June 7, 1996 June 7, 1996Seattle Sounders 0 - 0 Atlanta Ruckus (Seattle wins shootout 4-3)
Atlanta: Mun Young Yi, Scott Halkett, Sylvan Bednar (64' Fabian Davis), Caleb Suri, Tag Gambatese (75' Javier Lopez), Randy Sheen, Tom Wurdack, Franklin McIntosh, Don D'Ambra, Chris Faklaris (90' Moe Suri), Lenin Steenkamp.
Cautions: Seattle - 63' Morrill for tripping; Atlanta - 20' Gambatese for
tripping Farrell, 61' Caleb Suri for tripping Megson.
Offside: Seattle 5, Atlanta 0.
Other Fouls: Seattle 17, Atlanta 16.
Corner Kicks: Seattle 2, Atlanta 5.
Shots: Seattle 12, Atlanta 12.
Saves: Hahnemann 7, Young Yi 2.
Attendance: announced at 2,915, but I estimated 1,200. Attendance was, of
course, hurt by the televised game 2 of the NBA finals, Seattle Sonics v
Chicago Bulls.
The game started slow with Seattle's Joey Leonetti taking the first shot at 12', wide of the far post. Wade Webber's header from a Seattle throw-in forced Mun Young Yi to make the game's first save. Atlanta's first shot came at 19', wide right.
At 21' Seattle's Jason Dunn earned a pressured shot from near the mark, but volleyed over the bar. The tide quickly turned when within a two minute stretch Atlanta forced saves of a headed shot from a free kick, a hard low shot, and a header from the ensuing corner kick. In the last three minutes of the half, Atlanta's Franklin McIntosh shot just over the bar, then Tom Wurdack's shot from a corner kick was blocked and the rebound was shot back in by Greg Sheen and saved for a corner kick.
Rookie Nate Daligcon started the second half in place of Leonetti and turned the offensive tide in Seattle's favor, heading just wide right in the 48th minute. Atlanta's Don D'Ambra shot low to force the first save of the second half. Then Jason Dunn received a square pass just inside the left corner of the area and had time to measure his shot, but sent it way high and wide (come on, Jason, get that foot calibrated!).
Seattle's best chance of the game came at 56' when Daligcon raced up the right side to collect a long cross-field pass behind the defense and ended up one on one with Young Yi, but Daligcon shot just wide right and grabbed his head in frustration.
Atlanta almost won the match at 79' when Javier Lopez, who had just come on for Tag Gambatese, worked a wall pass in front of the goal and earned an excellent shot from the mark. His shot rang the right post and the rebound was cleared by Seattle.
At 83' Jason Dunn had his ankle injured by an Atlanta defender, then injured again on the next Seattle attack. He was soon replaced by Sidney Zanin.
Seattle finished strong, trying for yet another goal in the last five minutes of a game. Daligcon fought through Atlanta's back line to get free with the ball, but his low shot was well saved by Young Yi. In injury time, Chance Fry volleyed the ball into the net from close range, but was flagged offside on a close call.
At 90 minutes, nil-nil.
Shootout (Atlanta shot first):
Atlanta Seattle ------------ ------------ Caleb Suri 0 (wide left) Farrell 1 Moe Suri 1 Megson 1 Davis 1 Zanin 1 D'Ambra 1 McCormick 1 Steenkamp 0 (ball grabbed)
On the last shot, Lenin Steenkamp tried to dribble around Hahnemann, but Hahnemann grabbed the ball for the shootout win, 4 goals to 3.
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