Concerns about injury shorthandedness for Seattle Sounders FC Saturday night proved unfounded.
Missing three top players, the inspired Sounders dominated Toronto FC throughout, making for a relatively easy 3-0 triumph that extended the longest unbeaten streak in Major League Soccer to six games.
The Sounders (3-2-3) played their most dominant game of the season despite the absence of Steve Zakuani, out for the season following surgery to repair two leg bones broken April 22 at Colorado, an incident that drew a 10-match suspension for perpetrator Brian Mullan.
The popular Zakuani was saluted in the 12th minute by the sellout crowd the 36th in a row at Qwest Field by chanting his name repeatedly while holding up cards bearing his No. 11 jersey number.
Also out were OBrian White, who had surgery Wednesday to remove a blood cut in his left leg, and Mauro Rosales (hamstring). The trio accounted for four goals and seven assists this season.
Zakuanis replacement, Alvaro Fernandez, turned the match in the ninth minute, bouncing a header under the dive of the Toronto goalie after a long, splendid cross from the right by Brad Evans.
Toronto (1-2-5) barely threatened thereafter, overwhelmed by a Sounders team apparently out to prove its depth of talent as well as passion.
After a 7-1 edge in shots in the first half but only a 1-0 lead, the Sounders made good early in the second half when when Evans broke away down the right side in the 51st minute and was fed a short pass by Fredy Montero, himself still bearing a cast on his right arm following surgery.
Evans right-footed a blast to the far end of the net that nicked off the the goalie’s hands.
Evans completed his big night with his second goal of the match in the 74th minute from 12 yards, the first Sounders score off a penalty kick at a home match.
The only threat to goalie Kasey Kellers clean sheet was in the first half, but Tyson Wahl recovered to thwart a breakaway by Martina, pushing him off the ball just enough to alter a shot that had him alone against Keller.
