2011 Feb 22 2011 Feb 22
Preseason training match:
Houston Dynamo 2 - 2 Seattle Sounders FC
ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex, Orlando, FL
Goals:
11' HOU: Cam Weaver (Geoff Cameron)
28' HOU: Brian Ching (Francisco Navas Cobo)
62' SEA: Fredy Montero (PK)
70' SEA: Michael Tetteh (Roger Levesque)
Houston: Tally Hall (Tyler Deric 46'); Kofi Sarkodie (Jordan Grey 46'), Bobby Boswell (Eddie Robinson 46'), Andrew Hainault (Jermaine Taylor 46'), Hunter Freeman (Mike Chabala 46'); Danny Cruz (Francisco Navas Cobo 46', Josue Soto 70'), Richard Edwards (Lovel Palmer 46'), Geoff Cameron (Alex Dixon 46', Francisco Navas Cobo 87'), Brad Davis (Corey Ashe 46'); Cam Weaver (Brian Ching 46'), Will Bruin (Jason Garey 46').
Seattle: Kasey Keller (Josh Ford 46'); James Riley (Richard Martinez 63'), Jhon Kennedy Hurtado (Taylor Graham 63'), Jeff Parke (Leone Cruz 63'), Leo Gonzalez (Michael Tetteh 63'); Alvaro Fernandez (Roger Levesque 63'), Osvaldo Alonso (Servando Carrasco 63'), Brad Evans (Jonathan Prieto 63'), Steve Zakuani (Miguel Montaño 63'); O’Brian White (Pat Noonan 63'), Fredy Montero (Lamar Neagle 63').
Match report from Sounders FC:
The Sounders FC played their last of two matches at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex in Orlando on Tuesday and came back from a 2-0 second-half deficit to draw the Houston Dynamo 2-2.
For the second straight game, the Sounders controlled much of the possession, but still found themselves trailing the Dynamo after a pair of goals by former USL Sounders with one by Cam Weaver and another off a scramble in front of the net by Brian Ching.
However, this time around they battled back, getting goals from Fredy Montero and Michael Tetteh to finish with the 2-2 draw.
"It's good that we came back from 2-0 down but I thought in the first half we actually played some pretty good soccer," head coach Sigi Schmid said. "I thought we created some good opportunities. We have got to do a better job finishing, that's got to be better. We have also got to do a better job of not dominating and then conceding a goal at the other end of the field."
From the opening kick, the Sounders applied pressure on the offensive side, but when Houston scored in the 11th minute the rest of the first half was more evenly played.
Seattle continued to get opportunities, but shots from Montero, O'Brian White and Osvaldo Alonso all couldn't find their way past Houston goalkeeper Tally Hall.
Montero nearly got Seattle on the board in the 41st minute with a blast off the volley that caught the bottom of the crossbar and nearly caromed into the goal, but instead bounced down just short of the line before spinning back out into the field and the Sounders went into the half trailing 1-0.
However, Houston was able to add to their lead in the 57th minute. Francisco Navas Cobo swung a corner kick into the box and Ching knocked it into the front of the goal, but Jeff Parke and Josh Ford weren't able to keep it out of the net and Houston took the 2-0 lead.
Seattle pulled a goal back in the 62nd minute though, when White battled into the box and was knocked to the ground for a penalty. Fredy Montero slammed it into the side of the net for the goal and the Sounders made it 2-1.
After the goal, Seattle brought on wholesale substitutions and the reserve group carried the momentum from Montero's goal.
In the 70th minute, they were able to convert that into a goal when Tetteh scored for the first time with the Sounders FC. The rookie from UC-Santa Barbara carried the ball forward, darting through traffic, then passed off to Roger Levesque who turned into an open net, but instead passed back to Tetteh for an easy one-touch goal.
That score held until the final whistle and the Sounders moved to 2-2-2 in the preseason. They returned to Bradenton after the match and will face the University of Central Florida on Thursday.
Misconduct:
19' SEA: Evans cautioned
22' HOU: Edwards cautioned
Postmatch Quotes
Seattle Sounders FC
Sigi Schmid - Head Coach
On the training game: "It's good that we came back from 2-0 down but I thought in the first half we actually played some pretty good soccer. I thought we created some good opportunities. If it wouldn't be for bad luck we would have no luck. It was a situation where I was looking for the chances we could create for ourselves. We have got to do a better job finishing, that's got to be better. We have also got to do a better job of not dominating and then conceding a goal at the other end of the field. We have got to cut out those mistakes. Overall, I was pleased with the soccer. I thought it was better and I was happy with the fact that we came back and equalized the game in the second half."
On the team's scoring: "I didn't think we deserved to lose the game today, for sure. It was good. The penalty was good by O'Brian trying to shield it. Montero buries the penalty and then the second goal was a great combination between Leveque and Michael Tetteh. I thought we had some other opportunities where we were right there knocking on the door. If we continue to do that, things will turn out alright. There's always a point in every game where you're not going to dominate the game, where the other team is going to get it and right now what we're doing is we are giving up goals in those periods of time. We've just got to be able to eliminate that and we've got to work on defending set pieces as well because that was an Achilles heel last year and it's something we haven't worked on at all so far this year. I usually don't work on it in the first two, three weeks but they'll get a steady diet of that from now on."
On impressions of two training games in Orlando: "It was good because we were able to push guys 60 minutes. We were able to play two different units. It gave guys opportunities to step up and make a case for themselves. I always say I don't make decisions, players make decisions for me. Guys had an opportunity to make their case as to why they should be on the team or why they shouldn't be on the team."
On players that impressed: "Like I said, I thought we had some good moments. I thought Alonso played very well in the first half. I thought Leo Gonzalez was very good as well in the first half. Obviously Montero I thought had, outside of the one that hit the post, had some other good opportunities. Zakuani had some key moments. There were some good one-two's from Fernandez on the right side of the field as well that got him in behind. I was pleased. The second group that came out I thought Roger Levesque played with great energy. We play him at right back, right midfield and he's doing a great job there. I thought as well that Carrasco came in and played well for us in the middle of midfield. Obviously Tetteh scores a great goal. We'll get his defending better but he's got some instincts offensively that you can't teach. At the end of the day, I think he's going to be a very good player for us on the left side."
On Erik Friberg and Patrick Ianni: "We are just being cautious with both of them. We are seeing how Erik comes along. We will get a better idea tomorrow. Are they such that they might be able to play on Saturday? Don't know. We'll see how that works but for sure we think by the time we play the Cascadia Summit they should be ready to go."
