By Steven Agen
Seattle Sounders FC U-23 required extra time to eliminate Outbreak Soccer from the first round of the 2016 US Open Cup on Wednesday night, riding two goals in the last five minutes of the additional periods to a date with the Kitsap Pumas.
The hosts started brightly, creating the better of the chances up to the half hour mark. Possession was roughly even but the U-23’s superior size and athleticism gave them an edge in the attacking third. Outbreak goalkeeper Brenden Welch was forced into his first save on only three minutes in, pushing David Olsen’s shot from inside the area into the path of Keith Francisco. He missed the target from a tight angle on the rebound.
Francisco and Olsen would team up again on eleven minutes. This time Olsen was on the end of a left-sided cross from Francisco, which he hit first time on the volley. Welch again saved, this time getting down to the base of the near right post to claw the shot away.
Outbreak would not waste the heroics of their goalkeeper. LeeRoy Maguraushe played an errant pass backwards in his own third and Oscar Aguero was more or less unbothered as he finished low to the right in a one on one with U-23’s goalkeeper Paul Christensen. On 29 minutes the USASA qualifiers from the SoCal Premier League had survived the pressure and taken the lead.
They nearly doubled their advantage on 38’, only to be kept out by a fine save from Christensen. An Outbreak corner found goal-scorer Aguero at the back post and he lashed towards goal from about eight yards out. Christensen dived low left and pawed it away for another corner.
Like the visitors before them, Sounders U-23 would not waste the effort of their shot stopper. An outswinging corner from the right on 41 minutes was headed out towards the top of the box. Maguraushe, guilty of the turnover that led to the opening goal, ran onto the looping ball and struck a pure volley that kept rising until it met the roof of the net just inside the left-hand post. The midfielder was 25 yards out and just left of center, and his certain goal-of-the-round both atoned for his mistake and brought Sounders U-23 level just before the half.
The tempo the match increased dramatically after the break. Play was stretched and both sides created half-chances on breaks and set pieces. On 73 minutes James Haupt subbed out for Ash Apollon, who’d come to have a huge impact on the tie as it moved into extra time.
It took several more saves from Welch to get there, though. His best second half stop came when he pushed a Francisco effort around the post off a strike from close range. Centerback Laokandi Collyns just missed with his right foot from inside the six as well, and heading into extra time the hosts looked decidedly the fresher of the two teams.
The first 15 minutes of extra time passed without any real chances or serious incident. Ten minutes into the second half of extra time, Ash Apollon initiated the first of three match-deciding plays he would be involved in.
Countering down the right, Apollon slid Olsen through on goal after the forward made a sharp run behind the back line. Olsen touched over the onrushing Welch, and Sounders U-23’s had their first lead.
After the ensuing kickoff, the U-23’s immediately fashioned a three on one breakaway as Outbreak pressed to equalize. It was clear that there was at least one more goal left in the game despite there only being five minutes and stoppage to play.
Three minutes after the go-ahead goal, Apollon won himself with a penalty to seal the match. As he charged in the area with the ball at his feet, he took a shove in the back and won the spot kick.
Welch made his finest save of the night, diving left to push Apollon’s low attempt off the post. At 2-1 on 118’, the visitors still felt they had a prayer of penalties after Apollon failed to put them away.
The second half substitute quickly made up for his wastefulness, stroking home a right footed shot on a one on one opportunity after yet another Sounders U-23 counter as the clock hit 120’. The referee blew the fulltime whistle soon after, 3-1 to the Sounders U-23’s.
In the end, the athleticism of the hosts made up for the experience and chemistry of the visitors, who tired as the match wore on. The U-23’s next play the Kitsap Pumas in the second round of the US Open Cup in Bremerton, WA on May 18th.
