SEATTLE – An 84th minute tally from forward Kevin Doyle was the difference for the Colorado Rapids Saturday night against the Seattle Sounders, as Colorado rode the playmaking striker’s late goal to a 1-0 victory over reeling Seattle at CenturyLink Field.
Doyle’s tally was one of the lone highlights of a slippery affair that saw each side struggle to adjust to the temporary grass surface laid over the normal CenturyLink turf. The temporary surface was in place for a friendly that was played between Manchester United and Club America on Friday.
The loss was the fifth in their last six games for the Sounders, while the victory was the third in a row for the Rapids.
The Sounders had two good looks at a go-ahead first half goal but couldn’t quite convert either one.
The first came just 30 seconds into the contest after Seattle forward Thomás had a look on goal from the top of Colorado’s penalty box off a feed from a charging Lamar Neagle. However, Colorado ‘keeper Clint Irwin laid out to making a diving save to deny Thomás of his first MLS goal.
The next came in the 13th minute after Andy Rose had a clean look on goal off a deflected shot off the boot of Neagle. Rose put the rebound into the back of the net, but Neagle had already been flagged offside, negating Rose’s goal and maintaining what would ultimately be a scoreless first half.
The game appeared headed for a scoreless draw after a sluggish start to the second half. But Doyle managed to put the Rapids ahead for good in the game’s waning moments, taking a feed from defender Jared Watts and rifling it past Seattle goalkeeper Troy Perkins, silencing the home crowd in the process.
With the loss, Seattle falls to 10-9-2 on the season, continuing the team’s lengthy goal-scoring drought without forwards Clint Dempsey and Obafemi Martins. The Rapids, meanwhile, are now 5-6-9 and have a two-week break before their next game – a home tilt with the LA Galaxy on August 1.
