Score: Sounders FC 1 vs. San Jose Earthquakes 1 (Seattle advanced with 4-1 penalty shootout win)
Site: Starfire Stadium
Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, fifth round
Man of the Match: Marcus Hahnemann recovered from a first-half San Jose goal to provide an immense presence in goal for Sounders FC. He finished the match with three saves during the 120 minutes of action, but came up even bigger in the shootout. With Seattle holding a 2-1 lead in the shootout, Alan Gordon hit the post, though Hahnemann had the net covered on the shot, then Hahnemann guessed right again in stopping J.J. Koval in the next round, providing the grounds for Lamar Neagle to score the game-clinching penalty.
Telling Stat: David Bingham finished the match with nine saves, many of which came in acrobatic fashion as Sounders FC peppered the San Jose net with shots throughout the match. This match very easily could have ended in 90 minutes if not for his diving stop to his left to clear a Chad Barrett shot just before it crossed the line.
What You Missed: Sounders FC’s all-time leading scorer Fredy Montero was recognized before the match, drawing a tremendous reaction from the crowd on hand. Montero played in Seattle from 2009-2012, scoring the club’s first ever goal on March 19, 2009, in a 3-0 win over the New York Red Bulls. He ranks atop the Sounders FC all-time lists 47 goals in MLS play and 60 in all competitions. He was in town during a summer break from his current club in Portugal, Sporting Lisbon.
So What: It was the first time in 14 matches that Sounders FC needed a shootout to advance, but the unbeaten streak remains intact. Next up in the quarterfinals is the Portland Timbers, who will be playing an Open Cup match at Starfire for the first time since joining MLS. Twice while the Timbers were still in USL, Sounders FC traveled to Portland to face the Timbers, advancing both times on the way to winning U.S. Open Cup titles.
