Sounders FC 2 (2-4-0, 6 points) earned its second victory on the season on Saturday evening at a rainy Cheney Stadium against USL Western Conference foe Rio Grande Valley FC. Azriel Gonzalez's first professional goal was the match-winner for S2, which improved to 2-2-0 one the season in front of a home crowd in Tacoma. Head Coach John Hutchinson's side will next face Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC on Saturday, April 21 at 5:00 p.m. PT in Colorado.
Felix Chenkam scored his second and third goals of the season, including one in the first minute of the match off a cross from Ray Saari. Rio Grande Valley answered with goals in the 22nd minute and in stoppage time of the first half. Chenkam netted his second of the match in the 67th minute off a feed from Rodrigue Ele.
In the 68th minute, Chenkam nearly made it a hat trick on a chip over the goalkeeper, but the ball spun wide off the wet, slick surface. Gonzalez, the 16-year-old Sounders Academy alum, then found the back of the net on a rebound off the RGV goalkeeper to secure three points for the home club in the 82nd minute.
S2 resumes USL action next Saturday, April 21, as the Rave Green travel to face Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC. Kickoff for that contest is slated for 5:00 p.m. PT (ESPN+).
MEDIA RESOURCES
MATCH HIGHLIGHTS: https://bit.ly/2HjLelx
PHOTOS - IMAGES FOR MEDIA USE (CREDIT CHARIS WILSON): https://bit.ly/2qy8nq0
AUDIO CLIPS - DOWNLOADABLE POST-MATCH SOUNDBYTES: http://sndrs.com/audio
MATCH SUMMARY
Sounders FC 2 I 3-2 I Rio Grande Valley FC
Saturday, April 14, 2018
Venue: Cheney Stadium I Tacoma, Washington
Referee: Levi Rippy
Assistants: Christian Clerc, Julian Tafolla Cisneros
Fourth Official: Jeff Arthurholtz
Weather: 50 degrees and rain
Attendance: 2,798
SCORING SUMMARY
SEA - Felix Chenkam (Ray Saari) 1'
RGV - Matias Zaldivar 22'
RGV - Guillermo Delgado (Victor Garza) 45+1'
SEA - Felix Chenkam (Rodrigue Ele) 66'
SEA - Azriel Gonzalez 82'
MISCONDUCT SUMMARY
RGV - Derek Luke 9' (caution)
RGV - Todd Wharton 32' (caution)
SEA - Sam Rogers 50' (caution)
LINEUPS & STATS
S2 - Calle Brown; Denso Ulysse, Rodrigue Ele, Sam Rogers, Ibrahim Usman (Azriel Gonzalez 57'); Ray Saari - captain, Francisco Narbon, Shandon Hopeau, David Olsen (David Estrada 67'), Nick Hinds; Felix Chenkam (Dylan Teves 88')
Substitutes not used: Jacob Castro, Alfonso Ocampo-Chavez
Total shots: 10
Shots on goal: 5
Fouls: 19
Offside: 2
Corner-kicks: 5
Saves: 4
RGV - Matthew Sanchez; Derek Luke, Kai Greene, Kyle Adams, Conor Donovan; Todd Wharton - captain, Jesus Enriquez (Zach Wright 82'), Pablo Aguilar, Victor Garza (Monday Etim 71'); Matias Zaldivar, Aldo Quintanilla (Guillermo Delgado 38')
Substitutes not used: Nicholas Corti, Omar Ontiveros, Manny Padilla, Nicolas Parea
Total shots: 18
Shots on goal: 6
Fouls: 12
Offside: 3
Corner-kicks: 11
Saves: 2
POST-MATCH AUDIO
Post-match soundbytes from S2 Head Coach John Hutchinson and midfielder Azriel Gonzalez are available via the following link: http://sndrs.com/audio.
