Sounders FC 2 : 0 San Jose Earthquakes

Sounders Back on Winning Path as Zakuani and Evans Strike and Keller Breaks MLS Record

April 25

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A goal from Steve Zakuani sent Seattle on their way against a San Jose side missing Darren Huckerby as Sounders maintained their steady second place in the Western Conference. With this comfortable win they now have 12 points from six games, making them the most successful expansion club at that point in their first season. Brad Evans added the second, and his second of the season, after the interval.

Kasey Keller returned in goal and this seemed to settle the home side, experiencing a changed back four for the first time, after Nate Sturgis replaced Zach Scott at left back.

San Jose posed an early threat to a Sounders side ably guided by a now fully fit Freddie Ljungberg. Schmid made some key positional changes bringing in Steve Zakuani for Sébastien Le Toux, as well as that change putting Sturgis in for Scott to add a more offensive look to Seattle’s left.

A crowd of 28,838 was well settled in when Jhon Hurtado bravely blocked a Chris Leitch effort at point blank range in the fourth minute. Ramiro Corrales fouled Montero and drew a yellow seconds later, a yellow which was later rightly withdrawn and given to Bobby Convey. Ljungberg however put the resultant free kick into Cannon’s arms. Hurtado was the hero again as he blocked a Johnson cross in the sixth as San Jose made a lively start.

In the eighth minute, Jaqua swiveled acrobatically to try and catch an Evans cross with his heel, but couldn’t quite wrap his foot around the ball. Five minutes later, Ljungberg on the left started an intricate move, Jaqua eventually laid it back to Montero who fired over. A minute later, Cannon fired a clearance into Eric Denton, and Nick Garcia hacked clear. After a shaky start, during which Corrales placed an unchallenged header over the Sounders bar, it was the home side who were pressing and the pressure was to be unrelenting throughout the game.

After 21 minutes, Ljunbgerg fed Zakuani again down the left, and Joe Cannon punched the cross clear. Osvalso Alonso shot over from the subsequent corner. San Jose had an excellent chance seconds later bur Ryan Johnson shot tamely at Keller.

Just before the half hour, Nate Jaqua deflected a shot over from Ljungberg as Seattle pressed. It may have even been going in. A minute later, Alonso picked up a yellow for a foul on Arturo Alvarez having given the ball away to him and chased back over enthusiastically.

Alonso however showed his creative side with a sweeping ball out to Montero who beat a stranded Cannon, then shot tamely into the side net with colleagues, Ljungberg and Jaqua, available in the middle, with an open goal and no goalkeeper. Sturgis gave away a free down the left but after an almighty shoving match in the penalty area, Jhon Kennedy Hurtado cleared Alvarez’s inswinger easily. In the fortieth minute, Garcia received a yellow for upending Ljungberg as he ran dangerously into the box.

However, Seattle were getting closer and Tyrone Marshall lofted a cross for Steve Zakuani who scored Seattle’s first ever headed goal. It should have been two seconds later after Zakuani crossed perfectly for Jaqua who headed into Cannon’s arms on the stroke of the whistle. Nate’s look shows he knows he should have done better but his fortune will change.

Keller was called into action twice in the early stages of the second half with his second save from Alvarez being particularly outstanding. as he leapt acrobatically to parry the ball around his left post. It was to be a telling save as within minutes Sounders doubled their lead.

In the 50th minute, the outstanding Steve Zakuani found Jaqua who with the outside of his right boot expertly curled an inch perfect pass to the unmarked Brad Evans. He controlled with one touch and calmly slotted home for his second Sounders goal.

120 seconds later Tyrone Marshall showed his value with a great tackle on Ryan Johnson after Hurtado in a rare error slipped allowing the forward through, and in 63, the luckless Jaqua turned well on a Zakuani ball into the box but fired over.

Sébastien Le Toux was introduced in the 67th for Zakuani to tighten up the left side defensively, and perhaps because the Congolese isn’t quite ninety minute fit. San Jose had a half chance when Pablo Campos found Bobby Convey who slid the ball past Keller’s right hand post. The finish was somewhat emblematic of San Jose’s night.

A big cheer went up in 77 minutes when Kasey Keller passed Red Bulls goalkeeper Ronald Wattereus’s record of 375 minutes opening an MLS season without conceding a goal. Pablo Campos had headed over seconds before the record was beaten prompting a flutter in every statistician’s heart. Sanna Nyassi came on with ten minutes to go for the tiring Montero, but the game played itself out with only a three minute cameo by the ever popular Roger Levesque worthy of late note.

San Jose have only scored five goals their last eleven road games, winning none of them but for Seattle, two points per game represents a very happy haul from the opening six games of their existence. The early pace setters in the Eastern Conference, Chicago Fire, are the next opponents. Fire have made an excellent start and are the only unbeaten side left in the MLS. It should be a cracker.

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Seattle Sounders FC (4-0-1): Kasey Keller; James Riley, Tyrone Marshall, Jhon Kennedy Hurtado, Nathan Sturgis; Steve Zakuani (Sébastien Le Toux 67′), Brad Evans, Osvaldo Alonso, Freddie Ljungberg (Roger Levesque 87′); Fredy Montero (Sanna Nyassi 80′), Nate Jaqua.

Subs not used: Chris Eylander, Patrick Ianni, Tyson Wahl, Zach Scott.

San Jose Earthquakes (1-2-3): Joe Cannon; Chris Leitch, Kelly Gray, Nick Garcia, Eric Denton; Bobby Convey, Arturo Alvarez, Ramiro Corrales (Simon Elliott 45′), Shea Salinas (Quincy Amarikwa 65′); Pablo Campos (Cam Weaver 77′) , Ryan Johnson

Subs not used: Andrew Weber, Davide Somma, Jamil Roberts, Jason Hernandez, Mike Zaher.

Referee: Kevin Stott