Sounders FC, Chicago Fire play to 0-0 tie

Tactical play was the name of the game in the first half of Saturday's Sounders FC- Chicago Fire match at Qwest Field.

That quickly turned to rough play, and referee Baldomero Toledo was quick with the cards.

With both teams playing a man down — Chicago having lost midfielder John Thorrington in the 54th minute to a second yellow card and Freddie Ljungberg departing for a second yellow about five minutes later — the match between two of Major League Soccer's top teams ended in a scoreless draw.

Ljungberg got his original yellow for what Toledo ruled a dive on a run up the middle in which Ljungberg appeared to be tripped up. Ljungberg, who has a history of giving the officials a piece of his mind from previous games this season, went ballistic after the whistle went against him and drew a second yellow.

That meant an automatic ejection, and Ljungberg now was five yellow card which means he will miss next weekend's game at San Jose.

Thorrington, who'd picked up a yellow earlier in the match, was sent off for pushing and tripping Ljungberg. Try as they might, neither team could come up with a winning goal and hence, both picked up one point in their respective conference's standings.

It was the first scoreless draw of the season for Seattle (7-3-8), which remained in second place in the MLS West pending results of Saturday night's matches. Chicago, also 7-3-8, hung onto first place in the East for the moment.

Sounders FC's best scoring chance of the second half was a long shot by Fredy Montero in the 80th minute that glanced off the far post. Seattle had another good crack at a goal a few moments later but a header and deflection off a corner kick was cleared out.

For a half, the match was back and forth though Seattle had the better scoring chances, which is typically the case in many of its games.

The best came in the 37th minute for Sounders FC. Montero golfed a pass over the Fire defense to Nate Jaqua directly in front of the net, and Jaqua's header was deflected by Chicago goalkeeper Jon Busch. The rebound came back to Jaqua but he didn't hit the ball with authority, and Busch gathered it in.

The Fire got fewer opportunities against Sounders FC's defense in the first half. Patrick Nyarko, who played well against Sounders FC in the teams' first meeting in suburban Chicago in May, made run down the left wing in the 19th minute and centered to teammate Marco Pappa. Pappa got a foot on the ball and rolled it toward Sounders FC goalkeeper Kasey Keller but the ball trickled wide.

Sounders FC defender Jhon Kennedy Hurtado, an All-Star, drew a yellow card in the 28th minute for delaying a restart, his team-leading seventh caution of the season.

Hurtado is one yellow away from suspension for a second match. He missed one earlier this season for accumulation of five cautions.