Sounders U-23 win 1-0 over Washington Crossfire

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Tonight the Sounders took on Washington Crossfire in their 4th PDL game. After two losses and a draw, they were eager to record their first win. And they did.

The whole match was back and forth. It was a brilliant game of soccer as both teams possessed the ball beautifully. However, the match was a defensive battle which resulted in scoring chances being few and far between. In the 4th minute Miles Byass almost put the Sounders on the board with a quick breakaway. However, the Crossfire keeper came out at the perfect time and denied Byass the goal. There were a few long range shots from both teams that zipped past the goal, but nothing to really test the goalkeepers. The first half ended 0-0.

 

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The second half opened up and it looked much like the first half: uneventful. Crossfire had a chance to go up 1-0 when forward, Sean Klauer, found himself one on one with the Sounders’ goalkeeper, Ben Dragavon. In the end Dragavon came up with a big save to keep the game level at 0-0.

The game went into stoppage time and the crowd was tense, hoping for that miracle goal to win it for the Sounders. Midfielder, Blake Wise, would deliver that miracle goal, and in brilliant fashion too.  Josh Philips served a ball into the box and Wise trapped it with his chest and hit a bicycle kick over his head and into the top of the net. The crowd erupted. A couple minutes later the final whistle was blown and the Sounders recorded their first win of the regular season.

Sounders Women prevail 4-2 over LA Strikers

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The Sounders Women took on LA Strikers in their first home game today to open up the W-League season. The stands were

The action opened up immediately when LA Strikers found their first goal in just the third minute. Jaime Bell scored off of a nice low cross from #17. She placed the ball easily past the keeper, Erin McNulty,  with the help of the wet turf.

In the 30th minute the Sounders Women tied it up 1-1. The ball was crossed in by defender, Jaelene Hinkle, and punched away by the Strikers keeper but only as far as Sarah Campbell’s feet. Instead of selfishly taking the shot into a crowded goal mouth, Campbell cut a nice ball across the face of the goal to Isabell Farell, who side footed it into the corner perfectly.

Just 8 minutes later, the LA Strikers put themselves ahead once again. Defender #5 hit in a long diagonal cross to the weak side where, #20 was waiting. She trapped it down with room around her and struck it into the far corner with poise to put the Strikers up 2-1. The score would stay 2-1 until halftime.

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It did not take long for the Sounders Women to tie it up in the 2nd half. In the 50th minute, M’ily Reiter took the ball off a Strikers defender’s foot on the edge of the box, and then worked hard to whip in a driven cross resulting in an own goal.  The game was now tied at 2-2. In the following 35 minutes, play was pretty back and forth, with no real possession for either team.

The Sounders Women found a goal in the 86th minute to put themselves up 3-2. Once again, M’ily Reiter was the play-maker that created the opportunity. The ball popped out to her on the edge of the box off of a corner kick and she drove a volley right back into the mix. Defender, Annie Sittauer, rose up and skillfully flicked a header to the side netting, where the Strikers keeper had no chance.

In the 90th minute of play the Sounders sealed the deal with a 4th goal. Forward, Marta Mathews, made a gorgeous run down the far side behind the defense and all the way into the box. She made the keeper and defender commit, and then at the last second she played a cut back ball to Allie Beahan for the easy finish.

The Sounders Women came out tonight and played fearlessly in their home opener. The crowd was not quieted by the rain and neither was the play on the field. It was an impressive first league match and hopefully the Sounders Women can take that confidence into their next game against Vancouver.

Find tickets and schedule information on the Sounders Women’s website.

Seattle Reign falls 1-0 to the Portland Thorns

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The Seattle Reign challenged the Portland Thorns tonight on the Starfire Sports Stadium pitch. Although the two teams are at different ends of league standings, anything can happen in rivalry games.

Seattle has suffered badly from injuries and cards. Their defense has been crippled with three of their defenders unable to play. However, tonight, Hope Solo made her return and started in goal for the first time this season.

In just the 2nd minute, Tiffany Cameron, forward for the Reign, ripped in a shot but it was pushed wide by the Thorns’ goalkeeper. The home stands were thunderous. In the 21st minute, Kaylyn Kyle, almost put in a header for the Reign but it was a bit too high and sailed over the bar.

In the 33rd minute, Portland Thorns’ Meleana Shim ripped a shot from about 20 yards out, but it went just wide. The last chance of the half came off of a corner kick for the Thorns in the 44th minute. Christine Sinclair rose above everyone else and connected with a header, but the ball went over the bar and fell on the back side of the net. There were no real scares for Hope Solo in the first 45 minutes. The teams went into half time 0-0.

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The second half opened up with some intense play from both teams. The first scoring chance of the half came in the 52nd minute. Christine Sinclair, Thorns’ forward, hit a low, driven ball across the 18-yard box to Melean Shim, but it was deflected just wide of the goal frame by a Reign defender. The next piece of action happened in the 61st minute when Christine Nairn, midfielder for the Reign, hit in a nice header forcing an amazing save from the Portland keeper. Directly after, Teresa Noyola, midfielder for the Reign, whipped in a nice shot that demanded another good save from Portland’s Karina LeBlanc. The crowd and atmosphere was growing with tension as time as the Reign got closer to a goal. In the 75th minute Seattle saw their best goal scoring opportunity of the night. Liz Bogus dribbled to the center of the 18-yard box and hit in a low, left-footed shot that bounced off of the post and out for a corner kick.

In the 82nd minute, Reign defender, Kaylyn Kyle, got called for a questionable foul inside of her own penalty box. The pointed to the penalty spot and the crowd erupted in disbelief. Christine Sinclair stepped up and put it into the left corner very calmly. There was nothing Hope Solo could do to stop it. This put the Portland Thorns up 1-0 and the game score would stay that way until time expired.

It was another frustrating loss for the Seattle Reign, but they can not be disappointed with a performance like that. The Portland Thorns lead the league for a reason. The Reign’s defense, as beat up as they may be, held their own against the Portland Thorns and their star player, Alex Morgan.

The Seattle Reign FC take on the Haiti National Soccer Team on June 2nd in their next home match here at Starfire. Find the Reign’s schedule and other team information here.

 

Game of the Week (5/19): Own Goal vs Toe Poke

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This week’s Game of the Week comes from the outdoor 8v8 league, where Toe Poke (3) and Own Goal (2) played for a spot in the championship match.

Toe Poke started out strong with the majority of chances in the first half. Their first came very early on when a player showcased some good individual dribbling down the left flank, beating three players and neatly layed it off to the middle for a shot by an incoming teammate. The shot was strong enough to cause the keeper to bobble it into the net. Toe Poke’s next chance came soon after with an excellent pass delivered to the top of the box, which was controlled with a few good touches and shot over the bar. Toe Poke was sending a message loud a clear that they were here for business.

Toe Poke had another chance go begging off a corner kick, which was swung into the box and headed away. The ball was cleared to an oncoming player who calmly chested it and shot it wide of goal. Toe Poke’s dominance became apparent as they continued to hold the bulk of possession, passing the ball around well but failing to create any clear chances in the last third.

Despite the slow start, Own Goal created a few chances of their own.  Unexpectedly, they found themselves in a promising position when Toe Poke’s defender made a mess of the ball at the back, easily handing possession over in a dangerous spot. Own goal attempted a pass to a running attacker, but the goalkeeper intercepted it brilliantly. Own Goal continued their upward trend with some good passing on defense, putting together a series of quick touches and moving the ball forward effectively. As the attacking play developed, Own Goal’s winger found herself wide open in space down the flank as the ball was distributed to her. She dribbled the ball well, cut it on the inside to her favored right foot and blasted a powerful shot which sailed over the bar.

Own Goal had another chance soon after when their midfielder got hold of a loose ball in the middle of the field and passed it neatly to the forward. The forward took the ball in strike, took a step inside and shot it wide. Finally, right at the brink of halftime, Own Goal met their reward. They were awarded a penalty kick when one of their players was brought down unfairly in the box.  Their attacker stepped up, took a few touches upon the blowing of the referees whistle and calmly slotted it in the corner of the net beyond the outstretched arm of the goalkeeper.

At halftime the score was 1-1.

As the second half commenced, Own Goal came out roaring. They had a good chance right off the bat when they put together a few good passes and found themselves in the box. The ball was shot and parried by the goalkeeper. Soon after, Own Goal added to their score when the ball was played down the middle. Own Goal’s winger, sensing a good opportunity, made a run down the flank. The ball was spread out to her, crossing rather closely to the keeper who got a hand on it. Unfortunately for him, it landed right at the feet of an Own Goal attacker who tapped it in with ease.

Given the wet conditions, Toe Poke was counting their blessings when the ball slipped past a defender and coasted beyond the goalkeeper to the back of the net to level the game once again. Own Goal were not disheartened, as they put together a series of intricate passes and distributed the ball down the flank. The winger then passed it back into the box towards the attacker who did an excellent job of controlling it and putting it past the goalkeeper.

The back-and-forth action continued, as Toe Poke put together some good passes on a counter attack. Their attacker made a bursting run through the middle as the ball was passed to him. He took it in stride and was one-on-one with the goalkeeper. He managed to beat the goalkeeper, but pushed a little too far to the right and shot it wide. Soon after, Toe Poke made amends for their earlier miss when they converted off a corner kick, which slipped past the fingertips of the goalkeeper.  Toe Poke added another in the closing minutes of the game when an intended cross turned into a shot and was deflected off the post into the oncoming attacker who tapped it in.

Own Goal had a few chances late in the game but failed to convert any of them, putting them mainly over the bar. The game ended 4-3 in favor of Toe Poke. Toe Poke will face Sparkle FC in the championship match next Thursday.

Seattle Reign vs. Sky Blue FC

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Seattle Reign FC played Sky Blue FC at Starfire Sports Stadium tonight. The Reign had their hands full facing off with the 2nd place team in the league. They lost 2-0 to Sky Blue a little over a week ago at an away game in New Jersey.

The first half kicked off and the possession was pretty even. The first action came from a nicely hit volley by Reign’s, Teresa Noyola. Unfortunately for the Reign it missed just wide of the post. Just one minute later in the 8th minute, Sky Blue scored a goal to go up 1-0. Sky Blue took the ball up the field on a quick counter attack and Caitlin Foord played in a through ball to forward, Lisa De Vanna, who slotted it perfectly to the far post.

In the 17th minute, De Vanna ripped another shot to the far post, but this time it went just wide. Sky Blue really put the pressure on the Reign’s defense in the first half; they seemed to control the ball just a little bit better. The match went into half time with Sky Blue leading 1-0.

The second half began with a great scoring chance for the Reign. Forward, Tiffany Cameron, found herself on a breakaway, but the Sky Blue keeper came out and put an end to the breakaway with a hard collision. The Reign came out of half time with a bit more pep in their step and applied serious pressure on Sky Blue’s defense. However, Sky Blue was applying some pressure of their own.

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In the 61st minute, Sky Blue was awarded a penalty kick when Lisa De Vanna was brought down in the box by the Reign’s defender, Jennifer Ruiz. Since this was Ruiz’s second yellow card offense she received a red card and had to leave the game. On the penalty kick, Reign’s goalkeeper, Haley Kopmeyer made a beautiful save to stop it and keep the Reign in the game. The play got more aggressive in the following minutes and multiple cards were given out to both teams.

In the 77th minute, Sky Blue was awarded a free kick just outside the 18 yard-box. Midfielder, Sophie Schmidt, hit an absolutely beautiful curling shot around the wall and into the side netting. The Reign’s goalkeeper could do nothing to stop it.

Once again, with just a few minutes left in the game, Sky Blue was awarded a free kick. The ball was whipped in from about 30 yards out towards the penalty mark. It was flicked on beautiful by the Sky Blue forward onto the midfielder, Taylor Lytle. She settled the ball calmly and then hit a volley over the Reign keeper and into the top of the net. The Reign had a couple chances in the last minutes but were unable to score on Sky Blue’s solid defense. The match ended 3-0. [Read more…]

Sounders Women vs. Vancouver Whitecaps

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The Sounder Women came to Starfire Stadium on this breezy Friday night to capture their first win of the 2013 season.

The first real chance for the Sounders came in the 9th minute when Theresa Henle played a low, driven cross in front the net to teammate Lindsey Elston who flicked the ball towards goal but was just wide of the goal frame. The game flowed nicely back and forth between teams, with neither really having a solid shot on goal.  In the 26th minute Henle crossed another lovely ball to a teammate who tested the Vancouver keeper, but was denied a goal.  In the 34th minute Annie Sittauer of the Sounders played a lovely drop ball to the top of the 18 yard box to Elston who hit a stinging shot just wide of the goal mouth.  Vancouver turned around and attacked the Sounders goal where #9(not listed on the roster) whipped a cross into the box but Erin McNulty of the Sounders swept up the ball to deny Vancouver of any other goal scoring opportunities. In the 44th minute Elston was dropped the ball to the top of the 18 for a second chance at goal.  This shot was nicely hit, but was once again wide of the goal mouth.  The Sounders had many opportunities and most of the possession in the first half, but couldn’t find the back of the net.  Vancouver had some flashes of brilliance and had developed rhythm amongst themselves by the end of the first half.

The second half started out with both teams fighting to score the first goal.  Early into the half Vancouver received a corner kick and Natalie Boyd found the the cross and chipped the ball over the cross bar.  The possession was equal between the two teams throughout the second half.  In the 68th minute McNulty came off her line and slid to deny Chelsea Harkins who had been played a through ball.  The Sounders turned the ball around and came back to attack the Vancouver defensive third.  Elston of the Sounder played a through ball to Henle, but the ball was just a touch in front of her and she wasn’t able to get a shot off.  In the 84th minute the Sounders had their best chance on goal.  Arica Slawson played a beautiful cross to Laura Rayfield who had a chest trap and tried to flick the ball past the keeper, but was denied.  Vancouver returned the ball to the Sounders half where Harkins ripped a shot on frame, but McNulty came up with a save to keep the score at 0-0.  The last chance for the Sounders came in the 91st minute Henle crossed the ball to Elston who was wide open who volleyed it towards the goal, but the ball went over the crossbar.

The Sounders had a great ball possession in the first half and had multiple opportunities to score throughout the game.  Although the game was scoreless look for the Sounders to find rhythm amongst themselves and find the back of the net as the season progresses.

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Seattle Reign vs. Washington Spirit

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The sun is shining bright as the Seattle Reign take on Washington Spirit this evening. The Reign are determined as ever to bag a win after a few disappointing results in their last few games. This promises to be an exciting game as the fans look ready to enjoy the action.

It didn’t take  long before the Reign had their first chance. The Reign were handed a corner kick which was deflected wide. A couple minutes later Lindsey Taylor took a powerful shot outside the box which landed in the back of the net. The Reign made their intentions known very early on with a early goal within the first ten minutes of play.

The Reign had another chance in the 10th minute as they continued to press. A long ball was played through the middle towards the left flank. Taylor took it into stride, cut it inside and took a shot which was parried by the goalkeeper. Washington Spirit slowly got into rhythm and crawled back into the game. Their first real chance came off a throw in which was passed to the top of the box and shot, unfortunately going side off the post. In the 27th minute the Reign had another promising chance with some good passing in midfield. Kristina Larson passed the ball to Lindsey Taylor who then cuts it inside, beating her defender and taking a shot which was saved by the goalkeeper. Seattle should have definitely added another in the 29th minute when an excellently taken free kick by Christine Narin was magnificently saved  by the goalkeeper who did an excellent job getting there as it the ball looked certain to squeeze into the left corner post. The crowd was left gasping on that one.

The Spirit had a very similar free kick awarded to them which was delivered into the box and headed over the bar. Washington managed to score in the 33th minute off a corner that was delivered into the box and Ingrid Wells made no mistaking by shooting it into the back of the net. They added another eight minutes later from free kick taken by Ingrid. The ball was played into the box which was latched on by a teammate and saved twice by the goalkeeper, but she was not able to save the third off the rebound. Washington Spirit went into halftime with the lead.

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The next goal came right after halftime. Seattle Reign’s striker directed a beautifully carved crossed into the far back beyond the outstretched arm of the goalkeeper. Seattle continued to press as they looked to take the lead.  Jessica Fishlock won the ball well in midfield and distributed it to the flank which found Lindsey Taylor who dribbled and shot it wide. In the 59thminute, Washington Spirit added another with some excellent dribbling by Tiffany McCarty as she took a few touches, beating three defenders and calmly slotting it into the corner for a goal. Spirit made it 4-2 late in the second half from free kick which was whipped into the box. Seattle Reign’s goalkeeper failed to get to it before it met the head of a Spirit striker as the ball ended up at the back of the net. Despite the score line, The Reign managed to gather the courage and kept attacking. They had a good chance in the 90th minute. Teresa Noyola got the ball at the flank, dribbled it in and took a shot which sailed over the bar. The game ended 4-2 in Washington’s favor.

Despite the disappointing result, the Seattle Reign played well and with great determination. They will continue their quest for victory as they take on Sky Blue FC on Sunday.

 

Game of the Week (5/12): South Seattle Inter vs Nomads

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This week’s game of the week is brought you from the Starfire Premier Soccer League. The contested matchup featured South Seattle Inter and Nomads, holdin first and second place respectively in First Division standings.

With the sun shining the two teams came ready for battle. The first real chance of the game came in the 10th minute when South Seattle Inter had a free kick just outside the 18.  The ball was pinged into the box and could not be swept up by the Nomads keeper.  With the ball loose in the 18, Haris Sehovic got his foot on the ball and found the back of the net to put Seattle Inter up 1-0.  Seattle Inter upped their lead to two minutes later when Mirza Memic dribbled down the sideline and crossed the ball beautifully to Edin Dedakovic who had a lovely cut to beat the Nomads defender and launched a low, hard shot past the opposing keeper. The first attempt on goal from Nomads came in the 21st minute, but an offside call on the play kept them scoreless.

As the first half continued, Seattle Inter tested the Nomads goalkeeper with a barrage of shots on net. But a remarkable performance from the keeper, featuring multiple diving saves, kept the game within reach for the Nomads. However, Seattle Inter would score one more before the end of he half. As the game approached the 45th minute, Nomads failed to make a tackle in their defensive third, which led to a counter attack down the wing. A ball played square to a Seattle Inter teammate developed into a solid goal to end the half with a score of 3-0 in their favor.

The second half resumed with intensity from both teams. Early on, a Nomads forward found a cross with a diving header, but an offside ruling would call back the goal.  A shift in momentum saw Nomads with many more scoring chances as they peppered Seattle Inter with shots. However, Seattle Inter’s goalkeeper continued to deny the Nomads squad. Seattle Inter made their first big move in he half during the 70th minute when a player had a one-on-one with the keeper, beat him on the dribble, and found himself in front of an open net. But the player was unable to convert, keeping the score at 3-0.

The Nomads saw their efforts pay off in the 75th minute.  After a free kick just outside the corner of the 18, Nomads capitalized off a half volley scramble in front of the net to bring them within 2.  The goal caused an increase in concentration from Seattle Inter as they looked to secure the win. In the 85th minute Seattle Inter solidified their lead when Aldin Tirak was played the ball in the 18 where he remained poised and skillfully beat the keeper to score for his team, bringing their lead back to 3.  Nomads continued to press and create chances by working the ball around well, but were unable to convert any more opportunities.

South Seattle Inter would take the match 4-1.

Seattle Sounders Women vs. University of Washington

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On this beautiful 70 degree night the Sounders Women faced off with the University of Washington Women. The Starfire Sports Stadium was full of energy for this one – the cheering battle between the Sounders and UW fans was almost as intense as the battle on the field.

The action picked up quickly. In the 6th minute, Mellisa Busque, midfielder for the Sounders Women ripped in a shot, but the UW keeper came up with a big save to push it wide. The Sounders had another great chance again in the 8th minute. Megan Lindsay connected with a nice header off free kick, but defender, McKenzie Karas, cleared it off the line. Although this was a pre-season game, it was a very physical one. The Sounders took 4 free kicks in the first 12 minutes. Neither team was possessing the ball that well, but both teams were playing fast and hard, which led to opportunities for both teams. UW midfielder, Lindsay Elstan, hit an absolute missile from the corner of the 18 yard box in the 21st minute, but it missed just wide of the post. In the 35th minute Lindsay Elstan was once again in the thick of the action. She made a streaking run down the far side of the field as Isabel Farrell whipped in a nice cross. The ball found Lindsay Elstan’s right foot beautifully and she found the back of the net off a right footed scorcher. The goal gave UW a 1-0 lead. The Sounders threatened to score twice just minutes before the end of the half, but were unable to finish the chances. The game went to halftime with UW leading 1-0.

The Sounders looked a lot better in the 2nd half. The game was played with the same pace as the first, but the Sounders were creating better attacks out of the midfield. Sounders created another great opportunity off of a free-kick around 30 yards out. Sounders defender, Maggie Schrader, had a nice downward header, but UW’s keeper had an even better save to keep it out of the goal. Both teams were putting the opposing teams’ defense to work in the 2nd half. The game was fast and so were the attacks. In the 74th minute Sounders defender, Elizabeth Russel, took the ball up the field on a counter-attack and surprised everyone (including UW’s keeper) with a shot from about 35 yards out. The keeper wasn’t able to stop it, but unfortunately for the Sounders the crossbar was.

With time winding down, the home team crowd was tense and hopeful for some late game heroics. With just 8 minutes left in the game they would see just that. Mellisa Busque drove in a corner kick and Sounders Defender, Brigit Reder, got her body in front of it to get it across the goal line. It was the equalizer they needed. Each team had its chances in the following minutes, but neither team could capitalize to get the game winning goal. The game ended in a 1-1 draw.

The Sounders Women’s next home game is on May 17th against Vancouver and they will be playing here at Starfire Sports Stadium.

 

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