A goal from Clint Dempsey in injury time has given Seattle Sounders a 2-1 win over New York Red Bulls in the MLS this evening.
Goals from Lloyd Sam and Marco Pappa looked to have earned both sides a share of the spoils until Dempsey's strike at CenturyLink Field.
Seattle started the game brightly and Cristian Roldan forced a smart save from Luis Robles in the Red Bulls goal when his header was palmed away by the keeper at full stretch.
Red Bulls began to apply pressure of their own which allowed Seattle to threaten on the break, but disciplined defending from the visitors denied them goalscoring opportunities.
Red Bulls were rewarded for their stout defending when Sam gave them the lead in the 36th minute. A free kick was deflected off Seattle's defensive wall and fell to the winger, who netted his fourth goal of the season.
Seattle looked to cancel out the goal immediately after the break and went close when Obafemi Martins almost got on to the end of a dangerous cross by Dempsey, but Robles was on hand to knock the ball away to safety.
Pappa played another good ball into the box shortly after, but Chad Marshall could only steer his header wide of the far post after losing his marker.
Seattle continued to pile on the pressure and equalised with 20 minutes remaining through Pappa, who fired a powerful drive beyond Robles after being picked out on the edge of the area.
Pappa set up Dempsey for a chance in the 82nd minute, but the frontman's ambitious toe-poke from 30 yards flew wide.
Dempsey, though, had the final say with 91 minutes on the clock as he got on the end of a cross from Tyrone Mears to prod the ball home from close range and secure Sigi Schmid's side all three points.
Steven Toplis
