Kennedy helps Chivas USA tie Sounders, 0-0

SEATTLE – Dan Kennedy made two saves on his own and got some help from the goal post on a penalty kick Saturday as Chivas USA and the Seattle Sounders played to a scoreless tie.

Kennedy recorded his eighth shutout of the year. Seattle's Kasey Keller made three saves in his seventh shutout.

Chivas (7-8-9, 30 points), playing the third game of a five-game road trip, has taken points in six of its last seven games.

Seattle (11-5-9, 42 points), back on the field for the first time since last Saturday's late-game 2-1 comeback win at Kansas City, has points in 11 of its past 12 games.

The Sounders missed a chance to get on the board in the 19th minute when Alvaro Fernandez drove a penalty kick off the left post. A hand ball in the box on Chivas defender Michael Umana set up the attempt.

Pat Noonan sent a shot from the top right corner of the 6-yard box toward the far post at the outset of the 50th minute. Kennedy was off his line, but was able to turn around and backtrack in time to go down and slap the ball away with an outstretched left hand.

Then in the 77th minute, Fernandez had a point-blank shot 2 yards in front of the left post, but Kennedy blocked it with his right leg.

"He has had way too much to do at points throughout the year," Chivas USA coach Robin Fraser said. "But he has done the job superbly. As I watch him, he gets better and better, and his confidence gets better. And that breeds confidence.

"But we have to get to the point where Dan is the last person we talk about."

Kennedy said he was merely doing what he needed to do — but was glad to have help from the post.

"There are going to be small breaks in the game that you need, and that was definitely one of them," he said. "When you're on the road, you need some things to go your way, and with the penalty miss, it did."

Asked if was able to get even a finger tip on Fernandez' kick, Kennedy admitted he wasn't sure.

"We'll have to check it out. I was so pumped up on the play, I'm just glad it didn't hit me and go in," he said.

In six games against Chivas since joining MLS in 2009, Seattle has been shut out five times.

"It has been three different coaches, so it's not like they play the same defensively," Sounders coach Sigi Schmid said. "It just seems for some reason that scoring goals against them, they're a little bit of a boogey team for us."