SEATTLE, WASH. - After a challenging 89 minutes of soccer on the Xbox Pitch at CenturyLink Field, Seattle Sounders FC secured a 90th-minue equalizer and a penalty kick deep into second-half stoppage-time against Honduran side CD Olimpia on Wednesday evening in 2015-2016 Scotiabank CONCACAF Champions League play. With the win, Sounders FC sits atop Group F with four points, having previously tied Vancouver Whitecaps FC on August 5 in the first match of the Group Stage. Tonight's meeting was the first-ever matchup between Sounders FC and CD Olimpia, with the Rave Green knocking-off the most decorated club side in Honduran football history to begin a stretch of four matches in 12 days for Seattle across all competitions. Sigi Schmid's side is playing three of four Scotiabank CONCACAF Champions League Group stage matches this month, including a return fixture against Olimpia in Honduras on August 26, before closing out Group play on September 23 with a home clash against Vancouver.
Olimpia got off to a fast start at CenturyLink Field, as forward Alberth Elis put the visitors ahead in the fifth minute of play following a disjointed free-kick attempt. After Seattle's backline denied the initial set piece, midfielder Oscar Salas reinitiated the Olimpia attack, providing service to Elis to make the score 1-0.
Despite creating several scoring opportunities in the first half - including two attempts from Homegrown midfielder Aaron Kovar, with a shot that forced a fingertip save from Olimpia goalkeeper Noel Valladares and another that rattled off the post - Sounders FC could not find an equalizer heading into the break.
The second period of action proved equally frustrating for the home side, with Kovar rattling the woodwork once again from distance, this time during a free-kick midway through the second-half. Just when the chances of a Sounders FC result seemed slim, substitute Erik Friberg captured an equalizer, as the Swedish playmaker headed home a long throw-in from Kovar that glanced off an Olimpia defender.
In the 93rd minute of play Dylan Remick earned a penalty for Seattle, as Olimpia midfielder Arnold Peralta hacked the Sounders FC defender down inside the eighteen-yard-box. Midfielder Brad Evans buried the spot-kick for Seattle, giving his side the full three points and a Group F lead for Sounders FC midway through Group Stage play in the tournament.
Sounders FC won't have to wait long to face Olimpia again, as the Rave Green continue 2015-2016 Scotiabank CONCACAF Champions League action on Wednesday, August 26 in Tegucigalpa, Honduras (7:00 p.m. PT / FOX Soccer Plus, KIRO Radio 97.3 FM). Before that match, the Rave Green travel to Rio Tinto Stadium, where Sigi Schmid's side is set to face MLS Western Conference rival Real Salt Lake on Saturday, August 22 (7:00 p.m. PT / Q13 FOX, KIRO Radio 97.3 FM, El Rey 1360 AM).
MATCH SUMMARY
Seattle Sounders FC 2 - CD Olimpia 1
Wednesday, August 19, 2015
Venue: Xbox Pitch at CenturyLink Field
Referee: Kimball Ward
Assistants: Graeme Browne, Ike Innis
Fourth Official: Wilson Da Costa
Attendance: 37,106
Weather: Clear and 83 degrees
SCORING SUMMARY
OLI - Albert Elis (Oscar Salas) 5'
SEA - Erik Friberg 90'
SEA - Brad Evans (penalty) 90'+7'
MISCONDUCT SUMMARY
OLI - Romell Quito (caution) 49'
OLI - Carlos Mejia (caution) 50'
OLI - Arnold Peralta (caution) 58'
SEA - Thomàs (caution) 59'
OLI - Ever Alvarado (caution) 80'
SEA - Brad Evans (caution) 90'+8'
OLI - Fabio de Souza (caution) 90'+8'
LINEUPS & STATS
Seattle Sounders FC - Troy Perkins; Micheal Azira, Jimmy Ockford (Román Torres 81'), Zach Scott - captain, Dylan Remick; Thomàs (Brad Evans 74'), Gonzalo Pineda, Cristian Roldan, Aaron Kovar; Darwin Jones (Erik Friberg 62'), Lamar Neagle
Substitutes not used: Stefan Frei, Andy Rose, Victor Mansaray, Oniel Fisher
Total shots: 16 (Aaron Kovar, 5)
Shots on goal: 7 (Aaron Kovar, 2)
Fouls: 13 (3 players, 2)
Offside: 2 (Remick/Ockford, 1)
Corner-kicks: 5 (Roldan, 3)
Saves: 1 (Perkins, 1)
CD Olimpia - Noel Vallardes - captain; Fabio De Souza, Bryan Johnson, Oliver Morazan, Johnny Palacios; Carlos Will Mejia (David Meza 83'), Arnold Peralta, Oscar Salas; Albert Elis (Javier Estupinan 73'), Rommel Quioto (Roger Rojas 90')
Substitutes not used: Edrick Menjivar, Elmer Guity, Jonathan Tejada, Michael Chirinos
Total shots: 6 (Carlos Mejia, 2)
Shots on goal: 2 (Alvarado/Elis, 1)
Fouls: 21 (Carlos Mejia, 5)
Offside: 1 (Estupinan, 1)
Corner-kicks: 1 (Quioto, 1)
Saves: 5 (Valladares, 5)
MATCH NOTES
- With tonight's result, Sounders FC extended its lead in Group F of the 2015-2016 Scotiabank CONCACAF Champions League. Currently, Seattle sits atop the table with one win and one draw with four points, while Vancouver Whitecaps FC and CD Olimpia have one point and zero points, respectively.
- Forward Darwin Jones made his first professional start across all competitions, logging 62 minutes of action.
- Midfielder Erik Friberg scored his second professional goal with Sounders FC on a header in the 90th minute. Friberg's last goal for the Rave Green came in June 2011 against the New York Red Bulls.
- Brad Evans scored the latest goal in regulation in club history with a penalty kick seven minutes into second-half stoppage time. Across all competitions, Evans is a perfect 9/9 from the spot: 7/7 in MLS play, 1/1 in Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup action and 1/1 in the Scotiabank CONCACAF Champions League.
- Sounders FC improved to 13-11-4 in SCCL history, including a 9-5-0 record at home.
