2009 Aug 20 2009 Aug 20
Qwest Field, Seattle, WA
Goals:
21' NE: Shalrie Joseph (Steve Ralston, Edgaras Jankauskas)
Seattle: Kasey Keller; Leo Gonzalez (Zach Scott 90'), Jhon Kennedy Hurtado, Patrick Ianni, James Riley; Steve Zakuani, Osvaldo Alonso, Peter Vagenas (Sanna Nyassi 69'), Brad Evans; Nate Jaqua (Sebastien Le Toux 64'), Fredy Montero. Substitutes not used: Ben Dragavon, Taylor Graham, Tyson Wahl, Nathan Sturgis.
New England: Matt Reis; Jay Heaps, Emmanuel Osei, Darrius Barnes, Kevin Alston; Kenny Mansally (Mauricio Castro 80'), Shalrie Joseph, Jeff Larentowicz, Sainey Nyassi (Wells Thompson 67'); Steve Ralston, Edgaras Jankauskas (Kheli Dube 65'). Substitutes not used: Brad Knighton, Gabriel Badilla, Chris Tierney, Pat Phelan.
Match report from Ron Stickney
The Seattle Sounders FC laid a goose egg at home, failing to score from the best of chances while the New England Revolution's Shalrie Joseph created the lone goal of the match to win it. Seattle's biggest blunder was a missed penalty kick late in the first half.
The first ten minutes produced no shots, but New England players went down twice. Sainey Nyassi, twin brother of Sounder Sanna Nyassi, was first, apparently hurting his leg stretching for a ball while trying to turn the corner in the penalty area. Then Edgaras Jankauskas went down after losing a challenge in the air to Patrick Ianni.
The first shot came at 11' when Seattle's Nate Jaqua had a cross from Brad Evans put on his head but Jaqua headed well over while his shirt was pulled by defender Kevin Alston.
21' NE: Joseph (Ralston, Jankauskas). The lone goal came when Steve Ralston worked a wall pass with Jankauskas and then chipped the ball over the defense in the middle. Joseph easily shrugged Peter Vagenas off and shot low past Kasey Keller while falling. 1-0 New England.
For Seattle, Jaqua had another chance when goalkeeper Matt Reis batted a cross down to Jaqua's feet at the far post, but Jaqua couldn't get off a shot.
Then Seattle let defender Alston get through on the right to cross in front of goal with Jankauskas and a teammate there, but Jhon Kennedy Hurtado slid in to break up the chance.
At 27' Jaqua got his best chance when left back Leo Gonzalez got close to the left post and laid back a diagonal pass to a wide open Jaqua 10 yards from goal, but with only Reis to beat Jaqua missed the goal. Gonzalez' play was the only bright spot for Seattle in the evening.
On the half hour chime, goal scorer Joseph came close to another when he headed a corner kick just inches over the bar onto the top of the net.
For Seattle, Ianni headed Vagenas' corner kick down and just missed the near post. At 38' another Vagenas corner kick resulted in a shot from the arc by Steve Zakuani, but it hit Fredy Montero in the head halfway to goal.
At 42' New England was whistled for their first foul, giving Montero a free kick at the top left of the penalty area. The wall blocked Montero's kick, but the ball was soon sent back into the area and Ralston was called for a foul when he tried to clear the ball and appeared to kick Montero in the midsection. Montero took the PK, but wasted it, hitting the crossbar with the rebound hitting the goal line and bouncing back into play. That would be Seattle's last good chance.
Early in the second half Montero earned a silly yellow card by knocking the ball out of goalkeeper Reis' hands. It was Montero's fifth yellow, and he will be suspended the next match.
Seattle brought on Sebastien Le Toux and Sanna Nyassi to inject new blood, but they were no better. Nyassi soon had four crossing opportunities, but sent them all far too long. The only good chance left in the match came at 90' when Sanna shot hard at the top near corner but missed just wide.
Statistics:
SEA NE
Shots: 11 7
Saves: 1 2
Corners: 10 6
Fouls: 10 11
Offsides: 1 1
Misconduct:
40' SEA: Gonzalez cautioned for tripping Sainey Nyassi
43' NE: Ralston cautioned for dissent
45' NE: Jankauskas cautioned for trying to score a Hand of God goal
45' NE: Heaps cautioned for dissent
45' NE: Coach Paul Mariner dismissed
54' SEA: Montero cautioned for kicking the ball out of the goalkeeper's hands
65' NE: Reis cautioned for dissent
86' SEA: Sanna Nyassi cautioned for dissent after a non-call
Referees: Baldomero Toledo; George Gansner, Greg Boles; Edvin Jurisevic
Attendance: 32,705
Additional match reports:
