Toronto FC and Seattle Sounders FC meet for the second time this season when the clubs face off Saturday at BMO Field. TFC are coming off a third consecutive draw at midweek, another scoreless result, this time with the New England Revolution. Sounders FC hit the road off a wild 2-2 road at home with Vancouver Whitecaps FC. Seattle claimed a 3-0 win when the clubs first met this season, April 30 at Qwest Field.
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TORONTO FC
[inline_node:7075]Toronto FC shared the points for a third consecutive game, another scoreless draw, this time with the New England Revolution on Wednesday evening at Gillette Stadium. TFC has 15 points from 16 games on the season, sitting in sixth place in the Eastern Conference.
LAST MATCH
• Both teams created their share of chances, but could not break the stalemate. TFC goalkeeper Stefan Frei was forced into a season-high seven games, from 16 total Revolution attempts at goal. New England goalkeeper Matt Reis made three saves, while TFC's Alan Gordon saw his goalbound header cleared off the line by Kevin Alston after 36 minutes.
• TFC survived Gianluca Zavarise's red card in second-half stoppage time to hold out for the draw.
• TFC head coach Aron Winter made two changes to the team that grabbed a 2-2 tie with the LA Galaxy at The Home Depot Center. Alan Gordon and Joao Plata came into the team for Jacob Peterson and Tony Tchani.
• TORONTO FC (4-1-2-3): Stefan Frei - Richard Eckersley, Ty Harden, Doneil Henry, Danleigh Borman - Nathan Sturgis - Mikael Yourassowsky, Maicon Santos (Oscar Cordon 56) - Nick Soolsma (Gianluca Zavarise 67; sent off 92+), Alan Gordon, Joao Plata (Javier Martina 73)
ANOTHER VIEW: Toronto Not Easy To Beat
SEATTLE SOUNDERS FC
Seattle Sounders FC played to a second consecutive draw, this time pegged back to a 2-2 result with Vancouver Whitecaps FC on Saturday evening at Qwest Field. Sounders FC have 22 points from 16 games on the season, sitting in a tie for third place in the Western Conference.
LAST MATCH
• Whitecaps FC broke through first in the 29th minute. Camilo's clever cutback in the left of the area led to a foul from Osvaldo Alonso, and Eric Hassli calmly buried the penalty kick, chipping the ball down the middle.
• Mauro Rosales pulled Sounders FC level in the 81st minute. A deflected cross from the left fell to Rosales in the area and struck home inside Joe Cannon's left-hand post.
• Seattle then pulled ahead in the 84th minute. Alonso picked off a pass from Shea Salinas and lashed a left-footed blast from outside the area into the lower corner.
• But barely a minute later, Vancouver scored the stunning equalizer. Hassli volleyed a dipping shot from outside the penalty area at the right corner of the box, looping it over Kasey Keller and into the goal off the inside of the far post to salvage a point for the visitors.
• Sounders FC head coach Sigi Schmid made one change to the team that played to a scoreless draw with the Chicago Fire at Toyota Park. Fredy Montero came in for Nate Jaqua in attack.
• SEATTLE SOUNDERS FC (4-1-3-2): Kasey Keller - James Riley, Jeff Parke, Jhon Kennedy Hurtado, Tyson Wahl - Osvaldo Alonso - Brad Evans, Mauro Rosales (Erik Friberg 83), Lamar Neagle (Nate Jaqua 59) - Mike Fucito (Miguel Montano 65), Fredy Montero.
RELATED: The Game Guide (PDF)
REFEREE: Yader Reyes. SAR (bench): Craig Lowry; JAR (opposite): Corey Rockwell; 4th: Fotis Bazakos
Reyes career: 15 games; Fouls called/game: 26.6; Yellow/game: 3.7; Reds: 3; Penalties: 1
INJURY REPORT: TORONTO FC — OUT: MF Elbekay Bouchiba (R knee surgery recovery); DF Adrian Cann (R knee sprain); DF Nana Attakora (R quadriceps strain); MF Jacob Peterson (L hamstring strain); MF Tony Tchani ( L ankle contusion); QUESTIONABLE: MF Alen Stevanovic (adductor tightness) ... SEATTLE SOUNDERS FC — OUT: FW O'Brian White (L leg surgery); MF Steve Zakuani (R leg fracture); DOUBTFUL: DF Taylor Graham (calf strain); PROBABLE: MF Servando Carrasco (knee contusion); MF Alvaro Fernandez (hamstring strain)
INTERNATIONAL ABSENCES: TOR - Dicoy Williams (Jamaica)
SUSPENDED: TOR - Gianluca Zavarise (through June 19)
WARNINGS:
SUSPENDED NEXT YELLOW CARD: SEA - Osvaldo Alonso, Leo Gonzalez
SUSPENDED AFTER TWO YELLOW CARDS: SEA - Servando Carrasco, James Riley ... TOR - Richard Eckersley, Dan Gargan, Javier Martina, Tony Tchani
HEAD-TO-HEAD
ALL-TIME (5 meetings): Toronto FC 1 win, 4 goals ... Sounders FC 3 wins, 8 goals ... Ties 1
AT BMO FIELD (2 meetings): Toronto FC 1 win, 2 goals ... Sounders FC 1 win, 2 goals ... Ties 0
• Sounders FC claimed a 3-0 victory in the first meeting between the teams, behind two goals from Brad Evans, April 30 at BMO Field.
• Toronto FC have won just one of the five all-time meetings, that a 2-0 win last April 25 at BMO Field.
• Coaches record: Aron Winter vs. SEA - P1 W0 L1 D0 ... Sigi Schmid v TOR - P11 W6 L1 D4
LAST MATCH
April 30: Seattle 3-0 Toronto (Fernandez 9' Evans 52' 75'PK)
• Sounders FC took the lead in the ninth minute. With TFC goalkeeper Stefan Frei moving to cover the near post, an unmarked Alvaro Fern·ndez got on the end of a Brad Evans cross from the right flank and headed home.
• Seattle doubled the lead in the 52nd minute. This time it was Evans who finished off, running onto a Montero pass and firing a shot to the left side that Frei could only get his hands on but not stop.
• Evans added a third on the night for the home side and his third of the season in the 75th minute from the penalty spot after referee Ricardo Salazar whistled Mikael Yourassowsky for a handball in the box.
• SEATTLE SOUNDERS FC (4-1-3-2): Kasey Keller - James Riley, Patrick Ianni, Jhon Kennedy Hurtado, Tyson Wahl - Osvaldo Alonso - Brad Evans, Erik Friberg (Servando Carrasco 80), Alvaro Fernandez - Nate Jaqua (Roger Levesque 72), Fredy Montero (Mike Fucito 67)
• TORONTO FC (4-1-2-3): Stefan Frei - Dan Gargan, Dicoy Williams, Adrian Cann, Danleigh Borman - Julian de Guzman (Nathan Sturgis 57) - Jacob Peterson, Maicon Santos (Mikael Yourassowsky 46) - Javier Martina, Alan Gordon, Alen Stevanovic (Matt Gold 62)
