Sounders feeling Melo, move on in playoffs
His teammates call him ``clinical, Bittersweet, a different kind of player.``
On Sunday night, with their playoff lives on the line, the Seattle Sounders called on him to score. And Welton Melo came through.
Twice.
The Brazilian forward tallied the only goal of the regulation game, then delivered again in the golden-goal series overtime. That gave the Sounders a 3-2 total-goals victory against the Portland Timbers in front of 3,490 fans at Qwest Field and a spot in the A-League Western Conference finals for the second straight year.
``I just go out and play the game and score some goals and win the game,`` Welton said in his very limited English. ``He just plays different, that`s all I`m going to say,`` said Darren Sawatzky, whose cross into the box at the 9:39 mark of overtime eventually found Welton for the game-winner. ``He scores goals, and that makes us happy. I hope he stays healthy for three more games.``
Three more games would mean the Sounders are playing for the A-League title. But first, they have get past the Vancouver Whitecaps in the two- game, total-goals Western finals.
That series will open either Wednesday or Thursday, and it wasn`t known on Sunday night whether the Sounders` home game will be at Qwest Field or at Tukwila`s Starfire Sports Complex. A decision on that is expected today.
The Sounders came into Qwest for the second game of the Western semis in a 2-1 hole against Portland, which posted the league`s best regular- season record of 18-7-3. The Timbers won by that margin last Wednesday on their home turf.
Seattle needed just four minutes to tie the series score at 2-2 when a textbook 1-2-3 play from Jason Farrell to Billy Sleeth to Welton gave him an easy shot into the back left corner past clearly-beaten Timbers goalkeeper Josh Saunders.
That 90-minute game ended exactly that way: a 1-0 Sounders victory, and a deadlocked series, bringing on 30 minutes of golden-goal OT to decide it.
Seattle needed just 9 minutes, 39 seconds of that. Sawatzky`s cross from the right wing inside the box took a funny bounce or two, then found its way to Welton. His ensuing shot banged off the underside of the crossbar and dropped into the back right corner.
``As long as he`s scoring goals, he`ll be the team MVP for sure,`` Farrell said of Welton, who didn`t play in Wednesday`s loss at Portland because he said his hip was hurting too much. ``He`s gifted in that way.``
``It was his call not to play last Wednesday,`` coach Brian Schmetzer said. But I said to him, `If you tell you`re not going to play tonight, they you are playing on Sunday in Seattle.``
The Sounders (15-12-4) were delighted to win the game for more than just advancing in the playoffs.
``They`ve been saying in the newspaper all week that they were going to beat us easily,`` Sawatzky said.
``There`s no better team to beat in a situation like that,`` Farrell said. ``This is perfect justice.``
Quick kicks -- Vancouver closed out its sweepof Minnesota in the other Western Conference semi with a 1-0 victory at St. Paul on Sunday. The Whitecaps won the opener on Friday at Burnaby, B.C., 2-0. ... Seattle and Vancouver played in last year`s Western semis. After a 0-0 tie in the opener at Seattle and a 1-1 tie in the return gave at Vancouvr, the Sounders won in penalty kicks, 6-5. ... Seattle won this year`s season series from the Whitecaps, 2-1-1, including victories in the last two games: 1-0 at Vancouver, and 2-1 in overtime at Seattle. ... In the East, Montreal eliminated Rochester, and Syracuse knocked out Richmond to reach that conference final.
Sounders 1, Portland 0 (Series tied on aggregate, 2-2)
First half -- 1, Seattle: Welton, from Sleeth, 4:22.
Second half -- None.
Snots -- Port 11, Sea 14. Saves -- Port (Saunders) 3, Sea (Burpo) 4. Corner kicks -- Port 3, Sea 2.
SERIES GOLDEN-GOAL OVERTIME
Sounders 1, Portland 0 (Sounders win series on aggregate, 3-2)
First half -- 1, Seattle: Welton, from Sawatzky, 9:39.
Second half -- Not played.
Shots -- Port 3, Sea 1. Saves -- Port (Saunders) 0, Sea (Burpo) 1. Corner kicks -- Port 0, Sea 0. Attendance -- 3,490.
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