Sounders season unceremonious cut short

Fans sour after rival Galaxy kill the comeback and advance to MLS Cup Final

SEATTLE – Questionable calls leading to a disappointing result has resurfaced for another Seattle sports team in the playoffs.

Heading into the second leg of the MLS Western Conference Final between the Seattle Sounders and the LA Galaxy, Sounders fans knew they would need a miracle if they were going to make up a three-goal deficit to advance to the MLS Cup Final. To the 44,545 fans inside Century Link Field Sunday night, it looked like the Galaxy had an extra player on their side, the referee.

While Seattle won the game 2-1, it was not enough to win the series as LA won on aggregate 4-2 and advanced to set up a rematch against the Houston Dynamo in the MLS Cup Dec. 1.

The question many Sounders fans have posed throughout the blogosphere: Was the referee paid off to make sure the Galaxy advanced to the championship game so LA superstar David Beckham can retire on top?

I was one of the 44,545 in attendance rooting for the rave green. Despite the difficult circumstances and the pouring rain, I believed the Sounders had the capability to accomplish something special.

The atmosphere in the stadium was electric like always. At the start of the game, fireworks went off and green streamers floated down from the rafters as heavy rain could be seen falling through the bright lights. The Emerald City Supporters on the south end of the stadium jumped up and down singing and kept the energy level high.

Seattle came out aggressive and did what they needed to do, score an early goal. Eddie Johnson connected on a lead pass from defender Zach Scott for a goal in the 11th minute. Just one minute earlier, it appeared Johnson scored, but the goal was disallowed by referee Mark Geiger who called him offside. Replays showed Johnson timed his run and was onside by the time the pass was made. The sound of the referee’s whistle would be a recurring frustration for Sounders fans all night.

Two goals by halftime would have been nice, but the Sounders struck quickly in the second half to make things very interesting.

Scott scored on a diving header off a corner kick in the 57th minute to give the Sounders a 2-0 lead in the game which sent the fans into nirvana. With more than 30 minutes left, Seattle needed just one more goal to draw level with the Galaxy.

But the nervous excitement turned to resounding boos which echoed throughout the stadium when Geiger whistled Seattle for a handball in the box, awarding a penalty kick for LA in the 68th minute.

Galaxy forward Robbie Keane kicked a harmless cross into the middle which caught Sounders defender Adam Johansson’s arm. In a critical moment in the game when Seattle is fighting so hard to catch up, a judgment call by the referee to give LA a free goal on their only real attack of the night felt like a slap on the face to the Sounders fans. Keane’s ensuing goal made the score 2-1 and pushed LA’s aggregate advantage to 4-2, all but ending the Sounders comeback.

At the end of the game, the boo birds came out and some bottles were thrown onto the field.  A couple Sounders players’ frustrations also boiled over. Osvaldo Alonso and Johnson got in the faces of the officiating crew with Alonso drawing a red card which will carry over to next season.

While it is easy for the fans to blame the referee when their team loses, the Sounders did bury themselves in a gaping hole. The fight and resiliency they showed Sunday night should be commended.

In the first game on Nov. 11, the Sounders lost 3-0 in LA, an almost insurmountable deficit in playoff soccer. In the MLS playoffs, the two teams play two games and the combined score of both, or aggregate, determines who advances.

Seattle was in a similar situation in last season’s playoffs against Real Salt Lake. They lost the first game 3-0, before winning the next 2-0, falling short then. If the team has learned anything from the playoffs, it should be, do not give up three goals in the first game.

While Seattle has made the playoffs all four years of their MLS existence, they did not win their first playoff series until a 1-0 win over Real Salt Lake on Nov. 8. With that hurdle now achieved, the Sounders had their sights set on a MLS Cup Title.

Injuries and inconsistent scoring plagued Seattle during this year’s playoff run. On Sunday, team captain, midfielder Mauro Rosales was out of the starting lineup with a hamstring injury, although he did sub in late. In his place was Steve Zakuani, the Sounders first overall pick in 2009 and a fan favorite who has slowly returned from a broken leg suffered last season.

It does not help that star forward Fredy Montero has played 10 playoff games without scoring a goal. Keane by comparison has scored five goals in the Galaxy’s four playoff game this season.

Since 2009, the Sounders have elevated American soccer with the largest attendance in the MLS. The timing of the NBA’s Sonics moving to OKC to become the Thunder coinciding with the Sounders inaugural season created a perfect storm that gave Seattle sports fans a team to fill the void. While football continues reigns the national scene, the Sounders continue to be the best ticket in town and my money on Seattle’s best hope at a winning a championship.