Shadow Shut Out Soundly Experienced Seattle Cruises In Spokane’s Season-Opener

The outcome of the Spokane Shadow’s first soccer match of the 1996 season wasn’t quite what they wanted, but probably what they should have expected.

The Shadow were dominated in every phase Saturday night at Spokane Falls Community College, dropping a 3-0 exhibition match to the defending A-League champion Seattle Sounders before an estimated 2,000 people.

The A-League was the highest level of soccer in the country until the debut of the Major League Soccer this year.

The major difference Saturday was team chemistry.

Seattle came in fresh off a trip to Japan, where it played one of the top Japanese teams. The Sounders have already played seven matches.

On the other hand, it was the Shadow’s first competition and they are still trying to jell as the team has played together for just a few weeks.

”(Seattle) is a major-league team,” Shadow coach Einar Thorarinsson said. “We had three or four good chances.”

There is a lot Spokane could take from the match as it heads into its United States Interregional Soccer League season-opener next weekend in Yakima.

Seattle is likely to be the best team the Shadow will face all year. The Sounders’ higher level of play, and the pressure created by that, can only help in the future.

“They’re a good team,” Shadow midfielder Kieran Barton said. “If we can hold our own against them, we can play with anybody.”

The Shadow played good defense but had trouble getting the ball through the midfield. Much of that trouble came from Seattle’s relentless defense at midfield that almost always found two Sounders on every Shadow player.

Also, the ground was soft and soaked from rain that fell before the match, making the field slower and passes often erratic.

But the Sounders’ finesse game was working perfectly as most of the first half was played in Seattle’s offensive zone.

Seattle’s first goal came just 5 minutes, 41 seconds into the contest. Jason Dunn put a perfect through pass into the penalty box from the right side, leaving Dick McCormick with an open net from 8 yards out.

The Sounders can thank the weather for their second goal, at the 25-minute mark. Dunn rocketed a shot at Spokane goalkeeper Mike Verbitsky from 15 yards out. The wet ball slipped out of Verbitsky’s hands onto the waiting foot of Seattle forward Joe Lenitti, who tapped it in over a sprawling Verbitsky.

Seattle’s final goal came with 23:25 left, when forward Chance Fry poked in a loose ball in front of the net from 2 yards away.

“Our goal was to keep the score closer than it was,” Thorarinsson said. “We gave away the last two goals.”

Seattle 3, Spokane 0

First half - 1, Seattle, McCormick (Jas.Dunn) 39:16. 2, Seattle, Lenitti 25:12. Second half - 3, Seattle, Fry 23:25.

Shots on goal - Seattle 14, Spokane 6.

Saves - Seattle, Hahnemann 3, Dutra 1. Spokane, Verbitsky 9.

, DataTimes ILLUSTRATION: Color Photo