BY TODD DYBAS / SEATTLESPORTSONLINE.COM

Kasey Keller stalked off, heading into the home team tunnel. Twenty nine minutes remained in the first half, and the Sounders' captain and goalkeeper was sent off.

Keller was issued a red card for intentional use of his hands outside of the goal box, being dismissed by the referee for the first time in 17 years. That left the Sounders with their third-string goalkeeper and down a man the rest of the match, circumstance which resulted in their first franchise loss, a 1-0 defeat to Kansas City Saturday night at Qwest Field.

With Kansas City forward Herculez Gomez storming at him, Keller decided to sprint out of the box. He breached the goalkeepers' box and slid. Gomez lifted the ball which then hit Keller's half-tucked right arm, and he was done for the night. And the next game. By rule, Keller will be out of the Sounders' match at Chivas USA next Saturday.

"That’s going to be a monster," Keller said of missing the next match. "I never miss games. Having to watch the rest of the game from (the locker room) was really tough, but then having to know that I can’t play the next game is even more odd as well. That’s the double whammy."

It was a stunning turn for the club. Keller had not allowed a goal this season and already made a point-blank stop Saturday night. His ejection led to an unlikely appearance. Backup Ben Dragavon, a Monroe native, was inserted.

Don't feel out of the loop if you're not familiar with Dragavon. He's been training with the team, but is third on the goalkeeper depth chart. Chris Eylander, a former USL Sounder like Dragavon, trained with the team all week but the coaching staff chose to not have him active for the match. Eylander had been out with a knee injury but said he was he had been cleared to play. That left Dragavon thrust into the fire.

"It turned out to be a little bit rough," Dragavon said of his first MLS action. "It was an incredible experience to start out with. Unfortunately we weren't able keep out that goal."

That goal was a knuckling rip from just outside the box by Kansas City forward Davy Arnaud. Dragavon dove to his right, the same direction he flew minutes earlier to make an excellent save, but the ball shifted outside his full hand. Dragavon's fingertips weren't enough to deter the flight of the ball and it went to the back of the net.

Though down a man, Seattle controlled possession for the majority of the second half. It also had numerous scoring chances, from a shot by Fredy Montero that was saved by a Kansas City defender, to a header by Nate Jaqua that bounced wide. Brad Evans was also stopped cold by Kansas City goalkeeper Kevin Hartman. Not much of a surprise since Hartman led MLS in shutouts last season and has the most wins by a goalkeeper in the history of the league.

The loss is the first smudge on Seattle's banner inaugural season. Winning twice at home then at Toronto vaulted the Sounders to the top of their division and the MLS watch list. Nothing indicated the panache the expansion team suddenly carries more than Kansas City's reaction to Saturday's win. Forgive the Wizards if they were partying like it's 1999.

"If they’re playing a man up and win a squeaker and they’re happy, that’s good for us," Sounders FC coach Sigi Schmid said.