New York Red Bulls Vs. Seattle Sounders: Highlights, Quotes And Stats

We're going to try something new at Sounder at Heart. In the past, we've posted the full post-game quote sheets and stats in the game recap. We understand that can be a bit bothersome and while some of you appreciate the info, others just find it a nuisance to skip through. Instead, we've decided to have a day-after match post where we put full highlights, the quote sheets and the stats. Hopefully, you'll find it useful.

The other part I like about doing it this way is that it takes a little bit of the emotion away from the way we saw the game. For me, watching the highlights I'm reminded of just how great of a save Kasey Keller made on the PK, as well as how well Fredy Montero played. Sure, it's an incomplete picture, but Montero was responsible for at least three very good scoring chances, and Alvaro Fernandez was responsible for two. The highlight package doesn't even include another ball that Montero played to Flaco where Flaco nearly volleyed it past the keeper.

Anyway, hope you enjoy this presentation.

Scoring Summary: 

NY - Juan Agudelo (Teemu Tainio) 70'

New York Red Bulls - Greg Sutton, Jan Gunnar Solli, Rafael Marquez, Tim Ream, Roy Miller, Dane Richards (Danleigh Borman 90'), Teemu Tainio, Mehdi Ballouchy (Tony Tchani 68'), Joel Lindpere, Juan Agudelo, Thierry Henry.

Substitutes Not Used: Bouna Coundoul, Carlos Mendes, Carl Robinson, Corey Hertzog, Luke Rodgers

Seattle Sounders FC - Kasey Keller, James Riley, Jeff Parke, Jhon Kennedy Hurtado, Leo Gonzalez, Alvaro Fernandez (Mauro Rosales 68'), Servando Carrasco (Lamar Neagle 80'), Osvaldo Alonso, Erik Friberg, Fredy Montero, O'Brian White (Roger Levesque 73').

Substitutes Not Used: Terry Boss, Patrick Ianni, Zach Scott, Tyson Wahl

Misconduct Summary:

SEA - Jhon Kennedy Hurtado (61')

Referee: Jair Marrufo

Referee's Assistants: C.J. Morgante; Corey Rockwell

4th Official: Alejandro Mariscal

Attendance: 20,982

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Powered by www.WeAintGotNoHistory.com we have Win Probability Added for soccer.

Note the major spke for missed Henry Penality Kick. Also, you can see a small blip at Hurtado's Yellow. Of course, Agudelo's strike was the winner and chances decreased for the Sounders.

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SEATTLE SOUNDERS FC at NEW YORK RED BULLS - POSTGAME QUOTES

MARCH 19, 2011

SEATTLE SOUNDERS FC HEAD COACH SIGI SCHMID

On tonight's match:

"I thought New York had more of the game in the first half, the possession for sure. We knew that was going to happen. I thought we created some good chances of the counterattack during the first half but at the end of the day we gave up a bad goal. We got to be better than that."

On kicking off the season with two straight losses:

"We have to move on. The league gave us the toughest schedule to begin the season with. It's a punishment for having good crowds, you know that's why we end up playing the opener and we have to go again on the road. It would have been nice to only play one game but it is what it is and we know we are a better team. When we play two of the better teams in the league and show that we can play them pretty even. Now we just have to make sure that we come out with the results."

On starting midfielder Servando Carrasco:

"I thought it gave us the best chance to win the game. We knew Carrasco could help out defensively, which is something that we needed. We knew we wanted to counter and Carrasco is one of our better long passers of the ball. He can get the ball forward and open up the counter for us. (Erik) Friberg has got a good engine and you know he can get up and down which can help us double back on (Dane) Richards, which I thought we did a good job on him for about 65 or 70 minutes and then when the game opened up and he got some chances.

SEATTLE SOUNDERS FC FORWARD FREDY MONTERO

On tonight's match:

"Tough match. We can see once again that whoever doesn't score gets scored on and that's the truth."

On the difference between the first and second half of the game:

"We lost possession of the ball in the second half. We gave up on the counterattack which is the way we wanted to play and they managed to score a lone goal that gives them the victory and the three points."

On the next match versus Houston:

"We have to come up with a new game plan and we have to win. We have got to keep our head up and realize that this is not the end. We have to keep on moving forward. We have done some good things on the pitch but it is obviously not enough. We have got to give more."

On his hopes of being called up to the Colombian National Team:

"I have to get back to my highest level, two games have passed and I want to score. If that's enough to go back to the National Team then I will welcome it. Every Colombian player wishes he can wear the jersey for the National Team."

SEATTLE SOUNDERS FC DEFENDER JEFF PARKE

On tonight's match:

"You know it's up and down. They ran us over the field the first 25 minutes and then we settled in a little bit. In the second half, I felt that we had a better level of play but we missed on some chances and they capitalized on one of theirs. It's frustrating and tough to swallow but we have a new game next week so we have to move on."

On how the team can move on to face Houston:

"Finish our chances. We are going to come up with chances and we have to do better defensively keeping them off the board so that we can give ourselves a chance to sneak one at the end for three points."

On coming back to New York:

"It's beautiful. It's nice. It's good to be back. It's even better to see they have a great stadium and a great crowd and I look forward to playing here in the future."

NEW YORK RED BULLS HEAD COACH HANS BACKE

On if he thought the missed penalty kick by Thierry Henry early on would come back in hurt the team:

"Yeah, it happens in most of the games. We started very well in the first 15 to 20 minutes. [We] missed a penalty but, anyhow, created some decent chances and then suddenly we looked a little bit wide open for Seattle's breaks. I think they had four good, really good chances in the last 25 of the first half. In the second half, I think we controlled it in a good way. I liked our intention, the build-up, so we don't force it too much as we did last year and fully deserved to win at the end of the day."

On the emergence of Juan Agudelo in tonight's game:

"Yeah, he surprised me today. We all know that he has decent pace, that he is an athlete. He is very hard to play against but I was very happy with his decision making today. In our build-up, I don't think he had many, many lost balls or unforced errors compared to last year. He played safe now."

On Thierry Henry's penalty kick and who decides who takes the penalty kicks:

"In the preseason, we didn't have that many. [Rafa] Marquez scored against Atlas from the penalty spot. I can't remember the shootout we had against Atlante in the friendly but we scored, I think, four out of five. Normally, it is good that the captain steps up and takes the penalty after nine or 10 minutes."

On the play of Greg Sutton:

"Great. He had some key saves in the first half. With a tricky guy like [Fredy] Montero, he's definitely a player who can make a difference, I think he saved two or three from Montero. Yeah, he had a great game today, [Greg] Sutton."

NEW YORK RED BULLS FORWARD JUAN AGUDELO

On scoring his first MLS Goal:

"It feels good. I know people have been saying, have been waiting for me to get that MLS goal and it's great to do it at the opener. There's a lot of people here. I'm just really happy."

On the goal:

"I noticed that they had a high line and the defenders were biting a little bit behind me when I was trending toward the ball so I just cut and looked for the long ball.  It was a perfect ball by Teemu (Tainio), couldn't have been played better.  I just tried to get my body in front of the defenders, saw the goalkeeper come out, took a shot and it was 10 times better because that's what I was trying to do, curl it toward the far post. As a player I think that's special, when you try to do something and it works out perfect."

On Seattle's defense on the goal:

"I knew he (Leo Gonzalez) was going to try to come hard, and if he would have fouled me it would have been a red card. I just tried to get in front of him and if I got fouled, I got fouled, if I didn't get fouled I'm going to take a shot. And I was able to take a shot and score."

NEW YORK RED BULLS MIDFIELDER TEEMU TAINIO

On setting up Agudelo's goal:

"I saw there was a big space behind him and he made the first cut, so all I had to do was play the ball behind the defense in front of Agudelo and he did the rest."

On the match:

"We didn't create that many great chances. Of course, it's the first game of the season, you have to remember that, it's the early days, so when guys get to know each other and play more games I think it will come more easily.  But I think when teams come here they try to close us down.  We were able to keep the ball on the ground and play the short passes. But like I said, sometimes we have to play the direct balls. We have to find the solution when to play the long ball or when to keep it on the ground."

NEW YORK RED BULLS DEFENDER JAN GUNNAR SOLLI

On his first MLS match:

"I think I played a safe game.  I wasn't trying to do too much, it was my first game as a right back.  I played seven friendly games and none of them as a right back. Me and Rafa (Marquez), we managed to - and also the back four - I think we were pretty solid. Of course we gave away a couple of chances but that's not only our fault, it's a whole team and, I think we gave away a couple of too easy big chances. But in the end we controlled the game, we didn't get dragged into too much in the way Seattle plays."

On playing with Rafa Marquez:

"You have to listen to a guy like him. He knows what he's doing, and he's really good at making me stay in the right positions all the time. I think we did well in the way we communicated and the way we were helping each other".