SEATTLE — Sebastien Le Toux, replaced in the starting lineup last week, had two goals and two assists to lead Seattle Sounders FC to a 4-1 victory over Real Salt Lake on Tuesday night in a Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup play-in game.
The victory sends the Sounders (4-2-0 in Major League Soccer regular-season play) into the final play-in round against the Colorado Rapids. That game will take place in May on a date and at a site yet to be determined.
Real Salt Lake (3-2-0 regular season) is 3-5 all-time in Open Cup play, but is 0-4 in Cup games on the road.
Le Toux put Seattle on the scoreboard late in the 24th minute on a penalty kick. The call came after Roger Levesque was taken down in the box by Salt Lake's Tony Beltran. Le Toux drove his kick past goalkeeper Chris Seitz into the back left corner.
Just more than two minutes later, Levesque gained control just over midfield and sent a through ball to Le Toux. He then sent a through ball into the box, where Sanna Nyassi ran into it and hit it off the inside of his right foot into the back left corner from 15 yards in front of the goal.
Real Salt Lake cut the lead to 2-1 early in the 32nd minute. Will Johnson, playing on the left wing side, got around a Sounders defender, went into the box and curled a 15-yard shot into the left corner past goalkeeper Chris Eylander.
Johnson nearly tied the game during the first minute of the second half, but Eylander made a sliding save with his feet to preserve Seattle's lead.
The Sounders then scored two goals within two minutes to put the game out of reach. Stephen King made it 3-1 on an assist from Le Toux early in the 53rd minute, then Le Toux pushed the lead to 4-1 at the outset of the 55th, with Levesque assisting.
"I was happy to play up front," Le Toux said. "It was important to find a comfort zone so coach (Sigi Schmid) can ask me to go back up front if he needs me. I didn't know it was going to be my night, but I was very motivated."
Schmid didn't rule out Le Toux returning to a starting spot at some point.
"Seba certainly presents us with some alternatives," he said. "It was nice to play Seba up front. It's obvious he's more comfortable up front than in a wide position."
Real Salt Lake did not make its players or coaches available to reporters after the game.
Posted in Sports on Wednesday, April 29, 2009 12:00 am
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