Seattle Pitch - Seattle v. Colorado

September 22, 1996

Playoff Match 2

Seattle Sounders  0 - 2  Colorado Foxes
       (halftime  0 - 1)

Henrik Fig  (C)  31'
Henrik Fig  (C)  76'

Seattle: Marcus Hahnemann, James Dunn, Billy Crook, Doug Morrill, Wade Webber, Dick McCormick, David Hoggan, Jason Farrell, Joey Leonetti (66' Justin Stoddard), Niall Thompson, Jason Dunn (57' Nate Daligcon).

Colorado: Trey Harrington, Bill Sedgewick, Dave Adams, Lak, Chris Martinez, Chris Sarver, Stoner Tadlock, Carsten Siersbaek (56' Jeff Hooker), Jerome Watson, Arron Lujan, Henrik Fig.

Cautions:
32' Colorado: Sarver (for an altercation with Hoggan away from the ball)
49' Seattle: Thompson (for tripping Sarver)
51' Colorado: Watson (for complaining about a foul call)
73' Seattle: Webber (for a sliding tackle that upended Fig)
Offside: Seattle 0, Colorado 1
Fouls: Seattle 19, Colorado 12
Corner Kicks: Seattle 6, Colorado 1
Shots: Seattle 17, Colorado 11
Saves: Hahnemann 3, Harrington 5
Attendance: est. 3,102

The Ron Stickney Account(tm):
On a crisp, clear evening, the Seattle Sounders fell 0-2 to their A-League semifinal series opponent, the Colorado Foxes, who were playing without several starters who were out for a Jamaican World Cup qualifier. Henrik Fig knocked in a close-range goal 31 minutes into each half, the first from a ball coughed up in the area by Seattle sweeper James Dunn, and the second from Stoner Tadlock's cross. The result forced a third and deciding match, to be held later this week in Colorado, with the winner advancing to the A-League championship match.

Seattle created some good opportunities early. In the first minute, Jason Farrell's cross went across the goal mouth for that twelfth player on everyone's lineup, nobody. James Dunn sprang Niall Thompson for a shot from an acute angle on the right, but the ball rolled just wide of the far post. Goalkeeper Marcus Hahnemann sent a ball bouncing through the pack that put David Hoggan free for a cross from the goal line, but Hoggan's cross went out for a goal kick.

Colorado's first shot at 10' was a 40-yard prayer by Chris Martinez, caught by Hahnemann. A bit later, Martinez' 20-yard shot was wide of the near post.

When a Colorado defender chested a ball to Jason Dunn, the Sounder fired a 25-yard rocket, wide left.

At 31' Henrik Fig struck with an unassisted goal from close range. James Dunn tried to dribble out of trouble near the spot, but was swarmed by three yellow shirts, like a piece of meat set upon by yellow jackets, and the ball was popped out towards goal and was slammed in by Fig from eight yards, giving Hahnemann no chance.

At 38' Arron Lujan's 35-yarder was flicked on by the top of the cross bar. The other way, Farrell got an excellent chance with a first touch, close-in shot from a short crossing pass, but Harrington dove to make a great save, holding onto the ball. Colorado's Carsten Siersbaek got the last good shot of the half, but Hahnemann easily caught the ball at the bar.

In the second half, shots were rare for the first 20 minutes. Doug Morrill's 25-yarder for Seattle was the first decent shot of the half, but it didn't have enough mustard on it.

For Colorado, Dave Adams was open ten yards out for a perfect cross from Jerome Watson, but Adams kicked the shot way over. For Seattle, McCormick was equally open for James Dunn's equally good cross, but McCormick headed over instead of down.

With 14 minutes left, Fig struck again for Colorado on a counterattack. Tadlock carried the ball up the right touch line to the corner, drawing sweeper James Dunn, then crossed to an unmarked Fig near the spot. Fig had time to chest trap the cross, measure the shot, and blast it past a diving Hahnemann inside the right post.

Farrell came close three times in the last ten minutes. His 25-yard blast from the left side was pushed wide by Harrington. On a corner kick play, Harrington came out but could only get a hand on the ball, which fell for Farrell to shoot on goal, but the shot was cleared from the line by one of four defenders who were lined up between the posts like the Rockettes. In the 90th minute, Wade Webber headed a forward pass to the left side for Farrell, whose hard shot was pushed onto the post by Harrington, with the rebound landing within Harrington's reach as he lay wide of the goal.

With Rochester losing to Montreal at home 0-3 the previous night in the other A-League semifinal series, the home team has lost all four playoff matches thus far. Seattle will have their work cut out for them for the third game against Colorado, as the players called up to the Jamaican national team are due back.