The Sounders started the 2009 MLS Season with a lot of promise and potential. The stadium in Seattle was filled to the maximum and Drew Carey [one of its major shareholders] celebrated the debut and victory of his team.

While this is was history in the making, it was expected that the Sounders [who are in second place in the MLS Western Conference Standings with 29 points] would have no trouble in defeating the San Jose Earthquakes [a team that is in last place in the same conference with 14 points.

The Sounders were 7-3-8 compared with the Earthquakes 3-10-5. What happened confused even those who follow US Soccer and the MLS. The surprise was great with the Earthquake surprising the Sounders. There is more to the story than the hometown advantage of San Jose at Buck Shaw Stadium.

The team from the Pacific Northwest apparently underestimated the San Jose Earthquakes. They thought that they could cruise through the last games of the MLS Season. San Jose taught them a lesson.

The game belonged to San Jose with goals in both halves by personalities such as Glen, Huckerby, and Wondolowski in the second half. The team from California was also assisted by an own goal by the Sounders own Osvaldo Alonso.

The Sounders and San Jose had yellow cards for misconducts with both teams hanging by a thread. Riley was ejected from the game for serious foul play depriving the team from Washington State of any chance of a comeback.

The errors, lack of coordination, discipline, and continuity in playing soccer worked to the advantage of the Earthquakes. While San Jose deserves praise for being the David to the Seattle Sounders Goliath, the Washington state team must find a way to win every game in the MLS Season if they stand a chance of winning the championship.

It remains to be seen how the rest of the MLS Season will play out for Seattle.

http://my.nowpublic.com/sports/san-jose-earthquake-4-0-seattle-sounders