Seattle Sounders Select vs Dallas Burn – 2001 US Open Cup 2nd Round

Ouch.  

What else can you say?  This is an opponent the Burn should wipe out, even with their reserves. 

Dallas Burn (4-3-3)

Kreis Korol Johnson
Vaca
Deering DeBrito
Broome Farrer Zarco Mayard

Seattle Sounders Select (4-4-2)

9 – Joe Watson 13 – Greg Foisie
6 – Zachary Kingsley4 – Benjamin Somoza8 – Sy Reeves3 – Billy Sleeth
15 – Aaron Heinzen12 – Bryn Richie5 – Scott Burcar18 – Christian Vanbloaimestein
23 – Carlos Castellanos

The scouting report ahead of time says Seattle plays a 3-5-2.  They come out in a 4-4-2 though.  #5 – Scott Burcar is the extra player in the back, and clearly thinks he is a midfielder as he tends to drift into midfield, like a stopper rather than a sweeper.

1st Half

9′ – 1st shot of the game: Korol uses his speed to beat the defender one on one.  Shot misses wide left.

10′ – Mayard makes a run into the corner on an outlet pass.  Cross to back post.  Korol misses just wide on the header.  Seattle has yet to get into the game.

12′ – Seattle #8 – Sy Reeves is making a good impression.  Well composed on the ball, and looking very confident.

14′ – Kreis hits an absolute cracker of a shot when a bad cross from Mayard bounces around and ends up at his feet.  Unfortunately, it was right at the keeper who saves.  We hear later that GK #23 – Carlos Castellanos is really their A-League 3rd string keeper, who is playing with Select to get some PT and is the only “professional” player in the Seattle side today.

19′ – Johnson return into midfield for the ball gives it away, #6 – Zachary Kingsley blows down the wing easily beating Mayard who had been trying to overlap with Johnson.  Kingsley put the ball into the side of the net, but this is a precursor of things to come.

20 ‘ – Kreis is flattened after putting a ball by the center back.  No call.

23′ – Yellow Card: Mayard for a very late and clumsy tackle on Kingsley.  Really should have been an indication of how behind the play he was.

26′ – Johnson shows his speed by beating a defender with a 2-yard head start to the ball.  poor cross though as he ran out of room.

26′ – Vaca has been finding space but nowhere to take the ball as the wide defenders are not getting forward.

27′ – Seattle begins to exploit sped advantage by playing over the top.  #3 – Billy Sleeth beats the defenders with pace, but the cross is to long.  I will chime in at this point with that thought that Sleeth is a better wing player than anyone the Burn have, a combination of size, speed, and skill.  Like a young Chris Klein maybe. (keep in mind I have only seen him this one time, anyone can have 1 good game.)

29′ – #9 – Joe Watson does a dance with Farrer and eventually gets a week shot to the back post, which Snitko easily handles.

30′ – Yellow Card: #8 – Sy Reeves

31′ – Johnson makes a great run off a 1/2 turn by the defender but his shot/cross is poor.  EJ has shown some flashes of instinct, but he is a bit mentally behind the tactics and speed of the Burn’s quick passing game.

32′ – There really has not been a lot of flow in the Burn midfield.  Vaca is trying, but Deering is playing very flat. (he does play better later)

32′ – Deering finally gets into the game firing a long hard low shot forcing a nice save out of Castellanos. the Burn are having trouble putting together the last pass in the final third of the field.

33′ – Sy Reeves hits the crossbar from about 26 yards out.  Burn are giving way to much space to the Seattle midfielders in their own end of the pitch.  Deering had been caught on a run into the box, and did not get back.

34′ – The field looks pretty nice from up in the stands.  It’s cut just a little long, which slows the passes down a bit.

35′ – Broome has been doing a great job not allowing #13 – Greg Foisie any space.

35′ – Vaca makes a nice run to make a gap in the defense.  Korol fires between them after he had carried in from the midline.  Castellanos makes a diving save to tap the ball inches wide of the back post.

36′ – Deering is dispossessed by double team, right midfielder Billy Sleeth carries the ball 80 yards before running into a Burn defender, then passes to an offside Foisie.

37′ – Johnson runs by another defender but again the cross is not on target.  Realty he should be playing in the dead middle of a two-man front (think McBride).

37′ – Kingsley is killing Mayard down the left flank.  Not sure Mayard is used to playing someone as fast as he as, as the usual Burn first 11 is very slow.

38′ – Korol beats a defender to the corner but runs out of room before he can get the cross in.

39′ – DeBrito has been totally invisible.  Is that a good or bad thing?  I am gonna say bad, given the space Seattle is finding and the lack of flow in the Burn middle.

40′ – Yellow Card: #18 – Christian Vanbloaimestein for a hard tackle on Kreis in the midfield.  

From about the 30′ mark on Zarco has been getting forward more and more.  He is probably trying to make up for the lack of threat down the outside.  Unfortunately, this leaves gaps in the back which later are exploited.

44′ – Seattle Goal (0-1): Long ball to Foisie who is one on one versus Broome.  Foisie turns Broome a couple times and fires the ball into the back corner past Snitko.  Admittedly Broome could have used some help, unfortunately, Farrer was the only other defender back and he was covering the other forward…  Reports ahead of time indicated Seattle had one good forward, after this play I know which one he is.  What a killer to give up a goal this late in the half.

2nd Half

Seattle Sub: #10 – Todd Stauber M in for #9 – Joe Watson who had been fairly ineffective.  #8 – Reeves slots in behind #13 – Foisie who is now really the lone striker in a 4-5-1.

47′ – Loose ball in the Burn box bounces around dangerously.  Finally ends in a Seattle handball on the attempted clear.

51′ – It is not good to see the Burn playing in the same fashion with no urgency or anger.

52′ – Burn Subs: Pareja in for DeBrito, Suarez in for Mayard.

53′ – Pareja makes an immediate impact, playing with passion and energy.  The entire side looks 100% better.  Maybe indicative of how invisible DeBrito had been, to be fair he wasn’t bad, usually in the right place, with solid defense; but he never had any real creative ideas or offensive flow.

54′ – Pareja to Johnson back to Pareja, great shot with another nice save by Seattle net-minder.

56′ – Burn starting to put some passes together and take control of the middle of the game.

57′ – Nice work in the midfield by 4 – Benjamin Somoza, who has a great work rate, reminds me of Richie Williams, results in shot which is WAY wide left.  

58′ – Vaca find Korol unmarked on the right, but a defender closes down and gets a piece of the cross.

60′ – Too many Burn players forward as Zarco and Deering have both pushed up.  Seattle counters with #’s.  Deering and Korol chase back to make it even and end the threat.

62′ – Very nice Burn ball movement gets Deering a shot from about 23 yards.  He misses by about 2 feet.  Burn are putting together passes (maybe ten that time) but can’t get it into the tightly packed box.

62′ – Subs: Graziani in for Broome, leaving the Burn in a 3-4-3 with Korol at LW and no real RW in front of Suarez.  Seattle send in #16 Chris Farnsworth for #13 Foisie, leaving them without an outright striker.  #8 Reeves is now the lone striker/attacking midfielder.

63′ – Burn Goal (1-1): Kreis receives on a crossing run, beats defender.  Korol puts away the deflected save on Kreis’ hard shot.

65′ – Korol flips the ball thru to Johnson who barely misses Graziani about 5 feet from goal on the return ball.  Burn having their way everywhere but in the box.

67′ – #16 Farnsworth has got a great shot and his rips one here.  Snitko makes a nice save to keep it even.  Seattle is counter-attacking with even numbers as the Burn are getting everyone forward.  It occurs to me this might be a mistake, as the Burn should be able to win on talent without sending 10 players forward.

70′ – Seattle Goal (1-2):  Sleeth (who is my man of the match for Sounders) beats Korol down the right and puts in a great cross.  The left midfielder Kingsley had penetrated into the box and puts the cross away.

72′ – Yellow Card: Suarez

73′ – Dallas gets several opportunities at shots in this sequence, but there are so many defenders none of the shots get thru to goal.

74′ – Sounders have everyone but Reeves back in the box and are doing a masterful job of denying the pass into the box.

75′ – Pareja receives wide left and find Korol top of the box.  Keeper makes a great diving save on low hard shot to deny Korol.

76′ – Seattle Sub: #14 Kurt Ness in for #8 Reeves.  Reeves had been their best player to this point.

76′ – Johnson receives about 38 yards out and dribbles to midfield and hits a long hard pass to Graziani at the back post.  But Graziani is about 1/2 a step short and ball goes out of play.

77′ – Back to back corners for the Burn get nothing.

78′ – Burn Goal (2-2): Deering picks up ball at midfield and dribbles up 30 yards.  He and Graziani work a great double give and go, for Graziani to slot past GK for the tying score.  Deering looks pissed at not getting a PK call, but the ref points out the ball in the back of the net.

79′ – #4 Somoza makes a fantastic turn to split Zarco and Kreis lays it off to #16 Farnsworth who gets three tries at it.  Snitko makes two great saves before the final shot goes wide.

80′ – Yellow Card: Kreis hard tackle in midfield.

82′ – Pareja makes a fantastic leading pass to Johnson.  EJ tries to go low but Castellanos gets down to smother it.

83′ – Twice in the last five minutes Johnson has ended up man marking #6 in the Burn box.

84′ – #4 Somoza again does some nice possession work across the top of the box but misses by 15 yards wide right.

85′ – Kreis hits a blistering shot from about 40 yards, forcing a great save.  Although it may have been a little off target in the end.

85′ – Kreis goes up against #15 Aaron Heinzen, who has been outstanding all day, Jason goes down in a heap.  Homer (Burn Trainer) check his ankle, so Kreis goes out and comes right back in.

90′ – Yellow Card: Farrer

90′ – Deering tries a cheeky 35-yard lob of the goalkeeper and misses by less than a foot.,  Probably would have worked if it had been on target.

90′ – Pareja cuts the ball out and sends it on to Graziani who flicks it to Vaca.  The onrushing keeper forces Vaca to go high and the ball squeaks over the bar.

90′ – Seattle gets a five on two counter the burn savior Farrer manages to take away.  The game should have been and would have been over against a better team.

Overtime

In US Open Cup there are two 5 minute overtime periods, golden goal;  PK’s follow.

3′ – Burn looks to be in a 3-5-2 with Johnson at right wing and Korol left wing.

4′ – Johnson gets the ball over the top off a deflected off a poor header.  Hits another low hard shot that is saved again.  Could have been a cheap game-winner, but not to be this night.

5′ – Deering hits a shot from about 37 yards and the keeper saves again.  Interestingly the keeper had comes out about 12 yards to cut the angle on the shot leaving about 3 Burn attackers behind him.

6′ – Seattle Game-Winning Goal (2-3)  #3 Sleeth again carries the ball to the Burn with Korol chasing about 5 yards behind after being released by #4 Somoza.  Sleeth hits a great shot back post, which Snitko fingertips wide.  #6 Kingsley had made the long run to the backside and keeps the ball in play.  Ball is dropped to #14 Kurt Ness (listed as a defender FYI) whose shot deflects off a Burn defender and into the net, leaving Snitko going the wrong way.  

Game Over… Snitko is the Burn Man of the Match for keeping the Burn in it as long as they were.

Boxscore

US Open Cup Round 2
Seattle Sounders Select (PDL) vs. Dallas Burn
Old Panther Stadium, Duncanville, Texas
June 27, 2001, 7:30 pm

  1 2 OT F
Seattle Sounders Select 1 1 1 3
Dallas Burn 0 2 0 2

Scoring Summary:
45′ – Foisie SEA (Sleeth)
65′ – Korol DAL (Kreis)
69′ – Kingsley SEA (Sleeth)
78′ – Graziani (Deering)
97′ – Ness SEA (Unassisted)

Seattle Sounders Select
23 – Carlos Castellanos GK
12 – Bryn Richie D
5 – Scott Burcar D
15 – Aaron Heinzen D
18 – Christain Vanbloaimestein D
6 – Zachary Kingsley M
8 – Sy Reeves M (14 – Ness M 75′)
4 – Benfamin Somoza M
3 – Billy Sleeth M
9 – Joe Watson F (10 – Todd Stauber M 46′)
13 – Greg Foisie F (16 – Chris Farnsworth F 61′)
Dallas Burn
22 – Snitko GK
25 – Mayard D (3 – Ryan Suarez D 52′)
18 – Farrer D
17 – Rodriguez D
4 – Broome D (20 – Graziani F 61′)
24 – DeBrito M (8 – Pareja M 52′)
15 – Deering M
10 – Vaca M
9 – Kreis F
7 – Johnson F
16 – Korol F

Cautions
Seattle: Reeves 30′, Vanbloaimestein 41′, Somoza 90′
Dallas: Mayard 24′, Suarez 72′, Kreis 80′

Attendance: 554 Referee: Missail Tsapos
Referee Assistant: Jason Anno

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