Alex Caskey scored a goal and set up another to lead Seattle Sounders FC to a 3-1 win over host Caledonia AIA Thursday night and put it control of Group 4 in in the CONCACAF Champions League.
Seattle improved to six points atop Group 4, five points ahead of Caledonia AIA and Marathon, which has played just one game.
The Sounders FC also defeated the Trinidadians by the same score line at CenturyLink Field on August 2.
Seattle jumped in front just before halftime on Caskey's 45th-minute goal. Zach Scott had to slide to win Sammy Ochoa's cross and he pushed the ball in front of goal where Caskey pounced and touched the ball into the net from seven meters.
The U.S. Major League Soccer squad doubled its advantage in the 60th when Fredy Montero found Ochoa, who placed his strike from just inside the 18-yard box into the upper corner of the net. It was his second goal in as many Champions League games.
Caledonia AIA, which has one point from three matches, pulled within a goal in the 67th minute as Kareem Joseph converted a penalty after Puerto Rican referee Javier Santos ruled Scott pulled down Jamal Gay inside the box.
However, two minutes later Montero put Seattle in front 3-1, tapping in a Caskey cross from the edge of the six-yard box. The Colombian scored three in a 6-2 win over Chivas USA in domestic play and has scored in five consecutive games in all competitions.
Ochoa had the first quality scoring chance in the 10th minute, but Caledonia AIA goalkeeper Glenroy Samuel saved his open header from seven meters.
The hosts nearly took a lead in the 36th minute, but Joseph's dangerous cross toward the back post was touched out for a corner kick by Seattle goalkeeper Michael Gspurning.
In the 42nd minute, Marc Burch found himself with an open shot at the back post on a second attempt after a corner, but the ball was cleared off the line.
Seattle will head to San Pedro Sula on September 19 to take on Marathon in its next CONCACAF Champions League tilt, while Caledonia will meet Marathon in Honduras on September 26.
Seattle Sounders FC came into Ato Boldon Stadium with an eye on three points to ease their path through the remaining two matches in the CONCACAF Champions League group stage.
After a long travel day to Trinidad on Tuesday, they got just what they needed by holding pressure on Caledonia throughout the match and emerging with a 3-1 victory to put them in firm control of group four with six points through two matches.
“Getting six points was important to us because now we’ve put ourselves in a position where we need to win just one of our last two games,” Sounders FC head coach Sigi Schmid said.
“We’ve got one game at home and we’ve always said winning games at home is the key … but now we know if we win one of our last two then we win the group. It was a position we wanted to be in at the end of today.”
The Sounders dominated possession throughout the first half, but a desperate Caledonia defense was able to block an early shot from Sammy Ochoa and two later efforts by Brad Evans and Marc Burch.
Finally in the 45th minute, Alex Caskey broke through and put the Sounders into the lead.
Sammy Ochoa played the ball to Zach Scott on the right side running up the box and Scott slid to knock a pass back to Caskey in front of the net and he knocked it into the net for the 1-0 lead going into halftime.
“The longer it goes zero-zero, the more dangerous it gets to give up a lead and then have to come back,” Caskey said. “Especially right before half it was important for us to go in with a lead.”
Caledonia had a golden opportunity to equalize to start the second half, but Cornelius Stewart pushed his shot just wide of the post in the 51st minutes and Seattle held on to their advantage.
In the 60th minute, the Sounders got out on the run and added to their lead. Pressing up the middle of the field, Fredy Montero left the ball for Ochoa at the top of the box and he lifted a shot over goalkeeper Glenroy Samuel and under the crossbar for his second goal of the tournament and a 2-0 Seattle lead.
Just like the first meeting on August 2, though, Caledonia pulled back on a penalty kick. Kareem Joseph converted his second penalty kick in as many matches against Seattle and the lead was narrowed to 2-1 in the 66th minute.
However, Montero continued his hot August streak when he quickly got the Sounders back out to a two-goal lead in the 69th minute. Caskey rolled the ball to Montero from the left side and he slid in to knock it past the goalkeeper for his eighth goal of the month and second of the tournament as Seattle took a 3-1 lead.
“It was really important because we were up 2-1 and to get the goal right back was just a dagger, I think,” Ochoa said. “Put them away and keep the game under our control and work from there.”
The Sounders held on the rest of the way and finished the match five points clear of both Caledonia, who is now eliminated although they have one match left to play, and Marathon from Honduras.
Seattle’s next match in the Champions League is on September 19 when they travel to Honduras to face Marathon. Sounders FC will continue MLS league play on Sunday in Frisco, Texas against FC Dallas.
Sounders take control in CCL.
By Matt Gaschk (Sounders Insider)
Seattle Sounders FC came into Ato Boldon Stadium with an eye on three points to ease their path through the remaining two matches in the CONCACAF Champions League group stage.
After a long travel day to Trinidad on Tuesday, they got just what they needed by holding pressure on Caledonia throughout the match and emerging with a 3-1 victory to put them in firm control of group four with six points through two matches.
“Getting six points was important to us because now we’ve put ourselves in a position where we need to win just one of our last two games,” Sounders FC head coach Sigi Schmid said. “We’ve got one game at home and we’ve always said winning games at home is the key … but now we know if we win one of our last two then we win the group. It was a position we wanted to be in at the end of today.”
The Sounders dominated possession throughout the first half, but a desperate Caledonia defense was able to block an early shot from Sammy Ochoa and two later efforts by Brad Evans and Marc Burch.
Finally in the 45th minute, Alex Caskey broke through and put the Sounders into the lead.
Sammy Ochoa played the ball to Zach Scott on the right side running up the box and Scott slid to knock a pass back to Caskey in front of the net and he knocked it into the net for the 1-0 lead going into halftime.
“The longer it goes zero-zero, the more dangerous it gets to give up a lead and then have to come back,” Caskey said. “Especially right before half it was important for us to go in with a lead.”
Caledonia had a golden opportunity to equalize to start the second half, but Cornelius Stewart pushed his shot just wide of the post in the 51st minutes and Seattle held on to their advantage.
In the 60th minute, the Sounders got out on the run and added to their lead. Pressing up the middle of the field, Fredy Montero left the ball for Ochoa at the top of the box and he lifted a shot over goalkeeper Glenroy Samuel and under the crossbar for his second goal of the tournament and a 2-0 Seattle lead.
Just like the first meeting on August 2, though, Caledonia pulled back on a penalty kick. Kareem Joseph converted his second penalty kick in as many matches against Seattle and the lead was narrowed to 2-1 in the 66th minute.
However, Montero continued his hot August streak when he quickly got the Sounders back out to a two-goal lead in the 69th minute. Caskey rolled the ball to Montero from the left side and he slid in to knock it past the goalkeeper for his eighth goal of the month and second of the tournament as Seattle took a 3-1 lead.
“It was really important because we were up 2-1 and to get the goal right back was just a dagger, I think,” Ochoa said. “Put them away and keep the game under our control and work from there.”
The Sounders held on the rest of the way and finished the match five points clear of both Caledonia, who is now eliminated although they have one match left to play, and Marathon from Honduras.
Seattle’s next match in the Champions League is on September 19 when they travel to Honduras to face Marathon. Sounders FC will continue MLS league play on Sunday in Frisco, Texas against FC Dallas.
Final
Sounders FC 3 (Alex Caskey 45, Sammy Ochoa 60, Fredy Montero 69) v Caledonia AIA 1 (Kareem Joseph 66-Pen)
Video: - Highlights Caledonia v Seattle.
Teams
Caledonia AIA: - 33.Glenroy Samuel, 2.Aubrey David, 3.Nuru Abdullah Muhammad, 12.Kareem Joseph, 15.Walter Moore (Yellow 16), 29.Radanfah Abu Bakr (Yellow 87), 7.Stephen David, 21.Densill Theobald (Yellow 28), 19.Kerlon Ferguson (6.Trevon Caesar 63rd), 8.Cornelius Stewart (10.Conrad Smith 72nd), 23.Jamal Gay (Yellow 71) (11.Abdallah Phillips 84th).
Coach: - Jamaal Shabazz (T&T).
Seattle Sounders: - 1.Michael Gspurning, 20.Zach Scott, 4.Patrick Ianni, 34.Jhon Kennedy Hurtado, 8.Marc Burch, 15.Mario Martinez (21.Cordell Cato 61st), 6.Osvaldo Alonso, 3.Brad Evans, 27.Alex Caskey, 17.Fredy Montero (12.Leo Gonzalez 74th), 26.Sammy Ochoa (13.Christian Tiffert 86th).
Coach: - Siegfried Schmid (Germany).
Referee: - Javier Santos (Puerto Rico).
Venue: - Manny Ramjohn Stadium, Marabella.
Attendance: - 556.
Stats
Sounders - Caledonia
3 Goals 1
16 Shots 16
7 Shots on Goal 2
10 Fouls 11
0 Offsides 5
6 Corner Kicks 8
1 Saves 2
Standings.
P W T L GF GA GD Pts
Seattle Sounders 2 2 0 0 6 2 +4 6
Marathón 1 0 1 0 0 0 +0 1
Caledonia AIA 3 0 1 2 2 6 -4 1