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| Sanna Nyassi was the Man of the Match. |
SOUNDERS PRESS RELEASE:
SEATTLE - The Seattle Sounders FC fell to Mexico's CF Monterrey, 2-0, in round two of the CONCACAF Champions League group stage in front of 22,513 on the Xbox Pitch at Qwest Field on Wednesday night.
Sounders FC is winless through its first two Group C matches, having lost, 2-1, to CD Marathón in Honduras last week. Seattle is 10-10-7 overall and fifth in the Western Conference of MLS at 8-8-5 (29 points). Monterrey leads the group with six points.
Neri Cardozo scored the first goal and assisted on the second for Monterrey, which had won its Group C opener at home, 1-0, over CD Saprissa of Costa Rica. Aldo de Negris added the second goal for the visitors.
Saprissa hosts Marathón on Thursday night. Seattle's next Champions League match is September 14 at Saprissa.
Monterrey opened the scoring in the 41st minute. Jesus Zavala played a long ball into the box where it took one bounce before Cardozo headed it past an onrushing Kasey Keller.
Monterrey struck again in the 58th minute. Cardozo chipped a ball behind the Seattle defense and de Nigris touched it once before sending a right-footed strike inside the near post.
Seattle finished with a commanding advantage in shots, 17-7 (6-3 on goal) and corner kicks, 12-5.
Sounders FC forward Nate Jaqua had a 90th minute goal called back. He knocked in the rebound of a Fredy Montero shot saved by Jonathan Orozco but the goal was disallowed due to offside.
Seattle nearly scored in the 61st minute off a Nathan Sturgis corner kick. Jaqua headed the ball towards goal but it was knocked down by keeper Jonathan Orozco. Montero had a chance to put away the rebound but the ball was cleared off the line.
Just minutes after entering the match as a halftime substitute, Jaqua served a ball to Sanna Nyassi who slid a shot past Orozco from 6 yards but it caromed off the right post.
Although no official attendance records are kept for Champions League (and, previously, Champions Cup) matches, tonight's attendance of 22,513 has been confirmed by CONCACAF officials as the second-largest for a Champions League/Champions Cup match played in the U.S.
The top mark is 26,528 for D.C. United v Chivas de Guadalajara, 3/15/07. The previous No. 2 crowd was 21,185 for D.C. United v Pumas, 4/6/05. Both games were played at RFK Stadium in Washington, D.C.
Undefeated in its last six league matches, Sounders FC resumes MLS play on Saturday night as it meets the Chicago Fire (6-6-6, 24 points) on the Xbox Pitch at Qwest Field. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. PT. The three-game home stand concludes on September 1 with a U.S. Open Cup semifinal at Starfire Sports Stadium in Tukwila, Wash. against Chivas USA. First kick is 7:30 p.m.
Reach Jane Gershovich at janeg5@gmail.com
