The Seattle Sounders and Sporting Kansas City played out a goalless draw in their MLS clash at CenturyLink Field.
The home side were the first to threaten as Chad Barrett rose highest from a corner to head the ball into the path of Clint Dempsey, but the forward was unable to divert the ball past Tim Melia.
Seattle pressed forward through Dempsey again as he lined up a strike on the half-volley from distance, and Melia was forced into action to keep the ball out of the net.
Barrett should have fired the Sounders ahead when Dylan Remick played him through down the left, but the forward scuffed his shot straight at Melia.
In the second half, the Sounders raided forward and Gonzalo Pineda lifted a cross to the back post for Lamar Neagle, who fired a first-time effort first at goal which went wide of the target.
Dempsey went close again for the home side as he latched onto a cross from the right by Barrett, but his header from close range went wide of the post.
The visitors almost went ahead in the dying minutes when a loose ball into box fell into the path of Krisztian Nemeth, but he could only blast his strike well over the bar.
Sporting could have snatched all three points right at the death as Benny Feilhaber curled a free kick towards the bottom corner, but Stefan Frei got a hand to the ball to make the save and seal a draw for the home side.
Simon Sinclair
