Defensive Blunders Doom Thunder
For the first time in four games, the weather was perfect, but the usual pristine pitch at the National Sports Center had a few brown spots and the Thunder defense seemed slow and unresponsive as the Seattle Sounders took advantage of two defensive mistakes to create an insurmountable 3-0 lead against the Thunder.
--- First Half ---
For the first 20 minutes of the game, Minnesota looked sluggish, as Seattle, in what’s becoming a noticeable hole since the retirement of Thunder Big Men Gerard Lagos and John Coughlin, out-muscled Thunder both on the body and in the air. However, play was relatively even, and for the most part kept in the midfield.
In the 18th minute, Jon Lowery was caught looking the wrong direction, when, in a tussle of players on the right side of the field, 25-yards out from the goal line, Darren Sawatzky was able to pop the ball out 15-yards left, where Leighton O’Brien sent a screamer to the opposite side of the goal; Lowery, on the opposite side, looking for something from within the scrum, could not dive far enough to stop the shot.
After the goal, Seattle dropped almost immediately to a bunker defense, bringing five, and sometimes six, people to their back line, forcing Minnesota to work from the outside, stifling Minnesota’s handful of quality chances. Seattle looked for the counterattack, and had it’s first chance given to them on a silver platter, when Viet Nguyen, in the 44th minute, took the ball into the Minnesota right corner, and crossed it into a running Mark Shulte, who kneed it into his own net.
--- Second Half ---
Minnesota had fallen behind for the fourth consecutive home game, and the own-goal, coupled with Seattle’s defensive blockade, made the prospect of coming back for a fourth tie seem remote. Indeed, the second half picked up where the first left off, with the Sounders content to bring six people (and more) back to their defensive line, and Minnesota pounding from the outside.
The defense gave another golden ball to Seattle, when Shulte, taking a throw-in deep in Minnesota territory, threw the ball deep to Adam Eyre in the penalty arc - a correct decision as all close targets were marked tightly. Eyre mishandled the ball, giving it to Brian Ching. Eyre, making a recovery run, and Lowery, moving to sandwich him, was not enough to keep Ching from breaking free and taking the open net.
The game continued to get chippy near the end, although the fouls were bent toward Seattle - but matching red cards were issued in stoppage time to Johnny Menyonger and Chad Brown at the far end of the field, while Minnesota was waiting to take a free-kick.
--- Notes ---
The Thunder defense continues to be suspect; we can hope it’s meerly exhaustion due to the string of games - the Thunder have a week to rest up, and let us know against Milwaukee.
This is the second time Minnesota has had Elias Bazakos in as the center referee, and they’ve had plastic problems as a result. The main issue is not the center’s inconsistency, but that the Thunder seem to think he’s not protecting the players enough, and then retaliating, earning a booking. From my admittedly biased perspective, they may be right, but he is being consistent, and the Thunder will have to adapt, rather than getting put into a position to sit out yellow or red-card suspensions.
MINNESOTA THUNDER GAME REPORT
Participants: Minnesota vs. Seattle
Competition: A-League
Time/Date: 7:30 p.m.; Thursday, July 4
Venue: National Sports Center, Blaine, MN
Attendance: 4,481
Weather: 83 Degrees; Sunny
Scoring Summary: 2 1 3F
Minnesota: 0 0 0
Seattle: 2 1 3
Seattle – Leighton O’Brien (Sawatzky) 17th minute
Seattle – Own Goal (Schulte) 44h minute
Seattle – Brian Ching 77th minute
LINEUPS:
Minnesota: 22-Jon Lowery; 20-Chris Gores; 13-Mark Schulte; 12-Adam Eyre; 6-Matt Schmidt; 5-Mike Gentile; 21-Don Gramenz; 7-Amos Magee; 10-Johnny Menyongar; 11-Jakob Fenger (9-Orrett Prendergast, 75); 8-Johnny Torres
Seattle: 23-Preston Burpo; 3-Kieran Barton; 6-Ryan Edwards; 7-Leighton O’Brien; 17-Zach Scott; 2-Scott Jenkins; 16-Chad Brown; 7-Leighton O’Brien; 4-Andrew Gregor; 12-Viet Nguyen (21-Greg Foisie, 79); 13-Darren Sawatzky; 8-Brian Ching
Statistical Summary: Minnesota /Seattle
Shots: 15/7
Saves: 0/5
Fouls: 12/15
Offside: 6/4
Corner Kicks: 8/1
Misconduct Summary:
Seattle – Craig Tomlinson (caution for a reckless tackle) 9th minute
Seattle – Scott Jenkins (caution for a professional foul) 70th minute
Minnesota – Johnny Menyongar (caution for a professional foul) 74th minute
Seattle – Andrew McGregor (caution for retaliation) 90th minute
Seattle – Chad Brown (ejection for ??? - did not see) 90th minute
Minnesota – Johnny Menyongar (ejection for ??? - did not see) 90th minute
Referee: Elias Bazakos
Assistant Referee #1: Jeff Filipek
Assistant Referee #2: Jeremy Schroeder
Fourth Official: Paula Hildman
