The Seattle Sounders got a highlight-reel free kick goal from Aaron Kovar but couldn’t quite overcome a first-half red card, falling 2-1 to the San Jose Earthquakes in their Lamar Hunt US Open Cup Round of 16 matchup at Avaya Stadium on Wednesday.
The Sounders signed eight players from USL affiliate S2 to short-term contracts before the match and were dealt a significant setback when midfielder Francisco Narbon was shown a straight red for a tackle from behind midway through the first half.
Kovar gave a breath of hope with a pinpoint free kick from distance just after second-half kickoff, but a late tally from San Jose’s Danny Hoesen would seal Seattle’s fate and deny the Rave Green a spot in the tournament’s quarterfinals.