TS Kamali
Such a resounding success was the Seattle Sounders's MLS debut 3-0 demolition of the New York Red Bulls in front of a sellout crowd of over 32,000 fans, that even the most elitist football traditionalist would have a hard time not giving kudos to the home club.
Forward Fredy Montero showed himself as a force to be reckoned with, scoring two goals and assisting on a third. Keeper Kasey Keller made two outstanding saves of the only clear shots on goal he faced all evening.
It has been 26 years since Seattle hosted a domestic league football match, and the bright-green masses put on a show for a national television audience. The club sold over 20,000 season tickets before even a ball had been kicked, and this goes some way to showing the fanatical support that they can command.
The Sounders played attacking football from the outset against New York, and the Red Bulls never recovered. Midfielders Osvaldo Alonso and Sebastien Le Toux teamed up to find Montero open on the right side, and the 21-year-old from Colombia drove a low shot past New York keeper Danny Cepero 11 minutes into the match. Montero had notched Sounders FC's first-ever MLS goal.
In the 25th minute, Montero made a nice weighted pass to midfielder Brad Evans on the wing. He attempted a shot that went between Cepero's legs for a goal and a 2-0 lead that the Sounders maintained for the rest of the first half.
In the second half the Red Bulls got more physical with Montero. Sounders FC's defence, practically impenetrable in the first half, got help from Keller to preserve the clean sheet, and Montero capped off the evening with an unassisted goal that saw him stop the ball in front of the defender in the open field, stutter-step with the ball in his control and fire a shot into the net.
Coach Sigi Schmid showed lots of class by giving a nod to the longtime supporters of the United Soccer Leagues' Sounders. As extra time began, he substituted Montero out of the match and sent in USL Sounder favorite Roger Levesque.
Will this be the springboard for an impressive MLS season for the Sounders? With a full house behind them and passionate support urging them on, perhaps Seattle Sounders can record a season to remember. The rest of MLS had better watch out.
