Seattle Pitch - Seattle v. Colorado

July 20, 1996

Seattle Sounders 3-0 Colorado Foxes
      (halftime  1-0)

James Dunn  (S)  17'
Bialek  (S)  52'
Farrell  (S)  87'

Seattle: Marcus Hahnemann, Neil Megson, James Dunn, Billy Crook, Wade Webber, Doug Morrill (88' Greg Veatch), Dick McCormick, Tom Bialek (75' Nate Daligcon), Joey Leonetti, Niall Thompson (46' Jason Dunn), Jason Farrell.
Colorado: Trey Harrington, Bill Sedgewick, Scott Patterson, Chris Martinez, Chris Sarver, Stoner Tadlock (59' Carsten Siersbaek), Anthony McCreath, Gregory McCoomb, Jerome Watson, Wolde Harris (85' Arron Lujan), Walter Boyd (59' Noah Epstein).

Cautions: Seattle - 77' Hahnemann (for complaining about a noncall); Colorado - 38' McCreath (for his Dennis Rodman hair style or for tripping Farrell, I'm not sure which), 48' Watson (for complaining about a foul call).
Offside: Seattle 3, Colorado 1
Fouls: Seattle 23, Colorado 11
Corner Kicks: Seattle 3, Colorado 2
Shots: Seattle 11, Colorado 16
Saves: Hahnemann 6, Harrington 2
Referee: Oscar Myre

From Mark Coker
And finally, some goals. The lads played pretty well, as you can figure by the score. There was less reliance on the boot forward and hope-to-hold-posession approach so evident in last Wednesday's match. Niall Thompson started in favor of Jason Dunn, who came in for Thompson at the start of the second half. I think Jason's insertion may have been the turning point for the team. The Sounder's play seemed even more patient after he came in. The goals were all screamers, each from a ways out. Can't fault their keeper--these shots really had some mustard on them.

Obviously a needed win. The high quality of play, against a team that seems to have our number this year has to be a confidence-builder for this team.

And now the Ron Stickney Account (tm)...
The Seattle Sounders ended their goal drought with a 3-0 win over the visiting Colorado Foxes. Seattle had scored only five goals in the previous eight games since leading scorer Chance Fry had his leg broken. Defender James Dunn scored the first goal early in the game. In the second half, Jason Farrell crossed to Tom Bialek for the second goal and scored the third himself from a Jason Dunn cross. Defensively, Seattle kept Colorado forwards Walter Boyd and Wolde Harris, who had been dangerous in previous matches with the Sounders, bottled up.

Colorado had the early chances. Walter Boyd got free for a shot from the right in the 4th minute to force the game's first save by Marcus Hahnemann. Chris Sarver's 30-yarder was also saved.

At 17' James Dunn scored his first goal in an A-League match (he scored one last year when the Sounders trounced the USISL Everett BigFoot in a US Open Cup match). Dunn, a defender, threw the ball in from the right touch line to Wade Webber, who flicked the ball on into the goal mouth. Colorado cleared the ball out into open space, but Dunn got there first to blast a low 25-yard shot past the near post and the surprised keeper, Trey Harrington. Seattle 1-0.

Soon after the restart, Scott Patterson received the ball in front of the goal, but his 20-yard shot, which looked like it would have beaten the keeper, was barely wide right. Colorado would get no more good shots the rest of the half.

For Seattle, Jason Farrell advanced the ball up the left touch line, then cut across the field to earn a 20-yard shot, saved by Harrington. Player/coach Neil Megson dove low in the area trying to head on goal, but couldn't get a good shot in. U-23 Canadian Niall Thompson, playing his second match for the Sounders after injuring his hamstring in his first, got the ball 12 yards out from the right post with space, but his second touch volley wasn't well struck.

Near the end of the half, Seattle's Dick McCormick beat a man to earn a 20-yard shot from the right, but his blast hit the wrong side of the net.

Two minutes into injury time, Sounder Joey Leonetti was called for a foul on Wolde Harris. Colorado took too much time setting up the free kick, so referee Oscar Myre blew his whistle, ending the half! Seattle at the half, 1-0.

Seattle forward Jason Dunn started the second half in place of Niall Thompson. Seattle's Leonetti got the second half's first good opportunity under pressure from the spot, but sent the ball over the bar.

Tom Bialek scored his second goal as a Sounder at 52' to put Seattle up 2-0. Doug Morrill started the play by sending a nice pass to Jason Farrell in space on the right. Farrell spotted Bialek unmarked on the opposite side and sent a long, curving cross over the crowd in front of the goal to an onrushing Bialek's feet. Bialek volleyed the ball first touch low inside the far post.

At 59' Carsten Siersbaek and Noah Epstein replaced Stoner Tadlock and Walter Boyd for Colorado. Ten minutes later they combined for a good chance, Siersbaek crossing to an unmarked Epstein, whose header was wide left. Later, Epstein earned an open shot from the right, but his 20-yard blast looked like a replay of McCormick's earlier shot as it hit the outside of the net.

At 79' Colorado's Harris got his first shot in, a 20-yard header from a cross, caught by Hahnemann. With five minutes to go Arron Lujan replaced Harris.

Three minutes from time Farrell finished the game's scoring. After McCormick held the ball in the right corner, he back-heeled the ball to Jason Dunn, who had room to work since his marker had gone to double-team McCormick in the corner. Dunn sent a low cross along the 18-yard line that Megson dummied nicely and Farrell volleyed into the net. Final score, Seattle 3-0.

At 88' newly-signed midfielder Greg Veatch, identifiable by his pony tail hair, came on for Morrill to log his first minutes as a Sounder, but never got an opportunity to show his skills.