Sounders' Schmid Thrilled With Win Over San Jose

Sounders head coach Sigi Schmid was pleased with the results, “Obviously, it’s nice to get back on the winning road, on the winning track. I thought our team played very well at times tonight, and we moved the ball around well. I thought we created a number of opportunities in the first half.” 

Frank Yallop, San Jose’s head coach, praised Seattle and felt they were the best team his side has played thus far. He thought his team played well. The tide turned against San Jose in the 48th minute with  Keller’s third save of the match on forward Ryan Johnson’s shot. 

“Somebody got free on the corner and I don’t know who was marking him. I think it was [Ryan] Johnson,” Keller said. “You just try to get yourself in the right position, and hope that he puts in the place where you can save it. Luckily, he hit it just close enough where I was able to get a hand to it and get it away.”

Keller earned his fourth shutout of the season. In the 77th minute, he established the MLS record for consecutive scoreless minutes to start a season. New York’s Ronald Waterreus held the previous record with 375 scoreless minutes, set in 2007.  

Keller took the record setting streak in stride and said, “Yeah, I’ve had a few of them. I had a streak of five games for Borussia Monchengladbach to help keep us in the league, which was pretty key. But this is cool, never to necessarily start a season or start my campaign with a team to go four games and thirty minutes without conceding a goal. Now it’s over, and we have to really concentrate. We’ve got a tough game on Tuesday, and then we need to go to Chicago, who’s undefeated. It’s nice, and it’s cool, and at the same time, it’s over.”

Zakuani, the first overall pick in the most recent MLS draft, scored his second goal of the season in the 42nd minute. He earned an assist when midfielder Brad Evans scored in the 50th minute to give Seattle a 2-0 lead.

“To get back here in front of 30,000 people after we lost last week, they pushed us the whole way. We feed off that energy,” Zakuani said. “Kasey makes a great save at 1-0, the game-winning save, and then after that we got a second goal off Brad [Evans], and I think after that, it was game over.”

Zakuani’s performance in this game positions him for more starts in the wide left position. Early season injuries kept him from playing the full 90 minutes. He was substituted in the 67th minute and replaced by Sebastien Le Toux.

Schmid left no doubt that the first year professional from the University of Akron earned another start. “I’d be surprised if he wasn’t starting this week. I think he played well enough tonight. Certainly he deserves another start. I think with Steve, the little injuries and stuff in preseason slowed him down fitness-wise and in the end it’s still a matter of just getting fitter and fitter. For sure, he can play.”

Despite his success early in the season, Schmid wants Zakuani to proceed slowly in his young career, “If you throw them in too much too soon, sometimes they’ll lose their confidence, and I don’t want him to lose his confidence. But certainly based on what he did today, he’ll get another go next week. We feel good about that.”

Quakes midfielder Bobby Convey and Yallop commented on the Qwest Field home field advantage. Both praised the soccer knowledge of the crowd, atmosphere and energy generated during the match.

Seattle (4-2) ended a two-game losing streak and are now in second place with 12 points behind Chivas USA in the Western Conference.

San Jose (1-2-3) sits four slots down in sixth place. Their five points keep them one point above last place LA Galaxy and FC Dallas.

Seattle plays an unbeaten Chicago Fire next Saturday. Chicago and Kansas City are tied atop the Eastern Conference table with 10 points each.

San Jose hosts first place Western Conference leaders Chivas USA on Saturday.  

John Zielonka is the Seattle correspondent for Goal.com

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