Keller, Fucito combine to boost Sounders past Wizards 1-0

Sounders blank Wizards 1-0

SEATTLE — Kasey Keller picked up his second shutout in four games and Michael Fucito scored in second-half stoppage time on Saturday, giving the Seattle Sounders a 1-0 victory against the Kansas City Wizards.

Brad Evans took a throw-in from deep down the right sideline, sending it all the way to the right post. Fucito, who had just subbed into the game late in the 85th minute, one-timed a shallow shot across the goal mouth and sent it into the left side of the net 1 minute, 15 seconds into the four minutes of stoppage time.

“I saw Brad had the ball, and I kind of ran through trying to stretch it, and no one was with me,” said the 24-year-old Fucito, whose only previous playing time in MLS this season was 14 minutes off the bench in the opener against Philadelphia on March 25. “Brad made a great throw right in my path, I turned, went one-on-one with the goalkeeper and hit it, and just finished it well.”

“It felt good to win on a late goal,” Sounders coach Sigi Schmid said. “Mike Fucito is a kid who works hard in training, and he battles. He was alert — he made a good run behind the defense, and he knew Evans had a longer throw.”

The Sounders needed a late save from Keller to preserve the win. Kansas City immediately went to the attack after the goal, and Chance Myers got off a shot that Keller reacted to just in time to deflect away for a corner kick. Jack Jewsbury got off a shot from the corner, but sent it wide left, and the Wizards never got another try.

“Heads up to our guys for going back at them very quickly to get one on the other side,” Kansas City coach Peter Vermes said. “Kasey Keller came up with a great save. Not giving up, that was a very good thing for our team. I thought our team did everything they needed to at several points in the game to come away with three points, let alone one — and now none.

“It was disappointing for the preparation and the execution of the guys to not come away with something out of this game,” Vermes added. “It’s a good lesson going forward.”

The Sounders became the first team this season to score against the Wizards. Goalkeeper Jimmy Nielsen had 270 shutout minutes to open the season before being beaten by Fucito.