FRISCO, TEXAS – Seattle Sounders FC concluded its 2015 Major League Soccer campaign on Sunday night following a hard-fought penalty shootout loss to FC Dallas in the second leg of the Western Conference Semifinals. After a 2-1 score-line in favor of FC Dallas pushed the match into extra-time due to the two sides being knotted at three goals apiece on aggregate, the Rave Green fell 4-2 on penalties, ending their run in the Audi 2015 MLS Cup Playoffs. Tonight’s contest is the first time in Sounders FC history that a postseason match has gone to penalty kicks, and just the second time an MLS Cup Playoffs match has gone to extra time (November 8, 2009 vs. Houston Dynamo). Seattle is now 10-4-7 against FC Dallas in regular season and postseason combined play.
After more than 80 minutes of a tightly fought, back-and-forth affair, the final moments of Sunday’s postseason contest provided a frenetic finish. The two sides exchanged three goals inside seven minutes, beginning with a Tesho Akindele strike following a slaloming run from FC Dallas fullback Je-Vaughn Watson.
With a 1-0 lead and the score sitting at 2-2 on aggregate, FC Dallas looked poised to advance to the Western Conference Championship via the away goals tie-breaker. However, in the 90th minute of play, Chad Marshall rose to meet a Marco Pappa corner-kick, leveling the match at one-apiece. Marshall’s goal is the latest strike in Sounders FC postseason history, eclipsing Clint Dempsey’s game-winner last week in the 86th minute in the first leg of the Western Conference Semifinals. It was Marshall’s third career postseason goal – his first since 2008 – and his first goal across all competitions in 2015.
Just two minutes later, Walker Zimmerman converted a redirected Blas Perez shot attempt to make the score-line 2-1 in the dying moments of the match, pushing the aggregate score of the series to 3-3 and into extra time.
Unfortunately for Sigi Schmid’s side, their season came to an end in the penalty kick shootout that followed two 15-minute periods of extra time, with FC Dallas advancing in penalties 4-2.
Following tonight’s result, Sounders FC ended its unbeaten streak at 11 consecutive matches across all competitions (7-0-4). Previously, the club’s most recent loss came against CD Olimpia in Scotiabank CONCACAF Champions League play on August 26, 2015.
MATCH SUMMARY
Seattle Sounders FC 1 (2) – FC Dallas 2 (4)
Aggregate: 3-3 (FC Dallas advances via penalty kicks
Sunday, November 8, 2015
Venue: Toyota Stadium
Referee: Baldomero Toledo
Assistants: Greg Barkey, Mike Rottersman
Fourth Official: Edvin Jurisevic
Attendance: 17,287
Weather: Clear and 59 degrees
SCORING SUMMARY
DAL – Tesho Akindele (Je-Vaughn Watson) 84’
SEA – Chad Marshall (Marco Pappa) 90’
DAL – Walker Zimmerman (Blas Perez) 90’+1’
SHOOTOUT RESULTS
SEA –
Clint Dempsey – Scored
DAL –
Mauro Diaz – Scored
SEA –
Andreas Ivanschitz – Saved
DAL –
Ryan Hollingshead – Scored
SEA – Chad Barrett – Saved
DAL – Tesho Akindele – Scored
SEA – Andy Rose – Scored
DAL – Walker Zimmerman - Scored
MISCONDUCT SUMMARY
DAL – Mauro Diaz (caution) 46’
SEA – Erik Friberg (caution) 70’
DAL – Blas Perez (caution) 83’
SEA – Marco Pappa (caution) 95’
SEA – Andreas Ivanschitz (caution) 111’
LINEUPS & STATS
Seattle Sounders FC – Stefan Frei; Tyrone Mears, Chad Marshall, Zach Scott, Oniel Fisher (Marco Pappa 88’); Nelson Valdez (Cristian Roldan 76’), Erik Friberg (Chad Barrett 85’), Andy Rose, Andreas Ivanschitz; Clint Dempsey, Obafemi Martins
Substitutes not used: Troy Perkins, Jimmy Ockford, Micheal Azira, Gonzalo Pineda
Total shots: 10 (Marshall, 3)
Shots on goal: 4 (4 players tied at 1)
Fouls: 17 (3 players tied at 3)
Offside: 1 (Barrett, 1)
Corner-kicks: 4 (Ivanschitz, 3)
Saves: 8 (Frei, 8)
FC Dallas – Jesse Gonzalez; Ryan Hollingshead, Zach Loyd (Walker Zimmerman 84’), Matt Hedges, Je-Vaughn Watson; Victor Ulloa, Kellyn Acosta, Mauro Diaz, Fabian Castillo, Michael Barrios, Victor Ulloa (Tesho Akindele 83’); David Texeira (Blas Perez 63’)
Substitutes not used: Chris Seitz, Ezequiel Cirigliano, Michel, Atiba Harris
Total shots: 25 (Barrios, 6)
Shots on goal: 10 (Castillo, 3)
Fouls: 14 (Hedges, 3)
Offside: 0
Corner-kicks: 8 (Diaz, 8)
Saves: 3 (Gonzalez, 3)
MATCH NOTES
- Sounders FC advanced to a penalty kick shootout in a postseason match for the first time in club history. Sunday’s contest marked the second occasion the Rave Green have gone to extra time in the MLS Cup Playoffs (November 8, 2009 vs. Houston Dynamo).
- After tonight’s result, Sounders FC ended its unbeaten streak at 11 consecutive matches across all competitions (7-0-4). Previously, the club’s most recent loss came against CD Olimpia in Scotiabank CONCACAF Champions League play on August 26, 2015.
- Seattle is now 10-4-7 against FC Dallas in regular season and postseason action.
- With a goal in the 90th minute, Chad Marshall recorded the latest goal in Sounders FC postseason history, eclipsing Clint Dempsey’s game-winner last week in the 86th minute in the first leg of the Western Conference Seminfinals. It was Marshall’s third career postseason goal – his first since 2008 – and his first goal across all competitions in 2015.
- Goalkeeper Stefan Frei set a personal record with eight saves in a postseason match.
