Sounders, already in driver's seat, host Railhawks

The recipe was perfect for the Seattle Sounders to put the expansion Carolina Railhawks out in the first round of the United Soccer Leagues First Division playoffs.

Just add water. Then sprinkle in a little luck.

After a rain delay Friday, the Sounders (23-8-7) pushed the Railhawks to the edge of extinction after taking a 2-0 road decision in Game 1 of the first-round, two-match aggregate series.

Seattle brings the series home today for a 6 p.m. match at Qwest Field.

On Friday, Zach Scott got the Sounders on the board in the 48th minute on a leaping header off a quick corner kick by Leighton O'Brien. In the 82nd minute, Andre Schmid outraced two defenders for an open-net goal.

"One of the big things about this team is that we have a lot of experience and that translates to confidence, but not overconfidence," Scott said. "We were fortunate to get that second goal to take some of the pressure off in Seattle. But I don't think Carolina will just roll over.

"But that second goal could make it easier. We're still going to play the way we play at home, and that's all-out, attacking soccer."

The decisive win by the Sounders, the No. 1 seed in the playoffs, left No. 8 and final seed Carolina trying to buck history.

The Railhawks will attempt to become the first team to come back from a deficit of two or more goals since the Minnesota Thunder rallied from three down to Vancouver in Game 2 of a 2000 semifinal series.

"It's not over," Carolina coach Scott Schweitzer told the Cary (N.C.) News after Game 1. "It's nowhere near over."

Notes

• Seattle hasn't yielded a goal in three matches against the Railhawks and has outscored them 4-0.

• The Sounders are seeking their fourth league title since the franchise rebirth in 1994.