Starsky & Hutch. Hall & Oates. Peanut Butter & Jelly.These are some of the great duos of our time. One to add to the list: Obafemi Martins & Clint Dempsey.
The DP Duo (maybe not the best nickname I’ve ever come up with) led the Sounders to another come-from-behind road victory against Chivas USA, capping a three-game road trip that yielded 7 points.
It was a perfect pass from Dempsey that split two Chivas defenders before landing at the left foot of Martins, who chipped one over the outstretched hands of Dan Kennedy to make it 2-1 in the 81st minute.
One of the best things about watching the Sounders this season has been the developing chemistry between Oba and Clint – they just seem to get each other. And each week they learn a little bit more about where they each like the ball, where they’re going to be and how to set each other up for goals. If this keeps up, they are going to mow down the rest of the league from here on out.
Dempsey also played a role in the Sounders’ first goal, as a rare derpy moment from Kennedy left the Goats panicking in front of their goal. Not panicking? Dempsey, who offered a nifty little pass to Lamar Neagle, who only had to rip it into an empty net from two yards away.
The lone Chivas goal came in the opening minutes of the match off an Erick Torres penalty – I’ve watched the replay 10 times, and I can’t think of a reason to argue that the penalty wasn’t legit. Ozzie Alonso did sorta take down Leandro Barrera, and he was sorta on the edge of the box, maybe even inside. It was close, but that mistake was the second time in a week that a Sounder has forced a ref to make a critical call in a dangerous area. Stop doing that, please, guys?
And now on to the List of Notable Things:
Thing No. 1: The Sounders are still getting fouled like mad. Twenty-six this time. But at least there were cards given. A red to Marco Delgado. Four yellows.
Thing No. 2: That’s four straight unbeaten on the road. Theteam’s really stepped up its away play early on. If they can bring that form back for the upcoming three-gamehomestand, it will be a beautiful stretch of spring at CenturyLink.
Thing No. 3: Have you noticed that the Chivas players have the best hair in the league? They are some seriously stylish dudes. They do not go to SuperCuts. The only exception is Bofo – the ridiculousness of his name is eclipsed only by the severity of his unfortunate mohawk.
Thing No. 4: You know you’re watching a team with serious depth when Kenny Cooper doesn’t even get off the bench. Not on the bench: Marco Pappa, who got his first start since his disastrous performance against TFC.
Thing No. 5: The midfield is still careless enough to be occasionally frightening. A few too many giveaways. A few too many chances from Chivas. Hopefully the return of Brad Evans, who came back for a solid spell in this one after missing a month with a nagging calf injury, will help.
Thing No. 6: Ozzie hasn’t exactly looked himself this season. He’s still awesome. But not quite as awesome as we’ve come to take for granted. It might have something to the do with the fact that his right thigh is still wrapped up like mummy. As I’ve noticed in many films, mummies are not very agile. Please get healthy, Honeybadger.
(image courtesy of Chris Carlson/AP)
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