Montero Red Carded but Sounders Save a Point

Chicago Fire 1 : 1 Sounders FC

May 2

Sounders returned from Chicago with a point that can best be described as miraculous. They were one goal down, they were one man down and they were away from home against an unbeaten side, but a goal from an unlikely source 16 minutes from the final whistle salvaged a point for an off form Sounders.

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Jamaican Tyrone Marshall comes forward less often than many centre-halves but found himself unmarked with the ball in front of him, and he skillfully stuck out his leg to direct the ball into the net. Even more surprising perhaps was that the goal came from a corner, a source that had produced absolutely nothing for the Sounders so far in their short life. Marshall’s goal was his first in two years, Sounders first from a corner and it also provided corner taker Freddie Ljungberg with his first Seattle assist.

Sounders had looked dead and buried just six minutes before when Cuauhtemoc Blanco turned a defender inside the penalty area and centered the ball to Marco Pappa. The youngster became the first player to beat Kasey Keller in the MLS after 456 scoreless minutes. It’s the fourth-longest streak without conceding a goal in league history. In truth, it was no more than the Fire deserved. They had been the better team throughout a one-sided first half, and only some wayward finishing from Patrick Nyarko amongst others, and the post had kept a quiet Sounders side in the match.

Then three minutes into the second half, Fredy Montero unwisely jumped with his elbow out and Fire defender Gonzalo Segares made a sufficient meal out of it to draw a red card for the Colombian.

Sounders FC coach Sigi Schmid retained the same starting line-up that defeated the San Jose Earthquakes 2-0 at home last weekend. The first half was wholly unmemorable for the Sounders, and they were extremely relieved to evade a 20th minute Chicago attack unscathed. John Thorrington dribbled the ball down the right sideline then sent a ball into the dangerous Nyarko, who hammered the ball goalward. Keller was stranded and couldn’t even pull off a dive, so sharply was the ball hit, but the ball cannoned off the left post and rebounded safely.

Nyarko also had a good chance with a header but made a complete hash of it and may have been relieved to see the linesman flag him offside anyway. Sounders finished the half outshot 8-2 with neither of the Sounders efforts on target.

Hopes for a better second half lasted precisely three minutes when Jasen Anno showed Montero the red and Schmid was forced to withdraw Steve Zakuani for the more defensively capable Seb Le Toux eight minutes later. It seemed that Sigi was already focused on securing a 0-0 draw but even that plan went awry with Pappa’s 68th minute strike. Stephen King made his first MLS appearance for the Sounders when he came on for Ljungberg in the 81st minute, but although perhaps a memorable day for him, it was a performance Sounders would rather forget.

Marshall’s late goal however makes it a result they may well cherish and one that says plenty about the character of the team.

Seattle Sounders: Kasey Keller, James Riley, Jhon Kennedy Hurtado, Tyrone Marshall, Nathan Sturgis, Brad Evans, Osvaldo Alonso, Freddie Ljungberg (Stephen King 81), Steve Zakuani (Sebastien Le Toux 56), Fredy Montero, Nate Jaqua.

Substitutes Not Used: Chris Eylander, Taylor Graham, Patrick Ianni, Sanna Nyassi, Zach Scott

Chicago Fire: Jon Busch, Tim Ward, Wilman Conde, Bakary Soumare, Gonzalo Segares (Brandon Prideaux 71), John Thorrington (Chris Rolfe 66), Cuauhtemoc Blanco, Logan Pause, Marco Pappa (Mike Banner 82), Brian McBride, Patrick Nyarko.

Substitutes Not Used: Andrew Dykstra, Baggio Husidic, Dasan Robinson, Austin Washington

Attendance: 10, 288