Winning Ugly: Seattle Sounders FC vs. Chicago Fire Recap
Photo Credit: Brian Kersey/Associated Press
A win is a win regardless of how pretty it looks. In Seattle’s 100th MLS match, victory was the result, but the match was far from any definition of pretty. The Sounders fought and battled against an aggressive Chicago side but were able to return to Seattle with three points.
Seattle drew first blood when forward Eddie Johnson cut back the ball for David Estrada whose shot deflected off of a Fire defender to give the Sounders the lead in the 39th minute. Although the goal was originally attributed to Estrada it was later registered as a Chicago own goal. Seattle went to the locker room with a 1-0 lead.
The second half proved to be a continuation of very equal play between both sides. The match grew physical with several players exchanging words. Chicago appeared to have found an equalizer in the 61st minute but the goal was waved off due to several Fire players being in off-sides positions and Seattle maintained the lead. In the 67th minute Eddie Johnson increased the Sounders’ lead by redirecting a short shot from Jon Kennedy Hurado into the goal. This was Johnson’s first MLS goal for the Sounders. The Fire made the game 2-1 as they found a late goal through Pappa who curled in a corner kick into Gspurning’s far post. The match ended with a Sounders victory after a suspiciously long five minute stoppage period. The Sounders now return to Seattle with a 4-1-1 record.
