Despite playing without MLS Player of the Month Fredy Montero and competing in their first away game, the Sounders FC will return to Seattle with another victory—a 2-0 shutout of Toronto FC on Saturday.With the win, the Sounders (3-0-0) remained undefeated and handed Toronto (1-1-1) its first loss of the season. In the first two weeks of league play, the Reds defeated the Kansas City Wizards, 3-2, and drew even at 1-1 with the Columbus Crew. The loss for Toronto FC was just their third in MLS play since the beginning of the 2008 season.
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Strikers Freddie Ljungberg and Steve Zakuani notched two early goals for Seattle—both in the first half—to secure the victory for the Sounders.
The shutout by goalkeeper Kasey Keller has continued the Sounders’ shutout streak to three consecutive games and has made Seattle the first team in MLS history to not allow a goal in its first three games.
Keller set a new MLS shutout streak, not allowing a goal in 270 straight minutes, improving upon the old record of 228 minutes set in 1996.
Ljungberg, after recovering from offseason hip surgery and injury rehab, started in his first game for the Sounders. In the last home game against Real Salt Lake, Ljungberg thrilled the crowd at Qwest Field by entering the game as a reserve for Steve Zakuani in the 61st minute of the match.
Ljungberg scored his first goal in MLS play in the 15th minute, avoiding two defenders and using a give-and-go play with Nate Jaqua to his advantage. He drove the ball past Toronto goalkeeper Greg Sutton from 25 yards out.
Zakuani, who Ljungberg replaced in last week’s Real Salt Lake game, also scored his first MLS goal in the match’s first half. Zakuani ended scoring and put the game out of reach for the Reds when he scored off a rebounded shot at goal from Jaqua.
In the second half of play, the home team substituted midfielder Sam Cronin for Rohan Ricketts and Danny Dichio for Chad Barrett to alter the Toronto FC’s offensive attack.
The closest Toronto got to scoring was in the 69th minute when Amado Guevara, with a cross from Jim Brennan, headed the ball in the direction of Keller in goal. The ball hit the goal’s crossbar and sailed above the net.
Seven minutes later, Keller dived and saved a shot at goal by Pablo Vitti from a cross by Dwayne De Rosario.
The only other scoring chance for Toronto FC was Guevara’s free kick, which floated over the goal in the 88th minute.
Game Notes:
The 42 degree temperature and 35 mph wind was a factor in Toronto’s BMO Stadium, which reportedly created an English-like futbol setting for the Reds’ home opener. The crowd of nearly 21,000 started to file out early, as the end of the second half drew closer and the 2-0 Sounders victory seemed imminent.
Ljungberg scored 72 goals when he played with Arsenal and had a season-high 17 goals in his 2001-02 season. The 2006 Swedish Player of the Year and two-time English Premiere League champ’s first goal for Seattle in the first half allowed Sounders fans everywhere to exhale a sigh of relief as the well-known scorer can hopefully live up to his high goal count potential.
Sounders leading scorer forward Fredy Montero did not make the trip to Toronto after falling ill before the team departed.
Look for game previews on NSS later this week for the next Sounders FC matchup against the Kansas City Wizards, who currently sit in last place in Eastern conference standings, April 11 at Qwest Field.
Match Stats from soundersfc.com:
Sounders Toronto FC
2 Goals 0
1 Corner Kicks 4
6 Fouls 10
3 Misconduct Fouls 2
1 Offsides 2
3 Saves 1
8 Shots 9
3 Shots on Goal 4
Western Conference Standings
W L D Points
Seattle 3 0 0 9
Chivas USA 2 0 0 6
Colorado 1 1 0 3
San Jose 1 1 0 3
Los Angeles 0 0 1 1
Houston 0 1 1 1
Salt Lake 0 1 0 0
FC Dallas 0 2 0 0
Reach Stephanie Castillo at nextseasonsports@gmail.com
