The ref blows the whistle for full time, and the Sounders have missed a chance. A commanding performance by Seattle, but 3-3 is the final score.
92'- Sounders may have just missed out on their last chance, as Evans lets it roll out for a corner.
91'- Zakuani could have had a shot there, but King stepped in front of him. Bad timing. DC is taking their time now to throw it in.
90'- Le Toux takes it, kept in by Alosno who plays it to Wahl. Wahl's cross finds Zakuani, but the header is off target.
89'- Corner for Seattle as it looked like Zakuani could have been taken down in the box. Close call though but most likely the right one. The crowd is on their feet. They want the win.
88'- Goal for DC. Own goal by Marshall and that was terrible. He actually looked like he wanted to score there. Wow.
85'- Substitution. Nate Jaqua steps off for Ianni. Sigi Schmid is thinking defense.
84'- The corner finds Marshall at the far post, but the header is denied. Marshalls gets it back and then is called for a handball.
83'- Zakuani earns a corner for Seattle, and there has been a yellow card caution against Dejan Jakovic. First card of the game for either side. What a relief saying that.
82'- Wahl shanks the ball out of bounds on a clearance. Focus man, focus.
81'- Marshall gets up yet again to deny Emilio. You can tell he has been here before.
80'- DC on the attack, but Keller slides in before Khumalo can pounce. Well done from Keller.
79'- Jaqua fights hard for ball in the 18, ends up bouncing to Stephen King who pops it up to himself and then hits a volley just wide of the goal.
Tonight's attendance: 29,104
77'- Le Toux needed to shoot there. Great run by Zakuani splits open the DC defense. Le Toux wide open on the right side of the 18. Instead he plays a fairly smart ball to Ljunberg, but it was too high.
Stephen King comes on for Freddie Ljunberg.
76'- Le Toux is still running his French patooty off. Looks like King is ready to come on for Seattle. For Alonso maybe?
75'- Sub for DC that I missed. Number 17 Thabiso Khumalo comes on for I'm honestly not really sure who.
73'- It is like watching two different games, one when DC has the ball and one when Seattle has the ball. Seattle is moving so quickly with smart touches, whenever DC gets the ball it's like everything goes into slow-mo. It is amazing they have any goals at all.
71'- Nice combination from Le Toux, Zakuani and Ljunberg on the counter, but Wicks closes well again and Zakuani can't sneak it by him on the cross goal pass. He should have hit it one time.
69'- Le Toux nearly in on goal, but decides to fall down instead. The fans don't like it, but there was no foul there at all. DC attempting to slow things down and get it back to the MLS pace.
68'- Beautiful bending run looks like it had Jaqua on sides, the sideline judge thought otherwise.
67'- Interesting change, as Zakuani comes on for Montero. Freddie Ljunberg slides into Montero's spot.
66'- Jaqua just stays with it. That was incredible. He got knocked down about 4 times, but never gave up on that before playing it to Riley, who draws the foul.
65'- DC coughs it up to Montero, who passes to Le Toux. Le Toux sets up Fredy perfectly just outside the 18, but it is hit well high.
63'- Goal by DC United. Lazy defending springs Gomez, who brings DC within one, 3-2. Did I not say watch out?
62'- Fancy touch to bring down a great ball from Wahl and beat his defender, he can't do it twice though, and didn't have support to continue the attack with a pass.
60'- DC still has a pulse. A nice attack nearly finds net, but the ball bounces around before caroming out for a goal kick. Riley is down, and he looks hurt. He
58'- 3-1 Seattle now and they have just been dominant since DC got their goal.
57'- GOALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL- Fredy Monetro with a 3-on-1 counter attack jukes defenders Marc Burch and then Bryan Namoff and then bends a perfect low shot into the far post. Marvelous stuff from the Colombian striker.
56'- Through ball for Simms is well picked out by Marshall, who plays it calmly to Keller.
55'- Shot by Bryan Namoff is well wide and well high, poor effort.
54'- Good hustle from Wahl to keep the ball in bounds. Here come the Sounders. Throw in DC.
53'- Simms tugs (ever so slightly) Riley and he falls down for the foul.
52'- Cross just misses a wide open Jaqua. Now Jaqua is played wide but his cross is hit off balance and is out for a goal kick. Looked like it had a chance to go in for a second.
51'- BEAUTIFUL COMBINATIONS FROM Montero, Jaqua and Freddie sees Ljunberg break through on goal. His shot is saaved by Wicks, but barely. Great stuff.
50'- Cross from DC is knocked down and out by Marshall, but somehow ruled a goal kick.
49'- Throw in in the attacking third for DC, but Seattle is tackling well. DC United can barely breathe up there.
48'- DC United knocking it around well, but a lazy shot rolls out of bounds.
46'- And we're off. Dejan Jakovic horribly misplays a long ball by Riley. Montero anticipates the misplay and has a shot from a tough angle. Straight at the keeper.
Half-time sub for DC United- Christian Gomez replaces Andrew Jacobson. Watch out for Gomez, he is old, but dangerous
The players are out and it looks like no subs have been used. Let's hope that Seattle can keep up their intensity on the attack and bury DC early.
That was definitely the best half of a game I have seen so far, both in the MLS and from the Sounders. Despite giving up a goal, they have been on attack all game, and erased a 1-0 deficit like it was nothing. We probably won't see any major changes as the half begins.
46'- The whistle blows for the end of the first half. Great stuff from the Sounders who come back form a goal down with authority. Impressive stuff from Seattle.
45'- GOAL from Jaqua. Ugly, very ugly, but I am sure he will take it. Beautiful assist from Montero takes a deflection of Marc Burch. Own goal or nto?
44'- Corner from Ljunbergs runs out of bounds. What a waste.
43'- More beautiful passing from Seattle has them on the offensive. Wahl's cross is deflected back to Riley, Ball in to Le Toux ends up out for a corner.
42'- Free kick results in yet another ball played in, but Wicks is there, yet again.
41'- A near goal for Seattle as Ljunberg plays Le Toux through. Wicks gets to it in the nick of time.
40'- Corner for DC United. Played away by Wahl.
39'- That one was not even deflected. The long range strike by Alonso catches Wicks totally off guard in the top corner. 1-1 and the confetti is flying. Amazing strike from our long lost midfielder.
38'- Another chance as Montero beats one man and plays it near post to Jaqua. Swallowed up by Wicks. Montero's shot is SAVED by Wicks. WELCOME BACK ALONSO>>> MY GOD GOLAZIZIZIZIZIZIIIZIIIISISISISISISISIISISIMOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
37'- The Sounders keep looking to go far post for Montero, but the service just has not been good enough. Seattle needs to find another way to attack.
35'- 1-0 for DC. Corner to Seattle. NEARLY. Le Toux gathers a loose ball and plays it to Montero, who heads it wife and high.
34'- Goal by DC United. Cross comes in from Quaranta, finished off from close range by Pontius. No chance at all for Keller. Who was marking him?
33'- Free kick for Seattle from the halfway line. Le Toux dribbles out of bounds.
32'- Tyrone Marshall somehow undercuts Emilio and says "sit down please."
31'- Too much weight on the through ball from Ljunberg, or Jaqua was through with a chance on goal. Sounders get it back but Le Toux is whistled offsides.
29'- Cross from Wahl finds Montero, but the header is too high. Tough ball to control, but nice buildup all around. DC's counter attack ends up with an errant shot from N'Silu.
27'- Montero can't handle it and nearly commits a costly turnover.
26'- And Ljunberg fouls Simms, who apparently is now blind. Did I miss something?
25'- No one is running harder or faster than Le Toux right now. DC might have breathed a sigh of relief to see Steve out, but they weren't expecting the hard-working Frenchman and his extremely accurate passing.
23'- Evans will continue. Throw in to Seattle off the free kick.
22'- On the attack again, Montero tries a hopeful ball and somehow Le Toux comes down with it. A very hard foul has Evans on the ground. The medical crew is out on the field.
21'- Wahl has it now, drops it to Le Toux with an off-balance cross that goes straight to Josh Wicks. Fred is off after the injury. Number 9 Ange N'Silu replaces him.
20'- Free kick to Ljunberg on the right side of the 18.
18'- Fred is down in the box. Apparently he injured himself while committing a handball. No one feels sorry for you homey.
17'- DC is coming to life now, keeping Seattle hemmed in their own third.
16'- Bounces around in the box, before Alosno fouls Burch about 5 yards from the corner of the 18.
15'- Le Toux strips Pontius very well, and then draws the foul. Pontius played through beautifully by Quaranta, but the shot is straight at Keller, who makes a routine save. Corner for DC
13'- Montero goes down but no foul. The fans tell everyone what they think of it. Jaqua finds space from the free kick, but skies the cross 30 feet above the goal and out of bounds.
12'- Hurtado muscles out Emilio. Counter attack is on but an errant ball from Le Toux brings it to a close.
11'- Free kick half-cleared by Hurtado and then out for a corner for DC. Punched away by Keller, back in from Jacobson, Marshall heads it out for another corner.
10'- Alonso Fouls Quaranta about 40 yards out on the left side.
9'- Jacobson has too much space to not take a shot, scuffs it well wide. No trouble for Keller.
8'- Montero looking very, very active. This is how he should play. Ljunberg is taken down as Andrew Jacobson can't even come close to handling his speed. Another chance for the Sounders takes a deflection off a DC player, and then another, and then another... seriously...
7'- Miscommunication from Fredy and Freddie results in a turnover.
6'- Ball comes loose in the box and a NEAR GOAL for Jaqua. The DC defender who cleared the ball is now down in the box. Free kick.
5'- Cross by Ljunberg misses Jaqua by a couple feet. Wicks gathers it in. Sounders dominating the offensive play here in the first five minutes. The crowd loves it "Let's go Sounders"
4'- Riley down the sideline, finds Montero who nearly gets it to a streak Le Toux. Deftly broken up by Bryan Namoff.
3'- Wow, a reaction shot from Emilio nearly catches Keller off guard. Goal kick.
2'- Pretty sloppy so far by both sides as Jaqua loses the ball. Throw in for Seattle from their third.
1'- DC to kick off, going toward the south goal. Jaqua intercepts the pass and a foul suffered by Montero. Bad defensive slip up has the Sounders with the ball in DC's area. No dice. Wicks with the ball.
Confetti and smoke from fireworks is in there, so that means we are ready to go. The teams take the field after the Sounders group huddle.
Line up for DC United: Josh Wicks, Bryan Namoff (cap), Dejan Joakovic, Marc Burch, Andrew Jacobson, Clyde, Simms, Rodney Wallace, Fred, Chris Pontius, Santino Quaranta, Luciano Emilio
Okay, so Zakuani will not start tonight, but can't complain about having that quality of sub off the bench. Hopefully he didn't pick up a knock in training.
The starting lineup: Kasey Keller, James Riley, Jhon Kennedy Hurtado, Tyrone Marshall, Tyson Wahl, Freddie Ljunberg, Osvaldo Alsono (huge cheer), Brad Evans, Sebastien Le Toux, Nate Jaqua, Freddy Montero
So here we are, the red carpet is out. Some quick news: Zakuani is not in the starting line up, but Alonso is. No particularly reason given for his absence, but speculation that Montero will not be in the lineup seems to unfounded. Let you know in a second.