Kasey Keller sets MLS record as Sounders FC bounces back

Kasey Keller is in a zone. Steve Zakuani is an igniter on offense.

Coincidentally, Sounders FC's two losses have come when each has played either limited minutes or not at all. Saturday night, though, Keller was back in goal from his one-game red card suspension, and Zakuani opened at left midfielder and played 67 minutes in his first start since April 4, the most recent Sounders FC win.

Guess what? Seattle won again, defeating the San Jose Earthquakes 2-0 before a sellout crowd of 28,838 at Qwest Field. Keller ran his scoreless streak to 389 minutes, a Major League Soccer goalkeeper record to start a season, and Zakuani, a rookie, scored a goal and added an assist in helping Seattle break a two-game losing streak.

Keller tied a season high with five saves, none bigger than one he made early in the second half, diving to stop a redirected shot with the score at 1-0.

"This is cool," Keller said of his shutout streak. "Sometimes you have things go your way. You have deflections that just hit the outside of the post and go out. At other times you get deflections that bounce the wrong way and you're stranded and you concede the goal when you've done everything right. Right now, I've been able to make some saves but at the same time, I've had that little bit of luck when I needed it."

But Sounders FC (4-2) needed more than just a boost from its captain, Keller. Someone needed to step forward and break its scoring drought. The team went nearly the equivalent of three full games — 267 minutes — without a goal.

That someone was Zakuani. Coach Sigi Schmid's decision to go with Zakuani over Sebastien Le Toux at left midfielder paid off as Zakuani knocked in a goal in the 42nd minute.

Midfielder Freddie Ljungberg was upended and drew a yellow card on San Jose defender Nick Garcia, and set up to take the free kick from the right of the goal. The kick wasn't cleared out by the Earthquakes, and Montero headed it toward the middle, where defender Jhon Kennedy Hurtado deflected it to his left toward defender Tyrone Marshall.

Out of the traffic jam in front of the goal, Marshall lofted the ball high as Zakuani roared in from the right. Zakuani put the ball away at close range, and Qwest Field went wild.

"I would be surprised if he [Zakuani] wasn't the starter next week," Sounders FC coach Sigi Schmid said. Zakuani was taken out of the game early so as not to put further pressure on the ankle he sprained during the exhibition season. "Every time we've won, we've scored in the first half, and that was key," he said.

Seattle was able to shift into cruise control after the 49th minute thanks to midfielder Brad Evans' second goal of the season.

Zakuani started the play by lofting a pass to Nate Jaqua. Evans was open on Jaqua's right on a 2-on-1, and Jaqua shed defender Eric Denton by slowing down and passing to Evans. With Denton out of the play, Evans needed only to beat San Jose goalkeeper Joe Cannon, and he did so to complete the scoring.

Keller earned his fourth shutout and passed former New York Red Bulls keeper Ronald Waterreus for the record. Waterreus opened with 375 scoreless minutes in 2007; Keller's total included the 29 minutes he played before receiving a red card April 11.

The win allowed Sounders FC to stay close to first-place Chivas USA in Major League Soccer's Western Conference. Chivas has 16 points and second-place Sounders FC 12.

SOUNDERS FC 2, EARTHQUAKES 0

San Jose	0 0 — 0
Seattle	1 1 — 2

First half — 1, Seattle, Zakuani 2 (Marshall 1, Hurtado 1), 42:00. Second half — 2, Seattle, Evans 2 (Jaqua 2, Zakuani 2), 50:00. Total shots — San Jose 12, Seattle 11. Shots on goal — San Jose 5, Seattle 3. Saves — San Jose 1, Seattle 5. Fouls — San Jose 13, Seattle 8. Offsides — San Jose 2, Seattle 2. Corner kicks — San Jose 4, Seattle 5. Cautions — San Jose, Convey 4:00, Garcia 41:00. Seattle, Alonso, 30:00. A — 28,838 (32,523).

LINEUPS

San Jose — Joe Cannon (GK), Eric Denton, Nick Garcia, Chris Leitch, Pablo Campos (Cam Weaver, 77:00), Arturo Alvarez, Bobby Convey, Ramiro Corrales (Simon Elliott, 46:00), Shea Salinas (Quincy Amarikwa, 65:00), Ryan Johnson, Kelly Gray.

Seattle — Kasey Keller (GK), Brad Evans, Osvaldo Alonso, James Riley, Freddie Ljungberg (Roger Levesque, 87:00), Steve Zakuani (Sebastien Le Toux, 67:00), Nathan Sturgis, Tyrone Marshall, Fredy Montero (Sanna Nyassi, 80:00), Nate Jaqua, Jhon Kennedy Hurtado.