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Sounders Crush Hollywood Hopes 6-0 At Starfire

June 25, 2008 - USL First Division (USL-1)
Seattle Sounders News Release


TUKWILA -- Last year, he scored five goals to lead the entire U.S. Open Cup.

On Tuesday night, Sebastien LeToux nearly got that many all in one game.

LeToux scored four consecutive times -- in the 22nd, 28th, 61st and 63rd minutes -- and those came after Zach Scott and Josh Gardner already had provided a 2-0 lead as the Seattle Sounders rolled to a 6-0 victory against Hollywood United in a second-round Open Cup game at Starfire Sports Complex.

"I think I could maybe have scored more, but I'll be happy with four tonight," said LeToux, who said he'd never tallied that many in a single game previously. "We had to be very careful about this team because they won 3-2 against Portland (in a first-round Open Cup game). We knew they had some good players, and we were very careful about that."

The easy victory for the Sounders set up a third-round game against CD Chivas USA of Major League Soccer next Tuesday at 7 p.m. at Starfire. Tickets for the game go on sale Wednesday morning at 10 at www.ticketmaster.com, Tickets are $17 in advance of the game, and $20 on the day of the game.

Seattle (7-2-6 overall) and Chivas also played a third-round Open Cup game last year, with the Sounders winning at Qwest Field, 3-1. The Sounders went on to rout the Colorado Rapids of MLS in the quarterfinals, 5-0, before falling in overtime to FC Dallas in the semifinals, 2-1.

"Tonight, I was a little more stern in context rather than motivational," Sounders coach Brian Schmetzer said of his pre-game talk, "and couple that with the guys being a veteran team and they understand the importance of winning this game to get to the next game. And those two facts carried through."

Hollywood United of the U.S. Adult Soccer Association pulled its 3-2 upset of Portland on June 10 to earn its second-round date against the Sounders. But any thoughts of another stunner in a tournament that typically has at least one surprise team advance deep into the bracket were wiped out early.

A Scott header off a Leighton O'Brien corner kick put Seattle onto the board just 2:45 into the game.

Another set piece helped the Sounders make it 2-0 in the 15th minute. Hugo Alcaraz-Cuellar started this one with a free kick from the right sideline 18 yards up from the goal. He sent the ball out to Gardner 24 yards up to the right side of the arc, and Gardner drilled it inside the far post.

After that, it was all LeToux, who recorded the first four-goal match for the Sounders since Mark Baena tallied that many on June 19, 1998 in a 10-0 rout of the California Jaguars at Seattle Memorial Stadium.

"Today, we scored very quickly, and after that, it was easier," LeToux said. "It's good for our confidence. Well, it's good and it's bad, because we have a (USL First Division game) Saturday against Montreal, and we need to be focused on Saturday and not believe that (just) because we won 6-0 tonight that it'll be easy on Saturday."

LeToux, who now has 11 goals for the season, actually had a fifth shot into the net, scoring early in the 70th minute. But that one was ruled offside. Near the end of the 82nd minute, LeToux had another shot in the 83rd that was deflected just wide of the right post.

Scott put the Sounders onto the board just 2:45 into the game. Leighton O'Brien took a corner kick from the left wing side, and Scott's header sailed into the back left corner.

Another set piece led to Seattle's second goal. Hugo Alcaraz-Cueller took a free kick from near the right sideline about 18 yards up from the goal. He sent it out to Gardner who was 24 yards in front to the right of the arc, and Gardner blasted it into the lower left corner.

Andre Schmid set up LeToux' first goal. Schmid took the ball into the right corner and crossed it into the box to LeToux, who fancy-footed his way around a defender and took an eight-yard shot that rolled into the back left corner at 21:11.

LeToux had a wide-open net to shoot at for his second goal. Hollywood keeper Javier Barragan came way off his line to play the ball -- something he did on several occasions. He couldn't latch onto this one and LeToux did, balancing it on his foot before tapping it in at 27:41 for a 4-0 lead.

His last two goals came just 85 seconds apart. LeToux picked up a loose ball on top of Barragan's front porch, and with Barragan down on the ground, LeToux punched it into the back right corner at 60:58. Then on a counterattack, LeToux ripped one from the top of the arc that zipped past Barragan into the back left corner at 62:23.

Sounders goalkeeper Chris Eylander made five saves to earn his fifth shutout.

QUICK KICKS -- Starting forward Roger Levesque, who just got back into action last Friday at home against Miami, will be out another 2-4 weeks after re-injuring his sprained ankle. ... Saturday's game against Montreal at Starfire will have an 8 p.m. kickoff time. ... Starting defender Danny Jackson is hoping to be back in action on Saturday against the Impact.

SOUNDERS 6, HOLLYWOOD UNITED 0

First half -- 1, Sea: Zach Scott, from Leighton O'Brien, 3rd minute; 2, Sea: Josh Gardner, from Hugo Alcaraz-Cuellar, 15th; 3, Sea: Sebastien LeToux, from Andre Schmid, 22nd; 4, Sea: LeToux, from Gardner, 28th.

Second half -- 5 Sea: LeToux, from Alcaraz-Cuellar, 61st; 6, Sea: LeToux, unassisted, 63

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