Seattle Sounders fall 7-0 to Manchester United

The Seattle Sounders knew they would be in for a tough match when they faced English Premiership powerhouse Manchester United on July 20. However, the Sounders probably didn't expect the 7-0 beatdown that occurred in front of a record 67,052 fans (the largest attendance ever for a soccer match in the Pacific Northwest).

Sounders FC starters actually did a good job of holding their own against Man U in the first half. Newly-acquired defender Ashley Cole looked good for Manchester United. Cole even played a role in the first goal of the game, feeding Patrice Evra, who crossed the ball nicely for Michael Owens to nod it in.

The Sounders had an excellent chance to even up the score in the 37th minute, but James Riley wasn't able to convert on a nicely played pass by Fredy Montero.

Owens almost increased United's lead to two goals on a one-on-one play before halftime, but Sounders FC All-Star goalkeeper Kasey Keller wasn't having any part of it.

In the second half, it became obvious the Sounders were playing one of the best clubs in the world, as Manchester United started scoring at will.

Manchester's Senegalese forward Mame Biram Diouf scored the first goal of the second half, beating Keller with a well-placed shot.

Wayne Rooney, who came into the game as a second-half substitute, scored his first goal of the game two minutes later. Rooney wasn't done, though; he scored two more goals for United, earning himself the elusive hat trick. Ji Sung Park and Gabriel Obertan also scored goals for United in the second half.

Even with the embarrassing 7-0 final score against United, the Sounders can be proud of the fact their starters kept the game competitive against the 19-time English champions in the first half. The experience will be good for the Sounders, as they continue their journey in the 2011 MLS regular season.

David has been a fan of the Seattle Sounders for the past 2 years. Follow him on twitter @davidkingwriter.

Sources:

Andrew Winner, "Recap: Manchester United dominate in 7-0 win over Seattle" MLSSoccer.com