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<< Previous   of   Next >> Associated Press  (click to enlarge) The Sounders’ Tyrone Marshall (14) celebrates his goal with teammate Brad Evans (center) as the Wizards’ Josh Wolff walks downfield in the first half of Saturday’s game. Seattle beat Kansas City 3-2.   ADVERTISEMENT   CONTACT THE HERALD Report scores and results to 425-339-3470 or 1-866-6-SCORES (Call after 4:30 p.m.) E-mail information including items for Tuesday's Communities Sports Roundup and Thursday's Outdoor Calendar, to sports@heraldnet.com Kevin Brown, Sports Editor kbrown@heraldnet.com   Published: Saturday, October 17, 2009 Sounders beat Wizards, clinch MLS playoff berth Associated Press KANSAS CITY, Kan. — Seattle Sounders FC became only the second expansion team to make the MLS playoffs in its first year, clinching a postseason berth with a 3-2 victory over the Kansas City Wizards on Saturday night. Nate Jacqua capped a high-scoring second half with a 76th-minute goal for Seattle (11-7-11), which joins the 1998 Chicago Fire as the only expansion teams to advance to the postseason in their first season. The Sounders will have to go all the way to match Chicago’s first-season accomplishments, though; the Fire won the MLS Cup that year. Zoltan Hercegfalvi and Josh Wolff scored 3 minutes apart early in the second half for Kansas City (8-13-8), putting the Wizards up 2-1. Seattle’s Roger Levesque tied it with a header in the 69th minute and Jacqua scored the winner 8 minutes later. Freddie Ljungberg drove almost to the end line in the Wizards’ penalty area, then crossed to Jaqua for an easy tap-in from point-blank range. It was the second assist of the night for Ljungberg, who also started the sequence that led to Seattle’s first goal. Even before the loss, Kansas City was eliminated from playoff contention when Toronto FC beat Real Salt Lake 1-0 earlier Saturday. Tyrone Marshall had a goal and an assist for Seattle. He scored on a putback from close range in the 28th minute, after Wizards keeper Kevin Hartman made a diving save on Ljungberg’s bending corner kick. Then, in the second half, Marshall nodded on another of Ljungberg’s corners to set up Levesque’s equalizer. Hercegfalvi, making his first MLS start, scored off an assist from Michael Harrington in the 51st minute. Wolff made it 2-1 in the 54th, on a tap-in of Davy Arnaud’s cross. It was Wolff’s career-high 11th goal of the season. READER COMMENTS Be the first to comment. You must be a registered user and verify your e-mail address to post comments to blogs or articles on HeraldNet. To register, click here. To read other terms and conditions, click here. Log out

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