2009 May 30 2009 May 30
Qwest Field, Seattle, WA
Goals:
12' CBS: Alejandro Moreno (Pat Noonan, Jed Zayner)
58' SEA: Nate Jaqua (Freddie Ljungberg)
Seattle: Kasey Keller; Tyson Wahl, Tyrone Marshall (sent off 90'), Jhon Kennedy Hurtado, James Riley; Steve Zakuani, Peter Vagenas (Patrick Ianni 64'), Brad Evans, Freddie Ljungberg; Nate Jaqua (Sebastien Le Toux 83'), Fredy Montero (Nathan Sturgis 90'). Substitutes not used: Ben Dragavon, Stephen King, Sanna Nyassi, Roger Levesque.
Columbus: Andy Gruenebaum; Gino Padula, Chad Marshall, Eric Brunner, Jed Zayner; Robbie Rogers, Danny O'Rourke (Duncan Oughton 90'), Eddie Gaven, Emmanuel Ekpo (Steven Lenhart 79'); Pat Noonan (Guillermo Barros Schelotto 69'), Alejandro Moreno. Substitutes not used: Alec Duffy, Alex Grendi, Kevin Burns, Jason Garey.
Match report by Ron Stickney
The Seattle Sounders had to come from behind to draw 1-1 with the Columbus Crew at Qwest Field. Alejandro Moreno gave Columbus the early lead. A critical moment came on the half hour mark when Freddie Ljungberg missed the goal on a penalty kick. Nate Jaqua finally leveled the score in the second half, and nobody could find a match winner.
The Sounders sent out a starting lineup with no players from the previous year's Sounders, and the side looked liked the expansion team people were expecting at the start of the season.
The first shot was from Columbus as a minute and a half in Robbie Rogers shot up the middle from 35 yards and missed a yard or two wide.
12' CBS: Moreno (Noonan, Zayner). Jed Zayner's quick free kick found Pat Noonan open at the right touch line, and his cross in front of goal was perfect for Moreno, who split the center backs and finished with a diving header to the lower far corner. 1-0 Columbus.
Seattle's first shot came four minutes later when Jhon Kennedy Hurtado headed two yards wide of the far post from Seattle's first corner kick.
Ljungberg earned a penalty kick at 31' when he tried to turn the corner on the left after a pass from Steve Zakuani and was tripped by Zayner. Ljungberg took the PK but missed the goal to the lower left. Perhaps it is best to have the PK taken by someone other than the fouled player.
In a half with few chances, the next chances were for Columbus about six minutes before intermission. On the Crew's first corner kick, Chad Marshall headed a shot wide. On a quick counterattack, Emmanuel Ekpo had a good chance from the 18 up the middle, but Kasey Keller got down for the block save with his arm.
Seattle had the last chance of the half when Fredy Montero fought off his marker and fired a low shot at the far post from the top right corner of the penalty area, but Andy Gruenebaum was there for the save.
Halftime: Seattle 0 - 1 Columbus
Keller was called on for a save in the first minute of the second half when Noonan tried from the top left corner of the penalty area.
Then Seattle pressured the Crew's goal for most of the next 15 minutes, finally getting a result.
58' SEA: Jaqua (Ljungberg). A quick free kick by Montero gave the ball to Zakuani on the left. He fed Jaqua at the top of the arc. Jaqua worked a give and go with Ljungberg, who was at the left end of the arc closely marked. Ljungberg popped the ball diagonally forward and to the right, just where Jaqua was going. Jaqua volleyed brilliantly to the top far corner right past Gruenebaum's head. 1-1.
Eight minutes later Seattle's Montero was served on the right for a chance at a go-ahead goal, but the shot was deflected wide for a corner.
The next minute for Columbus Eddie Gaven shot up the middle from 20 yards and forced a save by Keller. Then Keller had to touch a shot over the bar on a Columbus free kick play.
At 72' a rare indirect free kick at the 6-yard line was given to the Sounders after Gruenebaum picked up a long backpass from a teammate's foot. It took about two and a half minutes and a pair of yellow cards to Schelotto and Ekpo to get the Crew to respect the required distance. The resulting shot by Ljungberg deflected off the wall on the goal line for a corner. The corner kick was headed well wide by Jaqua.
At 81' for Seattle Montero tried a chip backwards over his head, and it landed on the roof a yard behind the bar.
Five minutes of added time stretched into about seven minutes, producing a couple of shots from Seattle that were easily dealt with. But what wasn't dealt with well was an altercation between Seattle's Tyrone Marshall and Columbus substitute Steven Lenhart. Assistant referee David Bragg called referee Michael Kennedy over, and after a consultation Marshall was shown the red card and Columbus took a free kick from the right end of the arc that was stopped by the wall.
Final: Seattle 1 - 1 Columbus
Statistics:
SEA CBS
Shots: 10 8
Saves: 4 1
Corners: 7 3
Fouls: 14 22
Offsides: 3 2
Misconduct:
37' SEA: Vagenas cautioned for a tactical foul
68' SEA: Hurtado cautioned for dissent after being called for a foul
73' CBS: Schelotto cautioned for failing to give the required distance on a free kick
73' CBS: Ekpo cautioned for failing to give the required distance on a free kick
89' SEA: Ljungberg cautioned for dissent after a quick throw-in was called back to move it two yards
90' SEA: Marshall sent off for something the assistant referee saw
Referees: Michael Kennedy; Emiliano Monje, David Bragg; Alejandro Mariscal
Attendance: 29,126
Additional match reports:
