Le Toux leads Sounders FC past Real Salt Lake

Sebastien Le Toux, replaced in the starting lineup last
week, had two goals and two assists to lead Seattle
Sounders FC to a 4-1 victory over Real Salt Lake on
Tuesday night in a Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup play-in game.

The victory sends the Sounders (4-2-0 in Major League
Soccer regular-season play) into the final play-in round
against the Colorado Rapids. That game will take place in
May on a date and at a site yet to be determined.

Real Salt Lake (3-2-0 regular season) is 3-5 all-time in
Open Cup play, but is 0-4 in Cup games on the road.

Le Toux put Seattle on the scoreboard late in the 24th
minute on a penalty kick. The call came after Roger
Levesque was taken down in the box by Salt Lake’s Tony
Beltran. Le Toux drove his kick past goalkeeper Chris
Seitz into the back left corner.

Just more than two minutes later, Levesque gained control
just over midfield and sent a through ball to Le Toux. He
then sent a through ball into the box, where Sanna Nyassi
ran into it and hit it off the inside of his right foot
into the back left corner from 15 yards in front of the
goal.

Real Salt Lake cut the lead to 2-1 early in the 32nd
minute. Will Johnson, playing on the left wing side, got
around a Sounders defender, went into the box and curled a
15-yard shot into the left corner past goalkeeper Chris
Eylander.

Johnson nearly tied the game during the first minute of
the second half, but Eylander made a sliding save with his
feet to preserve Seattle’s lead.

The Sounders then scored two goals within two minutes to
put the game out of reach. Stephen King made it 3-1 on an
assist from Le Toux early in the 53rd minute, then Le Toux
pushed the lead to 4-1 at the outset of the 55th, with
Levesque assisting.

“I was happy to play up front,” Le Toux said. “It was
important to find a comfort zone so coach (Sigi Schmid)
can ask me to go back up front if he needs me. I didn’t
know it was going to be my night, but I was very
motivated.”

Schmid didn’t rule out Le Toux returning to a starting
spot at some point.

“Seba certainly presents us with some alternatives,” he
said. “It was nice to play Seba up front. It’s obvious
he’s more comfortable up front than in a wide position.”

Real Salt Lake did not make its players or coaches
available to reporters after the game.

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