Sounders play unfriendly hosts to English team

For the third consecutive season, the Sounders played a high-level team from England. Unlike the previous two games -- a loss to Sunderland and a tie with Cardiff City -- Seattle won this one, beating Championship league Preston North End 2-1 at Qwest Field on Monday night.

It was the Sounders' first win over an English team since a 3-0 victory over Manchester United in 1982.

"That is a good milestone for us," Sounders owner Adrian Hanauer said. "I've always known that we can play with an English Championship team."

Roger Levesque set up goals by Hugo Alcaraz-Cuellar and Josh Gardner as Seattle scored its second upset in five days following a 3-1 win over the MLS' Chivas USA last Wednesday in the U.S. Open Cup.

Preston North End, which just missed a playoff for promotion to the Premier League last season and is visiting North America as part of its preseason preparations, led 1-0 at halftime before the Sounders took charge.

Alcaraz-Cuellar's momentum-shifting goal in the 50th minute was memorable. He headed the ball to Greg Howes, who bounced a header off the crossbar. The carom came right back to Howes, whose second attempt again went from his head to the crossbar. Levesque took the second rebound and knocked it to Alcaraz-Cuellar for a side-winding left-footer to even the score.

"That wasn't just a good goal. The buildup to the goal was good, too," said Sounders coach Brian Schmetzer.

Seven minutes later, Josh Gardner scored his first goal as a Sounder on a 25-yard shot.

Preston North End plays four more games in North America before kicking off its season against Norwich City on Aug. 11.