The Seattle Sounders (6-5-4) fought through fatigue and injuries for a tough 1-0 win over Miami FC on a first half goal by unlikely hero defender Zach Scott. The win moves Seattle into third place in USL First Division.

Seattle, playing their third match in six days, overcame a first half injury to defender Jake Besagno as well as the absences of midfield starters Danny Jackson and Leighton O’Brien to hold off a second half rally by Miami. The victory is crucial for the Sounders as they head into a four straight league matches against first place Vancouver and second place Rochester.

The Sounders started the match slowly as Miami enjoyed most of the possession in the first ten minutes.

Sounders midfielder Roger Levesque woke up the Sounders offense in the 9th minute when he headed a Josh Gardner cross toward the far post that Miami goalkeeper Pat Hannigan tipped away. Sounders forward Greg Howes came close to finishing the rebound, but the ball rolled inches behind him.

Besagno was forced to leave the pitch in the 16th minute after a violent collision with Miami goalkeeper Pat Hannigan. Midfielder Andre Schmid replaced the injured Besagno in the 24th minute and the versatile Kevin Sakuda dropped back into right fullback.

Miami threatened for the first time in the 23rd minute when a Zach Scott foul resulted in a dangerous free kick from about 25 yards. However, goalkeeper Chris Eylander, in his first action of the game, saved the hard hit Zinho shot that had cleared the Sounders wall.

The Sounders continued to pressure the Miami defense. A long throw-in auspiciously bounced around the box and onto the foot of an open Hugo Alcaraz-Cueller, but his shot from 12 yards out sailed over the bar.

Seattle’s offense then took a surprise turn as defender Zach Scott stepped up over the last ten minutes of the first half.

In the 34th minute, Scott’s header off a Gardner set piece missed wide by only a few inches.

Scott then pounced on a bouncing corner kick in the 42nd minute, only to have his effort glance off the crossbar.

Third time was the charm for Scott when he tapped in an Alcaraz-Cueller corner in the 44th minute to give the Sounders a 1-0 lead heading into halftime.

Seattle carried over its first half momentum from Scott’s goal into the second half.

Forward Sebastien Le Toux raced free behind the Miami backline in the 47th minute, but failed to finish the one-on-one opportunity with the Miami goalkeeper.

Miami jumped back into game into the game in the 57th minute when Zinho, a member of the 1994 World Cup champion Brazilian side, split between two Seattle defenders to thump a cross with his head. Eylander quickly dove to his left and blocked the shot wide, preserving the Sounders lead.

Eylander saved another shot in the 65th minute, this time a tight-angled effort from Miami forward Luchi Gonzalez.

Scott completed a busy night with a 77th minute yellow card for a late tackle. The card was Scott’s fifth of the season, which will force him to serve a league-mandated one game suspension and miss Seattle’s next match against Rochester.

Eylander provided his best effort of the night in the 83rd minute. Eylander first parried away a blistering long range effort from Sean Fraser and then immediately jumped up to block the rebound by Gonzalez.

Seattle held off a determined Miami side in the last ten minutes to secure their fifth win in their last seven league matches. The shutout was Eylander’s fifth of the season.

The Sounders will travel to Rochester for their next match on July 3 against the second place Rochester Raging Rhinos.