While Sigi Schmid’s blue, silk neck tie was spectacular it was jaded and lackluster in comparison to the second half of the Sounder’s showdown against the Vancouver Whitecaps. Saturday’s match against Seattle’s 37 year rival was one of the wildest matches I’ve witnessed in MLS play. While it ended with a 2-2 tie, there was little disappointment from audiences and viewers alike.
The first half goes to primarily the Whitecaps, who possessed the ball and relentlessly controlled the midfield. Seattle had trouble passing the ball accurately and communication between players was minimal, if at all. A poor pass during the thirteenth minute from Osvaldo Alonso led to a promising strike from Camilo. The shot swerved towards the top left corner of the goal, but Kasey Keller was there for the save. Six minutes later, Fredy Montero had a beautiful aerial cross to a singularly guarded Lamar Neagle, but the Whitecaps’ defender played his role well.
Then the persistent flopping and referee manipulation from Vancouver began to take root. The first half comprised a handful of fouls committed by both teams. However, I am in agreement with the crowd’s disapproval of the one sided calls in favor of the Whitecaps for a majority of the ninety minutes. Vancouver stopped playing the ball midway through the first half, and instead began crashing around in hopes of attracting a foul. This strategy finally paid off; Camilo, in his flailing efforts to set up a shot, was tripped up by Alonso in the goal box. The consequential penalty shot from Eric Hassli put the Whitecaps up by one after a half hour of battling.
Brad Evans and Montero continued to incite opportunities in the first half, but their passes were deflected and their shots wide. Seattle looked to have the necessary energy and speed to produce results, but they lacked control and communication, often passing out of bounds or to no one. The first half ended with a pair of yellow cards to Alonso and Vancouver’s Alain Rochat.
After a frustrating first half, the Sounders’ returned to the pitch poised and prepared to duke it out. Montero and Mauro Rosales stepped up their intensity. The Sounders’ had a rally of shots and chances, yet could not locate the back of the net. Then, in the 81st minute, Tyson Wahl lifted the ball into the goal box, Nate Jaqua fought for the header, and Rosales was there for the tap into goal at the far post. If that was not enough, Vancouver was stunned when a cannon of a shot from Alonso slipped past the keeper in the eighty fourth minute. In just four quick minutes, Seattle had jumped ahead for a 2-1 lead.
With only five minutes left, it seemed reasonable to assume a plateau of excitement. Schmid subbed in Erik Friberg for Rosales in the 83rd minute under this same assumption. In the 85th, Hassli’s prayers were answered when he scored what can only be described as a miracle of a goal. I could’ve sworn the same angels from Angels in the Outfield carried the perfect shot into the net. With his back to the goal, guarded closely by Alonso, he kicked the ball over his shoulder to the far post. In the elevator with Steve Zaukuani following the match, he was in shock, astonishment, and disbelief. “I can’t believe he tried it, let alone it working,” said the injured Seattle striker.
While a draw is never desired, the whirlwind, topsy-turvy occurrences of the final ten minutes surely made up for it. Keller should not beat himself up over a shot carried on the backs of winged, mythical creatures.
Vancouver Whitecaps FC Starting XI – Joe Cannon, Jonathan Leathers, Jay DeMerit, Mouloud Akloul, Alain Rochat, Shea Salinas, Gershon Koffie, Jeb Brovsky, Camilo, Davide Chiumiento, Eric Hassli
Seattle Sounders FC Starting XI – Kasey Keller, James Riley, Jeff Parke, Jhon Kennedy Hurtado, Tyson Wahl, Brad Evans, Osvaldo Alonso, Lamar Neagle, Mauro Rosales, Fredy Montero, Mike Fucito
