Seattle got goals from three different players to get a 3-2 win at Starfire in their first home Reserve League match.
TUKWILA, WASH. - The Sounders FC is now two games into their first MLS Reserve League schedule and they’ve played two drastically different games.
In San Jose in April, Michael Tetteh scored a last-minute goal to give the Sounders a 1-0 victory.
On Monday night at Starfire, they dropped behind 1-0 early, but battled back to take a 3-1 lead. Then Terry Boss came up big at the end to preserve a 3-2 victory over Chivas USA.
Chivas USA Academy product Chris Cortez scored both goals for the visitors while Mike Fucito, Lamar Neagle and Miguel Montano spread out the scoring for the Sounders.
“We made it interesting and we didn’t need to. We had a gameplan going in and in the first 15-20 minutes we followed it, but we didn’t finish,” said assistant coach Ezra Hendrickson, who coaches the reserves for the Sounders FC. “They fought back and it made for a good game. We’ll learn from this. It took some big saves from the keeper to keep us in this game. But at the end of the day we won and we’re happy that we came away with the victory.”
Cortez got Chivas on the board first in the 22nd minute, picking off an errant ball from Boss, then beating the keeper 1v1 for the goal.
The lead didn’t last though, as Seattle pressured the Chivas defense throughout the evening. Nate Jaqua found Fucito for the equalizer in the 25th minute on just one of many efforts on goal by Fucito.
The score held at 1-1 until halftime, then the Sounders reclaimed control in the second half. Lamar Neagle earned a penalty in the 51st minute when he was taken out by the goalkeeper at the corner of the box. Neagle then put away the PK for the 2-1 lead.
Montano added to the lead in the 60th minute when he beat his defender on the left side and blasted a shot inside the near post for the goal and a 3-1 lead.
Cortez hammered in a header in the 69th minute, but Boss kept Chivas from evening the tally with some strong saves to close out the match.
“We want to get better game-by-game,” Hendrickson said. “I think if we cut back on some of the miscues and stick to our gameplan, then I think we’ll be fine.”
The Sounders FC’s next reserve match will be at 1 pm on Sunday at Starfire against the Portland Timbers reserves.
Scoring
Sounders FC - Mike Fucito (Nate Jaqua, David Estrada) 25; Lamar Neagle (PK) 52; Miguel Montano (Pat Noonan) 60.
Chivas USA - Chris Cortez 22; Chris Cortez (Bryan de la Fuente) 69.
Discipline
Sounders FC - Zach Scott (caution) 76.
Chivas USA - Francisco Mendoza (caution) 78.
Lineups
Sounders FC - Terry Boss, Zach Scott, Taylor Graham, Tyson Wahl (Kevin Sakuda 46), Michael Tetteh, Lamar Neagle, Michael Seamon, David Estrada, Miguel Montano, Mike Fucito (Sinisa Ubiparipovic 63), Nate Jaqua (Pat Noonan 46).
Chivas USA - Sergio Arias, Bryan de la Puente, Ian Hines-Ike, Michael Umana, Michael Lahoud, Chris Rodriguez, Francisco Mendoza, Mariano Trujillo, Gerson Mayen, Chris Cortez, Victor Estupinan.
