SEATTLE
Clint Dempsey scored twice against his former side to spur Seattle to a 3-0 victory over New England at CenturyLink Field.
Dempsey combined with Obafemi Martins to engineer the perfect start to the campaign for the Sounders. The U.S. captain opened the scoring from the spot inside the opening half-hour and then played a part in the buildup to Martins' goal four minutes before halftime. He then completed a wonderful sequence with the decisive third after 67 minutes to place the match beyond any doubt.
The margin of victory reflected the gulf between the teams on the night as Seattle relied on its direct, incisive work to pull apart a Revolution side still coming to terms with the defensive alterations made during the offseason. Revolution coach Jay Heaps adjusted his setup to cope with the threat, but his side ultimately could not overcome the absences of Jermaine Jones (sports hernia surgery) and Lee Nguyen or stop Dempsey and Martins from causing problems with their movement.
Seattle started brightly from the run of play as Dempsey and Martins warmed to the task, but the initial breakthrough came from the spot. Juan Agudelo fouled Dempsey during the aftermath of a corner kick to prompt Juan Guzman to point to the spot. Dempsey stepped up and swept home the resulting penalty to give the home side a tangible advantage.
New England enjoyed some decent spells in possession and nearly restored parity through a Kelyn Rowe shot from distance five minutes before halftime. Seattle goalkeeper Stefan Frei tipped Rowe's shot around the post to preserve the advantage and set the stage for Martins' killer second just moments later.
Dempsey charged forward through midfield and sent a ball through the channel out to Tyrone Mears on the right. Mears composed himself in the corner and swung a tempting cross into a dangerous area. Martins arrived at the perfect time and tucked away the cross to double the Sounders' advantage four minutes before the break.
By that stage, the home side looked well in front against a Revolution side lacking the incisiveness to break down the reconstituted Sounders defense. Heaps tweaked his setup to throw additional forwards in a bid to chase the game, but those alterations created more space for the home side to exploit on the break.
Seattle used the latitude well to conjure the third after 67 minutes. The sweeping move captured the menace created when the Sounders break forward quickly. The sequence ended with Martins rushing behind the ragged Revolution line and squaring for unmarked Dempsey to tuck home from close range.
It proved a fitting conclusion to a night where the Sounders produced a performance worthy of this occasion and underscored their credentials as this campaign whirs to life.
