Sounders earn league championship with easy 4-0 win

When field-general midfielder Leighton O'Brien collapsed in agony with a pulled right groin early in the United Soccer Leagues (ULS) First Division final, the Seattle Sounders' championship hopes could've gone down right with it.

But Greg Howes replaced him in the 18th minute and came to the rescue.

Howes supplied a late first-half goal and scored two in the 4-0 win over the Atlanta Silverbacks as the Sounders became the first club in league history to win four titles tonight in front of a standing-room only crowd of 4,893 at Starfire Sports & Entertainment Complex.

The Sounders (27-9-7) added to league crowns in 1995, 1996 and 2005, eclipsing the Rochester Raging Rhinos' three titles. Atlanta, the No. 4 seed into the playoffs, finished 16-11-11.

Hugo Alcaraz-Cuellar provided a goal and an assist for Seattle, which improved to 7-1-1 at Starfire. Sounders goalkeeper Chris Eylander made several key saves throughout the match and seven overall as he registered his 17th shutout of the season.

The Sounders were attempting to become the first No. 1 seed or regular-season champion to win the title since Rochester did it in 1998. Seattle also bounced back from a 1-4-3 start to the season.

Howes' eighth goal of the season put the Sounders in front 1-0 less than a minute before halftime on a shot from 10 yards away after a pass from Hugo Alcaraz-Cuellar. Howes chested the ball down on the run and knocked it into the left corner, beating Atlanta goalkeeper Ryan McIntosh.

Alcaraz-Cuellar blasted a 25-yard shot into the left corner of the net in the 61st minute for his first playoff goal of 2007. His seventh goal of the year came off an assist from Taylor Graham.

Howes, a Tacoma native, made it 3-0 on a 22-yard blast that ricocheted off an Atlanta defender in the 82nd minute. Craig Tomlinson, an 88th minute substitute, scored on a rebound of his own miss in added time of the 90th minute for the final margin.

Eylander tipped the ball over the crossbar when Atlanta's 6-foot-5 defender Omar Jarun headed the ball off the turf right in front the goal off a corner kick in the 58th minute. Eylander also tipped another shot over the bar in the 67th minute on a 19-yard blast by Angel Rivillo.

O'Brien, the 10th-year pro, was forced to leave the game in the 18th minute with a groin injury and was replaced by Howes. Just minutes before O'Brien came off with the injury, but the next time he kicked the ball he fell to the turf in agony and came off the field.

A fast-paced, offensive-minded first half was highlighted Howes' goal and Eylander making a key save in the 34th minute.

Eylander tipped the ball over the crossbar on Warren Ukah's bicycle kick from 14 yards out.