SEATTLE – Just a few minutes before Mike Fucito completed his brace in Seattle's 2-0 win on Wednesday, a handful of Sounders gathered around a free kick in Marathón’s defensive third. They appeared to be debating who would take the kick, and after some jockeying, midfielder Mike Seamon eventually took the honors, only to send a harmless ball over the goal.
But on the next opportunity, it was Fucito’s chance to put one away. After a Marathón foul just inches outside the penalty area, the left-footed striker bent a shot inside the near post for his second goal of the game. It was an expert finish for the Seattle fan favorite, one who may be playing himself into more action in the latter stages of the MLS season.
RECAP:Fucito, Sounders top Marathón
A scorekeeper’s ruling is all that stands in the way of Fucito having four goals in the past two CONCACAF Champions League matches. (Fucito’s shot was deflected into the net by a Monterrey defender last Wednesday, officially an own goal.)
[inline_node:303026]“I always like to score and I’m glad that we were able to hold on and win,” said Fucito, who scored in the 21st and 68th minutes. “That makes scoring that much more meaningful when we can actually win the game.”
The Harvard product was the player of the match Wednesday, as Seattle picked up their first points in the tournament.
Including Fucito’s game-winning goal against Kansas City back in April, Fucito has scored four times in seven appearances overall in 2010.
Fucito, who has battled injury issues this season, left the match with an injury just seconds after his second goal. Sounder coach Sigi Schmid could not determine the severity of the injury, preliminarily called a left ankle sprain, before X-rays will be taken Thursday morning.
“It happened immediately after the kickoff when I was pressuring the defender,” Fucito said. “He went to clear it and I kind of blocked it and landed and rolled it a little bit.”
With the rest of the MLS season on its way and the US Open Cup final next Tuesday, the Sounders hope Fucito will be able to contribute. His blend of physicality and opportunism in front of goal could be an asset for a Seattle team that, in its past, has had trouble finding the net.
The Sounders return to MLS action on Saturday against Toronto FC at Qwest Field.
