SEATTLE SOUNDERS WOMEN BEAT TWIGA STARS 4-2 IN A HARD FOUGHT GAME IN THE RAIN!!

By Nisha Ligon, http://www.twigastars.com/

Last night, under a Seattle downpour, the Twiga Stars (Tanzania's National Women's Football Team) took on the Seattle Sounders Women in a thrilling and hard-fought match, which ended in a 4-2 victory for the Sounders.

The game was played at the Starfire Sports Complex in Tukwila, WA, in front of a mixed crowd of Seattle Sounders fans and Seattle Tanzanians. The Sounders Women opened the scoring in the 6th minute, and following soon after with a second

goal off an impressive diving header.

By the 40th minute, the Tanzania ladies were down 3-0, but they managed to put one in before the halftime whistle when winger Mwanahamis Ommary scored directly from a corner kick, which she expertly curved into the net. Tanzania picked up the pace after this and almost had another goal when the Sounders keeper just barely managed to save long range left-footed free kick by Eto Mlenzi.

In the second half the Sounders came out strong again. Tanzania goalkeeper Fatuma Ommary dropped the ball after saving a short-range Sounders shot and the Sounders striker pounced on the rebound, netting a fourth goal for the home team. Tanzania's Twiga Stars continued to press hard, and their efforts paid off when striker Asha "Mwalala" Rashid scored a header off Eto Mlenzi's corner.

All in all it was a hard-fought and exciting match. At the beginning of the match, Twiga Stars seemed out of sorts and uncertain on the cold, wet pitch, and the Sounder ladies capitalized with excellent passing play and clinical finishing. But the Twiga Stars fought hard and will return to Tanzania with heads held high after managing to put away two great goals of their own.
The Twiga Stars are in Seattle playing friendly matches as preparation for October's African Women's Championship, to be held in South Africa.

The Seattle Sounders play in the USL W-League, which is played in the USA yearly from May to August. Though not professional, they are the top team in the region, and have a mix of college players and top adult amateurs.