Photo by Joe Nicholson/USA Today Sports
By RYAN TOLMICH
The Seattle Sounders’ won last week’s CONCACAF Champions League matchup with Olimpia by overcoming an early deficit with a pair of last-minute goals. On Wednesday night, the Sounders had no such luck.
In front of a racaus crowd in Tegucigalpa, Honduras the Sounders were defeated by Olimpia by a score of 1-0. The game’s lone finish came in the 60th minute via Alberth Elis, the same player who scored Olimpia’s lone tally in last week’s dramatic 2-1 loss.
Elis’ finish showed composure, as the 19-year-old forward collected a loose ball in front of net by taking a touch before firing past Seattle Sounders goalkeeper Troy Perkins, who was off his line. The shot deflected off a Sounders defender and into the back of the net, providing the crucial goal in a virtual must-win for Olimpia.
With the victory, Olimpia remains one point behind the Sounders with a game in hand. If the two teams were to finish level, Olimpia would now advance via the away-goal tiebreaker.
The Sounders certainly had their chance to tie the match late, though, as an Aaron Kovar free kick narrowly missed the head of a leaping Andy Rose. In total, the Sounders were only able to muster four shots, with only one of those on target.
In CCL play, the Sounders are now out of action until a September 23 clash with the Vancouver Whitecaps, while Olimpia takes on the MLS side one week prior.
The Sounders return to MLS play on Sunday for a Cascadia Cup showdown with the Portland Timbers.
Don’t the Sounders undertsand that if their goal is to win the CCL, a prerequisite to that is advancing from their group? I can see how DC was risking it with bench players. Their group is weak. But Seattle cannot afford to do what they did. They are fortunate to have 4 points so far. Should have at least sprinkled in some starters. As an MLS fan, I was hoping that we woukd have 4 teams in the quarterfinals. I gess it is still quite doable.
It’s all about congestion. 5 games in 15 days is rough and the season is slipping. We are about to lose players to call ups. Playoffs > CCL which no one really cares about for the most part.
I understand to some degree. No Martins, no Dempsey of course. However, maybe they could have sent one of Evans and Marshall, Mears, Barret, Valdez, and a couple of others. Not all of those guys will start on Sunday.
Evans, Marshall and Mears have been pretty run out during the past 6 weeks and its shown in the play of the first two. I think that Barrett is still injured and Valdez hasn’t looked match fit. The only one who wouldn’t start on Sunday is Barrett.
weak
With the exception of Pineda, it was pretty much a 2nd team squad. It looked from the roster like Olimpia at least was playing more regulars, but its hard to tell for sure. Everyone wants MLS to be such a great league, but this happens every year MLS reserves aren’t good enough to get results against the better Central American teams on the road. But fans and media pretty much only care about MLS playoffs so why would you play Martins, Marshall, Evans, and Dempsey (injured) mid-week in Honduras.
Throughout the match, I was thinking about how far MLS has come. Back in the day, this Sounders team would have been close to what many MLS teams were fielding as their best 11. Now, we’re talking about how we’re disappointed a reserve team lost an away match 1-0 to a strong Central American team.
Not disagreeing, however, it still shows how far MLS has to go. And lets be honest do to injury several of these Sounders players have played a lot for the first team.
Sounders can’t play on real grass, they cheat and can win only by playing on that asphalt at the NFL stadium.
WHY!!!!
Because Sigi is on the chopping block ( I don’t agree with what Ives thinks ) and he HAS to beat Portland at home this weekend.
I don’t think that Sigi’s job is in danger before the end of the MLS regular season, but if they don’t do well in the playoffs or worse yet, don’t even make them, then I can’t see how he can be retained. Ownership has given him a fairly stacked line-up and the team still underperforming.