MLS Game #8
Saturday, May 21, 2011, 9:00 p.m. CT
English TV: KSMO
Spanish TV: Time Warner Cable Ch. 5
Spanish Radio: La Gran D 1340 AM
Qwest Field | Seattle, Washington
Weather: Cloudy and 53 degrees
Attendance: 36,098
Score: 1 2 F
Sporting Kansas City (1-6-1, 4 pts) 0 0 0
Seattle Sounders (4-3-5, 17 pts) 0 1 1
Sporting Kansas City: Jimmy Nielsen; Michael Harrington, Matt Besler, Aurelien Collin, Roger Espinoza; Craig Rocastle, Davy Arnaud ©, Omar Bravo (Graham Zusi 76); Ryan Smith (Chance Myers 86), Teal Bunbury (C.J. Sapong 73), Kei Kamara
Subs not used: Birahim Diop, Julio Cesar, Eric Kronberg, Luke Sassano
Seattle Sounders: Kasey Keller; James Riley, Jhon Kennedy Hurtado, Jeff Parke, Tyson Wahl; Osvaldo Alonso, Servando Carrasco (Nate Jaqua 55), Alvaro Fernandez, Mauro Rosales (Mike Fucito 69); Fredy Montero (Patrick Ianni 95+), Roger Levesque
Subs not used: Terry Boss, Erik Friberg, Lamar Neagle, Zach Scott
Stats: SKC SEA
Shots 7 12
Shots on Goal 3 2
Saves 1 3
Fouls 15 14
Offside 0 1
Corner Kicks 4 8
Misconduct Summary:
SEA – Alvaro Fernandez (caution; Reckless Foul) 44
KC – Ryan Smith (caution; Delaying a Restart) 49
SEA – Servando Carrasco (caution; Reckless Foul) 51
SEA – Mauro Rosales (caution; Reckless Foul) 64
SEA – Osvaldo Alonso (caution; Tactical Foul) 84
Scoring Summary:
SEA – Jeff Parke 1 (Tyson Wahl 1) 93+
(May 21, 2011) – For the second straight season, Sporting Kansas City suffered a heartbreaking 1-0 loss at Qwest Field on a goal in second-half stoppage time against the Seattle Sounders on Saturday.
Minutes from the team’s first shutout of the 2011 season, Sounders defender Jeff Parke re-directed a corner kick from Tyson Wahl in the third minute of stoppage time to give the Sounders a dramatic victory, their fourth straight over Sporting Kansas City.
Sporting Kansas City nearly opened the scoring in the fifth minute if not for a pair of saves by Sounders veteran goalkeeper Kasey Keller. Sporting KC striker Ryan Smith, making his first start of the 2011 season, struck a low shot from the right side that Keller dove low to push away. The rebound fell to Sporting KC striker Omar Bravo, appearing after a five-game absence while recovering from a sports hernia injury, but the Designated Player’s shot was easily held by the former U.S. Men’s National Team netminder.
Seattle responded with a looping header from Mauro Rosales in the 20th minute that went narrowly high of the crossbar. Fifteen minutes later, Sounders midfielder Osvaldo Alonso attempted a long-range shot but it too went inches over the target.
Sporting Kansas City goalkeeper Jimmy Nielsen was called into action in the 58th minute, punching away multiple loose balls in the goalmouth. Nielsen was then assisted by central defender Matt Besler, who slid to stop a shot from Seattle second-half substitute Mike Fucito on a chance from the top of the penalty area.
The Sporting KC attack, shutout for the third time in five games, didn’t go quietly in the final minutes of Saturday’s match, as striker Kei Kamara nearly beat Keller to connect with a pass from the midfield in the 71st minute. Then in the 86th minute, a Sporting Kansas City free kick was nearly put into the net by Seattle defender Jhon Kennedy Hurtado but went wide and out for one of four Sporting Kansas City corners on the night.
With an announced four minutes of stoppage time to be added, Seattle capitalized after earning a corner kick on a deflected header by defender Aurelien Collin that Kamara appeared to have kept from crossing the endline. Sounders midfielder Roger Levesque quickly threw the ball-in but was calledback for the fateful corner kick in the third minute of added time. Parke broke free from the set piece scramble and place his header inside the far post for his second career MLS goal and first since his rookie season in 2004. Wahl, a former Kansas City defender from 2006-08, earned his second career assist for the service.
Sporting Kansas City will host the New England Revolution on Wednesday, May 25th at Blue Valley District Activities Complex in the final round of 2011 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Qualifying. Tickets are available for $15 on TicketMaster.com.
Fast Facts:
- With the loss, Sporting Kansas City is 1-6-1 in 2011 and is in ninth position in the Eastern Conference.
- Sporting Kansas City is 1-4-0 all-time against the Sounders and 1-2-0 all-time on the road in the series.
- Last season, Sporting KC lost 1-0 at Seattle on a goal in the second minute of second half stoppage time.
- Sporting KC handed Seattle their first home defeat at Qwest field in the two team’s first meeting in 2009, but have lost last four MLS matches in the series.
- Sporting Kansas City have now lost five consecutive matches, dating back to a 3-3 draw at Vancouver on April 2nd. Sporting started the year with four points from their first three matches.
- Seattle has lost one game in their past 10 MLS matches following Saturday’s victory.
- Sporting Kansas City opens the 2011 season with an MLS-record 10 consecutive road games. Saturday’s match marked the eighth, with trips to Colorado and Toronto remaining before the June 9th home opener at LIVESTRONG Sporting Park.
- Sporting Kansas City goalkeeper Jimmy Nielsen made one save in the 1-0 loss, lowering his goals against average to 2.00.
- Sporting Kansas City was minutes from their first shutout since a 2-0 win over the Chicago Fire on October 12, 2010, a span of ten games without a clean sheet after Seattle’s stoppage time goal on Saturday.
- Seattle has not been shutout since March 19th, 2011 in 1-0 loss to New York, a span of ten games without being held scoreless.
- Sporting Kansas City is 0-4-0 when tied at halftime and 0-5-0 when conceding the first goal in 2011.
- Sporting Kansas City striker Omar Bravo returned from a sports hernia injury and was selected to the starting lineup for Saturday. Bravo had missed the club’s previous five games and played 76 minutes against Seattle.
- Midfielder Craig Rocastle made his first appearance since April 2nd, starting and playing the full 90 minutes.
- Winger Ryan Smith made his first start of the 2011 season on Saturday, completing his comeback from offseason knee surgery with 86 minutes of action.
- NISOA Executive Director and NSCAA Hall of Famer Cliff McCrath joined Callum Williams on the broadcast for Saturday’s match. McCrath won five NCAA Division II National Championships while coaching at Seattle Pacific University.
- KSMO-TV will air highlights and reaction from Saturday’s match on the station’s weekly 30-minute soccer show “Off the Pitch with Sporting Kansas City” on Sunday at 9:30 p.m. CT.
