Marcelo Sarvas scored the lone goal as Sounders FC fell, 1-0, to the LA Galaxy on Sunday afternoon at the StubHub Center in the First Leg of the 2014 MLS Western Conference Championship. Seattle returns home next weekend for the Second Leg just a goal down with a chance to make the MLS Cup Final for the first time in club history.
The Second Leg of the 2014 MLS Western Conference Championship is next Sunday, November 30 at 6:00 p.m. PST on the Xbox Pitch at CenturyLink Field. Tickets are available here.
In the 52nd minute, Sarvas gathered a ball from A.J. DeLaGarza 15 yards out for a shot that deflected off a Seattle defender and past Stefan Frei to make it 1-0. The goal was the first allowed by Seattle during the run of play in the 2014 MLS Cup Playoffs, and just the second overall after an FC Dallas penalty kick in the First Leg of the Conference Semifinals.
Clint Dempsey came close to putting Sounders FC on the board on a couple of occasions, first in the 20th minute when he and Obafemi Martins had back-to-back close-range attempts on goal, but Jaime Penedo kept the ball out of the net. In the 49th minute, Martins found Dempsey for a chip attempt on the onrushing Penedo, but the keeper got a hand to the ball to make the clearance.
Frei made a pair of crucial saves in the match to maintain the one-goal margin heading into the Second Leg. In the seventh minute, he dove to his left to make a vital save on an open look by Gyasi Zardes in the area. Moments before the Galaxy's goal, Frei made a point-blank save on a ball that deflected off Gonzalo Pineda on frame.
MATCH SUMMARY
Seattle Sounders FC 0 - LA Galaxy 1
Sunday, November 23, 2014
Venue: StubHub Center
Referee: Kevin Stott
Assistants: Adam Wienckowski, Gregory Barkey
Fourth Official: Ricardo Salazar
Attendance: 27,000
Weather: Sunny and 75 degrees
SCORING SUMMARY
LA - Marcelo Sarvas (A.J. DeLaGarza) 52'
MISCONDUCT SUMMARY
SEA - DeAndre Yedlin (caution) 4'
LA - A.J. DeLaGarza (caution) 8'
LA - Stefan Ishizaki (caution) 35'
SEA - Zach Scott (caution) 37'
LINEUPS & STATS
Seattle Sounders FC - Stefan Frei; DeAndre Yedlin, Chad Marshall, Zach Scott, Leo Gonzalez; Brad Evans-© (Jalil Anibaba, 89), Micheal Azira (Andy Rose, 80), Gonzalo Pineda, Marco Pappa (Chad Barrett, 62); Clint Dempsey, Obafemi Martins
Substitutes Not Used: Marcus Hahnemann, Djimi Traore, Kenny Cooper, Cam Weaver
Total Shots: 10 (Clint Dempsey, 4)
Shots on Goal: 3 (Clint Dempsey, 2)
Fouls: 14 (Zach Scott, 5)
Offside: 2 (2 tied at 1)
Corner Kicks: 5 (Marco Pappa, 3)
Saves: 2 (Stefan Frei, 2)
LA Galaxy - Jaime Penedo; A.J. DeLaGarza (Dan Gargan, 61), Tommy Meyer, Omar Gonzalez, Robbie Rogers; Stefan Ishizaki (Alan Gordon, 80), Juninho, Marcelo Sarvas (Baggio Husidic, 69), Landon Donovan; Gyasi Zardes, Robbie Keane-©
Substitutes Not Used: Brian Rowe, Todd Dunivant, Kenney Walker, Jose Villareal
Total Shots: 20 (Robbie Rogers, 4)
Shots on Goal: 3 (3 tied at 1)
Fouls: 11 (2 tied at 2)
Offside: 0
Corner Kicks: 6 (Stefan Ishizaki, 5)
Saves: 3 (Jaime Penedo, 3)
