MLS Seattle Sounders FC

Sounders FC Overtakes Rapids with Two Late Strikes

July 16, 2011 - Major League Soccer (MLS)
Seattle Sounders FC News Release


SEATTLE - Fredy Montero and Mauro Rosales scored goals two minutes apart in the final eight minutes, spurring Seattle Sounders FC to a comeback win over the reigning MLS Cup Champion Colorado Rapids, 4-3, in front of a national television audience and 36,424 fans on the Xbox Pitch at CenturyLink Field on Saturday afternoon.

Alvaro Fernandez and Roger Levesque also scored for Sounders FC (10-4-8, 38 points), who won their third straight MLS home match to pull within a point of the league-leading L.A. Galaxy. They also extended their club record MLS match unbeaten streak to nine games, winning six and drawing three over that time.

The Rapids (6-5-10, 27 points) cede the season series to Seattle, dropping both matches, and falling to 1-4-1 in the league series.

Rosales' goal in the 84th minute, making it 4-2, proved to be the game winner after Colorado's Caleb Folan pulled the visitors a goal back in the 90th minute.

Montero sent a ball forward for Rosales, who hammered a shot past Colorado goalkeeper Matt Pickens and into the back of the net for his second goal of the season.

Seattle had taken its first lead, 3-2, two minutes earlier, in the 82nd minute. Brad Evans chased down a ball in the corner of the box and chipped it across the box. Pickens landed a hand on it, but Montero was lurking at the far post for a diving header just inside the left post.

Montero, the club-leader in goals scored, now has six on the season and has scored three times in the last two matches. Seattle improves to 17-2-5 all-time when Montero scores a goal and to 6-0-3 this season when he either scores or provides an assist.

Sounders FC started their comeback in the opening minutes of the second half, when Levesque equalized the score, 2-2.

In the 48th minute, Rosales tracked down a ball up the right side that was played forward by Osvaldo Alonso. Rosales sent a cross in for Levesque, who slid at the near post and knocked it inside the far post with his right foot for his third goal of the season.

Rosales, the club-leader in assists, now has six on the season. Alonso was credited with his first two assists of the year, after assisting on a goal by Alvaro Fernandez in the seventh minute of play.

Colorado had Seattle on their heels early, scoring in the opening minute of play. Rapids midfielder Wells Thompson collected a loose ball at the top of the box and knocked it across the body of Seattle goalkeeper Kasey Keller and inside the left post, putting the Rapids up a goal.

The goal was Thompson's first of the season.

The Rapids would take a 2-1 advantage into halftime, after Jeff Larentowicz placed a left-footed strike off the right post and into the net for a goal in the 43rd minute.

Sounders FC collected 13 shots with nine of them coming on goal. The Rapids racked up 13 shots as well, but just four on goal.

Sounders FC will next host European giants and 19-time England champion Manchester United in a highly-anticipated friendly on July 20 at 7 p.m. PT on the Xbox Pitch at CenturyLink Field. The Rave Green will return to league play on July 30 at Houston.

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Major League Soccer Stories from July 16, 2011


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