Sounders FC 0 : 0 Chivas USA (Match Report)

A Rare First Half Chance for Chivas

Nate Jaqua was left on the bench for the first time in an MLS game as Sigi Schmid opted to field Fredy Montero and Freddie Ljungberg together in attack. Claudio Suarez made it from the DL to the bench as Preki opted for a back four of Bornstein, Cuesta, Jazic and Saragosa in Carey Talley’s absence.

The first action of a sluggish first half came when Sounders forced three successive corners in the 6th minute. Thornton flapped at the third, the best of three poor ones, but Jhon Hurtado fired over from outside the penalty area, after the ball was partially cleared.

The highlight of the half came after a quarter of an hour. A Freddie Ljungberg cross was athletically retrieved by Steve Zakuani heading back into the six yard box. Seb Le Toux’s point blank shot was superbly saved by Thornton with a quarter of an hour gone.

Four minutes later, Sounders theatened briefly again. Jhon Hurtado flicked to Marshall who rounded the keeper but his ball back into the six yard box didn’t find a Sounder.

Paolo Nagamura had Chivas’ first real shot in the 26th but it was tame and straight at Keller. They also had the next chance when Peter Vagenas fouled Sacha Kljestan, who ballooned his own free kick over the bar.

Ante Jazic was booked for tripping Zakuani who had comprehensively beaten him but Ljungberg’s free kick was comfortably grabbed by Thornton.

Seattle posed the last danger of the first half when a Ljungberg cross was allowed to travel a little too far across the Chivas box before Marcelo Saragosa put it behind for a corner. Le Toux’s corner was headed wide by the Swede, who outjumped a marker but couldn’t direct.

In the 40th Alonso was booked for arguing about a free kick call he wasn’t involved in. Nagamura too was booked seconds later for delaying the restart, as frustration overcame both sides.

The first chance of the second half took only four minutes to arrive and Thornton made a great save from a Zakuani header after a ricochet inside the box served the ball up perfectly to him. It was to be the theme of the second half.

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Montero served a great ball to Zakuani who got inside the Chivas back line but his cross was too easy for the keeper two minutes later. Chivas made two early changes before the hour, former Sounder Maykel Galindo and Mariano Trujillo entering the fray for the cramped Cuesta and Lahoud.

Ljungberg was the next to create finding Zakuani in the box. The Congolese flipped a header in Fredy Montero’s direction, and the Colombian received it with his back to goal, but his spectacular overhead kick went wide just before the hour. Just after it, Zakuani forced Thornton into a low save at his rigt hand post.

Sounders got the ball in the net on 67 after Zakuani found Montero but the linesman’s flag had already ruled Zakuani offside.

The visitors were reduced to ten men after a red card on 71 for Saragosa for a kung fu neck high tackle with his studs on Montero.

Sounders smelled blood and began to press their man advantage. Three minutes after the ejection, Ljungberg drilled a shot just past the post as the Sounders assumed control. Trujillo became the next addition in the referee’s book and Nate Jaqua came on for Vagenas as Sounders searched for all three points. Maicon Santos was booked for hacking at Marshall who foolishly retaliated and got himself booked back in 79, the second yellow for a dissenting Sounder.

Leo Gonzalez forced Thornton into another save but offside had been given as the game approached its last ten minutes. Trujillo barged Montero over in a dangerous area but Ljungberg curled the free kick way over.

Another great save by Thornton defied Montero after a fluid move of several passes found him in the clear. Zakuani then fired over as Chivas continued to resist Seattle. Gonzalez had a shot which Thornton palmed out, but it began to look like it just wasn’t to be Seattle’s day.

Substitute Brad Evans seemed to be clipped by Claudio Suarez in the box but referee Vaughan, possibly aware of the controversy surrounding a soft penalty the night before, rightly waved play on two minutes from time. Alonso found Ljungberg who swiveled his marker and tried to chip Thornton but it wasn’t high enough, and the game finished goalless on a grey day when Zach Thornton was Chivas’ hero.

The draw benefits the away side more. They have more games left to play and now Sounders must hit the road in their next three games to find the points they need for further play this autumn.

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Sounders FC: Kasey Keller; James Riley, Jhon Hurtado, Tyrone Marshall, Leo Gonzalez; Seb Le Toux (Brad Evans 63′), Osvaldo Alonso, Peter Vagenas (Nate Jaqua 76′), Steve Zakuani; Fredy Montero, Freddie Ljungberg.

Subs Terry Boss, Patrick Ianni, Roger Levesque, Nathan Sturgis, Tyson Wahl

Chivas USA: Zach Thornton; Marcelo Saragosa, Jonathan Bornstein, Yamith Cuesta (Claudio Suarez 66′), Ante Jazic; Jesus Padilla (Maykel Galindo 59′), Michael Lahoud (Mariano Trujillo 58′), Paolo Nagamura, Sacha Kljestan; Justin Braun, Maicon Santos.

Substitutes not used: Jon Conway, Chukwudi Chijindu, Bojan Stepanovic, Shavar Thomas

Attendance 32,719