Two A-League clubs continued lengthy streaks tonight as the Seattle
Sounders edged the
Calgary Storm 3-2 on a miserable rainy evening at Foothills Park.
Calgary (1-1-7)
extended their losing run to six games while the Sounders’ record
continues to be perfect
at 8-0-0.
The game began with a very cautious approach taken by both clubs. It
took a while for
the players to get warmed up in 5C (40F) conditions. The first twenty
minutes featured
several slips and errant passes as the clubs adapted to the slippery
pitch
In the 28th minute, the Sounders opened the scoring when Brian Ching
passed a great ball
to Viet Nguyen, who made no mistake and knocked it past Storm keeper
Lars Hirschfeld.
The Storm scored an equalizer in the 37th minute. Calgary forward Felix
Napuri was
brought down in the penalty area just to the left of the Seattle goal.
The referee awarded a
penalty kick which Conrad Chala blasted past Preston Burpo to tie the
score at 1-1.
In the closing moments of the first half, Seattle had a couple of decent
chances to take the
lead. A Seattle free kick forced Storm defender Liam DeSilva to head
away the ball over
his own goal. On the resulting corner, Viet Nguyen’s shot went just
wide right of the net.
Seattle broke the deadlock in the 56th minute. DeSilva received a
yellow card for fouling
a Sounder just to the left of the penalty area about 25 yards from
goal. Sounder Jason
Farrell took the free kick, which was deflected in traffic and caught
Hirschfeld
flat-footed.
Calgary pressed forward in an attempt to tie the game again. In the
60th minute, Chris
Lemire made a long pass from the right sideline to Nicholas Zuniga on
the left side.
Zuniga crossed the ball into Damir Jesic who used a bicycle kick that
went over the bar.
A minute later, Zuniga made another pass to Jesic into the box that also
was not
converted.
In the 62nd minute, Seattle had another free kick in the same dangerous
spot as in their
last goal. The ball did not make it through to the goal, but a rebound
came straight to
Seattle defender Scott Jenkins, who launched a rocket that was saved by
Hirschfeld.
In the 67th minute, the Sounders had a chance to put the Storm away when
Nguyen made
a great pass to Leighton O’Brien, whose shot was partly stopped by
Hirschfeld. As the
ball was dribbling towards the net, the Calgary keeper recovered
sufficiently to snatch it
off the goal line.
The Storm drew equal in the 71st minute on a very strange play.
Nicholas Zuniga lobbed
a shot from the left sideline about 40 yards from goal. The wind
affected the ball’s flight
and Burpo misjudged its route. He caught the ball, but lost his balance
and fell into the
net.
At the 77th minute mark, Storm midfielder Kurt Bosch was ejected for
receiving his
second yellow card. With the man advantage, Seattle tried to press in
the final minutes.
In the 88th minute, a Sounder shot from the left flank made it through a
lot of traffic and
hit the right post. Ace striker Darren Sawatzky was standing at the
penalty spot and was
unmarked as the rebound came to his feet but unbelievable he fanned on
the shot.
As the game went into injury time, the Sounders had a great chance when
a Sounder put a
shot on goal from the right side that Hirschfeld desperately parried
away. At this point,
Chris Lemire received a brilliant through ball and was on an apparent
breakaway when
offside was inexplicably called.
With only moments left in injury time, Seattle received a corner kick.
Gregor’s corner
found the head of Nguyen, who stunned the several hundred Storm
supporters on hand
and put it past Hirschfeld, giving the Sounders the victory.
Calgary can take some positives out of this loss. They were far more
competitive with
the Sounders than in their last meeting two weeks ago. Even with a man
down they
battled this talented and experienced Seattle squad to the end. The
club is making
progress, but the results are not there yet.
The Alberta-born soccer players of the Storm appear to be improving, but
the same can’t
be said for the province’s game officials. The refereeing was
questionable at best again in
what has become a very disturbing trend at Calgary home games.
Tonight’s crew from
Edmonton was clearly not capable of managing a game at this level.
According to
A-League rules, the officials must be drawn from the local area. The
lack of pro soccer in
these parts for over a decade has taken its toll on the quality of
officiating. None of the
local referees will be mistaken for Perluigi Collina, even if they
shaved their heads.
The Storm’s next match is at Foothills Park on Tuesday at 7pm when the
Portland
Timbers make their first visit to Calgary. Storm officials are crossing
their fingers that
the weather will improve. After five home matches this season, there
has not been one
date where the weather has been decent. It probably can’t be much worse
than tonight.
Thanks to Stu Wallington who lent me a pencil when my pen would no long
write on my
soggy notepad.
Lineups:
Calgary: Hirschfeld, Ledgerwood, Pavicic, DeSilva, Auvigne, Bosch,
Jesic, Zuniga,
Chala, Lemire, Napuri
Seattle: Burpo, Jenkins, Barton, Edwards, Daligcon (Scott 64), O’Brien,
Farrell, Gregor,
Nguyen, Sawatzky, Ching
Cautions:
Calgary: Bosch 15th & 77th, DeSilva 56th, Jesic 61st, Lemire 80th
Seattle: Nguyen 28th, Gregor 41st, Barton, 53rd,
Ejections:
Calgary: Bosch 77th (for two yellow cards)
Attendance: 1025 announced, maybe 500 at game
Weather: rainy, windy 5C (40F)
STORM WARNINGS: Calgary’s lineup continues to be decimated with
injuries and
suspensions. Captain Mark McKenna is still out with injury. Chris
Lemire, Damir Jesic,
and Kurt Bosch are facing suspensions from yellow and red card
violations. The Storm
have not recruited any new players since four members were released for
disciplinary
reasons. This leaves the Calgary bench empty. Perhaps some players
will be called up
from the PDL side. However, anyone called up may not return to the PDL
club...
Calgary will have a team in the W-League next season. In keeping with
the weather
disturbance theme, the entry will be known as the Calgary Tempest.
