Sounders dispatch Rapids, Timbers to run unbeaten streak to 11 games
The Seattle Sounders are en fuego.
With two come from behind wins against their Cascadia rivals the Portland Timbers and MLS Champion Colorado Rapids in which they combined for seven goals, the Sounders extended their unbeaten streak to 11 games. Including two US Open Cup wins, Seattle has not lost since May 25, a 1-0 defeat to FC Dallas.
With 10 wins and 38 points in MLS play, Seattle is now just one point behind the L.A. Galaxy for the best record in the league.
The Sounders have emerged as one of the highest scoring teams during the unbeaten streak, scoring 23 goals in the past 11 games. While Designated Player Fredy Montero got off to a slow start to the season, he has quickly ignited Seattle’s offense with three goals in the last two games. Montero leads the Sounders with six goals this season.
The Sounders have been great at overcoming deficits late in games when the pressure is on. Seattle has scored 11 goals in the last 15 minutes of matches this season, a league high. Wins over the Rapids and Timbers have demonstrated Seattle’s resiliency and toughness to come back and take games over.
SEATTLE - The Sounders came from behind twice against the Rapids before putting the game away late. In the 82nd minute with the game tied at 2, substitute Brad Evans got open in the right corner of the box and crossed the ball to the far post where Fredy Montero was ready for the deflection, knocking the ball in with a low diving header to give the Sounders a 3-2 lead.
The fans were still cheering the first goal when Seattle struck again. Just one minute later, Montero sent a soft pass over Colorado defense to Mauro Rosales whose shot fired past Pickens putting the Sounders up 4-2.
The Rapids scored in the opening and final minute, capitalizing on poor clearing by the Sounders defense. Despite the start and finish, Seattle controlled the quick pace for the majority of the game with 11 shots. The Sounders responded in the 7th minute when Osvaldo Alonso sent a long pass to Alvaro Fernandez up the middle who beat his defender with nifty slide to get open and held him off to fire a hard shot past goalie Matt Pickens for his fifth goal of the season.
Colorado reclaimed the lead on a Jeff Larentowicz goal in the 42nd minute and took a 2-1 lead into halftime. The Sounders responded quickly in the second half. Mauro Rosales sent in a cross from the right side that found Roger Levesque in the middle box and he redirected the shot in for a goal to tie the game. Levesque’s goal was his third this year with Rosales picking up his sixth assist to lead the team.
With the win, Seattle completed a season sweep of the Rapids, also winning 1-0 April, 22 in Colorado. In that game a hard tackle from Colorado’s Brian Mullan broke Seattle Midfielder Steve Zakuani’s leg and ended his season. Mullan, who did not play in Seattle, was suspended for 10 games for his foul on Zakuani.
JULY 10 – Seattle Sounders @ Portland TimbersPORTLAND – The Seattle Sounders found themselves in hostile Timber country on Sunday at Jeld-Wan Field. With the sound of chanting Portlandia fans and chainsaws cutting into logs, the smell of freshly cut wood was in the air. Fans in forest green jerseys with their scarves up looked to intimidate the Sounders fans who traveled down the freeway for another Cascadia rivalry game for soccer supremacy in the Pacific Northwest.
While Portland’s excitement for their team is impressive being the second best attendance in MLS (behind Seattle) in their first season, the Timbers play has yet to reach the level the Sounders are playing now.
After a scoreless first half, the pace picked up right out of the gate after halftime. Timber’s forward Kalif Alhassan ran down the right sideline and crossed a ball in for Jorge Perlaza whose shot deflected off Sounders defender Jeff Parke past Kasey Kellar for an own-goal.
Seattle answered with a set play off a foul 27 yards out. Montero stepped up with a shot that bent over the Portland wall and snuck into the left corner of the goal to tie the game.
Just 10 minutes later Perlaza struck again with his shot deflecting off Tyson Wahl past a diving Kellar to put the Timbers back on top.
Montero would bring the Sounders back even once again receiving a pass from Rosales to the middle of the penalty box to tap in the pass off a bounce for his second goal.
The Sounders broke free in the 83rd minute when second half substitute Lamar Neagle outran Eric Brunner in the box chasing after a pass from Alonso. Brunner took down Neagle which called for a penalty shot and red card for taking away a scoring opportunity. Alonso netted the penalty shot past Perkins to give the Sounders a 3-2 lead.
Montero nearly scored a hat-trick goal in the 87th minute heading a ball down from Rosales but Perkins made the hand save and the ball bounced just in front of the goal line.
The Sounders defense took a hit in the 53rd minute when Jhon Kennedy Hurtado went in on a tackle and injured his right knee. He was replaced by Patrick Ianni and will be further evaluated in Seattle. Hurtado is an instrumental part of Seattle’s back four, named MLS defender of the year in 2009 but missed all of 2010 with an injury. With Seattle’s defense being the only suspect part of the team; it will be difficult for the Sounders to compete for the MLS Cup without their best defender.
Seattle’s win was the first over their Cascadia rivals after a draw with Portland and Vancouver earlier in the season. A win over Vancouver in September will clinch the Cascadia Cup for Seattle as the best team in the Pacific Northwest.
