Sounders Score on Epic Goalie Fail

You could watch 100 soccer games and not see a goal like the one Roger “The ‘Stache” Levesque scored yesterday. And, in fact, the goal came in the Sounders’ 100th game, and one of their most thrilling.

It started boringly enough: Under pressure from Sounders forward Fredy Montero, New York Red Bulls defender Jan Gunnar Solli passed the ball back to goalie Greg Sutton. The pesky Levesque, who’d already scored one goal after coming on as a substitute, chased after the ball–a quixotic mission, it seemed, as he was nearly 30 feet from Sutton at the time of the pass.

But Sutton–not permitted to use his hands in this situation, as the ball had been kicked to him by his own defender–couldn’t control the ball at first (in soccer parlance, he “didn’t get a clean first touch”). Levesque, still about ten feet away, closed down on Sutton, then brilliantly anticipated that Sutton would attempt a right-footed pass to the left side of the field. Levesque stretched out his left knee, deflecting the pass, which took a “magic bullet” type path: off Sutton’s left foot, off Levesque’s chest, and then down to Levesque’s feet. From there he had a clear path to the vacant net.

(The Sounders video crew has a fail of their own on this highlight, misspelling the word “gaffe.” Somebody call Alanis Morissette!)

Levesque then debuted a new “scuba dive” celebration off the advertising board on the endline. Incredible.

Up in Section 119, my stomach hurt from laughing so hard–not just at Sutton’s mistake, but at his forlorn body language while the celebration raged. Head down, shoulders slumped, hands on hips. I said to my seatmate: “When he’s 70, and people ask about his most embarrassing moment, we’ll all have been here.”

“Yeah,” he replied, “in front of one of the biggest crowds in MLS history.”

Tough time to make such a bad mistake, but glorious for the 46,065 fans on hand for the 100th game in Sounders team history. (Note: The Mariners haven’t had a crowd that large since Opening Day 2008.)

The goal, in the 78th minute, was the Sounders’ fourth of the night. They earn three points for their 4-2 win, moving into second place in the MLS Western Conference. The Sounders have another home game Sunday at 1 p.m. against the New England Revolution. Tickets!