SEATTLE — Georgios Samaras’ penalty and Patrick McCourt’s second-half goal gave Celtic FC a 2-1 exhibition win over the Seattle Sounders on Sunday.
Samaras came in on a counter in the 30th minute and goalkeeper Terry Boss tried to cut down the angle. He wound up tripping Samaras, who put the ball in the net anyway.
Referee Paul Ward blew for a penalty, though, and replacement keeper Jordan Jennings came on to watch Samaras sent his kick high into the net.
McCourt made it 2-0 early in the 64th minute on a through ball from Milan Misun down the left side. McCourt dribbled into the box and, from 16 yards away beat Jennings to the back right corner.
Rookie David Estrada got one back for Seattle when he sent a 22-yard strike from the right side of the box into the upper left corner in the 66th minute, just two minutes after coming on as a sub.
Estrada hit the crossbar in the first minute of second-half stoppage time with a 15-yarder from the right of the box.
Regular Sounders goalkeeper Kasey Keller, who tweaked his ankle in last Thursday’s 1-0 victory at D.C. United, didn’t play.
Samaras, Celtic’s leading scorer last season with 12 goals (10 in the Scottish Premier League) also converted a penalty Friday night in a 3-1 exhibition loss to Manchester United in Toronto.
Blaise Nkufo of Switzerland debuted for the Sounders, nodding a header wide right in the 10th minute for his best chance before he was subbed in the 60th minute.
The former star of Twente in the Dutch league is expected to play his first MLS game next Sunday at home against the Colorado Rapids.
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