Time runs out for Sounders

A patchwork lineup for the Seattle Sounders couldn't piece together much of anything on Saturday night.

Seattle, minus three regulars at the start, couldn't muster much offensively until a late flurry in added time. But the Sounders couldn't find the net and fell 1-0 to the Montreal Impact, snapping their five-match unbeaten streak in front of 3,136 fans at Qwest Field.

"That's no excuse," Sounders coach Brian Schmetzer said of having a makeshift lineup. "That was a poor performance. I'm not happy with how the team played."

Seattle (5-5-4, 19 points in USL First Division) looked like it was poised to tie the score during added time when it appeared Impact midfielder Martin Fabro committed a handball infraction in the penalty area. But the referees let the teams play on.

Montreal (5-2-5, 20 points), which won USL First Division titles in 1994 and 2004, moved into third in the USL First Division standings, while Seattle dipped to fourth.

"We couldn't keep possession of the ball," Schmetzer said. "[Montreal] outworked us. We just couldn't get anything going offensively — nothing. That wasn't the team that played on the road trip in North Carolina or Charleston."

The Impact got the game's only goal when substitute Leonardo Di Lorenzo headed a cross from Alen Marcina just inside the left post and past Seattle goalkeeper Chris Eylander in the 71st minute.

Seattle kept the game scoreless in the first half with physical play and some outstanding goalkeeping by Eylander, who made four saves before intermission.

Sounders defender Noah Merl cleared a smashing volley by Andres Arango off the back line and away from the left post in the sixth minute after Eylander got away from the goal. Merl cleared another shot — this one by Ze Roberto — off the back line in the 24th minute after Eylander blocked the initial strike toward the left post.

Seattle avoided another Impact foray deep into its territory when Eylander punched away a shot and defender Zach Scott headed the ball over the net in the 26th minute.

Notes

• Seattle leads the Impact 13-6-2 in the all-time series, with the rivalry heating up recently. Montreal beat Seattle 2-0 in the 2004 A-League final, and the Sounders turned the tables in the 2005 semifinals on the way to the First Division title.

• Rookie MF Kenji Treschuk made his first career start, replacing injured Leighton O'Brien (back). MF Hugo Alcaraz-Cuellar returned to the first unit after missing the last seven matches with an injured Achilles tendon. O'Brien replaced Alcaraz-Cuellar in the 57th minute.

• D/MF Danny Jackson missed Saturday's match while in his native England, completing the process of getting his work visa.

• F Nathan Knox sat out with a hamstring injury.

• MF Kevin Sakuda made his 92nd straight start.

MONTREAL IMPACT 1, SOUNDERS 0

Montreal	0 1 — 0
Seattle	0 0 — 0

Goals — Sea: 1, Leonardo Di Lorenzo (Alen Marcina) 71:00. Shots — Mon 9, Sea 7. Saves — Mon (Andrew Weber) 3, Sea (Chris Eylander) 4. Fouls — Mon 11, Sea 15. Offsides — Mon 2, Sea 1. Corner kicks — Mon 7, Sea 0. Cautions — Mon (Seth Trembly 36:00, Marcina 55:00, Di Lorenzo 78:00), Sea (Kenji Treschuk 42:00). Ejections — Mon (None), Sea (None). A — 3,136.