California Jaguars 3 - 2 Seattle Sounders (after extra
time)
Salinas Rodeo and Fairgrounds Stadium, Salinas, CA
Kinoshita (S) 15
Robertson (C) 22
Mann (C) 48
Storkson (S) 55
Harty (C) 95
California: Rueda, Iverson, Black, Holocher (91' Harty), Gomez (52' Fisher), Mann, Schultz, Oetman, Davini, Baena, Robertson.
Seattle: Dusty Hudock, Bernie James, Scott Jenkins, Brandon
Prideaux, Jason Annicchero, Stoner Tadlock (60' Gerry Laterza), Kei Kinoshita,
Paul Gelvezon, Fabian Davis, Erik Storkson (79' Eugene Poublon), Patrick
Beech.
Match report, courtesy of the Sounders staff:
The Seattle Sounders received their first loss of the
season, dropping a
close overtime match to the California Jaguars 3-2. Substitute
Clay
Harty scored the game-winning goal for the Jaguars in
the 5th minute of
overtime, a few minutes after entering the game. The
Sounders finished
their 3-game road swing going 2-1.
"We're obviously disappointed that we didn't come away
with a victory
today," Sounder Head Coach Neil Megson said. "However,
it was still a
successful road trip for us. We came away with two wins
and six points,
and that's what we need to be doing at this point of
the season."
The Sounders came out strong, dominating play early and
scoring the
first goal of the game in the 15th minute. Seattle defender
Brandon
Prideaux made a brilliant run down the right side, beating
two Jaguar
defenders and taking the ball to the touchline. Prideaux
stopped and
picked out midfielder Kei Kinoshita who one-touched a
shot past Jaguar
goalkeeper Kevin Rueda.
After the goal, California seized the momentum throughout
the rest of
the first half. California came at the Sounders, stringing
a number of
passes together, and tied the game in the 22nd minute.
Jamie Holocher
back-heeled a pass to Ralph Robertson who blasted a left-footed
shot
from 25 yards out, past Sounder goalkeeper Dusty Hudock,
into the upper
left hand corner.
California had two other scoring opportunities in the
first half but was
unable to capitalize. The teams went in at halftime tied
at 1-1.
The Jaguars took a 2-1 lead early in the second half off
a goal by Mike
Baena in the 48th minute as California caught the Sounders
on their
heels. Randy Mann hit a free kick from just beyond the
halfway line over
the top of the Sounders defense, forward mark Baena ran
onto the ball,
controlled it, and beat Hudock with a right-footed shot
to put
California on top.
The Sounders regained their composure and came right back
with a goal in
the 55th minute. A ball was crossed into the Jaguars'
box. Amid some
confusion, Rueda mishandled the ball and Paul Gelvezon
was right there
to cut it back to forward Erik Storkson who finished
the goal, tying the
game at 2-2.
Neither team could score during the last 35 minutes of
regulation and
the game went into overtime tied at 2-2. In overtime,
substitute Clay
Harty scored the game-winning goal in the 95th minute,
assisted by Randy
Mann from Jeremy Schultz' cross.
Today's game had important US Open Cup implications. The
Open Cup, which
is a single elimination tournament between the country's
top amateurs
and teams from the USISL Premier League, D-3 Pro League,
A-League and
MLS, determines the best soccer team in the country.
The top two teams
in the Pacific Division, by points, after 6 games into
the season, will
advance into the US Open Cup.
Shots: Cal 9, Sea 9
Saves: Cal 3, Sea 3
Corners: Cal 7, Sea 6
Fouls: Cal 23, Sea 11
Offside: Cal 2, Sea 3
Misconduct:
56' Cal: Davini cautioned
Attendance: 1,023