Shadow come up short in upset bid

It started out so perfect.

Five minutes into a game against his former club Saturday afternoon, in front of 7,523 fans - the largest crowd in the history of Shadow soccer - Spokane captain and assistant coach Kieran Barton stepped up to take a free kick from 25 yards out from goal. He sent his right-footed shot up and around the Sounder wall and into the bottom-right corner of the net.

And though the Shadow would fade in the second half under a blistering sun, falling to the A-League's Seattle Sounders 3-1 thanks to three second-half Seattle goals, no one could take away Barton's dream start.

"It was one of those things where you really couldn't script it any better, to get yourself a chance at goal 20 yards out," Barton said. "I've been due. Unfortunately in the league games I haven't hit them very well. I hit that one pretty well and once it got past the wall, I knew it was in, it was just a matter of time of waiting for it to hit the net before I could start celebrating."

The goal also gave a little worry to Sounders coach Brian Schmetzer, Barton's former coach in Seattle.

"Oh yeah, and he loved it too," Schmetzer said. "We saw him do the celebrating and all that sort of stuff, but good for him. He's having fun out there. That's why we all play this game."

Those feelings held firm for the Shadow throughout the first half. The Sounders, playing with only two substitutes, were something less than ideal in front of goal in the first half as Shadow goalkeeper Shaun Kalnasy saved two one-on-ones in the first 25 minutes.

In the 26th minute, Sounder forward Craig Tomlinson, who gave the Shadow defense fits all afternoon with his blinding speed, sent in a cross that was reached by Shadow defender Rob Anderson, but his header fell to Seattle forward Kyle Smith, who, with an open net, headed it off the post.

A Seattle corner kick 30 seconds later saw midfielder Ben Somoza head a shot by Kalnasy, but Jake Moug, standing next to the right post, cleared it off the line.

The Shadow would have the next opportunity. In the 35th minute, after Brett Hite was fouled, Barton sent in the resulting free kick to Skye Henderson. Henderson, who made a strong run into the center of the 18-yard box, sent his header just over the crossbar.

The Sounders tied the game in the 55th minute. Kyle Smith quickly took a throw-in and sent it into space behind the Shadow defense. Will Flanagan, who had been able to keep Tomlinson under wraps to that point, couldn't keep up with the speedy striker. Tomlinson outraced Flanagan to the ball and, after cutting to his left, was pulled down by Kalnasy. Smith buried the resulting penalty kick and the game was tied.

The Shadow tried to answer in the 58th minute. Henderson sent Dustin Allberry into the left side of the penalty area but his left- footed blast was saved by Seattle goalie Danny Waltman.

And with Albi's turf reflecting and amplifying the heat, the Shadow wilted under Seattle's pressure.

Sounders forward Sean Percell worked a perfectly executed give- and-go with Smith, broke into the left side of the Shadow box and sent a right-footed shot into the near corner past Kalnasy in the 68th minute.

Smith would get the final tally when Fusle Bellal's cross bounced off the back of Tomlinson and left Smith alone in front of the goal to put his shot underneath Kalnasy in the 85th minute.

The Shadow, though, weren't the only ones affected by the heat.

"That's one thing we all knew coming in, the field was Astroturf," said Sounders defender Zach Scott, a former Gonzaga and Shadow defender. "Turf isn't always the best field to play on, and it's hot too, so that magnifies everything. Any time you're playing against that many people (with just two subs), whatever the conditions are, you step up your game and play well because you want to impress."

"I thought we played pretty well in the first half," Shadow head coach Stuart Saunders said. "We got the goal, and defended fairly well, and in the second half fatigue set in a little bit and we ended up giving up the three goals. But overall, I thought it was a pretty decent performance."

More than the result, it was the experience that was important, particularly for the younger players.

"It's awesome, we've come a long way," said Shadow defender Rob Anderson, who will be entering his junior year at Gonzaga in the fall. "This is just a stepping stone. You've got to go here, then the next level and the next."

"That's something they'll be able to look back on and say they played in what was pretty much a professional game against the best team in our area for the most part," added Barton.

And for Barton, who Scott called "the last person I wanted to score a goal," it was a day he may well never forget.

"It was a blast. I had a great time," Barton said. "I'm just exhausted."

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