Sounders Advance to A-League Final
1-1 draw gives Seattle 2-1 series win
VANCOUVER, BC -- The Seattle Sounders earned their third trip to the A-League championship after defeating the Vancouver Whitecaps 2-1 on aggregate goals in the Western Conference finals. Game 2 in Vancouver ended in a 1-1 draw in regulation as the Sounders played the final 19 minutes of the match a man down after Welton was ejected.
Sounders goalkeeper Preston Burpo made a diving save late in game during stoppage time to preserve the series victory.
The Whitecaps tested the Sounders defense from the opening whistle applying early offensive pressure on Sounders goalkeeper Preston Burpo. In the 3rd minute of the match Whitecap forward Jason Jordan broke loose with two other Whitecaps for a three-on-three break-a-way. Jordan unleashed a shot as Burpo was able to knock the ball out of play with a diving save.
In the 18th minute the Whitecaps took 1-0 lead in the match with a Jordan goal. The Sounders could not clear a loose ball as Whitecaps forward Carlo Corazzin sent a quick pass to Jordan in the box. Jordan blasted the ball just inside the post about 15 yards out to give Vancouver the lead and tie the aggregate score at 1-1.
Late in the first half, Sounders midfielder Jason Farrell tied the game’s score at 1-1 finishing a great run by midfielder Ben Somoza. In the 43rd minute Somoza pushed the ball down the left side of the field and send a high cross toward the far post. Whitecaps goal keeper Mike Franks was able to punch the ball out, but the ball went right to Farrell who on one touch rifled a shot into the back of the net to give the Sounders a 2-1 aggregate lead going into halftime.
Farrell’s goal is his third of the season and his first goal since May 8th, just the second game of the season.
The Whitecaps continued to apply offensive pressure in the second half so the Sounders shifted to a more defensive strategy to preserve the 2-1 aggregate lead. Defender Marco Velez replaced midfielder Ben Somoza early into the second half.
In the 66th minute Whitecaps Jordan nearly gave the Whitecaps the lead in the match with a shot that missed just wide of the goal.
In the 69th minute the Sounders were awarded a free kick 16 yards up from Whitecaps end line to the left side of penalty area, midfielder Jonathan Bolanos went to take the kick. Prior to the kick Welton was given his first yellow card of the season for pushing a Whitecaps defender trying to get into position on the free kick.
A few minutes later Welton received his second yellow of the match and was ejected after arguing a miscue by the fourth official on a substitution. The Sounders attempted to substitute midfielder Farrell for Chad Brown in the 71st minute, but the fourth official held up the wrong number and indicated that Brown was coming in for Welton. As the substitution was announced by the stadium public address announcer, the Sounders bench
erupted in confusion and as Welton argued with the official he was given his second yellow of the match and then a red card for his two yellows and was ejected from the match forcing the Sounders to play a man down for the final 19 minutes.
Brown finally replaced Farrell on the field during the next dead ball.
In the 81st minute Sounders forward Roger Levesque almost snuck a shot under the cross bar, but Whitecaps goalkeeper Franks knocked it over the crossbar to give the Sounders their third corner kick of the night.
The Whitecaps took advantage of the three minutes of stoppage time in the second half. As the clock wound down, Burpo made a huge save to deflect a Whitecaps shot over the cross bar. On the ensuing corner kick the Whitecaps brought everyone up into the offensive third even the goalkeeper Franks. On the corner kick Vancouver was called for a foul in the box to give the Sounders an opportunity to clear the ball with a free kick.
With the series victory the Sounders advance to the A-League championship to face the Montreal Impact in Montreal on Saturday, September 18th. The match will be broadcast live on Fox Sports World.
This is the Sounders first trip to the championship match since the team won back-to-back A-League championships in 1995 and 1996.
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