One point at a time for late-folding Sounders

Eylander under attack. (From Carolina Railhawks.)

From www.SeattleSounders.net

CARY, NC - - Another lead late in the match for the Sounders, another disappointing result.
David Stokes scored an 87^th minute equalizer for the Carolina Railhawks to get the 2-2 draw in Cary, North Carolina.

Goals from Sebastien Le Toux and Kenji Treschuk weren’t enough as the Sounders drew for their fifth game in their last six league matches. The Sounders now travel to league leaders, Charleston Battery, on Saturday at 4:30 pm (PT) for the second game of their Carolina road trip.

Coming off an exciting 2-0 win against MLS’ Chivas USA in the U.S. Open Cup on Tuesday night, the Sounders roster was thin as Josh Gardner and Leighton O’Brien did not travel to heal nagging injuries.

Seattle came out of the gate a little sluggish and Jacob Coggins took advantage getting on the end of a Dan Antoniuk pass and scoring in the 12^th minute to give Carolina the 1-0 advantage.

The goal seemed to wake the Sounders from their sleep and they began to press the action as the half wore on. The always energized, Sebastien Le Toux, caused problems in the Carolina backline and created shooting chances for Hugo Alcaraz-Cuellar and Andre Schmid around the 30^th minute.

But it was the red hot Le Toux, scoring his sixth goal in four matches, who found the equalizer at the end of the half. The play started with Alcaraz-Cuellar off a free kick finding Le Toux in the box; his first shot was saved but he collected the rebound and found the back of the net. The sides went into the half tied at one goal a piece.

The Sounders came out of the break searching for the advantage but didn’t find the lead until the 69^th minute from Kenji Treschuk. To start the play, Seattle had a man advantage coming down the left side. Cuellar, on-ball, elected not to play the through ball to Kante and crossed into Treschuk who headed the ball brilliantly from 10 yards into the back of the net.

With the goal advantage Seattle brought in defenders Nik Besagno and Noah Merl to clamp down on the Railhawk attack, but Carolina created a corner in the 87^th and Steve Curfman’s delivery found the head of David Stokes for the goal.

The late equalizer was the second league match in a row that Seattle surrendered a lead late. The Sounders gave up a goal in the 84^th minute to the Montreal Impact in their 1-1 draw at Starfire on June 28.