Seattle Sounders 1-Chicago Fire 1
On a great night at Centurylink the Seattle Sounders and the Chicago Fire played to a entertaining wide open draw.
The Sounders starting to get healthy started close as a full starting lineup as we’ve seen this season. Frei in goal with Nouhou, Kim, Marshall, and C. Roldan in the back. With Alonso, Shipp, Loderio, Dempsey and Rodriquez in the midfield with Will Bruin up top.
The Chicago opened with Sanchez in goal. Corrales, Vincent, Campbell, and Campos in the back. Schweinsteiger, McCarty, Bronico in the midfield with Katai, Nikolic and Solgnac up top.
The game started out as a lively affair with both teams in need of points. Chicago struck first with Fire forward Aleksandar Katai scoring a beautiful goal from outside the box into the bottom right corner off a feed from Brandt Bronico.
The game was wide open as the Fire pressed the Sounders high and Seattle created some good chances underneath. The Sounders came close in the 20th minute as Loderio’s long range effort was saved by Sanchez. The Sounders pressure paid off as Clint Dempsey scores his first goal in the league this season with a close range shot past Sanchez.
With the goal Dempsey moves into a tie with Fredy Montero for first place all-time in team history with 47 goals.
The goal has lifted the Sounders as they are on the front foot pushing for the second. The Fire meanwhile was content to counter. Rodriguez come close as his bending shot saved by Sanchez. Dempsey comes close for his second in the 34th minute as his shot was saved by Sanchez. Chicago’s Dax McCarty has a shot blocked in the 35th. Schweinsteiger after many displays of displeasure at Referee Amando Villareal who has run out of patience and books him in the 43rd minute. The half ended at 1-1
The second half began with the Fire earning a succession of corners in the 46th and 48th minute. the threat ended with Rodriguez winning a free kick in the defensive half. The Sounders really pushing for the next goal come close but couldn’t get the goal. Bruin, Dempsey, and Rodriguez all coming close.
The Fire made their first substitution with Elliot Collier coming on for Luis Solignac. The Fire come close with Katai almost netting his second but misses to the right of goal. Jonathan Campbell is the second Fire player to go into the book.
The game was wide open in the last half hour with Stefan Frei and Aleksandar Katai the best players on the pitch. The Sounders make their first sub in the 68th minute as Wolfe Eikram comes on for Rodriguez. Harry Shipp goes down with a injury in the 71st and both teams make subs McCrary coming on for Shipp and Rafael Ramos coming on for Diego Campos.
Katai came close again in the 73rd minute as his shot goes off the crossbar. He’s been the Fire’s most dangerous player going forward.. The game is wide open as both teams are pushing for a goal.
Alonso is subbed off in the 83rd and Alex Roldan comes on or him. The Sounders are looking disorganized without Alonso. Collier sees yellow in the 84th minute for a dive in the box. Alan Gordon comes on for Nikolic in the 88th.
Nouhou was booked for a foul at the edge of the box in the 90th minute. Fire have the upper hand as the come close a number of times. Dempsey comes close as his volley is saved. Seattle almost wins it as Dax McCarty almost shoots it into his own net on a bad back pass to Sanchez. Gordon and Frei collide in the box in the 93rd minute Frei goes down injured and the game ends 1-1.
Seattle Sounders FC
