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Seattle And Toronto Draw In Physical Match
Both teams squandered numerous chances in a foul-filled game that ended 0-0.
Aug 29, 2009 9:14:10 PM
SEATTLE, Wash.— Seattle Sounders FC (8-6-10, 34 points) and Toronto FC (8-8-7, 31 points) played out a scoreless match. The game featured numerous scoring opportunities, player collisions and scuffles in which Toronto dominated the first half and Seattle the second.
The Sounders’s scoring drought continued meaning Seattle has scored one goal in its last three games. Tyrone Marshall exited the game after hurting his hamstring, but Brad Evans and Nate Jaqua played the entire game despite taking hits in the second half.
Seattle goalie Kasey Keller recorded his eighth shutout of the season and only had to make one save during the match. His counterpart, Stefan Frei, made four saves to earn his fifth shutout this year.
Toronto played without defender Adrian Serious and midfielder Carl Robinson. Both missed the match due to yellow card accumulations.
First Half
Toronto forward Dwayne De Rosario didn’t wait long to make his presence felt before the 32,679 fans in attendance at Qwest Field. After a long kick in the third minute from goalie Stefan Frei, forward Chad Barrett redirected the ball with the tip of his foot to the Canadian native. De Rosario outmaneuvered the Sounders defense and goalie Kasey Keller. He moved to the right side of the box and cringed as his shot missed the net.
Defender Tyrone Marshall, who played for Toronto last year, was injured in the 17th minute. His left knee got tangled up with Toronto defender Marvell Wynne’s legs. Marshall attempted to stay in the game but slowly moved to the sideline to end his day. Patrick Ianni entered the game to replace the Jamaican two minutes later.
After the match, Marshall said his hamstring would be evaluated in the next couple of days. He hoped to be back in time for the Sounders’ U.S. Open Cup final on Wednesday.
In the 22nd minute, Barrett and De Rosario hooked up again for another chance. De Rosario got the ball from a leaky Seattle defender and sent a cross from the right side of the 18-yard box to Barrett. The Oregon native’s header sailed wide of the left post.
Toronto’s bad luck continued a minute later. Midfielder orchestrator Amado Guevara sent a missile that bounced off the crossbar for another squandered scoring chance.
Seattle’s offense came to life in the 26th minute with its first shot on goal of the match. Forward Nate Jaqua started on the right side of the pitch and ran towards the top part of the box, where he spotted midfielder Freddie Ljungberg. The Swede hit a low shot that went directly to Toronto goalie Stefan Frei.
In the 37th minute, De Rosario sent a long through pass to midfielder Joe Cronin at the top part of the box. The result was another Toronto shot that missed the entire net.
Second Half
Seattle upped the tempo in the second half of play. Forward Fredy Montero and defender Jhon Kennedy Hurtado hooked up on a give-and-go in the 61st minute. The young Colombian spotted midfielder Osvaldo Alonso in front of the goal, but his shot went right into the chest of Frei.
With new-found energy, Ljungberg attempted to put the Sounders on the scoreboard in the 63rd minute. Jaqua passed it to the former Swedish national. He made an excellent run down the right side of the pitch and hit a hard shot towards the right post. Frei deflected the ball away.
A minute later, Ljungberg struck again with another similar run. This time he went for the left post with a shot that hugged the ground. It went wide of the goal.
In the 73rd minute tempers boiled over. It started when De Rosario and Hurtado both went for a ball headed towards the touchline. The burly Colombian shouldered the Canadian slightly. Players gathered around and an upset Ljungberg jawed away at De Rosario.
Referee Jorge Gonzalez issued yellow cards to Ljungberg and De Rosario to settle things down. It appeared to work and the Swede made his way towards Toronto FC coach Chris Cummins and shake hands. However, the conversation became heated between the two and several Seattle players placed themselves between the Toronto coach and Ljungberg. The yellow card accumulation was his fifth, and he’ll be suspended for Seattle’s next match.
Nine minutes later, midfielder Sebastien Le Toux, who had entered the game for Steve Zakuani in the 67st minute, passed the ball to Brad Evans in front of the net. Toronto defender Nick Garcia and Evans both fell to the ground. The Seattle midfielder got the worst of it and lay on the ground for several minutes. He headed towards his bench gingerly and returned a couple of minutes later.
The physical fireworks continued in the 82nd minute. This time Jaqua and Toronto defender Emmanuel Gomez both jumped for a ball and their heads collided in mid-air. Both dropped to the ground in pain. After the game, Jaqua was still groggy from the hit.
Toronto played passes back to Frei in the last minutes of regulation to try and secure a valuable point. Seattle attempted to break the deadlock in extra time. Evans found Le Toux in the box, but his shot was weak and easily handled by the Toronto ‘keeper.
In the third minute of extra time, Jaqua, despite the hard knock to his head a few minutes earlier, managed to make a skillful pass to Le Toux. The Frenchman found Alsonso, who deftly controlled the ball and attempted a bicycle kick that went over the net. Another last minute shot by the Cuban native also missed its mark to end the match.
Seattle next plays in the U.S. Open Cup final in the nation’s capital against D.C. United on Wednesday to try win its first-ever trophy. Toronto heads to Colorado next Saturday for an away match against the Rapids.
John Zielonka, Goal.com
For more on Major League Soccer, visit Goal.com's MLS page
The Sounders’s scoring drought continued meaning Seattle has scored one goal in its last three games. Tyrone Marshall exited the game after hurting his hamstring, but Brad Evans and Nate Jaqua played the entire game despite taking hits in the second half.
Seattle goalie Kasey Keller recorded his eighth shutout of the season and only had to make one save during the match. His counterpart, Stefan Frei, made four saves to earn his fifth shutout this year.
Toronto played without defender Adrian Serious and midfielder Carl Robinson. Both missed the match due to yellow card accumulations.
First Half
Toronto forward Dwayne De Rosario didn’t wait long to make his presence felt before the 32,679 fans in attendance at Qwest Field. After a long kick in the third minute from goalie Stefan Frei, forward Chad Barrett redirected the ball with the tip of his foot to the Canadian native. De Rosario outmaneuvered the Sounders defense and goalie Kasey Keller. He moved to the right side of the box and cringed as his shot missed the net.
Defender Tyrone Marshall, who played for Toronto last year, was injured in the 17th minute. His left knee got tangled up with Toronto defender Marvell Wynne’s legs. Marshall attempted to stay in the game but slowly moved to the sideline to end his day. Patrick Ianni entered the game to replace the Jamaican two minutes later.
After the match, Marshall said his hamstring would be evaluated in the next couple of days. He hoped to be back in time for the Sounders’ U.S. Open Cup final on Wednesday.
In the 22nd minute, Barrett and De Rosario hooked up again for another chance. De Rosario got the ball from a leaky Seattle defender and sent a cross from the right side of the 18-yard box to Barrett. The Oregon native’s header sailed wide of the left post.
Toronto’s bad luck continued a minute later. Midfielder orchestrator Amado Guevara sent a missile that bounced off the crossbar for another squandered scoring chance.
Seattle’s offense came to life in the 26th minute with its first shot on goal of the match. Forward Nate Jaqua started on the right side of the pitch and ran towards the top part of the box, where he spotted midfielder Freddie Ljungberg. The Swede hit a low shot that went directly to Toronto goalie Stefan Frei.
In the 37th minute, De Rosario sent a long through pass to midfielder Joe Cronin at the top part of the box. The result was another Toronto shot that missed the entire net.
Second Half
Seattle upped the tempo in the second half of play. Forward Fredy Montero and defender Jhon Kennedy Hurtado hooked up on a give-and-go in the 61st minute. The young Colombian spotted midfielder Osvaldo Alonso in front of the goal, but his shot went right into the chest of Frei.
With new-found energy, Ljungberg attempted to put the Sounders on the scoreboard in the 63rd minute. Jaqua passed it to the former Swedish national. He made an excellent run down the right side of the pitch and hit a hard shot towards the right post. Frei deflected the ball away.
A minute later, Ljungberg struck again with another similar run. This time he went for the left post with a shot that hugged the ground. It went wide of the goal.
In the 73rd minute tempers boiled over. It started when De Rosario and Hurtado both went for a ball headed towards the touchline. The burly Colombian shouldered the Canadian slightly. Players gathered around and an upset Ljungberg jawed away at De Rosario.
Referee Jorge Gonzalez issued yellow cards to Ljungberg and De Rosario to settle things down. It appeared to work and the Swede made his way towards Toronto FC coach Chris Cummins and shake hands. However, the conversation became heated between the two and several Seattle players placed themselves between the Toronto coach and Ljungberg. The yellow card accumulation was his fifth, and he’ll be suspended for Seattle’s next match.
Nine minutes later, midfielder Sebastien Le Toux, who had entered the game for Steve Zakuani in the 67st minute, passed the ball to Brad Evans in front of the net. Toronto defender Nick Garcia and Evans both fell to the ground. The Seattle midfielder got the worst of it and lay on the ground for several minutes. He headed towards his bench gingerly and returned a couple of minutes later.
The physical fireworks continued in the 82nd minute. This time Jaqua and Toronto defender Emmanuel Gomez both jumped for a ball and their heads collided in mid-air. Both dropped to the ground in pain. After the game, Jaqua was still groggy from the hit.
Toronto played passes back to Frei in the last minutes of regulation to try and secure a valuable point. Seattle attempted to break the deadlock in extra time. Evans found Le Toux in the box, but his shot was weak and easily handled by the Toronto ‘keeper.
In the third minute of extra time, Jaqua, despite the hard knock to his head a few minutes earlier, managed to make a skillful pass to Le Toux. The Frenchman found Alsonso, who deftly controlled the ball and attempted a bicycle kick that went over the net. Another last minute shot by the Cuban native also missed its mark to end the match.
Seattle next plays in the U.S. Open Cup final in the nation’s capital against D.C. United on Wednesday to try win its first-ever trophy. Toronto heads to Colorado next Saturday for an away match against the Rapids.
John Zielonka, Goal.com
For more on Major League Soccer, visit Goal.com's MLS page
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