FC Dallas 1 : 1 Sounders FC (Match Report)

Two Points Dropped or One Picked up?

May 16

Sounders failed to convert a lead into a victory for the first time this season in what was a disappointing night for the Seattle club. Unlikely goal scorer Jhon Kennedy Hurtado seemed to have put the Sounders on the right path with a splendid opportunist goal in the 18th minute. He lobbed the ball over Dallas keeper Ray Burse who had unwisely advanced out of his goal despite the presence of Dallas defender Saragosa, who seemed to impede Burse’s charge for the ball more than he helped inconvenience Hurtado. It was a fitting birthday present for the Colombian centre-half who had just turned 25.

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The game had started off at a frantic pace with clear goal opportunies for both sides in the first ten minutes. In the fourth minute, Zakuani caused his customary havoc down the left and his left-footed pass found Jaqua, who superbly used his long legs to lay the ball back to Montero. The Colombian drove hard but his shot was blocked. Three minutes later Kenny Cooper swung in a cross from the left and Zach Scott was in the right place at the right time to block David Ferreira’s shot.

Three minutes after the opener Jaqua spurned an opportunity to add to the lead when he turned a Zakuani short cross around the left hand post, when he would have hoped to make the keeper work.

Sounders once more nearly doubled their lead when Brad Evans hit the post after receiving the ball from Alonso a further 18 minutes later. It was to prove costly as a reeling Dallas side began to discover a new confidence sadly lacking in their previous displays.

The equaliser seemed controversial at the time and may well fuel the sense of injustice that began to amass around the rave green fans. Andre Rocha seemed to be well offside when he received the ball in the penalty box from Marcelo Saragosa out on the left. Kasey Keller also seemed to pause and look to the linesman for verification. However, substitute right back Patrick Ianni, in for the suspended James Riley, was slow in reforming the straight line of the back four, and was clearly playing Rocha onside. It was a valid goal.

Sounders may have a complaint that more than the signaled two minutes of injury time had elapsed when the goal was scored and perhaps the whistle should have gone, but the amount of added time is purely within the referee’s ambit and discretion.

The second half was not one Sounders will remember with any degree of pleasure. With Riley, Ljungberg, Scott, and Sturgis all missing, the side began to look makeshift. That said, Dallas had to withdraw two players in the first half, forward Jeff Cunningham and Washington State’s George John, for whom Brek Shea and Daniel Torres came on. Sounders created the first chance of the second period three minutes into the period when Steve Zakuani drew a decent save from Burse. Thereafter, the better chances fell to Dallas and Keller was well positioned and very relieved when substitute Brek Shea headed a great cross from Holland’s Dave van den Bergh straight at him.

After that Sounders gave the ball away far too often, bringing pressure upon themselves and contriving to make Dallas look a decent side; talk about doing the hard things well.

Sounders can point to a poor refereeing call in the 87th minute when Stephen King fed a through ball to Steve Zakuani via a deflection. Zakuani was clean through on goal and clearly onside. The same linesman who had correctly allowed the Dallas goal this time incorrectly raised his flag.

Second half injury timer could have been even more painful for Seattle as Bruno Guarda honed in on goal, only to be denied by a perfectly timed Jhon Kennedy Hurtado sliding intervention. Further drama was to follow seconds before the final whistle when Seb Le Toux sent over probably his best corner of the season and a totally unmarked Patrick Ianni headed dismally over the bar, having mistimed his jump.

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Player Ratings by David Falk, Editor GOALSeattle.com

Seattle Sounders FC (4-2-3) ­ Kasey Keller; Zach Scott (Tyson Wahl 18), Tyrone Marshall, Jhon Kennedy Hurtado, Patrick Ianni; Steve Zakuani, Osvaldo Alonso, Brad Evans (Sanna Nyassi 79), Sebastien Le Toux; Fredy Montero, Nate Jaqua (Stephen King 74)

Subs not used: Ben Dragavon, Peter Vagenas, Roger Levesque, Taylor Graham

FC Dallas (1-6-2) ­ Ray Burse; Drew Moor, George John (Daniel Torres 28), Steve Purdy (Bruno Guarda 46), Marcelo Saragosa; Pablo Ricchetti, Dave van den Bergh, David Ferreira, Andre Rocha; Kenny Cooper, Jeff Cunningham (Brek Shea 24)

Subs not used: Josh Lambo, Dax McCarty, Alvaro Sanchez, Anthony Wallace

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