MLS Seattle Sounders FC

Late Rally Not Enough to Advance Sounders

Published on November 3, 2011 under Major League Soccer (MLS)
Seattle Sounders FC News Release


SEATTLE - A second-half surge fueled by goals from Osvaldo Alonso and Lamar Neagle provided Seattle Sounders FC with a 2-0 win over Real Salt Lake yet it wasn't enough to overcome a deficit from the first leg of their MLS Western Conference Semifinal series. Real Salt Lake won, 3-2, on aggregate and advances to face either the L.A. Galaxy or New York Red Bulls on Sunday.

Seattle's win, before 36,021 on the Xbox Pitch at CenturyLink Field, was its first in the MLS Cup Playoffs after also qualifying in 2009 and 2010. It was the eighth-largest crowd in MLS postseason history.

Kasey Keller was required to make only one save in posting a shutout in his final professional match. Keller, 41, retires following 20 professional seasons in Europe and, for the past three years, with Sounders FC.

Seattle needed to outscore RSL by four goals to win the series after falling, 3-0, in Utah last Saturday.

Pressuring the visitors' goal from the outset Sounders FC were denied until the 56th minute when they earned at penalty kick.

RSL defender Tony Beltran was whistled for a foul and issued a yellow card after pulling down Mike Fucito from behind inside the box. Alonso's ensuing penalty kick went low and down the middle of the net, past keeper Nick Rimando.

Seattle made it 2-0 just five minutes later when Fredy Montero found Lamar Neagle going hard up the left side. Neagle caught Rimando leaning the wrong way and finished with a left-footed strike inside the right post from 15-yards in the 61st minute. Alonso was also credited with an assist.

The best opportunity for Sounders FC to tie the aggregate score came from Neagle in the 69th minute. He drove a curling shot from the top of the box that Rimando saved near the upper right corner.

The Rave Green finished with 26 shots-tying their regular season record set earlier in the season versus Houston. Nine of the attempts were on goal, led by Neagle's three.Real Salt Lake managed only four shots, one on goal.

Despite a scoreless first half, Seattle dominated. They out-shot RSL 15-1 (including 4-0 on goal), and set a franchise record for corner kicks in a half with 10.

Injuries plagued Sounders FC early on as No. 2 scorer Alvaro Fernandez left the game in the 14th minute with a left hamstring injury and Brad Evans was taken off in the 21st after injuring his right ankle. They were replaced by Neagle and Roger Levesque, respectively. Mauro Rosales, who led the team with 13 assists this season, missed the entire series with an MCL sprain.

Seattle almost got on the board in the seventh minute when Erik Friberg's free kick was headed by Fernandez to Montero behind the defense, but Montero's open shot went wide right.

A long, relentless attack at the end of the first half by Seattle started in the 35th minute and created multiple opportunities, the best of which came in the 39th when, with Rimando out of position, Jeff Parke volleyed toward an open net from 18-yards only to have Beltran clear the shot with a leaping header over the crossbar.

Keller kept Seattle in aggregate contention late. In the 79th minute, Fabian Espindola got behind the defense and had Keller one-on-one, but Keller made a point-blank save.

With a total of 27 wins in the regular season, playoffs, Open Cup and CONCACAF Champions League, Sounders FC eclipsed the standard of 26 outright (non-tiebreaker) wins by the Chicago Fire in 2000.

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Major League Soccer Stories from November 3, 2011


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