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MLS Seattle Sounders FC

Seattle Sounders FC News & Notes

March 5, 2012 - Major League Soccer (MLS)
Seattle Sounders FC News Release


Time to Take On the World

The long-awaited opportunity is here. Offseason preparations and preseason training camps have come and gone, and a new-look Sounders FC is set to perform on the international stage.

The big show begins on Wednesday night as Seattle hosts Mexico's Santos Laguna in the CONCACAF Champions League quarterfinals. Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. PT on the Xbox Pitch at CenturyLink Field.

Tickets for the quarterfinal are available at www.SoundersFC.com, by calling 800-745-3000 and the CenturyLink Field Box Office as well as all Ticketmaster outlets.

Entering uncharted territory in the quarters, Seattle will continue a quest started in late-July of last year in front of 700 fans in Panama City. The pursuit continued in the group stage as Sounders FC impressed, clinching a spot in the knockout round as well as a coveted win on Mexican soil.

The series with Santos continues a week later on March 14 when Sounders FC visits Torreon, Mexico for the second and deciding leg.

Now Sounders FC sits just six games from unprecedented success on a global scale. The winner of the two-leg, aggregate goals series will advance to face the winner of LA Galaxy-Toronto FC in the semifinals, with the victor securing a spot in the finals.

The winner of the Champions League tournament advances to the FIFA Club World Cup where the six continental champions plus the host nation champions battle for the title of world's top soccer club. Current Cup-holder Barcelona has won the competition two of the past three years.

A busy March rolls on as Seattle kicks off its fourth MLS season with three home games on the Xbox Pitch at CenturyLink Field. Sounders FC hosts Toronto FC in the league opener on March 17, and Houston and San Jose visit the Emerald City later in the month.

Tack on a potential Champions League semifinals match at the end of March and Sounders FC could play six games in the first 24 days of the season.

Eighteen weeks to the day since the boys from Seattle last walked off the pitch they will kick off against Santos Laguna, same stadium, same playoff intensity. First kick not only signals the start of the new season, but, fortunately for the Sounders FC faithful, Wednesday night means the wait is finally over.

Upcoming Competition Schedule (times are Pacific & subject to change)

Wednesday, March 7, 7 p.m. - CONCACAF Champions League quarterfinals: Sounders FC v Santos Laguna, Xbox Pitch at CenturyLink Field, Seattle

Wednesday, March 14, 5 p.m. - CONCACAF Champions League quarterfinals: Sounders FC at Santos Laguna, Estadio Nuevo Corona, Torreon, Mexico

Saturday, March 17, 7 p.m. - MLS Opener: Sounders FC v Toronto FC, Xbox Pitch at CenturyLink Field, Seattle

Friday, March 23, 7 p.m. - Sounders FC v Houston Dynamo, Xbox Pitch at CenturyLink Field, Seattle

Saturday, March 31, 7 p.m. - Sounders FC v San Jose Earthquakes, Xbox Pitch at CenturyLink Field, Seattle

The Boys Are Back

The core of leaders returns to Sounders FC for the 2012 season. Striker Fredy Montero is joined in the attack by 2011 MLS Newcomer of the Year Mauro Rosales, Uruguayan international Alvaro Fernandez and, eventually, winger Steve Zakuani. The backline is shored up by Jeff Parke and Jhon Kennedy Hurtado in the middle with Leo Gonzalez returning to the left side. The ever-active central midfield of Osvaldo Alonso and Brad Evans rounds out the group of returning starters.

A group of newcomers have also joined the club, most notably the six-foot-five Austrian goalkeeper Michael Gspurning, Swedish right back Adam Johansson and Danish midfielder Christian Sivebaek. The Rave Green also added a goalscorer in U.S. international Eddie Johnson. And, as in years past, Seattle also has depth. The emergence of David Estrada has created more competition for minutes at forward, particularly with teammates Sammy Ochoa and Babayele Sodade.

Fredy Golazo: Chip Shot makes it Five

Fredy Montero's brace against Jaguares de Chiapas last Wednesday raised his preseason total to five tallies in five games. The Colombian striker has averaged a goal every 65 minutes of preseason action. He has netted a brace in his last two outings, both against Mexican Primera Division clubs. All five goals were scored against MLS (Columbus Crew) or Mexican (Atlante FC and Jaguares) competition.

With two goals so far in the 2011-2012 tournament, Montero is Seattle's leading scorer with four goals and three assists all-time in Champions League play, averaging just over a point per 90 minutes. Montero is coming off his most productive year in 2011 when he scored 18 goals with 12 assists in all competitions.

Is Eddie Ready? EJ Debut Could be Soon

Eighteen days ago in Bradenton, Florida, Eddie Johnson joined his new team for his first training session. A day later, he scored 11 minutes into his first training game in Rave Green. Three weeks of workouts, two-a-days and extra one-on-one training sessions, Johnson is fast approaching match fitness. If the new Sounders striker does make his debut on Wednesday, he expects to feel at home on the pitch just as he does in the locker room with the likes of Ezra Hendrickson (teammate at Dallas), Chris Henderson (assistant coach at Kansas City), Dave Tenney (fitness coach at Kansas City) and Patrick Ianni (teammate on U.S. U-20 National Team).

Golden Opportunity: Rave Green Play for Greatness

A special opportunity awaits the winner of the CONCACAF Champions League as a berth to the FIFA Club World Cup is on the line. Sounders FC is one of eight remaining teams from the CONCACAF region, meaning just six games separates the club from winning the tournament and advancing to the Club World Cup, where the world's top soccer club is crowned. The Club World Cup consists of the six continental champions plus the host nation winner, and Seattle is vying to represent North America, Central America and the Caribbean at this year's tournament in Japan.

No MLS club has won the Champions League tournament. The previous competition, the Champions Cup, was twice won by MLS sides; the last by Seattle skipper Sigi Schmid with the LA Galaxy in 2000. Real Salt Lake reached the final last year but lost to Monterrey on aggregate, 3-2.

Play by the Rules: About the CONCACAF Champions League

The quarterfinal round is structured in a two-leg, aggregate goal series. The second leg will be played at the higher seed's home stadium. The winner of the series is determined by most total goals over the two matches. If the score is tied at the end of regulation of the second leg, away goals will be used as the tie breaker. Therefore, unless the score of the second leg is exactly the reverse of the first leg, a winner will be named in regulation. If, considering away goals, the score is still tied the teams will play an overtime period followed by penalty shootout, if necessary.

Cautionary cards reset for the quarterfinals but will not reset again for the remainder of the tournament, thus players face suspension following their second yellow card caution. However, suspensions never reset, meaning that Seattle's Zach Scott, who received his second yellow in the final group stage match last October, will be unavailable for Wednesday's game. The four officials on Wednesday are from Costa Rica, including referee Walter Quesada.

Tourney Time: Field Full of Stiff Competition

Seattle will face one of the strongest teams in the tournament in Mexico's Santos Laguna. Yet the field is full of strong opposition, including four Mexican Primera Division sides and three MLS Clubs. MLS Cup-winners LA Galaxy is the higher seed in their matchup with Toronto FC. The other quarterfinal matchups include last year's winners Monterrey versus current Mexican Primera Division leaders Morelia and Pumas versus the only club from outside MLS and Mexico, El Salvador's Metapan. The first leg of the semifinals will be on March 27 with the second leg on April 3. The finals are scheduled for April 17 and April 24.

The original 24 berths in the 2011-2012 Champions League field were divided among the three sub-regions of the confederation, with 12 reserved for Central America, nine for North America, and three for the Caribbean. The United States and Mexico received four berths each.

Road to Glory: How Seattle, Santos Reached Quarterfinals

Both Sounders FC and Santos Laguna began their title chase in the preliminary round of the CONCACAF Champions League. Seattle downed Panama's San Francisco FC, 2-1 on aggregate, while Santos flew past Olimpia of Honduras, 5-2. In the group stage, Seattle finished second in Group D behind the reigning champions Monterrey, who Sounders FC beat 1-nil in Mexico. And Santos finished atop Group B with 13 points, the most of any team in the group stage this year.

Three Sounders FC players have scored multiple goals in this year's tournament, including Fredy Montero (three), Osvaldo Alonso (two) and Alvaro Fernandez (two).

Friendly Fire: Meet the Opposition

Santos Laguna is currently fourth in the Mexican Clausura with 17 points through nine games (5-2-2). After a three-match winless streak, Santos bounced back to its winning ways with a 5-2 home win over an undermanned San Luis last Saturday. Los Guerreros also have a home game against Puebla on March 10 and an away game against Cruz Azul on March 17. Santos began the season unbeaten in its first five outings (4-0-1) after reaching the Apertura finals last December.

Santos scored the most goals of any team in the group stage with 16 tallies, five more than the nearest competitor. They faced the Colorado Rapids in the group stage and beat their American opposition 6-1 over the two legs. Their lone loss came to fellow quarterfinalist Metapan, but Santos avenged the loss with a 6-0 win in the rematch. Colombian Carlos Quintero, who may miss Wednesday's game with an injury, and Mexican Oribe Peralta lead Santos with four goals each in this year's CCL tournament.

March Madness: Busy Month Ahead for Sounders FC

After waiting through two months of offseason and over six weeks of preseason training, the Sounders FC faithful will finally get to see the boys back in action come Wednesday. And with a March 7 start it will be the earliest competitive match in the Sounders FC short history.

Not only will the season start with a bang, but the entire month of March is filled with excitement. The Rave Green will play at least five contests in March with four at home; the lone road match comes on March 14 in Torreon, Mexico. A potential sixth game date could be added should Seattle advance to the CCL semifinals.

Seattle will play teams from three different countries with Mexico's Santos Laguna, Canada's Toronto FC and United States' Houston Dynamo and San Jose Earthquakes. Three of the five matches in March are on national TV, and the team plays on three different days of the week with two games on Wednesdays, two on Saturdays and one on Friday.

Super Cyan Style: Debut of New Third Kit

Wednesday night's match with Santos Laguna will mark the first appearance of Sounders FC in their bright blue third kit known as Super Cyan. For the last two seasons the Electricity third kit has been donned for Open Cup and international matches, and for MLS play on occasion. Some of the biggest moments in club history have occurred in the third strip, including the 2010 and 2011 U.S. Open Cup title runs and the comeback victory at Portland last July.

Rave Green Greetings: Seattle Adds Three More Pieces

The roster continues to take shape as Seattle signed three players last week in keeper Andrew Weber and draftees Andrew Duran and Babayele Sodade. There are now nine new players on Sounders FC since last season, six of whom are new to Major League Soccer.

Weber, 28, has trained with Sounders FC throughout the 2012 preseason. He joins Seattle from San Jose where he spent the past three seasons, making two MLS starts. Weber began his professional career with DC United in 2005. After one season, he joined the Montreal Impact of the USL First Division where he made 29 regular season appearances for the Impact from 2006-08 and played in one CONCACAF Champions League match in 2008.

Duran, a 22-year-old defender from Creighton University, was selected by Seattle with its first pick (15th overall) in the 2012 MLS SuperDraft. He was named the Missouri Valley Conference Defensive Player of the Year and NSCAA All-American Second Team in 2011. He made 59 appearances with 48 starts in his five seasons at Creighton. Duran made a career-high 24 starts as a senior and earned College Soccer News All-American First Team honors. He helped lead Creighton to one of the best defensive performances in 2011 with a 0.2 goals against average and 19 shutouts, one shy of the NCAA record.

Sodade, 21, was selected by Seattle in the second round (34th overall) of the 2012 MLS SuperDraft. He was named to the All-Conference USA First Team and NSCAA All-Midwest Region Second Team as a senior at the University of Alabama-Birmingham. He finished his college career tied-fourth in school history with 29 goals. The six-foot-three forward was born in Maryland but grew up in Nigeria and Ontario, Canada.

Sodade has been called in by the Canadian Men's Olympic for training camp in Sunrise, Florida from March 13 to March 20, 2012. He will miss Seattle's away leg against Santos Laguna in the CONCACAF Champions League quarterfinals on March 14 as well as the MLS season opener against Toronto FC on March 17. Sodade was called in to the Canadian Men's Olympic Team camp in 2010 but has not made an international appearance.

Recap: Seattle Sounders FC 2 vs. Jaguares de Chiapas 0 - February 29, 2012

A Fredy Montero brace fueled Sounders FC in a 2-0 win over Jaguares de Chiapas in the third annual "Community Shield" charity match Wednesday night on the Xbox Pitch at CenturyLink Field.

Sounders FC (5-0-2) finishes the preseason undefeated and will now set their sights on next Wednesday's CONCACAF Champions League quarterfinal match against Santos Laguna.

After an hour of scoreless play, Montero put Sounders FC on the board in the 61st minute. Jeff Parke led the ball to the corner and a streaking Adam Johansson crossed it to Montero in front of goal. Montero rose above the Jaguares defender and headed in the goal.

In the 73rd minute, Montero completed the brace when his chip shot from 16 yards out beat the keeper Edgar Hernandez to the top corner. The shot was set up by a combination on the right side from Mauro Rosales and Osvaldo Alonso.

The brace gives Montero a team-high five preseason goals.

Towards the end of the first half, it looked as if the Rave Green would get on the board multiple times. Mauro Rosales created three separate scoring chances between the 32nd and 38th minutes, all missing closely. In the 38th, David Estrada pushed the ball ahead to Rosales on the right wing, who then passed to Montero in front of the goal, but his shot was blocked by a Jaguares defender.

Christian Sivebaek made his debut in front of the Sounders FC faithful when he came in for Alvaro Fernandez in the 66th minute. The only other Seattle subs were Sammy Ochoa, entering for Estrada in the 76th minute, and Roger Levesque, entering for Mauro Rosales in the 85th.

Rosales was named team captain for the match.

The game was attended by 11,140 fans and raised over $36,500 for Sounders FC community partners.

Sounders FC finishes the preseason with five wins and two draws in seven contests. The Rave Green outscored their opponents 19-4 and scored a goal in each game and also recorded four shutouts.

Sounders FC Kickoff Luncheon this Friday

The Sounders FC announced will host the third annual Kickoff Luncheon at CenturyLink Field on Friday, March 9 from 12:30-1:45 p.m. Fans will have the opportunity to meet players, coaches and members of the new Sounders FC broadcast team, Ross Fletcher and Kasey Keller, in addition to supporting the club's charity partners. Guests will sit with Sounders FC players, coaches, and team executives.

Fans attending the lunch are also invited to attend the Sounders FC training session from 11-11:30 a.m. The session will be followed by a question/answer session with members of the front office.

Tables of 10 include eight guests, plus two Sounders FC personnel (players, coaches, or team executives). Each table costs $800 and individual tickets are available for $100.

Proceeds from the Kickoff Luncheon ticket sales and silent auction will benefit the five Sounders FC charity partners including: America SCORES Seattle, Boys & Girls Clubs (King Co. & Bellevue), Special Olympics Washington, Washington Global Health and Washington Youth Soccer.

For more information visit http://www.soundersfc.com/kickoffluncheon

Throw-ins

Steve Zakuani will be at Dick's Sporting Goods on Tuesday, March 6. Visit SoundersFC.com for more information...Goalkeeper Andrew Weber and his twin brother, Elliot, were eliminated from The Amazing Race in last night's episode...Sounders FC will play Oregon State University in a training scrimmage at Starfire on Saturday, March 10...The Sounders FC Reserve Team will kick off its season on March 26 in Vancouver. The game against the Whitecaps FC Reserve Team will be held at University of British Columbia at 11 a.m....Santos Laguna has a partnership with Celtic FC, who Seattle played in a 2010 friendly.

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