Freddie Ljungberg looks dejected
after his shot is saved by D.C. United
'keeper Josh Wicks. Aaron Weinburg/NSS
After going down two goals in the second half, D.C. United came back to muster a draw against Seattle Sounders FC at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday June 17 at the XBox Pitch in Seattle.
Seattle dominated a majority of the match but Tyrone Marshall's own goal in the 87th minute tied the game up in front of a crowd of 29,104.
"It was going to be a game of chances," Sounders head coach Sigi Schmid said. "I thought we had enough chances to score seven or eight goals and we didn't. [D.C. United] had enough chances to score four and they scored three out of four. We have to do a better job of finishing those percentage of chances."
To Continue...
D.C. United rookie Chris Pontius opened the scoring in the 34th minute before Seattle responded with two goals before halftime. Osvaldo Alonso scored his first goal of the season with a powerful shot in the 38th minute and an own goal by Marc Burch in the 45th minute gave Seattle a 2-1 lead going into halftime.
Seattle started out the better of the two teams, pressuring D.C. and controlling possession through the midfield. Alonso was included in the starting lineup after recovering from a right quadriceps strain and his influence in the midfield was rewarded with a goal and Man of the Match honors. Steve Zakuani was used off the bench as Nate Jaqua was brought back after serving a one-match red-card suspension.
"We dominated the game," Tyrone Marshall said. "We just have to pick up our heads and move on."
Straight from kickoff, Seattle appeared to emphasize play out wide, with both James Riley and Tyson Wahl coming up the field and providing crosses into D.C.'s penalty area. D.C. 'keeper Josh Wicks was kept busy throughout the match and made seven saves total against a Sounders team which appeared to be in rhythm.
In the fifth minute, a ball from Jaqua was picked up in the 18-yard box by Sebastian Le Toux with Wicks closing him down. Le Toux's center was deflected by Wick, which prevented a clear-cut goalscoring opportunity for Jaqua.
Several chances were created early in the match, but it was not until the fifteenth minute that D.C. United created an opportunity on Kasey Keller's goal. A one-two by Pontius and Quaranta in midfield leads to a chance on goal for Pontius that was saved by Keller and out for a corner.
Although Seattle dominated possession, Wicks stood tall in the D.C. goal and did not allow the Sounders to score early.
Fred suffered a groin strain and was replaced by Ange N'Silu after 21 minutes. Several half-chances continued to appear intermittently before the 34th minute.
D.C. United's Quaranta sent a dangerous cross from the right midfield to Keller's back post. Pontius was on hand to sweep the ball into the back of the net with his right foot for his fourth goal of the season.
The chances continued to come for Seattle and Fredy Montero was on hand for a shot on goal in the 38th minute, Wicks pushing the ball out for a corner. After the initial set piece was cleared, the ball fell to Alonso, who let loose from outside the 18-yard box. The ball knuckled up towards Wicks' goal, the 'keeper only able to palm the ball as it whizzed past him into the top right corner of his goal.
Seattle were ahead at halftime thanks to good work by Riley, Montero and Jaqua. Riley passed to Montero on the right, who played a ball to Jaqua in the middle. D.C. United's Marc Burch was credited with an own goal after the defender deflected Jaqua's shot into his own net.
Aaron Weinberg/NSS
It was more of the same in the second half as Seattle set out to press the D.C. goal. Montero was released down the right-hand channel but his shot was straight at Wicks in the 46th minute. Five minutes later it was Freddie Ljungberg's turn on goal after he was set up by Le Toux, but Wicks was able to parry the ball onto his left-hand post and out for a corner.
Seattle's third goal eventually came after Emilio gifted Montero possession in the middle of the field. Montero dribbled down the middle of the pitch before cutting left in the D.C. box and dispatching the ball into the back of the net.
Seattle's celebrations were short-lived as six minutes later, D.C. were only one goal down. Christian Gomez was subbed on at halftime, replacing Andrew Jacobson in the midfield and the move appeared to have helped as the Argentine was on hand to blast the ball into Keller's bottom right-hand corner in the 63rd minute.
Several chances came for both teams throughout the second half, Montero, Le Toux and Zakuani each having clear opportunities on goal.
With the minutes ticking down, the Seattle faithful believed they were witnessing a second successive Sounders victory.
Unfortunately, in the 87th minute, a raucous crowd was silenced by an own goal for D.C. United after good work from Pontius on the left wing. The D.C. rookie sent a cross into the box after Riley failed to close the midfielder and although Quaranta missed the initial header at the near post, the ball connected with Marshall, who could do nothing but watch as the ball bulged the back of the net for the tyiung goal.
"It's a game we should have won tonight," Schmid said. "It's very deflating when a team comes back and ties you like that. On the positive side of the equation, we're creating opportunities."
The Sounders now travel across the country to face the New York Red Bulls on Saturday June 20, with the team now looking to nab all three points away from home.
Reach Jesse Amorratanasuchad at nextseasonsports@gmail.com
