Updated Apr 6, 2011 - 12:21 pm
Seattle Sounders FC 1 - 3 New England Revolution, Sept. 4, 2010 (Game Review)
The Sounders were totally outplayed in second half in the 3-1 loss to New England to end their seven-game unbeaten streak. Fatigue and lack of concentration could be the reason for the defensive breakdowns.
Game Review
The Good
- Midfielder Steven Zakuani scored his eighth goal of the year early in the second half.
- Alvaro Fernandez recorded his first-ever MLS assist on the goal, while former Rev James Riley earned his fourth assist.
The Bad
- Throw-ins into the box proved to be difficult for the Sounders to defend. Poor clearances that failed to get across the midfield came back to haunt the back four.
- The match turned after the slap by Shalrie Joseph to Patrick Ianni's throat. Both players, for whatever, fell to the turf. Ianni on his back holding the area around the neck and Joseph clutching his knee. The ref decided not to issue any cautions on the play. It provided a lift to the Revs and the barrage of goals.
- Roger Levesque replaced Blaise Nkufo in the starting lineup. The former Dutch leaguer was held out due to a tweaked knee. The change hardly made a difference offensively.
- The number of matches and cross country treks may have finally taken its toll on the Rave Green. It will only get worse with MLS, Champions League and U.S. Open Cup matches still to be played.
...And The Rest
- Mike Seamon took over for the injured Nathan Sturgis.
- Nate Jaqua mentioned feeling quite sore after the Chivas USA Open Cup match. Schmid decided to sit out the lanky forward and inserted Levesque up front.
- Another midweek game this Thursday against Real Salt Lake, last year's MLS Champions.
- Ex-Sounder Sebastien Le Toux scored his 10th goal of the year in the 1-1 draw against the Kansas City Wizards.
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Bonneville Media encourages site users to express their opinions by posting comments. Our goal is to maintain a civil dialogue in which readers feel comfortable. At times, the comments can descend to personal attacks. Please do not engage in such behavior. We encourage your thoughtful comments which: have a positive and constructive tone, are on topic, are respectful toward others and their opinions. Bonneville reserves the right to remove comments which do not conform to these criteria.
John Zielonka is a lifelong fan of soccer. He previously lived in Detroit and attended numerous NASL matches featuring the Detroit Express. John follows the local soccer scene and is the Seattle correspondent for Goal.com, where he writes about the Seattle Sounders and MLS for Goal.com. Internationally, he's viewed matches at the World Cup, Confederation Cup, England's Premier and Championship leagues.
