenoni cautioned for a tactical foul
89' SEA: Tomlinson cautioned for a dangerous high kick
90' MIN: Juarez cautioned

Referees: Jeremy Vehar; Manuel Soledad, Mike Rottersman; Josh Wilkins

Attendance: 4,002