Coach Schmid wins 150th MLS game in comeback style
KANSAS CITY – It looked like the Seattle Sounders were heading for a disappointing 1-nil loss to Sporting Kansas City Saturday night when Mauro Rosales woke his team up in the 90th minute.
Rosales took a pass on the right side of the box while two defenders collided at a failed attempt to clear the ball, both slipping to the turf. Rosales was left open to fire a shot into the left corner of the goal to tie the game.
On Seattle’s next possession just a minute later Rosales dribbled the ball into the middle of the box and passed it off to Michael Fucito who then passed it to his left to Lamar Neagle took a quick right footed shot past SKC goalie Jimmy Neilson into the right corner of the net.
Seattle won in dramatic comeback fashion, 2-1 over SKC. The goal for Seattle marked the third straight game against SKC that ended in a Sounders game-winning goal in stoppage time. Both of Seattle’s two goals were scored in the five minutes of the game. Sounders Recap video
Seattle’s win is the first by an opponent at Livestrong Park. The Sounders broke SKC’s 14-game unbeaten streak. SKC started the season 1-6-3 before the streak begun. After running up an 11-game unbeaten streak of their own before losing last week to Houston, Seattle’s win kept them in third place in the Western Conference four points ahead of the reigning MLS Champion Colorado Rapids.
Substitutions for Seattle proved to make a difference late in the game under the sweltering Kansas City heat.
A double substitution in the 55th minute, Fucito came in for Freddy Montero up front and Pat Noonan replaced Alvaro Fernandez in the midfield.
A critical moment came shortly after Noonan entered the game. A little controversy emerged when a kick toward Sounder defender James Riley appeared to be a handball in their zone, but no penalty was called. Then Riley broke for the ball and intercepted a SKC pass that Noonan picked up but a hard sliding foul on Bravo brought a Red Card out from the referee, ejecting Bravo and leaving SKC down one player. It got tense when Bravo bent down and made a comment to Noonan while he was on the ground. Noonan burst up and looked to head butt Bravo, but Bravo put a little acting into his fall, trying to get Noonan pulled from the game as well.
Seattle brought a furious attack in the 68th minute with the score still 1-0. Moments earlier Neagle came into the game replacing Roger Lévesque. Fucito took a hard shot that Neilson made a strong save on but the ball rebounded right to Neagle. He kicked it aimed for the right corner of the net but Neilson scrambled for the ball and made a diving kick save, reminiscent of a hockey goalie, kick save and a beauty. Seattle’s best scoring chance went away.
In the end Seattle came back to rally for another comeback win. Sounders coach Ziggy Schmid reached a big milestone in MLS history becoming the first coach to reach 150 wins. With the win the Sounders kept within one point of FC Dallas for second place behind the L.A. Galaxy, who had a long winning streak snapped by the Portland Timbers last week.
Next up for the Sounders is Chivas USA Saturday, August 13 at Century Link Field in Seattle.
