The Sounders FC continued their MLS Cascadia Cup unbeaten streak with a 2-2 draw with the Whitecaps.
Sounders kick off Cascadia Cup with 2-2 draw
VANCOUVER, BC – After 90 heated minutes at BC Place, the Sounders FC and Whitecaps FC left with a 2-2 draw and one thing was certain.
The 2012 edition of the Cascadia Cup is now under way.
In a match filled with drama, Fredy Montero scored in the 90th minute to knot up the score and Seattle moved to 7-2-2 on the season, extending their road unbeaten streak to nine matches with the 2-2 draw in front of a crowd of 21,000 that featured over one thousand traveling supporters from Seattle.
"This is what derby games are all about," Sounders FC head coach Sigi Schmid said. "I think it was a great game for the fans."
The Sounders battled back from two second-half deficits and Eddie Johnson netted his third goal of the season while Montero scored his fourth and both forwards added assists to pull the Sounders even with the San Jose Earthquakes for second in the Western Conference standings.
In a scattered first half for the Sounders, Vancouver got on the board in the 12th minute in an uncharacteristic defensive lapse.
Whitecaps defender Alain Rochat picked up the ball on the left side and made an uncontested run into the box as Seattle was defending a potential cross and left Rochat alone at the edge of the six-yard box, where he knocked it past Bryan Meredith for a 1-0 Whitecaps lead.
"He cut the ball inside and instead of shifting over, we just hung out inside," Meredith said. "It was a good finish, but we gave him all day, really."
Seattle couldn't generate much on the attack in the first half, but got their first taste just before halftime.
Off of a Rosales corner kick, the ball bounced around the box until Jeff Parke was able to lob a ball to Johnson on the right side. Johnson tried to knock it in off the volley, but missed outside the far post and the Sounders went into the half trailing 1-0.
That wouldn't last long though.
In the 47th minute, Montero played a ball outside to Mauro Rosales in the right corner and Rosales whipped a ball into the box where Johnson skied over defender Martin Bonjour and powered a header past Joe Cannon to pull even at 1-1 with his third goal of the season.
"Whenever a ball goes out wide to Mauro, I just try to get in the box and get in between the two center backs. For the first time on the night, I was free and I wasn't battling one of the defenders," Johnson said. "I think he and I are starting to develop a little partnership."
Montero almost lifted Seattle in the lead on two opportunities in the 51st minute. Andy Rose kept the ball alive off of a Seattle corner kick and Montero nearly flicked it past Cannon, but was stopped. Seattle kept pressing into the box and Parke headed the ball back into the danger area where Montero nodded it toward the net, but Cannon sprung to his left to make the grab and keep the game tied at 1-1.
While the Sounders maintained the pressure in the second half after Schmid moved the team into a 4-2-3-1 formation to combat Vancouver's control of the middle of midfield, it was the Whitecaps who would gain the lead in the closing minutes.
Just two minutes after checking into the match, Camilo hit a free kick from the left side and it narrowly missed the heads of Gershon Koffie and Jay Demerit. Meredith was playing for the redirect though and the ball slipped inside the far post for the goal and a 2-1 Vancouver lead in the 82nd minute.
Seattle was not to be denied though, as they stormed back again in the 90th minute.
Johnson headed a ball down to Montero, who then chopped around two defenders at the top of the box and twisted a shot into the right side of the net. Cannon was left with no defense for the shot and he just watched the ball hit the back of the net for the equalizer.
"We knew we were better than we showed in the first half. But this is soccer," Montero said. "Goals change games and when we got the goal at the beginning of the second half we got the energy we needed."
The Sounders weren't merely satisfied to go home with one point though and pressed for the go-ahead goal in stoppage time. Rosales was taken down on a run up the right side, drawing a yellow card for Camilo and leaving Seattle in a dangerous scoring position.
With Rosales hobbled by the tackle, Montero took the free kick from the low angle and found the head of late substitution Zach Scott, but his header went wide of the near post and the whistle blew on a 2-2 draw.
The Sounders next Cascadia derby match won't come until June 24 when they travel to Portland to face the Timbers in a nationally televised match. They take the field next on Wednesday at CenturyLink Field when they host the Columbus Crew, then finish the week with a road contest against Chivas USA on May 26.
VANCOUVER, BC – After 90 heated minutes at BC Place, the Sounders FC and Whitecaps FC left with a 2-2 draw and one thing was certain.
The 2012 edition of the Cascadia Cup is now under way.
In a match filled with drama, Fredy Montero scored in the 90th minute to knot up the score and Seattle moved to 7-2-2 on the season, extending their road unbeaten streak to nine matches with the 2-2 draw in front of a crowd of 21,000 that featured over one thousand traveling supporters from Seattle.
"This is what derby games are all about," Sounders FC head coach Sigi Schmid said. "I think it was a great game for the fans."
The Sounders battled back from two second-half deficits and Eddie Johnson netted his third goal of the season while Montero scored his fourth and both forwards added assists to pull the Sounders even with the San Jose Earthquakes for second in the Western Conference standings.
In a scattered first half for the Sounders, Vancouver got on the board in the 12th minute in an uncharacteristic defensive lapse.
Whitecaps defender Alain Rochat picked up the ball on the left side and made an uncontested run into the box as Seattle was defending a potential cross and left Rochat alone at the edge of the six-yard box, where he knocked it past Bryan Meredith for a 1-0 Whitecaps lead.
"He cut the ball inside and instead of shifting over, we just hung out inside," Meredith said. "It was a good finish, but we gave him all day, really."
Seattle couldn't generate much on the attack in the first half, but got their first taste just before halftime.
Off of a Rosales corner kick, the ball bounced around the box until Jeff Parke was able to lob a ball to Johnson on the right side. Johnson tried to knock it in off the volley, but missed outside the far post and the Sounders went into the half trailing 1-0.
That wouldn't last long though.
In the 47th minute, Montero played a ball outside to Mauro Rosales in the right corner and Rosales whipped a ball into the box where Johnson skied over defender Martin Bonjour and powered a header past Joe Cannon to pull even at 1-1 with his third goal of the season.
"Whenever a ball goes out wide to Mauro, I just try to get in the box and get in between the two center backs. For the first time on the night, I was free and I wasn't battling one of the defenders," Johnson said. "I think he and I are starting to develop a little partnership."
Montero almost lifted Seattle in the lead on two opportunities in the 51st minute. Andy Rose kept the ball alive off of a Seattle corner kick and Montero nearly flicked it past Cannon, but was stopped. Seattle kept pressing into the box and Parke headed the ball back into the danger area where Montero nodded it toward the net, but Cannon sprung to his left to make the grab and keep the game tied at 1-1.
While the Sounders maintained the pressure in the second half after Schmid moved the team into a 4-2-3-1 formation to combat Vancouver's control of the middle of midfield, it was the Whitecaps who would gain the lead in the closing minutes.
Just two minutes after checking into the match, Camilo hit a free kick from the left side and it narrowly missed the heads of Gershon Koffie and Jay Demerit. Meredith was playing for the redirect though and the ball slipped inside the far post for the goal and a 2-1 Vancouver lead in the 82nd minute.
Seattle was not to be denied though, as they stormed back again in the 90th minute.
Johnson headed a ball down to Montero, who then chopped around two defenders at the top of the box and twisted a shot into the right side of the net. Cannon was left with no defense for the shot and he just watched the ball hit the back of the net for the equalizer.
"We knew we were better than we showed in the first half. But this is soccer," Montero said. "Goals change games and when we got the goal at the beginning of the second half we got the energy we needed."
The Sounders weren't merely satisfied to go home with one point though and pressed for the go-ahead goal in stoppage time. Rosales was taken down on a run up the right side, drawing a yellow card for Camilo and leaving Seattle in a dangerous scoring position.
With Rosales hobbled by the tackle, Montero took the free kick from the low angle and found the head of late substitution Zach Scott, but his header went wide of the near post and the whistle blew on a 2-2 draw.
The Sounders next Cascadia derby match won't come until June 24 when they travel to Portland to face the Timbers in a nationally televised match. They take the field next on Wednesday at CenturyLink Field when they host the Columbus Crew, then finish the week with a road contest against Chivas USA on May 26.
Scoring
Sounders FC – Eddie Johnson (Mauro Rosales, Fredy Montero) 47; Fredy Montero (Eddie Johnson) 90.Â
Whitecaps FC – Alain Rochat (Omar Salgado) 12; Camilo 82.
Discipline
Sounders FC – None.
Whitecaps FC – Gershon Koffie (caution) 84; Camilo (caution) 93+.
Lineups
Sounders FC – Bryan Meredith, Adam Johansson, Jeff Parke, Jhon Kennedy Hurtado, Marc Burch (Zach Scott 85), Mauro Rosales, Osvaldo Alonso, Alex Caskey (Andy Rose 46), Alvaro Fernandez (David Estrada 72), Fredy Montero, Eddie Johnson.
Whitecaps FC – Joe Cannon, YP Lee, Jay DeMerit, Martin Bonjour, Alain Rochat, Gershon Koffie, Jun Marques Davidson, Davide Chiumiento (Camilo 80), Sebastien Le Toux, Darren Mattocks (Eric Hassli 64), Omar Salgado (John Thorrington 74).
Sounders FC – Eddie Johnson (Mauro Rosales, Fredy Montero) 47; Fredy Montero (Eddie Johnson) 90.Â
Whitecaps FC – Alain Rochat (Omar Salgado) 12; Camilo 82.
Discipline
Sounders FC – None.
Whitecaps FC – Gershon Koffie (caution) 84; Camilo (caution) 93+.
Lineups
Sounders FC – Bryan Meredith, Adam Johansson, Jeff Parke, Jhon Kennedy Hurtado, Marc Burch (Zach Scott 85), Mauro Rosales, Osvaldo Alonso, Alex Caskey (Andy Rose 46), Alvaro Fernandez (David Estrada 72), Fredy Montero, Eddie Johnson.
Whitecaps FC – Joe Cannon, YP Lee, Jay DeMerit, Martin Bonjour, Alain Rochat, Gershon Koffie, Jun Marques Davidson, Davide Chiumiento (Camilo 80), Sebastien Le Toux, Darren Mattocks (Eric Hassli 64), Omar Salgado (John Thorrington 74).
