Sounders star forward Clint Dempsey played 60 minutes against the Charleston Battery this afternoon in continuing his comeback from an irregular heartbeat. The Sounders carried a lead into the final seconds of the contest, but surrendered a Kotaro Higashi goal in stoppage time and settled for a 1-1 draw against the hometown USL squad.
The opening match of the Carolina Challenge Cup saw the Sounders control play for the most part, taking an early lead when a Joevin Jones cross deflected off defender Taylor Mueller for an own goal in the 32nd minute. The Sounders nearly added to their lead twice, when Alvaro Fernandez hit the post in the 66th minute and Henry Wingo had a goal disallowed on an offside call.