Sounders FC earns 1-0 victory over Colorado in U.S. Open Cup

TUKWILA — Making it into the U.S. Open Cup tournament field was important to Sounders FC coach Sigi Schmid.

But using four regular starters — goalkeeper Kasey Keller, defender Jhon Kennedy Hurtado, defender Nate Sturgis and forward Sebastien Le Toux, who has played outside midfielder in Major League Soccer contests — was more out of necessity than a desire to qualify since the Sounders were nursing several injuries. Nevertheless, Seattle found a new hero in local product Kevin Forrest, whose goal in the 61st minute gave Sounders FC a 1-0 win over the Colorado Rapids in an Open Cup play-in match Tuesday night at Starfire Sports Complex.

Forrest headed in the goal off Roger Levesque's assist and Sanna Nyassi's throw-in, and Seattle made it stand. As the last of the eight Major League Soccer clubs to qualify for the American club championship tournament, Sounders FC automatically advanced to the round of 16 and will play a team from a lower-level U.S. league on or around June 30.

Schmid's Columbus Crew teams failed to advance out of the play-in round the past three years.

"I wanted to get back into the tournament," Schmid said. "It was really more a case of the numbers, because most of the guys sitting on the bench [for Tuesday] were obviously starters as well."

Forrest, an Edmonds native and former UW player waived by the Rapids after one season and signed by Seattle in March, made his debut in a non-reserve game for Sounders FC.

Seattle drew 2-2 with Colorado last week in a regular-season match, but there had to be a winner Tuesday, and Forrest made sure it was the home team before 4,007 fans.

"It was just anticipation," Forrest said, before admitting that he didn't think he had a good game. "The best-case scenario, he [Levesque] flicks it and I have a chance. Worst case, it doesn't and you don't lose anything by making the run ... I ran and the other guy was flat-footed and just slammed the header in."

Schmid didn't even see the goal, presumably preoccupied with preparing a substitute for Forrest. "I'll let you guess," he said with a laugh, "but we kept him on the field for a while after that."

Colorado's starting lineup had plenty of local flavor.

Goalkeeper Preston Burpo played for the United Soccer Leagues First Division Sounders for nine seasons. Midfielder Ciaran O'Brien, a former Decatur High School star from Federal Way, played for the USL Sounders on loan last summer. Defender Ty Harden played at the University of Washington from 2003 to 2006.

José Miguel Romero: 206-464-2409 or jromero@seattletimes.com