A go-ahead win for Sounders

On a night when Major League Soccer needed a boost for its battered pride, Sounders FC provided a little something with a 1-0 win over Metapn of El Salvador.

However, the celebration must be brief, because the advancement of either team into CONCACAF Champions League group play won’t be decided until the second game of this aggregate-score series Tuesday in San Salvador.

Still, the Sounders were happy to take the one-goal advantage and shut out the visitors in a tournament where road goals serve as tie- breakers.

“We’re disappointed that we didn’t get more,” Sounders coach Sigi Schmid said. “But it’s most important not to give up a goal at home. We have the lead. It forces them when we go down there that they need to score a goal. They can’t sit back (again). Here, they could try and sit back a little bit. For us on the road, if we can score a goal, we force them to score three.”

Even at that, Metapn coach Edwin Portillo seemed satisfied with the result. His team played cautiously, sitting back and absorbing 15 Sounders shots while inching forward for only two of their own.

“Sounders played better,” Portillo said through a translator. “We played looking for a tie but ended up losing. But at the same time, we know that last year we lost 0-1 (in our first game, but still advanced). Now we will do better on our own field.”

The game was played before a crowd of 17,228 – the smallest ever for a Sounders FC game at Qwest Field. Still, that’s several times more than the crowd Portillo expects next week for the deciding game in El Salvador.

If total goals are even after that, the team with more road goals will advance. If road goals also are even, the teams will play added time. If necessary, the series will be decided by penalty kicks.

The Sounders will go in with a one-goal advantage thanks to a 35-yard shot fired by Fredy Montero in the 60th minute, seconds after he was substituted onto the pitch.

Montero took a pass from Osvaldo Alonzo – also a substitute who came on after a Pete Vagenas injury – and ripped a shot that Metapn keeper Misael Alfaro got in front of but couldn’t control before it trickled across the goal line.

“From the bench while I was warming up, my focus and concentration was on scoring a goal,” Montero said through a translator. “And the first play I managed to score. ... We always try to make it beautiful. This time, not so beautiful, but incredibly important; and I’m very happy about it.”

Naturally, the goal registered differently on the other side of the pitch.

“An unfortunate mistake for our keeper,” Portillo said. “He’s even crying now for his mistake. He’s human. We need just to recover and move on.”

When Montero’s lone goal stood up the rest of the way, it gave MLS something to smile about after a difficult 24 hours that saw league-leading Los Angeles lose its Champions League opener to second-division Puerto Rico on Tuesday and Manchester United maul the MLS All-Stars, 5-2, on Wednesday.

“I’d much rather be in our position than the Galaxy position right now at this stage,” Schmid said. “It’s good for us. It’s good for us to get a win. It’s good for the league, but mainly we’re concerned about what’s good for us.”

The Sounders will return to MLS play Saturday at San Jose, which is one point ahead of Seattle in the league standings.

Partly because of that busy schedule, Schmid’s Wednesday lineup was a compromise lineup of regulars and reserves. Kasey Keller was in goal. But the midfield consisted of Sanna Nyassi and Vagenas alongside rookies Mike Seamon and Miguel Montaño. The starting forwards were Nate Jaqua and Roger Levesque.

Schmid implied he will go with a more conventional lineup in El Salvador, where the series will be settled.

Don Ruiz, 253-597-8808 don.ruiz@thenewstribune.com blog.thenewstribune.com/soccer