Sounders Women News Release - www.sounderswomen.com
Friday, June 21, 2013
TUKWILA, Wash. – The Sounders Women earned a 2-0 victory against the Bay Area Breeze in the teams' first meeting on a fourth-minute goal from Beth Russell and a stoppage-time sealer from Canadian National Team callup Melissa Busque. The Sounders battled for another win in W-League play to stay atop the Western Conference standings on a bright, warm Friday evening at Starfire Sports in Tukwila.
The Breeze looked like the more dominant team throughout, controlling possession for much of the first half and threatening for long stretches during the second half. The Sounders' defense did very well to hold off the second-half onslaught brought on by Bay Area.
The first and game-winning goal came in the fourth minute of the match when Janine Beckie found Russell on a corner kick from the right side of the pitch. Beckie's left-footed swinger met the knee of Russell at the back post, and Russell found a way around a defender to narrowly direct it inside the left post to give the Sounders the edge early.
Despite the blanket attack laid on by the Breeze, the away side could not find an equalizing goal in a game that seemed to be constantly on the verge of being leveled.
Dealing with the sun and playing a goal down throughout the opening period, the Breeze found themselves in control of possession, but without any real attacking pressure to apply to the Sounders defense, who were backed by the early goal from Russell.
Bay Area's first real scoring opportunity came in the 18th minute on a ball played through the air to the back post by Victoria Frederick to Brandi Vega. Vega was all alone at the back post to direct the cross on goal, but could not get a touch to take advantage of the opportunity as she stared back into the sun.
In the 30th minute the Sounders Women had a chance to take 2-0 lead when Beckie played a long cross from the left-half of the pitch down to the back post for Rachel Mercik, running on goal all alone. Beckie's cross fell right to the foot of Mercik, who volleyed it back on goal. Bay Area goalkeeper Yianna Dimmitt was there as the volley angled to the corner of the goal but glanced off of the frame for a goal kick.
Play began to open up late in the first half for both sides as they seemed to get accustomed to the sun. Jenna Richardson for the Sounders continued to play quality balls into the attacking players in dangerous areas, but the Sounders could not quite capitalize before the break.
The Breeze continued to make plays and get up the pitch, but could not find any real scoring opportunities before the break, aside from Vega's close call in the 18th minute.
As the second half got under way, the Breeze looked to equalize early in the half. The Sounders defense was under constant pressure for the first 15 minutes of the second period, and Erin McNulty was called upon to make multiple saves in that stretch. In the 54th minute, Kristina Hall found room to get off a shot from the left side of the penalty area at about 16 yards. The long shot travelled on target, and required a McNulty save near the top-right corner to keep it out.
On the following corner kick, Brittany Galindo connected with the ball on the far post and headed it on target from the face of the goal, but once again McNulty was there to put her hands on the ball, and block it away. Again in the 56th minute, Breeze forward Vega managed to get a shot on goal, but Russell was there to glance the driving shot away with her head.
It wasn't until the 70th minute when the Sounders found an opportunity to maintain possession and get up the pitch in their attacking form, but the Breeze applied the same pressure they had been all half, and got the ball back into their attacking third.
"Communication, communication, communication," veteran defender Russell said. "I thought that even though we were sometimes caught on our backsides a lot, we still had good defensive position."
In the 78th minute, with the Breeze still posing a constant threat, McNulty made an incredible save as she came out to meet Najma Homidi well out of the goal and gobble up another dangerous scoring opportunity. The Sounders continued to show their defensive resiliency through the final minutes of the match as the Breeze refused to let up in their pressure.
"I think that this really does show our resiliency as a team, and that we can come back and in the 90th minute and get a second goal," Tafara Pulse said. "It is hard when you feel like you're always on defense, but at the same time you can always win it back. I think for next game we need to work on keeping it and possessing it better."
In the 91st minute, Busque, fresh off her first Canadian National Team appearance in Germany on Wednesday, found a well-timed ball into the middle from Nicole Ambrose and put away the solidifying goal for the Sounders Women.
"This morning I woke up and I just wanted to play," said Busque who made the 14-hour plane ride home from Germany on Thursday. "My leg weren't tired and I just wanted to play, so I'm glad I got 45 minutes."
With a Sounders counter attack underway, Ambrose connected with Busque in the middle of the penalty box, and Busque tucked it into the bottom corner of goal for the 2-0 lead before the final whistle blew.
The Sounders Women return to Starfire on Sunday at 3 p.m. against the Pali Blues. The top two teams in the Western Conference will meet to determine who will stand on top of the conference and possibly earn hosting rights for the Western Conference playoff match at the conclusion of the regular season. Tickets are available for the game on SoundersWomen.com.