With the 2020 MLS season on temporary hold, SportingKC.com is taking daily strolls down memory lane with an "On This Day" web series that celebrates memorable moments in team history. As one of Major League Soccer's proud charter members, Sporting has a decorated past full of thrilling victories, amazing goals, momentous off-the-field developments and more. "On This Day" pays tribute to these specific instances, turning back the clocks while treating fans to nostalgia and club history lessons. To catch up on the series as it unfolds, visit SportingKC.com/OnThisDay.
Eleven years ago today, Seattle Sounders FC suffered defeat in an MLS match for the first time ever.
The ambitious expansion side had opened 2009 to rave reviews under head coach Sigi Schmid, blitzing the New York Red Bulls, Real Salt Lake and Toronto FC by scoring seven goals without reply. Entering their April 11 home date with the Kansas City Wizards, Seattle was 3-0-0 and sat atop the early Supporters' Shield standings.
On the opposite sideline, Kansas City was in the early stages of what would become a tumultuous 2009 campaign. Head coach Curt Onalfo would be relieved of his duties in 2009, prompting Peter Vermes to take the helm in August. Even so, this chilly spring evening in Seattle became one of the highlights of the season.
In a tightly contested and evenly played battle at CenturyLink Field—both sides finished with nine shots and four attempts on target—the Sounders struggled to get a stranglehold they had so easily found in their first three games. Prolific forward Fredy Montero, playmaker Freddie Ljungberg and midfielder Brad Evans were all held in check, and when the clock hit 80 minutes, Kansas City's grizzled stalwart decided the match.
Davy Arnaud, an all-time Wizards great who is likely to earn his place among the Sporting Legends some day, received a pass from fellow veteran Jack Jewsbury and unfurled a shot from 25 yards that beat Seattle goalkeeper Kasey Keller. The strike, showcased at the 10-second mark of the video above, ultimately stood as the match-winner and delivered the Sounders their first loss in MLS.
In the 11 years since then, Sporting and Seattle have both enjoyed remarkable success as two of the league's heavy-hitting clubs. Vermes has guided Sporting to an MLS Cup, three Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup titles and eight playoff appearances. The Sounders, meanwhile, have claimed two MLS Cups in the last four years to go with four Open Cup trophies between 2009-2014.
