Score: Sounders FC 3 vs. Tottenham Hotspur 3
Site: CenturyLink Field
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Man of the Match: Osvaldo Alonso has remained a rock as Sounders FC’s defensive midfielder and put his prowess as a force in the middle of the park on display throughout the match. However, his 49th minute screamer of a goal from outside the box that caromed off the bottom of the crossbar and in to momentarily give Seattle a 2-1 lead was something that had been absent from his contributions thus far this season in 17 league matches.
Telling Stat: 30. It promised to be a back-and-forth affair at CenturyLink Field and the match did not disappoint. Sounders FC is the top-scoring team in MLS and Spurs have a new approach under Manager Mauricio Pochettino that promises to create excitement at White Hart Lane. The result was 30 shots in the match – 17 for Seattle, including a scissor-kick from Djimi Traore on the last kick of the match, and 13 for Tottenham Hotspur.
What You Missed: It didn’t show up on the stat sheet, but Clint Dempsey was a ringmaster on Saturday. In a match that is mostly about entertainment, Dempsey was the headline act. He flashed his creativity throughout the first half and finished the first 45 minutes with three shots and set up several others with no-look passes and backheels that left the crowd in the stands and at home watching on ESPN2 entertained. In the end, Dempsey played 74 minutes before being replaced by Sean Okoli.
So What: Tottenham Hotspur will continue its preseason North American tour with matches against Toronto FC on July 23 and the Chicago Fire on July 26. Sounders FC will get back to MLS play with a battle against the LA Galaxy on July 28 at CenturyLink Field.
