Sound Defeat
- Updated: March 8, 2015
Photo credit: Kari Heistad/capturedimages.biz
The New England Revolution’s season got off to a rough start on Sunday at CenturyLink Field in Seattle as the team fell 3-0 to the Sounders. Former Revolution star Clint Dempsey scored twice and Nigerian striker Obafemi Martins added a goal of his own as Seattle controlled the match and largely dominated a New England side missing arguably its two best players in Jermaine Jones and Lee Nguyen.
Seattle opened the scoring through Dempsey on a 25th minute penalty kick and then doubled the lead in the 41st minute off a Martins header. The game was then put out of reach in the 67th minute when Martins and Dempsey got behind the Revolution backline and Martins set up Dempsey for an easy empty net tap-in.
The Revolution played a weakened line-up without midfielders Jones and Nguyen. Bobby Shuttleworth got the start in goal behind a defense of Kevin Alston, Andrew Farrell, Jose Goncalves and Chris Tierney. Andy Dorman, Scott Caldwell and Kelyn Rowe started in central midfield with Diego Fagundez and Teal Bunbury on the wings with Juan Agudelo up top.
After some back and forth early play, Seattle had the first shot of the game in the 18th minute. Chad Marshall lost his mark in the box on a corner kick and powered a header from close range, but his effort was just wide of the post.
Seattle then took the lead in the 25th minute after Dempsey was tripped up in the box under minimal contact from Agudelo in the aftermath of a corner kick and the Sounders were awarded a penalty kick. Dempsey took the penalty kick and blasted it into the upper corner with Shuttleworth diving the other way.
New England finally threatened in the 39th minute off a Brad Evans turnover. Rowe intercepted the bad pass and hit a long, driven shot to the far post that Seattle’s Stefan Frei just managed to tip wide for a corner kick.
But just two minutes later it was Seattle who would double their lead after Dempsey played Tyrone Mears down the right flank. Mears sent a cross into the box where Martins beat Farrell and blasted a header past Shuttleworth to make it 2-0.
Good chances were hard to come by early in the second half, but Seattle put the game out of reach in the 67th minute. Dempsey and Martins combined well near midfield and got the ball to Pappa, whose through pass played Martins behind the defense. Martins and Dempsey ran in alone on Shuttleworth and Martins played Dempsey for an easy finish into the empty net to make it 3-0.
The Revolution lost Bunbury to a shoulder injury late in the match and finished with ten men, having already used all their subs.
The Revolution returns to action next Sunday with a trip to face expansion club New York City FC at Yankee Stadium.
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