TUKWILA — A slow start caused concern for Seattle Sounders coach Brian Schmetzer. In the second half, Schmetzer went to his bench for help.

Rookie Brent Whitfield scored two goals and provided an assist in the second half as the Sounders came from behind for a 3-1 victory over the Salinas Valley Samba in second-round action of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup at Starfire Sports Complex last night.

The Salinas Valley Samba, a Northern California-based amateur team from the National Premier Soccer League (NPSL), plays three league levels below the Sounders, who started the match hoping to rest starters Roger Levesque, Whitfield and Welton.

But the Sounders had to work hard to advance.

Whitfield found Levesque, who normally starts but came off the bench in the 60th minute, for a goal from 8 yards out. His goal gave Seattle a 2-1 lead in the 75th minute.

Levesque's fourth goal of the season transformed frustration into jubilation. "The plan was to have Roger and Welton rest, but I knew I would come in during the second half," Whitfield said. "We were getting good chances. We were just unlucky in the final third of the field."

The Sounders (8-1-4 overall) play United Soccer Leagues (USL) First Division rival Portland Timbers in a third-round Open Cup match July 12 at 7 p.m. at PGE Park.

"That was the beauty of the Open Cup and soccer," Schmetzer said. "They [Salinas Valley] were a spirited team. The last thing I said to the team was, 'It's the underdog mentality versus overconfident.' That team came here with nothing to lose.

"You knew they were going to fight and scratch. But we got what we wanted."

Salinas Valley (7-6-2) was eliminated from the Open Cup, the oldest cup competition in the U.S. and one that pits all affiliated pro and amateur teams in the U.S. against each other.

"The kid has it in him every game, because he has the speed to do things," Schmetzer said of Whitfield, who started the season as a starter but moved to the bench recently.

The Samba went in front 1-0 when forward Adam Smarte collected a loose ball behind the Sounders defense and beat a drawn-out Preston Burpo to the right corner of the open net in the 51st minute. A Seattle defender misdirected a clearing ball and Smarte picked it up with Burpo out of the goal.