Tigres 1 : 0 Sounders FC
Sounders fans can take a glass half full approach to tonight’s 1-0 loss in Mexico. Alan Pulido headed the only goal in the 74th minute but that was the sum total of their efforts and they will need to play better to resist Sounders second leg home advantage.
The more pessimistic will note that the first three hours of their season has elapsed without scoring a goal but those voices are likely to be fewer than those who see a chance of real progress in this tournament.
Djimi Traore made his Sounders debut in Mexico partnering Jhon Hurtado at centre half.
The traffic headed towards the Sounders goal from the very start. Leo Gonzalez cleared off the line in the third minute from Lucas Lobos with Gspurning stranded.
The Austrian then tipped over an effort by Garcia nine minutes later with Alberto Acosta once more the provider. Gspurning also held a Lobos drive just after the half hour. Garcia fired wide from inside the six yard box as Seattle rode their luck.
Fernandez then his a fresh air shot in the 43rd albeit from a tough angle but Seattle survived the first half with a combination of good defending and poor finishing. Tigres for all their 63% of the play and seven shots on goal were frustrated.
Gspurning foiled Garcia again in the 49th but the offside flag had been raised as the striker raced clean through. Seattle made it through to the hour mark without further threat.
Tigres perked up on the hour mark. Acosta skinned Scott but his cross cum shot was effective as neither.
Tigres kept going and Alex Caskey saved the Sounders by heading off the goalline in the 65th minute.
With a quarter of an hour left, Alan Pulido’s header finally gave Tigres the lead.
Gspurning parried Lucas Lobos shot but the substitute was on hand to head home. Hands were raised among the defenders for offside but replays showed Lobos had been played onside by Scott and Pulido had stayed onside throughout.
Neagle nearly pulled one back after fine work by Mario Martinez on the left but Enrique Palos got down in time.
Thereafter the Sounders controlled a strangely lethargic Tigres to give themselves a very realistic chance of progress when the two sides meet again in the second leg next Tuesday.
Sigi Schmid: We’re in a position that we can win this thing in Seattle
Seattle Sounders FC - Michael Gspurning, Zach Scott (DeAndre Yedlin 81), Djimi Traore, Jhon Kennedy Hurtado, Leo Gonzalez, Alex Caskey, Osvaldo Alonso, Brad Evans, Mario Martinez (Marc Burch 89), Mauro Rosales (Lamar Neagle 68), Eddie Johnson.
Substitutes Not Used: Marcus Hahnemann, Servando Carrasco, Andy Rose, Sammy Ochoa.
TOTAL SHOTS: 3 (3 players with 1); SHOTS ON GOAL: 2 (Johnson, Neagle 1); FOULS: 13 (Scott 4); OFFSIDE: 2 (Johnson, Rosales 1); CORNER KICKS: 1 (Martinez 1); SAVES: 4 (Gspurning 4).
Tigres UANL - Enrique Palos, Israel Jiminez, Juninho, Hugo Ayala, Jorge Torres, Acosta (Danilo Veron 76), Jose Torres, Lucas Lobos, Carlos Salcido, Elias Hernandez (Alan Pulido 66), Luis Garcia.
Substitutes Not Used: Aaron Fernandez, Manuel Viniegra, Jose Rivas, Jesus Duenas, Damian Alvarez.
TOTAL SHOTS: 18 (4 players with 3); SHOTS ON GOAL: 7 (Lobos 3); FOULS: 6 (6 players with 1); OFFSIDE: 5 (Acosta 2); CORNER KICKS: 7 (Torres 4); SAVES: 2 (Palos 2).
March 7, 2013 at 12:52 am
Really???? replays showed he was onside? I saw the replay at least 3 times. I could not see how he was onside. Maybe it’s a rule I don’t understand, but the player who scored was clearly offsides when the ball was put forward. I’d love an explanation. I was not privy to audible commentary.
March 7, 2013 at 4:47 am
Looking at replays I saw 4 Tigers players near the goal, and only one was in an offside position when the kick in is made. On the live broadcast it was a hard to tell because the Sounder keeping them onside was behind the attacker from the cameras point of view (the defender was closer to the far, left, sideline than any of the attackers). The kick comes in and the leftmost attacker takes the shot. The offside player isn’t involved, and I don’t really see how he could have been blocking anyone’s view either. The attacker who scores off Gaspurning’s blocked ball was actually not the one offside–he actually looks to have been further onside than the first shooter, and he ran past the defender and the offside player to get the rebound goal. Apparently this is known as passive offside; the offside player isn’t involved and doesn’t interfere, so the goal stands. Of course when I saw it live at the bar I was convinced “at least five” (I think I shouted) players were offside.
March 7, 2013 at 1:42 pm
Good analysis, as ever. Agree with the assessment. Thought we looked a lot better in the second half. Eddie played pretty well once he got untracked a bit and Caskey and Neagle showed well.
On the downside, I’m starting to get really concerned about Mauro. He looked gassed at the beginning of the game and never caught his wind. There was also a stretch around 10 min. when I was hoping for an early red on either Evans or Scott so that I wouldn’t have to watch either of them for the rest of the game. Scott, I guess, played about as well as I would hope, but I thought Brad had probably his worst game as a Sounder, at least in the first half.
Here’s hoping for a great homecoming.