One of the most unlikely players gave the Seattle Sounders its only goal in a 1-0 win against the Colorado Rapids on a sunny Saturday afternoon.
Right back Zach Scott, one of the few remaining Sounders from back in the USL days, scored his first MLS goal off a header from an Alex Caskey corner kick in the 63rd minute. The Sounders held the Rapids scoreless to go 3-1-1 on the season.
It was bound to be an emotional match being the first visit to Seattle for Brian Mullan after his horrific season-ending tackle on Steve Zakuani nearly one year ago. Aside from getting booed with almost every touch Mullan had of the ball, there was only one minor scuffle towards the end of the match between Brian Mullan and both Fredy Montero and Ozzie Alonso.
I had a lot of fun shooting my first MLS match in the middle of the day. As a photographer, it was nice to not be hindered by shooting in a darker environment. I also happened to be in the right place at the right time for the only goal of the match.
The clear skies and warm weather were great, although the bright sun presented its own challenges. I began the second half on the west side of the goal with the sun directly behind me, casting fewer shadows on the players’ faces. I noticed at around the 60th minute that the west side of the stands was fully in the shade. I moved to the east side of the goal to try and get some shots with a darker background. About three minutes later, I got the image of Zach Scott jumping up for the winning header and his goal celebration that followed.
Next week the Sounders have a bye week, but I’m going to be heading down to Portland to shoot the struggling Timbers as they take on the unstoppable (6-0-0) Sporting KC. This will be my first time at Jeld-Wen Field. Should be interesting!
On to the photos…
Nice work in the changing light! Love the one of Scott heading the ball and the one of the little tussle with Mullan.
Thanks, Brandon! Yeah, those little clouds made things even more interesting!