2009 Apr 13 2009 Apr 13
Training match:
Starfire Sports Complex, Tukwila, WA
Goals:
<45' POR: Keith Savage
<45' POR: Tony McManus
57' SEA: Kevin Forrest (Nathan Sturgis)
>57' POR: Mandjou Keita
70' SEA: Ely Allen
Seattle: Chris Eylander (Ben Dragavon 60'); Jared Karkas (Taylor Graham 71'), Tyson Wahl, Patrick Ianni, Evan Brown; Steve Zakuani, Stephen King, Nathan Sturgis, Sanna Nyassi (Peter Vagenas 71'); Roger Levesque (Ely Allen 67'), Sebastien Le Toux (Kevin Forrest 46').
Portland: Lineup not available.
Match report from the Sounders FC
Chris Eylander played about 60 minutes of Seattle's 3-2 loss Monday in a reserve team game against the Portland Timbers at Starfire. Eylander allowed two first half goals and Ben Dragavon allowed a third as the Sounders FC prepared to play Chivas USA on Saturday without the services of starting keeper Kasey Keller, who will not be eligible to play after his 29th minute red card in last weekend's 1-0 loss to the Kansas City Wizards.
Eylander said after the game Saturday and reiterated on Monday that he feels ready to play on against Chivas this week. Head coach Sigi Schmid, though, would prefer to make the decision later in the week when he has a better feel to how Eylander's injured knee responds to game action."We have to evaluate Chris, how he did today and how he comes back and trains tomorrow, and the we'll know whether we think he's 100% ready to go," Schmid said. "Even though Chris said he was ready to go, we still felt there were things that he couldn't do. The first goal today was a shot where he makes a good save, but he didn't get back up to his feet and that's one of the problem he's had with his injury. He makes that initial save, but he doesn't have the strength back to react to the second shot."
Eylander suffered the PCL sprain in his right knee in the week leading up to the season opener March 19 against the New York Red Bulls. Dragavon has been training with the team for nearly the entire season and has acted as the emergency call-up keeper in the first four games of the year. Saturday was only his second game in the last two seasons after he backed up Eylander last year with the USL Sounders.
Keith Savage and Tony McManus scored first half goals for the Timbers and Mandjou Keita added a third in the second half.
Kevin Forrest scored in the 57th minute for the Sounders FC, knocking in a header off of a cross from Nathan Sturgisto narrow Portland's lead to 2-1. After the Timbers extended the lead back to two goals, Ely Allen blasted in a shot from 17 yards. Seattle couldn't notch the final game-tying tally though and the Timbers finished with a 3-2 win.
Along with Eylander, Taylor Graham, Peter Vagenas and Jared Karkas all made their first appearances for the Sounders FC. Karkas played the first 70 minutes, while Graham and Vagenas both came on for the final 20.
"I've played in a lot of games and I was probably more nervous for these 20 minutes than I've been in a long time. But it was fun to get out there and play without worrying about my body," Vagenas said.
Schmid said of Vagenas, "It was just good to get him out there and play. It was good to get him out on the field and then you can make an assessment of what he has to continue to work on and where he's still short. He might see himself playing, but no (he won't play)."
Added Schmid of Graham, "He looked alright. It was the first minutes back, so it was good for him to get tested a little bit. The thing that he and Pete both bring to the game is that they talk. They're confident, they're experienced and as a result of that they talk and that makes the guys that play with them better.
Seattle Soccer Examiner has a match report on this one: Sounders 'reserves' fall 3-2 to Portland Timbers in Tukwila.