The Sounders bow to the Emerald City Supporters.
Aaron Weinberg/NSS
Seattle, Wash. -- Seattle welcomed soccer back to the Pacific Northwest with a bang, scoring two goals in the opening twenty minutes en route to a 3-0 victory over the visiting New York Red Bulls in the inaugural game of the 2009 MLS season.
Fredy Montero stole the show with two goals and one assist, constantly breaking down New York’s defense with his ball control and speed.
"I liked Seattle," Montero said through an interpreter. "Now I like it even more."
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Brad Evans added a goal and Sebastian Le Toux an assist for the Sounders (1-0-0).
A cold, blustery evening welcomed Sounders fans as they packed the lower echelons of Qwest Field for the opening game of the 2009 MLS season. A buzzing air of excitement was palpable throughout the stadium, culminating in raucous chants reminiscent of a European football match.
Aaron Weinberg/NSS
Led by the boisterous cheering of the Emerald City Supporters, a group of diehard Sounders fans, Qwest Field was successfully transformed into an electrifying venue for MLS competition.
While the Sounders fans cheered wildly during introductions, the Red Bulls were booed robustly, illustrating the strong support for Seattle’s newest pro sports team. Kasey Keller received an exceptionally warm welcome, acknowledging the fans with a wave of his hand.
A colorful, creative introduction greeted the world’s game in the Pacific Northwest as dozens of flags representing nations from all over the world were carried around the Xbox Pitch.
Sounders CEO Todd Leiweke, comedian Drew Carey, and majority owner Joe Roth addressed the sell-out crowd before the game, expressing their wish for Seattle to become the soccer capital of the United States. MLS Commissioner Don Garber also briefly spoke to the crowd, officially announcing Seattle as the country’s newest MLS city.
After a tentative start, young Colombian striker Montero opened the scoring in the 12th minute off an assist from midfielder Sebastian Le Toux. After a interception by Osvaldo Alonso, Le Toux picked out Montero coming up the right side of the box and the 21 year-old finished coolly into the left corner of the goal.
Gambian midfielder Sanna Nyassi almost provided Nate Jaqua with Seattle’s second goal three minutes later, but the 6-4 forward couldn’t quite convert the winger’s cross, steering the ball just wide.
Following a long run of possession for Seattle, Nyassi almost converted a goal of his own in the 23rd minute. After a one-two with Montero, Nyassi tried a hard, low shot, and would have doubled Seattle’s lead if not for a spectacular save by New York’s Danny Cepero low to his right.
Two minutes later, Seattle’s second goal came on a clever play by midfielder Brad Evans. Assisted by a through ball from Montero, Evans nut-megged goalkeeper Danny Cepero. Receiving the ball on the left side of the box, Evans took a quick touch toward goal, then surprised the on-rushing Cepero by shooting left-footed directly through the keeper’s legs and into the back of the net.
Montero continuously drew wowed gasps from the crowd throughout the first half with his intelligent footwork and uncanny ability to find space between the Red Bulls’ defenders. Nyassi and Le Toux were also a thorn in New York’s side, passing with precision and drawing numerous fouls, concluding with a booking for the Red Bull’s Kevin Goldthwaite, who tugged Nyassi to the ground on a counter-attack.
Tyrone Marshall also showed why Schmid was so eager to bring him on board, clearing nearly every ball that came his way in defense. A bit of a question mark entering the season, the Sounders showed poise in the back and kept Juan Pablo Angel quiet for the entire half.
Nate Jaqua came agonizingly close to another goal for Seattle in the 51st minute. Off a quickly taken free kick. He took a first-time shot which was kick-saved by Cepero although it all would have come to nothing anyway because Jaqua was flagged for offside on the play.
An increasingly confident Red Bull side began to wear down the Sounder’s defense in the second half. New York controlled much of the ball possession for the latter stages of the game, but they could not break through Tyrone Marshall and Jhon Hurtado in the center.
In the 68th minute, the Sounders made their first change, swapping recently booked Sanna Nyassi for fellow rookie Steve Zakuani, who nearly scored two minutes after coming on. A counterattack once again featured Montero in a build-up that saw a well-hit shot by Zakuani saved by Cepero.
Aaron Weinberg/NSS
Fredy Montero cemented himself as a young star in the league with an unassisted goal with fifteen minutes left to play. Pouncing on a miscue by the Red Bull defense, Montero took the ball one on one with Cepero. Showing what has made Sounder nation so excited about his potential, Montero finished with a high, resounding strike for his second goal of the game, putting the match out of reach.
Schmid substituted Roger Levesque for Montero in the 90th minute
While there has been massive excitement for the Sounders all over Seattle, no one could have predicted their utter dominance over a side that played in the MLS Cup a year ago. Part of the reason the Sounders controlled so much of the game may have been due to the great atmosphere provided by the Sounder's fans. Kasey Keller thought so.
"I know the Seahawks talk about the 12th man," Keller said. "I don't know what our catch phrase is going to be, but there's probably not a better atmosphere for soccer in America."
Mike Petke, one of New York's central defenders and a veteran of the league agrees.
"You have to tip your hat to Seattle," Petke said. "It was probably the best environment I have ever played in and they got up for it and we didn't."
The Sounders proved they are not a normal expansion side, with most first-year teams serving as doormats of the league. Not only did they defeat New York in front of 32,523 fans, the Sounders also showed the rest of the league that they will not be taken lightly. With this emphatic victory, Seattle has truly put itself on track to become the soccer capital of America.
Reach Alden Walcon at nextseasonsports@gmail.com
