Sounders Lose to Whitecaps 2-1
By Ben Renner
The Sounders dropped their third straight match to open MLS play, this time a frustrating 2-1 loss to Vancouver.
The Sounders controlled the match against the Whitecaps last night at home, but their Canadian rivals managed to leave with three points on two converted penalty kicks. Both of the calls were, shall we say, questionable. Veteran World Cup official Mark Geiger awarded the Whitecaps penalty kicks on a 9th minute phantom trip by Joevin Jones and a 74th minute slide tackle by center back Chad Marshall.
Needless to say, the 40,000 fans in attendance at CenturyLink Field last night loudly voiced their displeasure with Geiger on both occasions.
The numbers were with the Sounders last night. They completed 83 percent of their passes and outshot their King George Highway rivals 19-9. They also enjoyed a 60-40 possession advantage.
More from Seattle Sounders
- Sounders’ struggles continue in loss to Sacramento
- Sounders: Has Clint Dempsey Played his Final Game for USMNT?
- Sounders Fight to Draw Against Former Coach
- Gold Cup Final Pits USMNT Against Unlikely Foe
- How International Duty Sparked Sounders Midfielder Cristian Roldan
But once again, the unexpected loss of Oba Martins reared its ugly head. The Sounders lacked that final touch they needed to overcome a couple bad calls by the officials. Andreas Ivanschitz scored on a free kick in the 52nd minute and star forward Clint Dempsey missed wide on an open chance in the 80th minute that would have tied the game. The Sounders still have only one goal off of free play in the last five matches, a rare score by midfielder Osvaldo Alonso last week.
The Sounders are in uncharted waters in their 0-3 start to the MLS season. They will have to find some offense if they hope to dig themselves out of the basement in the coming weeks. It’s already apparent that they dearly miss Martins, perhaps even moreso than the most pessimistic of us once thought. Still, on the bright side, they have been close to points in every match they’ve played so far. Eventually, some breaks have to go their way.
Next: Seahawks Free Agency Update Part 2
The Sounders face the Montreal Impact in Seattle next on April 2nd.