Photo by Howard C. Smith/ISIphotos.com
Designated Players Fredy Montero and Alvaro Fernandez came off the bench and connected for the equalizing goal in second half stoppage time to help the Seattle Sounders to a 1-1 draw against the Philadelphia Union at PPL Park Saturday afternoon.
After Seattle maintained possession in the box after a corner kick, Montero chipped back toward the goal, where Fernandez headed the ball inside the right post to level the score. Montero returned after a two-game absence after wrist surgery and entered as a 66th-minute substitute.
The Union had gone ahead of the Sounders (1-2-3) in the 32nd minute, when Carlos Ruiz' 20-yard free kick took a deflection off the wall and swerved past a wrong-footed Kasey Keller. Philadelphia (3-1-1) won't play again for two weeks, after its scheduled match against Real Salt Lake for next weekend was postponed until September.
What did you think about the match? Think it was a deserved result? Do you see Montero and Fernandez both breaking out now?
Share your thoughts below.
do you realize that the majority of seats in Seattle are filled with season ticket holders? they don’t wait to see how the weather is or what other sports are playing games, they buy the tickets before the season starts and go to every game. Even if the Mariners had a team that could win a game they still would not pull supporters from the Sounders, fact.
I couldn’t tell you how the other Seattle sports teams are doing, nor do I care. I know a ton of people who go to the matches regularly and none of them ever debate between sports. These are soccer people.
That comment is you projecting Union fans attitude onto Seattle.
The Sounders success belongs to Sounders and Seattle soccer community.
Yes, you would.
While I admire the Sounders’ success and think they are a model franchise, there is no doubting that Seattle’s absolutely horrible pro sports scene has played a huge role in that success.
TV>Radio
no. we wouldn’t.
Seattle does have a baseball team, they are just terrible. Also your basketball team was away so it should not really take away from attendance. You can easily listen to the broadcast of that game at the footie game.
You can’t even blame the turf. The field actually looked like it played nicely. As high level player, calling for Field Turf is blasphemy!
It was the wind that was the worst. In response to attendance: If Seattle had any form of a hockey, basketball, or baseball team, they would have had a similar display. 15k is ticket sales is all that matters…
This game was exactly like every other Union game. Love ’em and their new stingy D, but they create no chances. Le Toux is showing that maybe last year was an anomally. Ruiz offers nothing dynamic. And Migs..ugh! And what’s not to like about Okugo? Why do we not see more of M. Farfan? And Torres? AND MWANGA?
So Seattle isn’t the only place with terrible rain. Maybe The Union should bring in field turf since it drains better, or maybe a retractable roof. (Sarcasm)
In games like this a draw is all you can ask for. Worst conditions of the season for either team.
I agree but you can say that about anybody. I saw a Park do a disgraceful dive that was whistled in the Man U vs Man City FA Cup semifinal game yesterday.
I was at the game, sat opposite the river end. Pretty wet out there, but those in attendance were into it and a real battle in midfield. I think Seattle deserved the point, even though we cheered for the Union. Neither side created many chances, which is a shame considering the conditions. Keller was barely challenged 2nd half
Not Keller’s fault. It careemed off a head in the wall, Keller was actually positioned to stop the original shot if it had gone through.
Cue Benny Feilhaber…
Fyers and Sixers playoff games were happening at the same time as the game. I’m sure those games with the rain swayed many people. I think it was more than half empty, but MLS only releases paid attendance which was 15.1k.
Funniest thing Arlo White said tonight was when he was looking at Carlos Ruiz and said that he looked like a kid who had just had his lunch money stolen (this was after one of his extravagant dives). It was hilarious.
One would figure after the result against NYRB the place would be live.. Sure it was raining,,,, 1/2 empty?
Watched from the River End and Osvaldo Alonso easily wins my player of the match. He showed the most hustle of any player on either team and consistently disposessed forwards and midfielders throughout the match. He didn’t play a perfect game by any measure but his tenacity kept Philadelphia’s posession advantage from turning into scoring chances.
I thought Califf played very well for the Union today. Valdes has seemed the more dominant defender in the first few games, but Captain Califf really turned it on in for the poor weather.
Kudos to Sigi Schmid for the subs. Jaqua, Montero and Fernandez all unsettled Philly. While the move certainly left Seattle open to a counter, they weren’t punished and the risk paid off. The goal came from a set piece which Jaqua battle for, Montero got the second ball and Fernandez eventually headed in.
I was at the game and while Philly had the better of the play, they didn’t create many chances. Seattle was pretty poor and didn’t really do anything until all three (very attacking) subs were made.
Seattle’s midfield wasn’t very good and while I’m not a big fan of Amobi Okugo, the conditions favored his style of play and he looked good. Miglioranzi and Okugo were simply better than Seattle’s midfield.
Le Toux had another subpar game – he just looks hesitant with the ball. Philadelphia needs a bit more creativity which would result in more chances made.
If only more comments were Arlo Quotes. The man is the truth.
With Rosales seeming to be the best option at right wing, and the midfield pairing of Evans/Alonso the preferred choice for Sigi, something will have to break for Flaco to get into the starting 11. I’d like to see him take Evans spot if ever Evans needs a rest; see how he does in the center. I know he prefers the wings but his play doesn’t seem to benefit from being in the position.
What can I say? He’s tough to improve on. Also, you can’t disagree with the sentiment.
Way to quote Arlo word for word on the World Cup to Gonzaga bit…
I thought Peter Nowack’s decision to sub in Danny Mwanga actually backfired. The 4-man midfield with Le Toux dropping deep was very effective at preventing the Sounders from connecting the backfield to the attacking four, and the Union were already up a goal — there was no need to move to a more attacking formation. Although the Union looked more dangerous after the substitution, the Sounders did too, and they ended up creating two good chances and converting one.
That being said, I was very happy to see Flaco get the goal. He’s been through some tough times recently — I’m sure it’s a huge mental adjustment to go from the World Cup squad to a reserve game against Gonzaga University — but he’s been a professional through all of it and has earned some good fortune. Friberg hasn’t looked nearly as sharp since going out with the flu and I wouldn’t be surprised to see Flaco taking his spot, although with Montero back I’m not sure that either will be starting.
It looked like Keller let in a soft goal there.
Yeah, this was not a game to showcase the league. The weather just sort of turned everything to chaos. A point seemed fair for both sides, and may Philly never have such awful weather ever again.
I thought the Union had the better of the possession but with the pounding rain and the wind it was always going to be an ugly game.
Think this was a fair result for both sides. Neither team looked particularly good in any sense of the word, Philly’s goal was a lucky deflection. Sounders goal was a hectic scramble that was finished with a nice glancing header. The conditions made this game quite poor honestly, it just wasn’t to enjoyable to watch.
Honest question here, why do MLS refs continue to fall for Ruiz’s dives? Its digraceful
I’m gonna rewatch it as watching in the pub is tough, but my first thought is that neither team played all that well. We definitely didn’t deserve to win and were lucky to get a draw.