After their first loss of the season, Seattle were hoping to bounce back in their first road trip of the campaign, against a side who were full of confidence after their first win, but could only come away with a point.
Both teams fielded strong sides and chances were limited early on but it was Seattle who made the games first scoring opportunity as Montero tested DC keeper Willis. After a punt up field by Gspurning fell to the feet of Estrada, he lay the ball into the path of strike partner Montero who hit a shot from the edge of the area, but straight at Willis who managed to hold onto the strike.
Immediately after that Sounders chance, DC nearly found themselves one up, as Salihi’s shot deflected off the crossbar as it flew past the stranded Gspurning. After some great work down the wing by DeLeon, he found himself past the challenging Ianni and whipped a low cross into the box to the feet of the incoming Salihi whose fierce shot hit the bar as it sailed over.
Chances then poured in for Seattle but they couldn’t take advantage as Freddy Montero had one of the best chances for the Sounders in the first half.
After a Sounders corner was cleared, it fell to the feet of Estrada who smashed the ball goal wards, only to hit Montero in the face as he tried to direct it towards goal and watched it spin just agonisingly wide of the post. It was a tough chance for Montero to convert as he had no time at all to work with it but still managed to send it goal ward bound and that meant the sides headed in level at the half time break.
In the second half the pace of the game slowed down and chances were limited, but it was a positive for Seattle who saw Eddie Johnson back on the field as he fights to regain full fitness and a place in the starting eleven.
DC thought they must have taken the lead when they saw DeLeon’s free kick heading towards the near post, only to be pushed away by a diving Gspurning. They then started to play some good football and pass the ball well as a move between Pontius and Santos saw Pontius breaking through into the area but his left footed shot trickled across the area and out for a goal kick.
DC followed this chance up with a couple of half chances which saw Santos toe poke an effort inside the area into the hands of Gspurning and a free kick by De Rosario which went high over the bar.
Seattle then had the best chance of the game, and a chance to steal all three points at the end after “boo boy” Burch saw his header rattle the bar. In the second minute of three additional minutes, Alonso hit a thunderous strike from long range which was parried into the area and met the head of a diving Burch. His header crashed off the bar and was cleared to safety and resulted in the sides sharing the points at the full time whistle. That would have been a great way for Burch to silence the fans that had booed his return to the stadium where he played for the last five years.
The Sounders now head back to CenturyLink Field for the arrival of Colorado Rapids, in next weeks game. Can Seattle find the winning mentality that they had in their first two home games? We’ll have to wait and see.
(image courtesy of Getty Images)
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