The Seattle Sounders FC were forced to settle for a 0-0 draw in their first road game of the 2012 MLS regular season, failing to get anything going against D.C. United on April 7.
Neither goalkeeper was tested much during the encounter (Seattle goalkeeper Michael Gspurning did made some crucial saves), but the Sounders missed a golden opportunity late into the game. Marc Burch almost scored off a deflected Osvaldo Alonso shot, but his header found the post instead.
"I thought it was good," Sounders coach Sigi Schmid told reporters after the game. "I thought the battle that we showed was very good. Basically, we talked about that. I thought last week San Jose out-competed us a little bit, so I wanted to make sure that we came out and competed and I thought we did that from the opening whistle to the end."
Even though the Sounders' offense didn't play as well as they should have, their defense certainly deserves some credit for the shutout. With the draw, the Sounders move up to the fifth spot in the MLS Western Conference standings, currently trailing first place Real Salt Lake by eight points.
Eddie Johnson finally got some action against United, but it didn't really matter. His presence simply wasn't enough to make up for Mauro Rosales' - who sprained his knee during the Sounders season opener - absence, leaving Seattle's offense rather stagnant.
The Sounders might not be off to the start many fans had anticipated, but we all know how good this team can be when they're firing on all cylinders. They exceeded all expectations despite an injury filled 2011 season, and I expect them to do the same this year.
The Sounders will now head back home where they'll face the Colorado Rapids on April 14. Hopefully, Rosales' will be able to suit up by then, and the Sounders can begin their ascent up the MLS Western Conference rankings.
David has been a fan of the Seattle Sounders for the past 3 years. Follow him on twitter @davidkingwriter and check out his blog.
Sources:
Joshua Mayers, "Sigi Schmid: 'I thought the battle that we showed was very good.'"
Player and game information from ESPN.com
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