San Jose Earthquakes Seattle Sounders kicked out CONCACAF champions in long penalty shootout

The San Jose Earthquakes celebrate after beating the Seattle Sounders 10-9 in a penalty shootout (after a 2-2 draw) in the fourth round of the 2022 US Open. Photo: San Jose Earthquakes

One week after winning the CONCACAF Champions League and establishing themselves as the championship team in MLS history, the Seattle Sounders kicked off another championship at a familiar venue at their home training facility, Starfire Athletic Complex in Tukwila, Washington. The Sounders won three straight and four of the six US Open Cups from 2009-2014 playing nearly all of their games at the facility south of Seattle, and the match was a welcome return for staff and fans alike.

However, since their fourth US Open title in 2014, they have reached the quarter-finals only once in the last six tournaments.

On the flip side, the San Jose Earthquakes have struggled this year after making a coaching change and have won just two of their first 10 league games. Like the Saunders, they’ve also struggled in the Open Cup. Aside from running to the semi-finals in 2017, San Jose hasn’t won many matches in a single tournament in a decade.

So the Earthquakes entered Wednesday night’s game with the underdog, and when they left their 2-0 deficit in the first half, they regrouped and forced a penalty shootout. In the penalty shootout, the two teams went back and forth to the eleventh round where goalkeepers ended up sealing the match. Seattle’s Stephen Cleveland missed his attempt and Matt Bersano gave San Jose a 10-9 win.

This was only the fourth time from a shootout in the modern era with 11 or more rounds.

This was only the second time that San Jose had qualified in an Open Cup game in Washington State. The last time they got a taste of victory in Washington State was an extra-time win over the Sounders in 2002 when Seattle was a member of the American League One (Second Division).

The Sounders and Quakes were chosen to test the depth and youth of their teams, and it came out with a frenetic back-and-forth game. San Jose jumped to a 2-0 lead right after the break, but the crowd turned upside down and the Sounders managed to steal the momentum and tie things up.

Early on, San Jose largely owned possession with the Sounders looking to beat them in the break. In the ninth minute, Sounders midfielder Abdoulaye Sissoko was called up for a penalty over a decision that Sounders strongly protested, but in the end Jack Scahan sent Cleveland the wrong way and took them into the net to lead 1-0.

Shortly after the break, San Jose doubled their lead as Cady Coyle fired off the right channel and forced the ball into the net from Cleveland’s legs.

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The Sounders continued to take a very aggressive stance at break and on the wings, with Cleveland often taking goal kicks to the wingback before most of the field was ready. They quickly pulled the goal away with a left-footed free kick from Jimmy Medranda, which Bersano moved to his left to try to save, but he only got a piece of it before it ended up in the top corner of the goal.

The momentum continued in the 77th minute, as veteran Freddy Montero equalized his first goal in the Open Cup since 2012. A ball was played across the face of the goal in the air and Montero was at the far post and he headed a header past Bersano. Scope to score his eighth goal of the tournament, breaking the tie with Nate Jaqua for the club’s all-time captain in the MLS era in Seattle (2009-present).

In the penalty shootout, Saunders went first and in the second half frame for San Jose, Jackson Yoel saved his attempt after Cleveland hit his right. Seattle was unable to capitalize on the error as the next attempt failed when Liu Zhou made a mistake.

Teams moved back and forth all the way until Round 11 when goalkeepers were called to take penalties. Cleveland chose to hit the ball down but Bersano saved to his left. Goalkeepers switched points and Bersano buried them on the left side of the goal to give the Earthquakes their first penalty shootout win since 2015 (against Sacramento Republic).

San Jose will await the results of a draw Thursday evening to determine who will play in the Round of 16.

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