2009 Aug 15 2009 Aug 15
Home Depot Center, Carson, CA
Goals:
22' SEA: Steve Zakuani (Brad Evans)
54' SEA: Fredy Montero (Nate Jaqua, Peter Vagenas)
Los Angeles: Donovan Ricketts; Todd Dunivant, Omar Gonzalez, Gregg Berhalter, AJ DeLaGarza; Eddie Lewis (sent off 79'), Stefan Miglioranzi (Landon Donovan 46'), David Beckham (sent off 17'), Chris Klein (Bryan Jordan 58'); Alan Gordon (Mike Magee 61'), Jovan Kirovski. Substitutes not used: Josh Saunders, Dema Kovalenko, Tony Sanneh, Chris Birchall.
Seattle: Kasey Keller; Leo Gonzalez, Tyrone Marshall (sent off 76'), Patrick Ianni, James Riley; Steve Zakuani (Sebastien Le Toux 74'), Osvaldo Alonso, Peter Vagenas, Brad Evans; Nate Jaqua (Sanna Nyassi 88'), Fredy Montero (Zach Scott 81'). Substitutes not used: Terry Boss, Tyson Wahl, Nathan Sturgis, Freddie Ljungberg.
Match report from Ron Stickney
The Seattle Sounders broke a long streak without a goal with a road win at the Los Angeles Galaxy. The Sounders scored twice with goals by Steve Zakuani and then Fredy Montero. Both goals came after Los Angeles' David Beckham was sent off, and near the end Seattle's Tyrone Marshall and Los Angeles' Eddie Lewis were also sent off by referee Ricardo Salazar.
The match started without regulars Freddie Ljungberg from Seattle, who suffered disorientation before the match, and Landon Donovan from Los Angeles, who is recovering from the H1N1 flu. Donovan came on for the second half. Seattle were also without defender John Kennedy Hurtado, who was suspended due to yellow card accumulation.
The Sounders wore their blue jerseys for the first time this season. If it was for superstitious reasons, to change their luck, it worked.
The opening quarter of the match saw zero shots from either side, but in the 17th minute Beckham uncharacteristically came into a late challenge against Peter Vagenas with cleats first, getting Vagenas in the ankle. Beckham was shown the straight red card, giving the Sounders a man advantage they had enjoyed only briefly before this season.
22' SEA: Zakuani (Evans). The first shot of the match produced the first goal. Thirty yards from goal Nate Jaqua won a challenge in the air to head the ball to Brad Evans, who nodded it forward and burst past Gregg Berhalter to enter the penalty area from the right wide open. Evans sent a square cross to the far post for Zakuani, who was wide open to score before goalkeeper Donovan Ricketts could make the post to post run. 1-0 Seattle. The shot broke a scoreless run of three league matches, four total matches counting the friendly versus FC Barcelona.
The Galaxy were more aggressive for the next ten minutes, but their only chance was a 35-yard free kick from Lewis to the middle, where Kasey Keller was waiting to make the save.
The rest of the half was ruled by the defenses, with Seattle's Leo Gonzalez making a particularly good effort to deny Chris Klein a shot on the doorstep. Late in the half Zakuani got his second shot after a nice buildup from Seattle, but he missed the near post by a yard. At 45' for Los Angeles, Alan Gordon's cross/shot forced a good save by Keller to keep it out of the top far corner.
The second half opened with a flurry by Seattle. Montero took a pass on the right to cross to the near post, where a defender stopped the ball but failed to clear it. Jaqua turned for a shot but Ricketts was right there to block, with the rebound in front of goal. Osvaldo Alonso slid in to shoot the loose ball on goal, but AJ DeLaGarza on the goal line blocked it. Then Montero fired the rebound on goal from the right and Ricketts did well to push it wide of the near post.
Jaqua soon had two chances for the Sounders. The first came from a cross by right back James Riley, but the shot went easily to Ricketts. The second came from a cross by left back Gonzalez but was shot well wide on a quick turn.
54' SEA: Montero (Jaqua, Vagenas). With the regular corner kick takers on the bench, Vagenas took one from the right and it produced an insurance goal. The corner kick went to Jaqua near the spot, and he headed it down into the goal area. Montero spun from the post to fire it into the ceiling of the net. 2-0 Seattle.
Seattle soon had a chance for another when good passing led to a shot by Evans at the far post, but Ricketts parried and saved the shot.
A rare good shot from Los Angeles came near the hour mark when young defender Omar Gonzalez headed a long throw-in just wide, with Keller at the post just in case.
Then for Seattle Alonso sprung Montero on the right but his first touch was way too far and Ricketts stuffed the shot. A counterattack went from Jaqua to Riley to Zakuani for a good chance from close, but the volley went wide of the far post.
At 76' it became 10 vs. 10 when Marshall was sent off for his second caution, both within ten minutes for tactical fouls. The second was a check to keep Donovan from going past.
Two minutes later a Lewis free kick was saved well by Keller. But a minute later Lewis slapped Riley softly in the head during a challenge. It wasn't much, but it was a strike to the head and earned a straight red card, the third of the match.
Seattle's defense prevented Los Angeles from any chances the rest of the way, while Seattle had just one chance from Jaqua that just missed the lower far corner.
Statistics:
LA SEA
Shots: 8 16
Saves: 6 5
Corners: 2 2
Fouls: 11 12
Offsides: 1 7
Misconduct:
13' LA: DeLaGarza cautioned for holding Zakuani, a delayed caution
17' LA: Beckham sent off for a cleats-first challenge on Vagenas
65' SEA: Marshall cautioned for a tactical foul, pulling Magee
76' SEA: Marshall cautioned for a tactical foul on Donovan and sent off for his second caution
79' LA: Lewis sent off for hitting Riley in the head
81' SEA: Montero cautioned for delaying, exiting the match too slowly after being substituted for
90' LA: Kirovski cautioned for a late challenge on Le Toux
Referees: Ricardo Salazar; CJ Morgante, Frank Anderson; Ramon Hernandez
Attendance: 20,162
Additional match reports:
