Jaqua was ejected with a red card.
The Sounders owned the vast majority of possession, but merely controlling the ball wasn’t enough as the team dropped its second straight to Chivas USA, this time 1-0.
All “The Goats” needed was a quick throw-in, a sharp shot that rebounded off Kasey Keller’s hands and an easy rebound goal by L.A.’s unmarked Eduardo Lilingston to take a 1-0 lead in the 38th minute.
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Meanwhile Seattle built up numerous scoring chances but failed to find the net for the third time this season despite 11 shots.
The loss breaks Seattle’s five-game tie streak.
Once again, Seattle lost a player to a red card late in the game, this time in the 87th minute. Forward Nate Jaqua was the culprit and will miss next week’s match at home against the Earthquakes with a mandatory one-game suspension.
Jhon Kennedy Hurtado will also miss the game against San Jose after picking up his fifth yellow card of the season.
Suspensions have been a problem for Seattle, wreaking havoc on the expansion team’s chemistry. The Sounders lead the league in red cards with five.
Seattle had numerous chances in the second half, including Nate Jaqua evading defenders in the box off a Sebastien Le Toux feed, then firing a shot about a foot wide of the net.
Jhon Kennedy Hurtado had Seattle’s best opportunity of the game in the second half after Freddie Ljungberg’s free kick ricocheted in the air for a wide open header fpr Hurtado. But, the defender pushed it high over the net.
Le Toux came in for Fredy Montero in the 65th minute and instantly made his presence felt by roughing up defenders and helping build up some of Seattle’s best scoring opportunities.
However, the spark Le Toux brought to the pitch wasn’t enough for Seattle to avoid it’s third shutout.
The loss drops Seattle further back in the Western Conference. They trail the second place Houston Dynamo by four points and dropped to a tie with the Rapids, who earned a point with a draw.
Reach Aaron Weinberg at nextseasonsports@gmail.com
