Seattle Sounders goalkeeper Preston Burpo got healthy just in time to save his club from an early-season hole and an 0-2 start.

Burpo made four saves, including two critical ones in the second half, after missing the season opener with a right hamstring injury as the Sounders earned a 0-0 tie against the Vancouver Whitecaps last night in front of 2,495 at Qwest Field.

The Sounders (0-1-1, one point) got their first point in the United Soccer Leagues First Division this season. The Whitecaps (1-0-2, five points) played defensively with one forward up front and earned a valuable road tie.

"(Vancouver) made it difficult for us to play," Sounders coach Brian Schmetzer said. "They close you down and you have no time on the ball. We found a very disciplined, defensively strong team."

Vancouver had a great scoring opportunity in the 58th minute, as Dave Morris' lunging point-blank shot was knocked away by a diving Burpo.

Burpo again was diving for a stop in the 67th minute when Whitecaps forward Jason Jordan drilled a low line-drive shot from just inside the penalty area. A long pass from Morris put Jordan one-on-one with Burpo after Jordan outran Seattle defender Zach Scott down the right side.

"I got lucky on the first one," said Burpo. "That was one Morris should have put away. That's one he'll talk about on the ride home. I just tried to make myself big and hope that it hit me."

Seattle had a last chance to win, but Taylor Graham's header off a free-kick cross from C.J. Klaas went wide left and high during added time in the 90th minute. The attempt came with just about 30 seconds left in the match.

Graham led the Sounders with three shots, but Vancouver kept alive a streak of 270 minutes without allowing a goal.

Notes

• Sounders midfielder Chad Brown sat out last night's match, serving a one-game suspension for an ejection from the season opener. Brown played about 10 minutes in the opener after entering as a substitute in the 80th minute, and then received two yellow cards before being sent off. Brown will have surgery on his right foot Tuesday and is expected to miss about two months.

• Sounders rookie Gabriel Sturm made his professional debut, entering in the 69th minute as a sub for Billy Sleeth.

• Seattle leads the all-time series with Vancouver 39-21-9.

SOUNDERS 0, WHITECAPS 0

Vancouver Whitecaps	0 0 — 0
Seattle Sounders	0 0 — 0

Goals — Seattle: None. Vancouver: None. Shots — Vancouver 11, Seattle 7. Saves — Vancouver (Mike Franks) 2, Seattle (Preston Burpo) 4. Fouls — Vancouver 17, Seattle 16. Offsides — Vancouver 2, Seattle 0. Corner kicks — Vancouver 3, Seattle 3. Cautions — Vancouver (Chris Franks 84:00), Seattle (Scott Jenkins 7:00, C.J. Klaas 52:00). Ejections — Vancouver (None), Seattle (None). Attendance — 2,495. Records — Vancouver 1-0-2, 5 points; Seattle 0-1-1, 1 point.