San Jose Earthquakes earn 2-2 draw with Seattle Sounders FC – MLS Recap
The San Jose Earthquakes have managed to earn a 2-2 draw against the Seattle Sounders FC at the Buck Shaw Stadium on Saturday night. Mid-fielder Khari Stephenson with an equaliser in the second half was able to deny the Sounders from grabbing their opening
win of the 2011 Major League Soccer regular season.
Stephenson, who was not considered in the starting line-up, got an opportunity to get himself on field as a substitute in the second half. When his side was under a one goal lead and was desperate for the equaliser, Khari was the man for them. He came-up
with an un-assisted 35-yard shot which went rocketing into the net. Though, the Sounders’ goal-keeper Kasey Keller had managed to get his left hand on the ball, but it was not enough to derail it from hitting the target.
Striving for a win, sounders launched an early attack on the Earthquakes back-line and barely missed-out from getting on the score board. Osvaldo Alonso paired well with his fellow mid-fielder Steve Zakuani on the left wing and passed him a ball before dodging
the defender. San Jose goal-keeper Jon Busch managed to force a wide shot from Zakuani, who was there near the goal post. Mid-fielder Mauro Rosales, who was playing in Montero’s place, was able to make his contribution with an assist in the first goal. He
played a good ball to fellow mid-fielder Brad Evans, who had no difficulty in beating the San Jose defender Chris Leitch before putting the ball into the net.
Chris Wondolowski nearly had it equalised for San Jose in the 19th minute, when he slotted one from a 16-yard distance, but saw Keller saving it with his left hand. It was Simon Dawkins, who has been the most recent acquisition from Tottenham
to get his first Major League Soccer goal for San Jose. Bobby Convey cut through the Sounders defence line and had beaten three defenders before forwarding a pass to Dawkins, who had finished it into the net with a left-footed shot. But O’Brian White put the
Sounders ahead once again with a lead in the 42nd minute before Khari equalising it again in the second half.
The Sounders were really disappointed on missing-out to register their first win of the season and more importantly from losing three points. Now with a 0-2-2 record, it is getting very cautious in the Sounders’ camp regarding their season rout so far. However,
the Sounders could have done better, if they would have played with their full strength line-up. The star forward Fredy Montero missed-out on the game due to an injured wrist for which he had surgery last week.
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