Thumped, bumped and outplayed for great stretches, the Sounders nevertheless escaped Vancouver with a 2-2 draw with the Whitecaps Saturday afternoon, thanks to a masterful goal by Fredy Montero in the 90th minute.
The play began with a strong kick from goalie Bryan Meredith to the head of Eddie Johnson, who moved it to Montero at the top of the penalty area. He out-maneuvered two defenders, then boomed a 20-yarder toward the near post that left goalie Joe Cannon no move but to throw up his hands in despair.
The goal preserved the Sounders’ MLS-best unbeaten streak at 7-0-2 on the road, and also kept them without defeat in the Cascadia Cup that began last year with the entry of Vancouver and Portland into the MLS.
After a listless first half where they found themselves down 1-0 following a 12th-minute goal by Alain Rochat, who somehow went 50 yards undefended for the score, the Sounders came out in the second half with a little passion. They had more shots on goal in five minutes than they did the entire first half.
One that mattered, tying the match at 1, started with Montero from the midfield, who fed Mauro Rosales down the right flank. He served up a perfect cross in front of the goal, where Eddie Johnson leaped above the defense with a header that cleared Cannon’s hands above his head.
In a game pickled with finger-pointing, profanity, shoves and trips, the soccer-sellout of 21,000 in newly renovated B.C. Place thought they were cheering a winner when, in the 83rd minute, a free kick from about 30 yards by Camilo amazingly went untouched, sliding around two lunging Whitecaps and bending into the side netting past a late-arriving Meredith. It was the first two-goal game against the Sounders’ defense this season.
But six minutes later came Montero’s draw saver, and the Sounders (7-2-2) averted their first two-match losing streak since March 31, 2011. Vancouver fell to 5-3-3, missing a chance to tie their win mark of a mostly desultory debut season (6-18-10) a year ago.
The game, the first of six Cascadia Cup matches between the three Northwest rivals, was the Sounders’ second in B.C. Place, which received a $500 million renovation that included a retractable roof. They played the first sports event in the building June 20, 1983, during their North American Soccer League days. A record Northwest soccer crowd of 60,342 turned out for a 2-1 Whitecaps victory.
17 Comments
Montero’s goal was insanely wicked.
notaboomer, you’re a class act. You post a stupidass comment like that and yet have your children’s photo on your profile pic? Way to go.
intelligent children get my joke.
Please look up the word “intelligent” before you use it. And while you’re at it, “joke.”
Another bit of advice, stop at two, the gene pool doesn’t need the added stress.
As much as Husky fans like to attribute (blame) Oregon’s ascendance on the seeming unlimited funds Uncle Phil pumps into the program, it’s the following numbers that are probably more important:
Rich Brooks 1977-1994
Mike Belotti 1995-2008
Chip Kelly 2009-to as long as he wants (or hopefully a Carrollian jump to the NFL shortly before the NCAA hammer is struck).
But the point is even if your are right Art, the Husky nation needs to resist the temptation to put Sark on the hot seat. Oregon has the additonal benefit in the fact Nick Aliotti doesn’t seem to want to go anywhere to take a head coaching job, so the continuity on the defensive side of the ball is even more pronounced. I’m not sure that is the same path Justin Wilcox wants to take.
Jamo, you’re right that the coaching churn and various scandals have been the single biggest factor in the Huskies’ erosion. Lots of bad management by the alleged adults.
But now it’s Oregon’s turn to be spanked by the NCAA. Happens to nearly every team that succeeds because nobody plays by the rules. Just a matter of if-when you’re caught.
I don’t see it Art. This team will score an upset of one of the “Big 4” (most likely Stanford) and then go either 5-1 or 6-0 in the back half. 7 wins is the safest prediction. Yours assumes that this team won’t upset anyone and will lose to two teams it shouldn’t. While this team is young in terms of age, it actually has more game experience than last year’s team, particularly on defense.
Sorry, Brett, the D just doesn’t have Pac-12-caliber talent. They’re already out two starters who weren’t quite average. Thompson’s already the best player, and he hasn’t played. Washington used to have six guys a year like Thompson.
Art is probably right. I mean, even if the Huskies beat one of the Big 4 (and please, gawd, may that one be Oregon), there is always a let-down loss or two to wazzu or Cal or Oregon state waiting out there somewhere.
But I agree with Jamos (and Art): 6-6 is no great shame, it’s tough out there, and it takes time. Give Sark the time he needs, please.
Begging college football fans for time is like begging a wolf to back away from a pork chop.
I have to agree with Art. Tough schedule this year. Plus, the defense is
coming from a point near the bottom of the barrel.
Sark has had difficulty recruiting the best players from the PNW. Also,
and I will say it, he can’t seem to recruit good white players.
Anyone have a theory on the latter????I
Does it matter whether Sark recruits white players? The only colors that should matter to UW fans are purple and gold.
Your comment, and I will say it, is pathetic. And not only is “the defense coming from a point near the bottom of the barrel”, so is your comment. Maybe you can’t see straight with a pillow cover over your head, but come to the light, and unbend the racist bent of your mind.
Your comment makes me wonder if you have difficulty cheering for the Hawks, they have so many “colored” players. And basketball must not be a sport you follow. Get out more often, and enjoy the beautiful colors of this wonderful world.