The Land of the Rising Son
San Jose 0 : 1 Sounders
From Lean Streak to Mean Streak.Rick Morrison/Prost Amerika
A Fredy Montero header off a picture perfect Sanna Nyassi cross in the 26th minute gave Seattle an invaluable win over a close rival for the play-offs. Sounders have now beaten immediate rivals for that illusive eighth place two weeks in succession and now the door to the play-offs is ajar with a clear light emanating through the gap.
San Jose v Sounders FC Photo Gallery
Montero has now been involved, either assisting or scoring himself, in Sounders’ last eight goals. More than the numbers alone though testify to player rejuvenated. He tackled back, stayed on his feet and at times almost seemed to be an on field leader. It would be easy to credit Freddie Ljungberg’s absence in the team Montero’s resurgence, perhaps even rebirth, but that would be unduly simplistic. For now, Sounders fans don’t need so much to analyse the why, but enjoy the consequences of suddenly having a player who looks like a man on the top of his form.
It was Montero himself who instigated the goal by providing the improving Sanna Nyassi with possession down the right. The Gambian delivered a cross that Montero could only have dreamed of and the diminutive Colombian headed home forcefully as he found himself unmarked.
Frank Yallop raised a few quizzical looks by dropping Chris Wondolowski for Scott Sealy up front. It was Wondolowski who had scored the only goal for the Quakes in the reverse fixture in Seattle earlier in the season.
San Jose keeper Jon Busch made three saves in the first ten minutes, two from Montero and one from Nkufo as Sounders started the brighter and signalled that their recent revival was more than a flash in the pan. San Jose’s only first half threat came on a Jeff Parke error in 14 minutes. Cornell Glen pounced on his inability to trap and clear an Opara pass but Keller saved the day.
It was Busch again who saved San Jose from going further behind as he saved from his own player Ike Opara four minutes after the goal. The second half brought no change for the Quakes despite Yallop introducing Ryan Johnson and Arturo Alvarez at the interval.
62 minutes had gone when Jon Busch made a super diving save to his right to deny a Blaise Nkufo header. Busch was in action again when he tentatively tipped over a seemingly harmless Gonzalez cross six minutes later.
Uruguayan Designated Player Alvaro Fernandez made his debut in the 69th minute wearing the number 15 and immediately looked at home in MLS.
Sam Cronin came the closest to threatening Kasey Keller’s goal when he flashed a drive just wide of the post but Sounders held on with a degree of comfort that promises that the revival may be more than fleeting.
Freddie Ljungberg’s Sounders Career in Pictures
San Jose v Sounders Player Ratings
Seattle Sounders — Kasey Keller, James Riley, Patrick Ianni, Jeff Parke (Tyrone Marshall 46), Leo Gonzalez, Sanna Nyassi, Nathan Sturgis, Osvaldo Alonso, Steve Zakuani (Alvaro Fernandez 69), Fredy Montero, Blaise Nkufo (Nate Jaqua 86).
Substitutes Not Used: Roger Levesque, Zach Scott, Mike Seamon, Terry Boss.
San Jose Earthquakes — Jon Busch, Jason Hernandez (Chris Wondolowski 74), Bobby Burling, Ike Opara, Ramiro Corrales, Joey Gjertsen, Sam Cronin, Brandon McDonald (Arturo Alvarez 46), Bobby Convey, Cornell Glen, Scott Sealy (Ryan Johnson 46).
Substitutes Not Used: Steven Beitashour, Justin Morrow, Brad Ring, Joe Cannon.
Referee: Edvin Jurisevic
Attendance: 10,351
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Good write up but you’re being very kind in not drawing the Sounders are better off without Ljungberg conclusion. Or at least you haven’t yet.
Very well said. It has been an amazing month for the Sounders and so much fun to watch them realize how to work together as a team. I have been very impressed by Montero’s growth and maturity that he has shown. I must admit, after the first two months of the season, I had strong doubts that Fredy would mature while in the Rave Green. I figured he would finish the season as a player who had moments of glory undermined by his constant whining and flopping. I was wrong – he has matured greatly and shown that he can keep his head in the game, even when being unfairly assaulted by the opposing defenders.
Up Montero & up the Sounders! I’m ready for one heck of a wild ride to the play-offs!
Great article.
The thing I am most impressed by is Fernandez came on and immediately started carving up the midfield. He runs with his head up, he is passing and moving constantly, he is hitting his targets. Got hard fouled once and just got up and gave the defender a look like I know you now watch what I do about it. Complete opposite of “but don’t you know who I am, I’m a world cup finalist?” El Flacco is going to carve up MLS midfields.
Now put him on the same side with N’Kufo and the three of Montero, Zakuani and Nyassi, and suddenly Seattle looks like matchup hell to any MLS defense.
9 shots with 7 on goal. Against most other keepers in MLS, the Sounders would have had another goal or two. Music to my ears after too many games early in the season with upwards of 15 shots, but only 2 or 3 on goal. Even though Nkufo didn’t score, I think he had a lot to do with that – he was dead on target every time he took a chance and also drew defenders and allowed others space to create quality shots.