Sounders 0 : 0 Chicago Fire

Thorrington and Ljungberg Sent off in Second Half but Game Goalless

An eventful game finished goalless despite both sides creating some great opportunities. Either the woodwork or class goalkeeping served to keep the game score free, but the 32,405 spectators cannot complain about a lack of entertainment served up.

Western Conference Table

Right Red Fred! Ljungberg Sent off

The talking point will undoubtedly be Freddie Ljungberg’s red card, his first and Sounders 7th of the season. Moments after John Thorrington’s foul had rightly earned the Chicago midfielder his second yellow, Freddie – in the opinion of the referee- dived full length, having been no more than lightly bumped by Chicago captain CJ Brown. Replays will show that it was perhaps slightly exaggerated by the Swede, but nothing out of the ordinary in a physical game, where both sides were seeking to influence the officials. The unwise part may have been doing it so soon after Thorrington’s dismissal.

What came next was hard to fathom. Ljungberg continued to yell and gesticulate in Mr Toledo’s direction. Refusing several appeals from team mate Pat Ianni to let it rest, Ljungberg continued the fiery debate, leaving Toledo little choice but to issue a second yellow and send him off. So rather than play the last half hour with a man advantage, Sounders had avoidably been reduced to parity.

At the start of the day, 7-3-7 was the number on everybody’s lips and they weren’t talking about airplanes. Both clubs went into this game with a record of seven wins, three losses and seven draws, and in the American fashion, the losses are listed statistically first, unlike in Europe.

Sigi sprang a selection surprise by relegating Tyrone Marshall to the bench for the first time this season when he was available. Suspension and the Gold Cup account for the only two games of the 17, the big Jamaican hadn’t started previously. For Chicago, Jon Busch returned from the USA Gold Cup squad to start, but McBride and Soumare were absent through surgery and suspension respectively. Logan Pause and Brad Evans were absent at the Gold Cup. Partick Nyarko started in McBride’s place and CJ Brown started for Soumare and adopted the captain’s role too.

Sounders started brightly and exerted some strenuous and effective early pressure. Nate Jaqua produced a great clearance from Chicago keeper Jon Busch after just 100 seconds, prodding a Ljungberg corner goalward. It hit the post but the keeper was first to react and clear safely for a corner.

Five minutes later, Zakuani provided the next threat, finding Jaqua in the penalty box. He squared to Ljungberg who produced an easier save for Busch than he perhaps ought to have. Chicago had a penalty claim when Cuauhtemoc Blanco hammered a shot into Pat Ianni, who couldn’t pull his arm out of the way in time. Referee Toledo waved away Blanco’s penalty appeal.

Pat Ianni Tries to Restrain Ljungberg

Chicago were starting to get acclimatised showing the form that took them to the top of the Eastern Conference, but Montero threatened next when Wilman Conde hesitated to clear a long Ianni hoofed clearance and Montero pounced. He lobbed over the advancing Busch for a goal kick. Nyarko turned Hurtado well in the 19th minute, and arguably Blanco should have done better with the opportunity presented to him. Keller watched a Chris Rolfe shot sail harmlessly over the bar after 25th as the game bedded down to a lively but even contest.

Montero then missed the best chance of the match so far, when Alonso found him unmarked in the Chicago box. Shamefully, the Colombian put a great chance wide, on a day when his finishing was already beginning to cost his side.

Hurtado picked up a yellow for fouling Blanco, hardly the first to do so. For Seattle, Steve Zakuani was beginning to drift back into the game and another of his penetrating runs won Sounders a free kick 30 yards out. Busch came out well to punch Ljungberg’s set piece clear. He did so authoritatively again moments later in open play.

Baggio Husidic was the next to blow a good chance. Blanco found him after the Serbian had shaken off his marker, but his snap volley went wide of the right hand post.

Busch again became the hero for the Fire when he dived down to defy a Jaqua header from a Montero cross on 37. He was even braver in scooping up the rebound while lying prostrate in his and Seattle’s best moment of the game so far. Gonzalo Segares received a yellow for what seemed like a 50/50 battle with Ljungberg in the centre circle, the Costa Rican perhaps being a little harshly treated by Toledo. John Thorrington can have no complaints seconds later for pointlessly time wasting at a Sounders free kick five minutes before half time.

The first half came to an end with Alonso fouling Blanco 25 yards out. From the free kick, Blanco fired straight into the wall.

Sounders started the second half better just as they had the first. Ljungberg’s early second half corner found Wahl’s shot blocked. Five minutes further into this half and Chris Rolfe gave Sounders keeper Kasey Keller his first real test, the keeper diving full length to his left to turn an excellent 25-yard effort round the post. A Ljungberg free kick awarded for a foul on Zakuani found the back of Patrick Ianni’s head but he could direct straight but not downwards, and the chance went over.

Then came what ought to have been the game’s turning moment. John Thorrington hacked down a haring Ljungberg again. The referee had seen enough of Ljungberg being fouled and brought out a yellow, either for the tackle itself or for team persistent fouling. Thorrington, having been previously booked, walked disconsolately off the pitch.

Five minutes later came the real talking point. Ljungberg went down a little too easily in the opinion of the referee and got a yellow for trying to frame the Chicago captain. The Swede took his argument with the referee way too far, despite Ianni’s sensible attempts to restrain him, angrily gesticulating and yelling. The Designated Player was booked again, thus avoidably getting himself sent off, and surrendering Seattle’s man advantage almost immediately.

Just after the hour Zakuani created good space for a shot, cutting in from the left, but fired over. The Congolose tested Busch again with a shot after Jaqua had done some good work shielding the ball, but this time he fired straight at the keeper.

Patrick Nyarko set up Chris Rolfe but the shot didn’t trouble Keller as both sets of players began to lose focus on the game, and direct too much attention at the referee. Gonzalo Segares was the next to save Chicago as Montero set up Jaqua. Busch saved but the rebound deflected off Jaqua again, and Segares cleared away from under the crossbar.

Montero Passes up a Chance

It was the last real chance of an energetic but controversial match, which although Seattle finished stronger, nobody could deny the Fire were worthy of a point.

15 minutes from the end, Seb Le Toux replaced Zakuani, as has become the norm, and Sounders looked slightly the likelier side to secure all three points as the game headed into the last ten minutes. Montero beat Busch finally, but hit the crossbar. Montero had dropped back into midfield with Le Toux up front with the hard working Jaqua, and it had looked fairly effective in a 10 v 10 situation.

Chris Rolfe headed off the line, after Pat Ianni met a deep corner and smartly headed laterally back into the box. Montero headed his clever pass goalward, but Rolfe was well positioned. The Fire then hit the bar when Brandon Prideaux met a Justin Mapp corner forcefully and it cannoned off Keller’s bar, with he and his colleagues helpless.

Sigi Schmid said “We have enough chances to win the game,” and questioned the arrival of Chicago keeper Jon Busch from the USA squad. He then somewhat mysteriously added, “I told the coaches somehow, somewhere we’re going to get a red card,” but refused to get into it further.

Vote for the Man of the Match.

Sounders FC: Kasey Keller, James Riley, Pat Ianni, Jhon Hurtado, Tyson Wahl; Osvaldo Alonso, Freddie Ljungberg, Steve Zakuani (Seb Le Toux 75′), Nathan Sturgis (Peter Vagenas, 68′); Nate Jaqua (Roger Levesque 89′), Fredy Montero

Substitutes: Terry Boss, Zach Scott, Stephen King, Tyrone Marshall,

Chicago Fire: Jon Busch; Tim Ward, Wilman Conde, CJ Brown, Gonzalo Segares; John Thorrington, Marco Pappa (Justin Mapp 77′), Chris Rolfe, Baggio Husidic (Brandon Prideaux 65′); Cuauhtemoc Blanco (Calen Carr 86′), Patrick Nyarko.

Substitutes Not Used: Andrew Dykstra, Dasan Robinson, Mike Banner, Peter Lowry

Attendance 32,405