BY: Karen Watson
SEATTLE – Coming off their mid-week CONCACAF Champions League victory in Costa Rica, the Sounders continued their momentum with a 3-0 win over DC United in front of 36,242 fans, adding enough to this year’s attendance total to break the MLS single season record.
Seattle forward Mike Fucito got his second goal of the season and gave the Sounders the lead in the 35’on an open run from midfield, getting past DC’s Brandon McDonald and drilling the ball into the far corner of the net. Interestingly, this was the first time that Fucito has played against United midfielder and U.S. national team member Charlie Davies, who have been friends since the age of twelve even attending high school together in Massachusetts. Davies is currently the third leading scorer in the MLS, an impressive accomplishment after being severely injured in a car accident two years ago.
Pushing and shoving peppered the match, something that was addressed later by Fucito. “They have two big athletic center backs, they pushed us around a little bit but we kept the ball on the ground so we did all right.”
Tyson Wahl picked up a yellow card in the 41’ and is therefore suspended for Seattle’s next MLS match against Vancouver. Later in the second half United’s Ethan White shoved Fucito in the back, sending him crashing into the advertising boards but failed to bring the foul call from referee Kevin Stott.
Uruguayan Alvaro Fernandez extended the Sounders lead during the second minute of stoppage time with the help of some fantastic passing from Fredy Montero and Mauro Rosales. Their seamless passing combination set up the opportunity on the right side of goal for the waiting Fernandez.
DC subbed both of their big name players in the second half, Davies in the opening minutes and Dwayne De Rosario in the 62. Sounders’ midfielder Osvaldo Alonso neutralized Davies throughout the match and neither he nor De Rosario made much of an impact for their team.
Fernandez got his second goal of the night in the 60’ off a well placed Montero header that originated from a pass from Rosales, giving him two assists in the match and setting a new team record of twelve in a season.
United’s best opportunity to answer came in the 81’ but Josh Wolff’s shot was saved by Seattle goalkeeper Kasey Keller, earning him his ninth shut out of the season.
Already having made their three substitutions, Seattle finished the match with ten men after Rosales limped off the pitch in the 89’ with an MCL sprain to his right knee after DC defender Daniel Woolard ran into him unnecessarily.
This win moved the Sounders within four points of conference leaders LA Galaxy and broke the franchise record for most points in a season, earning fifty four points with still two games left in regular season play.
DC United started Saturday’s match fourth in the Eastern Conference and just outside of the play off wild card spots. But by the end of the ninety minutes they were well out of play off consideration with only thirty four points.
