TUKWILA, WASH. – After a two-week road swing, Sounders FC 2 (8-5-2, 26 points) returned home and secured a 1-0 shutout victory over the travelling Real Monarchs SLC (1-8-5, 8 points). Pablo Rossi scored his fifth goal of the season – tied for the team lead – while Andy Craven recorded his team-high fifth assist.
After neither team found the net in the first half, S2 finally broke the deadlock in the 57th minute. Craven carried the ball down the right and sent a low cross in to Rossi for a five-yard blast past onrushing Monarchs goalkeeper Lalo Fernandez.
S2 goalkeeper Charlie Lyon recorded a season-high 10 saves, trumping his total set last week against Arizona United SC. Lyon and the S2 defense withstood an onslaught of Monarchs chances in the final 15 minutes to preserve the fourth S2 clean-sheet of 2015. The Marquette-product saved a 66th-minute indirect free kick en route to his third individual shutout of the season.
The Rave Green nearly got on the board via a first-half penalty kick after Sam Garza was brought down in the box by Davion Copeland in the 25th minute. Rossi stepped up to take, but his shot went high over the bar and the score remained level at 0-0.
S2 returns to USL play on Monday, June 29 at Merlo Field against Portland Timbers 2 (7:00 p.m. PT / live-streamed on SoundersFC.com). With three points tonight, S2 moves into third place in the USL Western Conference, two points behind leader Sacramento Republic FC.
MATCH SUMMARY
Seattle Sounders FC 2 |1-0| Real Monarchs SLC
Thursday, June 25, 2015
Venue: Starfire Stadium, Tukwila, Wash.
SCORING SUMMARY
SEA – Pablo Rossi (Andy Craven) 57’
MISCONDUCT SUMMARY
RSL – Emory Welshman (caution) 38’
SEA – Amadou Sanyang (caution) 42’
LINEUPS & STATS
Seattle Sounders FC 2 – Charlie Lyon, Giuliano Frano, Nick Miele, Aaron Long, Choong sil Lim, Mike Ramos (Hiroki Kobayashi 83’), Amadou Sanyang, Nick Hamer, Sam Garza, Pablo Rossi (Lorenzo Ramos 70’), Andy Craven (Vic Mansaray 63’)
Substitutes not used: RJ Noll
Total shots: 14
Shots on goal: 6
Offside: 2
Corner kicks: 7
Saves: 10
Real Monarchs SLC – Lalo Fernandez, Riley McGovern (Jordan Murrell 71’), Emilio Orozco, Davion Copeland, Boyd Okwuonu, Tyler Arnone, Alec Sundly, Lucas Baldin (Maikon Orellana 90’), Coco Navarro (Etiando Tavares 80’), Max Rauhofer, Emery Welshman
Substitutes not used: Victor Rodriguez, Marvin Baumgartner, Ricardo Velazco, Leon Brown
Total shots: 23
Shots on goal: 10
Offside: 1
Corners kicks: 6
Saves: 5
