MLS Seattle Sounders FC

Sounders and Blues play to draw

Published on June 20, 2008 under Major League Soccer (MLS)
Seattle Sounders FC News Release


TUKWILA -- Sooner or later, some team is going to get a ball into the Miami FC net.

On Friday night, the Seattle Sounders were not that team.

Generating more shots -- and more dangerous ones -- didn't get the job done for the Sounders. Seattle did get a point out of the deal, however, by playing to a 0-0 tie against the Blues in front of 2,145 fans at Starfire Sports Complex.

The Blues put their sixth straight shutout into the books -- which included a 0-0 tie against the Sounders on June 1 at Miami -- ran their scoreless streak to 590 minutes, dating back to the second half of a 3-1 loss at Minnesota on May 24.

"We were just a little rusty tonight," said forward Josh Gardner, who had by far Seattle‘s best chance -- a header that slammed off the post at the 82:20 mark. "We had our chances, we just didn't put one away. Give Miami credit -- they're doing something correct."

The point for the tie lifted Seattle (4-2-6, 18 points) into a third-place tie with Portland in the United Soccer Leagues first Division standings. Miami is 3-6-6 with 15 points.

"They're a decent team. I saw that when we were down in Miami," said Sounders coach Brian Schmetzer, whose team will take on Hollywood United in a second-round U.S. Open Cup game on Tuesday at 8 p.m. at Starfire. "I had a conversation today with (general manager) Adrian (Hanauer) and the coaching staff and the players, and I said, ‘Don't be surprised about this team.' "

Unlike the game earlier this month in which the Sounders managed just four shots, they got off 13 this time -- two of those during the final eight minutes that could have put Seattle into the win column.

The first of those was Gardner's, off a perfect feed from O'Brien. Gardner was playing just to the left of Blues goalkeeper Josh Saunders' front porch.

"Leighton played a great ball through, but I hit the post. I talked to Saunders afterward, and he said I had him beat," Gardner said.

Then during stoppage time, Kenji Treschuk got the ball to Sebastien LeToux on the top right side of Saunders' box. But LeToux' shot went off the top of is foot and way over the net.

"Their clean sheet tonight was more a function of our being rusty," Schmetzer said. "We just couldn't get in sync. The whole second half, we were the better team. We made some adjustments (at halftime). Roger (Levesque) comes in, provides some spark. We had some good chances and a couple of half-chances in there."

Seattle's clean sheet was the fifth of the season for goalkeeper Chris Eylander. He made three saves on nine Blues shots, including a diving one at the 88-minute mark when Eric Vasquez picked up a loose ball at the top of the arc and ripped one that was on its way in until Eylander interceded.

"Chris is real solid in the back -- he's not going to give up too many opportunities," Gardner said of Eylander, who is now tied with Miami's Saunders for most saves in the league at 48 apiece. "We just have to find some goals and win a game 1-0."

A first half that was, for the most part, sluggish, ended scoreless. The best try for the Sounders came during the latter stages of stoppage time when O'Brien was taken down just outside the penalty area on the right wing side. That gave Seattle a free kick, which Gardner drove around a five-man wall toward the left post.

It took a diving save by Blues goalkeeper Saunders to keep it out of the net.

Seattle also had two potentially dangerous forays into the top of the box, but didn't get a shot off in either instance. Late in the 39th minute, LeToux broke into the open down the attacking left side. But the Miami defender racing alongside him knocked the ball away before LeToux could wind up.

Just two minutes later, rookie midfielder John Fishbaugher took the ball from the center of the field toward the left wing side. He sent a nifty through ball to O'Brien , who ran onto it just inside the top of the box, but slipped and fell before he could shoot.

Midway through the half, defender Zach Scott stole the ball at midfield, dribbled in a few steps and ripped a 45-yarder that zipped just wide of the right post.

Midfielder Sean Cameron, the only Blues player besides forward Alex Alfonso with more than one goal this season (Cameron has two, Alfonso nine) blasted two shots that came close. He uncorked one from the right of the arc that went barely over the top at the 9:25 mark.

Then just at the end of the 26th minute, he let loose with one from 35 yards straight on that went barely wide left.

Seattle had more shots during Friday's first half (five) than the four shots it managed during the entire 90 minutes of the 0-0 tie at Miami on June 1.

Following Tuesday night's Open Cup game against Hollywood, the Sounders play host to Montreal next Saturday at 8 p.m. before a two-part East Coast road swing that takes them first to Carolina (July 3) and Charleston (July 5), then back home for a few days before heading to Rochester (July 11) and Montreal (July 13).

QUICK KICKS -- The 10 days between Seattle's 3-0 U.S. Open Cup victory at Arizona on June 10 and Friday night's contest against Miami gave some of the walking wounded addition healing time. Forwards Roger Levesque (ankle) and Jason Cascio (ankle) both were on the active roster, albeit as subs. Levesque subbed in for John Fishbaugher at the start of the 52nd minute. But he tweaked the ankle again in the final few minutes of the game and went back to the sidelines. There was no immediate word on the severity of the injury. Defender Noah Merl (groin) was back in the starting lineup. Starting defender Danny Jackson (foot) and midfielder Youssouf Kante (Achilles tendon) were not suited. ... Its current scoreless streak notwithstanding, Miami still has allowed the second-most goals in the league (15). Only Atlanta (18) has allowed more.

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Major League Soccer Stories from June 20, 2008


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