What started as a soccer match quickly turned into a battle. In a game dominated by physical play and the referee’s whistle, the Sounders were able to top Chivas USA 4-1 to earn a 
place in their fourth consecutive US Open Cup Final where they will play Sporting Kansas City, 2-0 winners over the Philadelphia Union tonight. The physicality caused the game to be played at a frantic pace as the teams traded possession and chances on goal. The breakthrough came in the 31st minute when Osvaldo Alonso won the ball in the Sounders half before sending a beautifully timed through ball for Eddie Johnson to finish in a one on one with the Chivas goalkeeper, Dan Kennedy. The 1-0 halftime lead was far from comfortable as the game hung in the balance.
The Sounders then seized control of the game in the first minute of the second half when Fredy Montero was judged to have been fouled in the box and Alonso converted the ensuing penalty kick for a 2-0 lead. Chivas certainly felt the pressure from then on as the Sounders assaulted the goal, but a cruel bit of luck saw a Sounders chance at one end turn into a rebound goal in the 74th minute for Chivas substitute Cesar Romero after a quick counter. The 2-1 scoreline set up an uneasy final fifteen minutes but a goal in the 83rd minute by Brad Evans restored the 2-goal advantage and allowed Sounders fans to breath again. A final goal in the 88th minute by Sammy Ochoa tipped off the celebrations as Sounders fans began chanting “We’re gonna win the US Open Cup! (Again!)” And with the way the Sounders played and finished the game tonight, that is not a bad bet at all.
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