The Seattle Sounders FC took a step closer to realizing their dream of becoming the first team to win four consecutive U.S. Open Cup titles, defeating Cal FC 5-0 on June 5. With the win, the Sounders move on to the quarterfinals of the U.S. Open Cup, where they'll face the San Jose Earthquakes on June 26.
"The Open Cup, the last two weeks has been good for us because we had a bit of a struggle and it's allowed us now to rest some people, get some people's legs back under them and give a chance for some other people to step out and play," Sounders coach Sigi Schmid told reporters after the game. "And obviously the confidence of the team when you score goals always improves."
The Sounders started off sluggishly against Cal FC, with neither team scoring any goals in the first half. Schmid must have given a very impressive speech in the locker room, as the Sounders looked like a completely different team in the second half.
Osvaldo Alonso scored the Sounders' first goal in the 50th minute, capitalizing on a penalty kick. Fredy Montero added another goal eight minutes later, blasting a shot past Derby Carrillo. Andy Rose converted a corner kick into the Sounders' third goal, and Alonso and Montero struck again less than three minutes later, giving Seattle a five-goal lead.
"They were doing a great job defending," Montero told reporters. "They held the ball and they got very good chances to score. Luckily for us, the next half we could score goals. [We were just] waiting for a score. Luckily for us, it was a penalty. We knew the difference [would be whoever] made the first goal. After the first goal we got the opportunity to keep scoring more and more."
The Sounders will now get back to MLS play, where they'll face the Montreal impact on June 16. The Sounders currently hold the third spot in the MLS Western Conference table, trailing first place Real Salt Lake by five points.
David has been a fan of the Seattle Sounders for the past 3 years. Follow him on twitter @davidkingwriter and check out his blog.
Sources:
Joshua Mayers, "Osvaldo Alonso: We knew 'if we scored the first goal, the next…'"
Player and game information from ESPN.com
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