The Seattle Sounders play host the unbeaten Kansas City Wizards at Qwest Field today in a rare Noon local time kickoff.
The Sounders will be looking to snap a two-match winless streak against a Wizards side that is a perfect 2-0 and has yet to allow a goal this season.
I will be providing commentary on the match so please feel free to follow along here. As always, you are welcome to share your thoughts, opinions and some play-by-play in the comments section below.
Enjoy the action (Commentary is after the jump):
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HALFTIME– I'm afraid I will have to cut my commentary short on this match. Please feel free to share your own thoughts, opinions and some play-by-play in the comments section below.
Thanks for following along and enjoy the rest of the match.
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HALFTIME– The Sounders have had some nice attacking sequences, but are struggling on the final play. The Wizards are doing a good job of keeping pressure in midfield and finding the wingers in space.
Hurtado has essentially shut down Wolff today and Arnaud has been invisible as well for KC. The Wizards must get them involved.
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HALFTIME– Sounders 0, Wizards 0. Very even game. The Wizards have played well and aren't shying away from attacking the home team. Too many wasted corners for KC though.
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46th minute– Ryan Smith with a nice move to break down the right flank, but we are reminded he has no right foot as his cross attempt goes out weakly.
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45th minute– Two minutes of stoppage time. Still 0-0. Good game, just not many great chances.
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44th minute– Sounders on the attack again, a Ljungberg pass into the area was cut off, preventing a chance. Dangerous sequence from Seattle.
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43rd minute– Wizards' sixth corner kick is headed clear by Zakuani.
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42nd minute– Both players are back on. Riley must have been cut. He had to change his jersey, is wearing a blank jersey now (how tough is it for a pro team to have back-up jerseys available?).
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41st minute– Both players walk off under their own power.
If you're following the commentary, let me know in the comments section.
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39th minute– Kamara and Riley just clashed heads and both are down.
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38th minute– SMith breaks into the area but Hurtado catches up and defends him well.
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37th minute– Zakuani booked after a challenge on Auvray, looked like he got it for dissent after arguing the foul call.
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36th minute– Another KC corner is caught by Keller. Seattle can't keep giving up corners, then again, the Wizards aren't doing anything with them.
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34th minute– Wizards head a corner kick well wide.
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33rd minute– Matt Besler comes in for Conrad. That's a blow for the Wizards.
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32nd minute– Jimmy Conrad is limping off. That would be a big loss for the Wizards.
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31st minute– A look at the replay reveals that was actually a good call.
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30th minute– Zakuani whistled for offside, not sure about that one.
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29th minute– Riley with a late challenge on Kamara. Earns a yellow for his trouble. Kamara is still down.
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26th minute– The Ljungberg-Auvray match-up is going to be fun o watch all day.
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22nd minute– KC with a ball in the area but can't get a shot on goal.
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21st minute– Both teams putting together nice passes, but the final passes keeps missing the mark.
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20th minute– We're in a bit of a lull now as the teams look to regroup a bit after a frantic first 15 minutes.
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18th minute– Marshall is back on. Apaprently he has no cut, at least he's got no bandage on his head.
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17th minute– A very lively match with both teams looking to hit on the counter quickly. Sounders just might catch KC on the counter one of these times. The Wizards aren't shy about pushing forward today.
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16th minute– Marshall took a knock to the head, he looks like he's bleeding and will need stitches or a bandage. Head wrap?
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14th minute– Great sequence for Seattle leads to a Montero shot saved by Jimmy Nielsen. Seattle corner.
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13th minute– Kamara with a great move to spring past Gonzalez, but his cross is intercepted.
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10th minute– NOONAN WIDE!!! What a chance, set up by James Riley. Needs to finish that one Mr. Noonan.
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9th minute– Some wide-open soccer here. This will be a high-energy match.
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7th minute– Let the Pablo Escobar jokes begin.
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6th minute– Pablo Escobar is making his first start for KC. It will be interesting to see how the young Colombian defender does.
Zakuani with a shot that doesn't trouble Nielsen too much.
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5th minute– Espinoza with a foul on Montero. He'll be spending plenty of time on the ground today.
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3rd minute– Seattle deals with the corner well.
KC beat Seattle last year at Qwest by playing with much more energy (that's even before the Keller red card). The Wizards look just as lively today.
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2nd minute– KC with some early possession, earning a corner.
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1st Minute– We're underway.
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PRE-GAME– Count me among the people who don't like hearing an English accent doing MLS matches. That said, the play-by-play guy calling today's match is pretty sharp.
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PRE-GAME– Did I just see Jair Marrufo? Wasn't sure he was still an official after Blanco-gate last year.
If you're wondering, and if you didn't read the MLS Look Ahead, I'm picking the Sounders to win today. Not that I don't think KC is good, but I like Seattle's chances today.
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PRE-GAME– Peter Vagenas gets the start today in favor of Brad Evans. Look for a 4-5-1 from the Sounders, with Alonso and Vagenas trying to match the work of KC defensive midfielders Jack Jewsbury and Stephen Auvray.
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PRE-GAME– Here are the lineups:
SOUNDERS
—————–Montero———————
Zakuani——–Ljungberg———-Noonan
———–Alonso——-Vagenas————
Gonzalez—Hurtado—Marshall——Riley
——————-Keller———————
WIZARDS
Smith—————Wolff————-Kamara
————-Jewsbury—Arnaud—————-
——————-Auvrey————————-
Espinoza—Conrad—Escobar——Harrington
——————-Nielsen———————–
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make up call was that one that they called Arnaud for a foul when the ball went for a goal kick and Arnaud was fouled
penalty if he falls before trying to get to the ball, him and Kamara were locked up, fouling each other, but at the point the guy still put a head on it you are rarely going to get that call. first half a guy came thru Arnaud to hit the ball out in the box for a corner as well, both close plays.
that throw in that lead to the goal was 15 yards ahead of where it should have been, complete mistake by KC’s cbs but the officals also made a mess of it
I don’t think I’ve ever seen a match where the throw ins weren’t really far away from where the ball actually went out. Sometimes the official brings them back but usually not. And yes, Kamara knew exactly what he was doing with that strategic “fall” and two-legged take of Marshall.
I second that.
Blaise Fuko doesn’t count as new personnel?
nfuko is coming in july… hope that’ll help finishing.
Ryan Smith. Thats all.
true.
Just making up for the OBVIOUS penalty they didn’t call.
Sooooooouuuuuunders !!!
KC with the possession advantage for about 75 minutes, although no good shots, credit to very good Sounders defense and poor KC corner kicks. The last 20 minutes belonged to the Sounders, with the home crowd being an advantage, and KC appearing to complacently play for the draw. Big defensive lapse to allow Fucito behind the defense on a throw in. Losing Conrad quite likely cost them the draw. KC commentators called it a calf strain.
Quit Whining, we’ve ALL seen WAY worse!!!
Man, no kidding! I was freaking out over that before the goal was even scored. However, I am a KC fan, so that might explain it.
Holy cow – what a finish!
Final thoughts:
-Sounders one touch passing was very nice, but then again, most of it was in our third of the field.
-Ljungberg has a two match streak going as far as looking like a confused man with rocks for feet 75% of the time. The other 25%, he looks like the guy we paid for.
-Vagenas was key as far as possession went.
-Sounders defense was incredible as usual, except for that last chance scare.
-I said this to myself as the first half started: this looks like the game where one of our subs, either Nyassi or Fucito, will come through as a hero. Glad to be right about that one.
-KC’s last corner gave me flashbacks. Horrible, horrible flashbacks.
That throw in before the goal was taken way too far ahead of where it went out. Very poor from the refs there.
That throw in was so far from where the ball went out of bounds.
Will do 🙂 Later gang!
FINAL – 1-0 Seattle and Michael Fucito has a memory to last a lifetime. I was going to go with Michael Harrington as my MOTM if it ended 0-0 but I’m gonna vote Kasey Keller now. Arlo picks Fucito.
Go have a beer, Sammy!
Final whistle…Sounders 1, KC 0
94th minute – It was Chance Myers through on the 1-on-1 for KC. Goal kick Seattle.
Ianni in for Ljungberg. KC corner wide.
93rd Minute – COUNTER – don’t celebrate too soon. KC gets through on a 1-on-1 and Keller makes a HUGE save. Corner for KC. Ljungberg off – Ianni on.
Corner KC, Ryan Smith…
KELLER WITH THE SAVE!
GOAL FUCITO ON A BEAUTIFUL THROW-IN FROM BRAD EVANS IN THE 92ND MINUTE!
92nd minute – GOAL!!! Michael Fucito breaks his Sounders duck off a throw and becomes the HERO!
90th minute – 4 minutes of stoppage.
90th minute – Yellow for Evans as he commits tactical foul to stop a counter attack. Kei Kamara off Chance Myers on for KC.
90th minute – cleared by KC
88th minute – Call for kick on edge of area by Evans denied. Obstuction as KC tries to shield ball out of bounds. Rare call. Corner-like situation for Seattle.
88th Minute – Evans looks for the through ball to Montero goes though to Nielsen.
87th – Good hustle play from Fucito wins a throw off Harrington.
86th minute – Long ball to Montero turns into Seattle throw off Besler.
85th minute, and Fucito comes in for Zak. Stevie Z did not have his most memorable outing this afternoon.
85th minute – Harrington wins a throw v. Zakuani. Fucito coming on for Zakuani. Looks like Fucito’s fought his way up the depth chart.
84th minute – Vagenas looks to Ljungberg on the left wing. Cut out by Harrington.
83rd Minute – Evans returns to the pitch. The wind has been taken out of the game. Alonso appears to be in more of a CAM role instead of DM.
No, no word on Conrad. At least not via the Sounders broadcast.
Evans back in after a very nasty spill.
82nd Minute – Teal Bunbury on for KC. Josh Wolff off. Turns out Evans was drilled (I think Escobar) on a cross. No malice, I think he got the wind knocked out of him.
80th minute – Evans down in penalty area. KC plays on. Zakuani eventually puts it out of play.
79th minute – Sounders throw in advanced position up the right side. Try to take it quick, forced to take it back for I don’t know why. Cross for Freddie cleared by KC.
any word on Conrad’s injury? Is it thought to be serious?
78th minute – Gonzalez lets the ball roll out after challenge from Harrington. KC throw, Leo disagrees. Closeup of blond girl clearly tellin the ref to F off.
77th minute – cross into the box from Leo. Evans tries a difficult volley to no avail.
77th minute – game opening up. Turning more free-flowing.