Last year at this time in the season, Pat Ianni was playing in the defensive line for Houston. Traded to Seattle before the start of the season, I doubt they ever considered he would be the one to hand them their second loss in two games, especially considering he did it with a bicycle kick.
Asked after the game when he last scored on a bicycle kick, Ianni said he was six years old. His coach, Brian Schmetzer (filling in for Sigi Schmid who was attending his son’s wedding), said, “If you would have told me before the game that we would have won the game on a bicycle kick and pick one of my players that was actually going to score the bicycle kick, Pat would have been like number nine.” In other words, Coach Schmetzer would have picked everyone except goal keeper Kasey Keller ahead of Pat Ianni to score that goal.
The scoring came early for Houston who looked on top of their game early. In the 12th minute, Houston midfielder Brian Mullan placed the ball in the middle for Brad Davis, who found plenty of space at 16 yards out. Davis controlled the ball and with no one closing him down, fired point blank and put the ball in the Sounders' net.
Seattle answered in the 32nd minute with a highly controversial goal by Fredy Montero. Stephen King and Nate Jaqua combined to work the ball to Montero in the goal area. Montero controlled Jaqua's long ball with his body and got off a shot on the run with his left foot. Dynamo defender Mike Chabala appeared to clear the ball as it reached the line but referee’s assistant Emiliano Monje ruled in Montero’s favor.
Houston coach Dominic Kinnear was adamant that the assistant was wrong, saying after the match, “I know for a fact it wasn’t in, and I know for a fact that the linesman was out of position. I know he’s wrong, and I’m sure he’ll watch it and know he’s made a mistake, but it’s too late.” Multiple replays from all angles prove inconclusive.
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