WASHINGTON, October 17, 2011 - In his last regular home game before he retires, Kasey Keller pulled out all the stops. The Seattle Sounders FC goalkeeper was voted MLS Player of the Week by the North American Soccer Reporters (NASR) after making seven saves, and leading his team to a 2-1 victory over the San Jose Earthquakes, in front of 64,140 fans at Seattle’s CenturyLink Field.
Keller, a native of Olympia, played in his final regular season appearance in Seattle before the third-largest crowd for a stand-alone regular season game in MLS history. In the comeback win for the Sounders, Keller made seven saves, proving he is one of America’s greatest goalies.
The Sounders fell behind in the 24th minute to a strike by the Earthquakes’ Chris Wondolowski, but the 41-year-old Keller denied Wondolowski a second goal in the 43rd minute when he dove to his right to stop the forward’s header from close range. It was a stunning save. Keller came to the rescue again in the 65th minute, with an incredible four-save sequence—including two on Wondolowski—in a 10-second span.
Keller’s season is still not done. On Tuesday night Seattle hosts Mexico’s CF Monterrey in the final round of CONCACAF Champions League group play.
Seattle plays its last game of the season at Chivas USA on Saturday and then head into the playoffs.
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