TUKWILA, WASH. – Seattle Sounders FC 2 overcame an audacious second-half effort from visiting Kitsap Pumas SC to earn a 4-2 win Wednesday night in the Second Round of the 2015 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup at Starfire Stadium. Pablo Rossi scored two goals, including the extra time game-winner, as S2 advances to the Third Round to face Portland Timbers 2 at home on Wednesday, May 27 at 1:00 p.m. PT.
S2 opened the match with a pair of first-half goals before Kitsap leveled in the second half with goals in the 66th and 90th minute. Rossi’s game-winner came via a curling free kick in the third minute of extra time, and Andy Craven added an insurance goal with an empty-net tally just before the final whistle. The frenzied match featured seven yellow cards, including one Kitsap ejection, with five coming from Kitsap and two from the host side.
MEDIA RESOURCES
POST-MATCH AUDIO: http://sndrs.com/qcs5
EZRA HENDRICKSON POST-MATCH INTERVIEW: http://sndrs.com/r8l8
Seattle began the scoring in the 26th minute on a goal by Victor Mansaray. Nate Tongovula sent in a cross from the right side into the box, where Qudus Lawal received the pass and directed the ball to Mansaray. The Sounders FC Homegrown Player was able to beat the keeper to his left for the close-range finish for his first goal across all competitions in 2015.
Rossi added another goal just before halftime in the 45th minute. From the midfield, Tongovula sent a through-ball to open space that found a streaking Rossi, who burst into the box and netted the low-strike to the far post for the 2-0 lead.
Kitsap Pumas pulled even in the second half from a pair of goals by Mike Ramos. In the 66th minute, Ramos struck the underside of the crossbar on a volley, then completed the brace on a long shot from outside the scoring area to even the score at 2-2 in second-half stoppage time.
Three minutes into the first period extra frame, Rossi finished his brace and gave S2 a 3-2 lead on a free kick into the right side of the net from 20 yards out. S2 then secured the victory with a goal by Craven in the fixture’s waning seconds. After being pursued by Kitsap goalkeeper Matt Grosey near midfield, Craven lofted a backwards flick towards the goal, then out-chased Grosey for the empty-net goal. Craven and Rossi are tied for a team-high five goals across all competitions.
Tonight’s match marked the club debut for three members of the Sounders FC starting lineup: goalkeeper Saif Kerewala, defender Tosh Samkange and Tongovula.
S2 is back in action on May 22 on the road against Portland Timbers 2 at University of Portland’s Merlo Field (7:00 p.m. PT / SoundersFC.com).
MATCH SUMMARY
Seattle Sounders FC 2 |4 - 2| Kitsap Pumas
Saturday, May 23, 2015
Venue: Starfire Stadium
Referee: Ekatarina Koroleva
Assistants: Jeff Hosking, Joshua Haimes
Fourth official: Joshua Haimes
Attendance: Levi Rippy
Weather: Clear and 70 degrees
SCORING SUMMARY
SEA – Vic Mansaray (Qudus Lawal) 26’
SEA – Pablo Rossi (Nate Tongovula) 45’
KIT – Mike Ramos 66’
KIT – Mike Ramos 90’
SEA – Pablo Rossi 93’
SEA – Andy Craven 120+6’
MISCONDUCT SUMMARY
KIT – Buba Jammeh (caution) 67’
SEA – Sam Garza (caution) 79’
KIT – Trevor Jansen (caution) 81’
KIT – Rene Dezorzi (caution) 92’
SEA – Giuliano Frano (caution) 98’
KIT – Mike Chamberlain (caution) 98’
KIT – Rene Dezorzi (ejection) 102’
LINEUPS & STATS
Seattle Sounders FC 2 – Saif Kerawala; Tosh Samkange, Nicholas Miele, Damion Lowe, Kasey French; Nate Tongovula (Sam Garza 64’), Duncan McCormick (Aaron Long 14’), Giuliano Frano, Vic Mansaray; Pablo Rossi, Qudus Lawal (Andy Craven 59’)
Substitutes not used: RJ Noll, Diego Silvas
Total shots: 12 (Rossi, 6)
Shots on goal: 4 (Rossi, 2)
Offside: 5
Corner-kicks: 6
Saves: 1 (Kerawala, 1)
Kitsap Pumas – Matt Grosey; Cory Keitz, Trevor Jensen, Jake Bond, Nick Hamer (Logan Miller 85); Buba Jammeh, Matt Eronemo (Mike Chamberlain 65’), Mike Ramos, Joe Masumiya; Carlos Patino (Hiroki Kobayashi 51’), Rene Dezorzi
Substitutes not used: Austin Rogers, Karamba Janneh, Justin Ortinau, Sean Russell
Total shots: 9 (Ramos, 3)
Shots on goal: 3 (Ramos, 2)
Offside: 0
Corner-kicks: 8
Saves: 0
