2012 Season In Review: April

The Sounders continued their strong start to the 2012 season with goalkeeper Michael Gspurning only allowing one goal in the month's three matches while the club went undefeated.

Record: 2-0-1 in MLS play

Top Highlight: Zach Scott’s game-winning header off of an Alex Caskey corner kick in the 63rd minute of Seattle’s only home match of the month in a 1-0 win over the Colorado Rapids. It was his first MLS goal, though he would go on to add important goals in the Open Cup and MLS Cup playoffs, and Caskey’s first assist.

Player of the Month: Michael Gspurning allowed just one goal – off a wind-aided corner kick – in three matches to strengthen his case as one of the league’s top keepers.

The Matches: The Sounders opened the month on the road and got a scoreless draw with DC United before getting back in the win column at home against the Rapids. They finished out with a 2-1 win over the Chicago Fire, allowing a late goal to end their bid for a shutout month.

The Story: The Sounders continued to be a strong road team, getting results against two Eastern Conference foes that would go on to make the playoffs.

Eddie Johnson spent the month integrating with his new team while building his fitness after coming off of a hamstring injury. The month ended with his first Sounders goal against the Fire.

At 4-1-1 in league play, Seattle was off to a great start, but would be tested in May when they would play eight matches – as many as they played in the first two months of the calendar combined. However, their depth had already been tested when 2011’s second-leading scorer, Alvaro Fernandez, suffered an injury that would scratch him from the lineup for five matches, opening the door for Caskey to rise to the occasion in his first MLS start, getting the assist on Scott’s goal against Colorado.

Similarly, an injury to right back Adam Johansson put Scott into the limelight and he was solid defensively in the fill-in role, in addition to his goal-scoring heroics.