Sounders FC forced to settle for 3-3 tie with D.C. United

Sounders FC was trying to hang on for a win, and defender Tyrone Marshall was just trying to clear the cross into the goal area that came his way in the 87th minute.

Marshall and D.C. United forward Santino Quaranta leaped as the ball came in. Marshall said Quaranta didn't touch it.

"The ball just hit me on the top of the head and it went the other direction, and I didn't have really any control of where the ball was going," Marshall said. "Which was unfortunate."

The header resulted in an own goal, and Sounders FC's two-goal lead had evaporated. What seemed like a home victory over the top team in Major League Soccer's Eastern Conference ended in a 3-3 draw Wednesday night at Qwest Field, and it left Sounders FC frustrated. The team also had chances to put away several more scoring chances and allowed D.C. United too much room for unobstructed crosses that led to goals.

The lack of discipline was enough to spark a tirade from goalkeeper Kasey Keller in the locker room after the match.

"Three-one at home, you close up shop and just make sure, but instead, we just don't have the discipline to do it," said Keller, Sounders FC's captain. "Until that comes into our game, we're going to throw games away. The game's pretty simple, and unfortunately we want to make it extremely complicated."

Keller went on to call out his teammates for not doing enough little things consistently and for lack of effort in the late going.

"You don't get to take a vacation halfway through a play. 'I'm a little tired, I'm not going to run this time.' Every time, you do your job. And unfortunately we're switching off and it's killing us right now, and we're paying the price for it.

"Hopefully people will learn from it and if they don't, then hopefully they will be gone and we'll find somebody else who will do a disciplined job," Keller added.

Maddening as the draw was, the match was entertaining. Unfortunately, the nation, including Seattle, didn't get to see the first 61 minutes of the game live. ESPN2 instead stuck with a College World Series baseball game as it went into extra innings.

D.C. United struck first, Chris Pontius putting in another long cross ahead of the Seattle defense. The goal deflated another sellout crowd (29,104) momentarily.

But Sounders FC midfielder Osvaldo Alonso, starting his first game since May 23 because of a quadriceps injury, scored the goal of the night in the 38th minute, gathering in James Riley's pass and loading up for a long-distance blast from outside the penalty area that went off United goalkeeper Josh Wicks' hands and into the net.

Sounders FC grabbed a 2-1 lead just before halftime when forward Nate Jaqua spun and kicked a little dribbler off D.C. defender Marc Burch. The ball was redirected slowly and somehow bounced into the net for an own goal.

The second half saw Seattle (5-3-6) continue attacking. Forward Fredy Montero dribbled and faked his way in and got space to line up a shot. The left-footed kick eluded Burch and another D.C. defender, plus Wicks, and Sounders FC took a 3-1 lead.

D.C. cut the lead to one in the 63rd minute on a goal by Christian Gomez, which set up an entertaining finish that saw Sounders FC maintain the attack but fail to score again.

Just when Sounders FC was on the cusp of its second straight win, Marshall's inadvertent gaffe happened.

"It's very deflating when a team comes back and ties you like that," Sounders FC coach Sigi Schmid said.

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

Sounders FC 3, D.C. United 3

D.C. United	1 2 -- 3
Seattle FC	2 1 -- 3

First half -- 1, D.C. United, Pontius 4 (Quaranta), 34th minute. 2, Seattle FC, Alonso 1 (Riley, Evans), 38th. 3, Seattle FC, Burch (own goal), 45th. Second half -- 4, Seattle FC, Montero 6, 57th. 5, D.C. United, Gomez 3 (Emilio), 63rd. 6, D.C. United, Marshall (own goal), 88th. Goalies -- D.C. United, Josh Wicks; Seattle FC, Kasey Keller. Yellow cards -- Jakovic, D.C. United, 84th; Namoff, D.C. United, 96th+. Total shots -- Seattle 17, D.C. United 10. Shots on goal -- Seattle 10, D.C. United 4. Total saves -- D.C. United 8, Seattle 2. Fouls -- D.C. United 17, Seattle 6. Offsides -- Seattle 3, D.C. United 0. Corner kicks -- Seattle 5, D.C. United 4. Referee -- Ricardo Salazar. Assistant referees -- Fabio Tovar. Darren Clark. 4th Official -- Jason Anno. A -- 29,104 (27,700).

LINEUPS

D.C. United -- Josh Wicks, Bryan Namoff, Clyde Simms, Marc Burch, Luciano Emilio (Thabiso Khumalo, 73rd), Dejan Jakovic, Andrew Jacobson (Christian Gomez, 46th), Rodney Wallace, Chris Pontius, Santino Quaranta, Fred (Ange N'Silu, 22nd).

Seattle FC -- Kasey Keller, James Riley, Tyson Wahl, Fredrik Ljungberg (Stephen King, 77th), Jhon Kennedy Hurtado, Sebastien Le Toux, Brad Evans, Osvaldo Alonso, Nate Jaqua (Nathan Sturgis, 85th), Tyrone Marshall, Fredy Montero (Steve Zakuani, 67th).

Top teams in MLS
Seattle, in its first season, is holding its own with the league's best teams. Sounders FC has the third-best record in the Western Conference.
Team	W-L-T	Pts
Houston	8-2-3	27
Chivas USA	8-4-3	27
D.C. United	5-2-8	23
Chicago	5-3-6	21
Sounders FC	5-3-6	21