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MLS Seattle Sounders FC

Sounders FC News & Notes

May 18, 2009 - Major League Soccer (MLS)
Seattle Sounders FC News Release


Facing the most challenging circumstances yet this season, the Seattle Sounders FC ventures to the Denver area to play the first of two back-to-back games against the Colorado Rapids on Saturday night, May 23, at Dick's Sporting Goods Park. Kickoff is set for 6:30 p.m. PT.

The match will be aired locally live on KONG 6/16 and News Talk 97.3 KIRO FM, and in Spanish on 1210 AM Ke Buena.

Both teams are 1-0-2 in their last three MLS matches and are coming off ties. Sounders FC is unbeaten (1-0-3) in its last four league games (five overall) and has drawn three in a row. Seattle is 1-1-2 on the road. Colorado is 2-0-1 at home.

The two teams will turn around and play a U.S. Open Cup Play-In game at Tukwila's Starfire Sports Stadium next Tuesday, May 26.

Seattle's next four MLS home games (Columbus, San Jose, D.C. United, Colorado) are sold out. There are tickets on sale for the other remaining home dates. To purchase, call 1-877-MLS-GOAL or visit www.SoundersFC.com.

Upcoming Competition Schedule (All times Pacific)

Saturday, May 23, 6:30 p.m - at Colorado Rapids; Dick's Sporting Goods Park, Commerce City, Colo.

Tuesday, May 26, 7:00 p.m. - Colorado Rapids; Starfire Sports Stadium, Tukwila, Wash.

Saturday, May 30, 7:30 p.m. - Columbus Crew; Xbox Pitch at Qwest Field

Saturday, June 6, 7:30 p.m. - at Chivas USA; The Home Depot Center, Carson, Calif.

Saturday, June 13, 7:30 p.m. - San Jose Earthquakes; Xbox Pitch at Qwest Field

Upcoming Training Schedule, May 18 - 25 (subject to change):

Monday, May 18 - No Training

Tuesday, May 19 - Training at Starfire Sports Complex, 10 a.m.

Wednesday, May 20 - Training at Starfire Sports Complex, 10 a.m.

Thurday, May 21 - Training at Starfire Sports Complex, 10 a.m.

Friday, May 22 - Training at Starfire Sports Complex, 9 a.m.

Saturday, May 23 - Reserves training at Starfire Sports Complex, 10 a.m.

Sunday, May 24 - No Training

Monday, May 25 - Training at Starfire Sports Complex, 10 a.m.

Barcelona Coming to Seattle

The Seattle Sounders FC will play FC Barcelona on the Xbox Pitch at Qwest Field on Wednesday, August 5. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. (PT).

Sounders FC season ticket holders have received tickets to the game as part of their 18-match package, which also includes Chelsea and the MLS Cup.

Tickets will go on sale to the general public on Monday, June 15th at 10 a.m. Tickets will be available at www.SoundersFC.com or by calling 1-800-745-3000.

FC Barcelona, whose heralded roster of international superstars currently includes Lionel Messi, Rafa Marquez, Xavi, Carles Puyol, Thierry Henry and Andres Iniesta - who scored the goal that propelled Barca into the Champion's League Final - will look to secure its third UEFA Champions League crown on Wednesday, May 27 against Manchester United, at Rome's Stadio Olimpico.

FC Barcelona has more than 150,000 voting members. Barcelona inspired formation of the Sounders FC Alliance, a supporters association which empowers members to have a vote in the club's direction.

Chelsea Tickets on Sale

Tickets for the Sounders FC-Chelsea match on July 18 are now on sale. To date, 63,500 tickets have been distributed. To purchase, call 1-800-745-3000, all Ticketmaster outlets or the Qwest Field Box office, or visit www.SoundersFC.com.

The Pro Shop at Pacific Place to Open June 12

Seahawks and Sounders FC fans who live and work in the heart of downtown Seattle will soon be able to purchase licensed apparel and souvenirs for both teams at The Pro Shop at Pacific Place. The new store will be located on Level-3 next to Benetton and will open Friday, June 12, at 9:30 a.m.

Seating Capacity Increasing

Due to the high demand for Sounders FC tickets, the team will open up seating in the south end zone of the stadium's lower bowl, beginning with the June 28 match. The seating configuration will be the same as it was for the inaugural game, with a capacity of approximately 32,000. The team will utilize the full-stadium capacity of 67,000 for Chelsea and FC Barcelona.

Attendance Record

With another capacity crowd for the match against the L.A. Galaxy, Sounders FC is the first franchise in MLS history to have 28,000 or more fans at five consecutive regular season or postseason home games. Each of the first five games has sold out. The inaugural match drew the largest crowd in franchise history as 32,523 fans watched the Sounders FC defeat New York on March 19. The Mother's Day match versus the Galaxy attracted the second-largest crowd to date (29,025).

Gold Cup Tickets on Sale

Two-time defending champion USA will play a first-round match of the 2009 CONCACAF Gold Cup on Saturday, July 4, on the Xbox Pitch at Qwest Field. The U.S. will face Grenada at 6 p.m. PT in the second match of the Gold Cup doubleheader. The first match will feature Haiti and Honduras at 4 p.m. PT. For ticket purchases and information visit www.Ticketmaster.com, www.GoldCup.org and www.CopaOro.org.

Chasing History

With four wins and three draws in the first nine games, Seattle is off to the best start in MLS expansion history. Miami is the only other team to be above .500 through nine games. Miami and Chicago are the only expansion teams to reach the playoffs, with the Fire winning both the MLS Cup and the U.S. Open Cup in its first season (1998).

Previous Expansion Starts

Team 9 Games 10 Games 1st Season Notes

Chicago Fire (1998): 4-5-0 5-5-0 20-12/MLS Cup, U.S. Open Cup

Miami Fusion (1998): 5-4-0 5-5-0 15-17/1st round playoffs

Real Salt Lake (2005): 3-4-2 3-5-2 5-22-5/5th, West

Chivas USA (2005): 1-7-1 1-8-1 4-22-6 /6th, West

Toronto FC (2007): 3-5-1 3-6-1 6-17-7/7th, East

San Jose Earthquakes (2008): 2-6-1 3-6-1 8-13-9/7th, West

Seattle Sounders FC (2009): 4-2-3

Sounders FC to Host Colorado in Open Cup Play-In

Sounders FC will host the Colorado Rapids in a Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup play-in match on Tuesday, May 26, at Starfire Sports Complex in Tukwila. Kickoff is set for 7:00 p.m. If Seattle defeats Colorado, it will advance to the Open Cup Round of 16. The other MLS play-in game features New York Red Bulls at D.C. United.

The Open Cup play-in between the Sounders FC and Colorado Rapids will be carried live via Internet audiocast at SoundersFC.com. Thom Beuning will call the action with analysis from Peter Fewing.

Covered grandstand seating has sold out. $10 bleacher seats are still available. There will be limited seating capacity. Tickets are general admission and fans are encouraged to arrive early to get the best possible seats. For information on Open Cup tickets please visit www.SoundersFC.com and www.Ticketmaster.com.

Seattle won its first play-in game, 4-1 over Real Salt Lake, on April 28 before 3,890 fans at Stafire. The winner will qualify for the Open Cup and will enter the tournament in the third round, which begins June 30.

Into the Deep

Seattle's depth will be tested sooner than later. Due to the recent rise in injuries, reserves are being called upon. Patrick Ianni saw his first action of the MLS season, getting the call at right back at FC Dallas, while Tyson Wahl made his '09 league debut as a substitute at left back. Stephen King has now played in each of the last three games. Peter Vagenas, who has the second-most MLS experience (183 games) of any player on the roster, joined the travel squad for the first time in Texas after recovering from off-season knee surgery.

Every Minute Men

Three Sounders FC players-Osvaldo Alonso, Jhon Kennedy Hurtado and Tyrone Marshall- have played all 810 minutes of the first nine games. Marshall and Hurtado have been paired in central defense, with Alonso serving as the holding central midfielder. Until leaving the FC Dallas game due to injuries, Brad Evans had not missed a minute of action.

Drawing: Different Pictures

Although at a glance they all appear identical, the three successive 1-1 draws have each been different stories. Sounders FC players seemed to feel positive about tying Chicago on May 2 after scoring the equalizer while playing a man down for the final 42 minutes. At home to L.A. a week later, Seattle was again shorthanded and unlucky not to claim three points. But in Texas the mood was more sullen, both because of the injuries suffered and the early chances squandered.

Riley Returns

James Riley is due to return in more ways than one this week. Riley, having served his one-game suspension for a red card, is expected to resume starting at right back. He's also returning to his home state, Colorado, for this weekend's game. Riley is a native of Colorado Springs and was a two-time prep All-American at Harrison High School, and he played club ball for the Colorado Rush, which also produced Rapids forward Conor Casey.

Seen 'Em Before, After

Colorado was the first MLS team to visit Xbox Pitch at Qwest Field this season. The Rapids played a dress rehearsal game on March 12 behind closed doors, with the game's sole goal coming from a Conor Casey penalty.

Defenders Score, Two

Defenders have now scored two of the last three Sounders FC goals, both coming in 1-1 draws. On his birthday, central defender Jhon Kennedy Hurtado scored Seattle's only goal in last weekend's draw with FC Dallas. Two weeks earlier, down a man at Chicago, Hurtado's right-hand man in central defense, Tyrone Marshall, scored the equalizer on a corner kick; it remains Seattle's only goal on a set play.

First Half of First Third

One-third plus of the season over, Seattle has scored 12 goals and given up six. Eleven of those 18 total goals have come in the first half; eight for Seattle, and three for the opponents. Those three surrendered came late in the first half. In the first six games, Seattle scored nine goals; just three in the last three. In the first three games, Seattle earned nine points; just six in the last six.

Colorado and Chris Henderson

Sounders FC technical director Chris Henderson played seven seasons over two stints with the Rapids (1996-98; 2002-05). He holds the club records for games played (178), started (170), minutes (14784), assists (53), shots (342), shots on goal (151), and fouls. Chris, along with younger brother Sean Henderson and Seattle native Marcus Hahnemann, starred for the Rapids in their run to the 1997 MLS Cup final.

USL-1 Sounders Against Colorado

The Sounders of the past were 1-2-0 against Colorado. In 1998, the Rapids defeated the Sounders 4-1 in a friendly played in Marysville. A year later, the two sides faced off in an Open Cup match at Colorado, with the Rapids winning, 1-0. They again met in the 2007 Open Cup quarterfinals at Qwest Field, where the Sounders won big, 5-0. Current Sounders FC players Taylor Graham, Zach Scott and Sebastien Le Toux each scored, and Chris Eylander earned the clean sheet.

Colorado's Northwest Connections

The Rapids have several players with Northwest connections, including forward Conor Casey, who scored 11 goals last season. Casey attended the University of Portland (1999-2000), where he was a teammate of Sounders FC forward Nate Jaqua in 2000.

Midfielder Ciaran O'Brien starred for Federal Way's Decatur High School. He played on loan from the Rapids to the USL-1 Sounders last summer alongside his older brother Leighton, who played for the USL-1 Sounders for seven seasons. Their father, Fran, for both FC Seattle and the Tacoma Stars

Goalkeeper Preston Burpo played for the USL-1 Sounders from 1997-05, helping win the championship in 2005 under then head coach and current Sounders FC assistant Brian Schmetzer.

Ty Harden, who teamed up with Sounders FC midfielder Pete Vagenas for the 2007 season with the Galaxy, spent four years at the University of Washington (2003-06), where he was a teammate of Sounders FC goalkeeper Chris Eylander.

Recap: Sounders FC 1, FC Dallas 1

Kasey Keller made four second-half saves as the Seattle Sounders FC came away with a 1-1 draw with FC Dallas. Jhon Kennedy Hurtado scored for Seattle, which earned its third straight tie and extended its unbeaten run to four games (1-0-3). Two of the draws have come on the road.

Seattle scored first. Hurtado, a central defender, celebrated his 25th birthday by scoring his first MLS goal in the 18th minute. Hurtado flicked over FCD keeper Ray Burse from 12 yards after Nate Jaqua had headed on a ball from Patrick Ianni.

FC Dallas got the equalizer from Andre Rocha, Dallas defender Marcelo Saragosa drove the ball deep into the Seattle box, and Rocha redirected the ball past Keller from 6 yards in the dying seconds of the first half.

Keller at Home

Kasey Keller's spotless record at home ended after 334 minutes with the first-half goal by L.A.'s Alan Gordon. Combined with games played for the U.S. National Team, Keller had not allowed a goal in 604 minutes of his games played in Seattle. Earlier, Keller set an MLS record for consecutive scoreless minutes to start a season (457 minutes), and he is the only goalkeeper in league history to post three complete shutouts to start their MLS career. His record in goal this season is 4-0-3.

Getting Defensive

Sounders FC ranks tied for No. 2 in MLS in fewest goals allowed (6); two of those goals were scored while playing shorthanded. Kasey Keller rates first among keepers with a GAA of 0.32. He is No. 2 in shutouts (4) and wins (4).

Speaking of Open Cup: Le Toux

When it comes to matches related to the U.S. Open Cup, Sebastien Le Toux is prolific. Le Toux sparked Sounders FC with two goals and two assists in a 4-1 U.S. Open Cup Play-In win over Real Salt Lake on April 28. In both 2007 and 2008 while playing for the USL-1 Sounders, Le Toux was the Open Cup goals leader, with five each season.

Getting Involved

Ten players have been involved in the 12 goals scored by Seattle to date, including eight different goal scorers: Fredy Montero (3), Steve Zakuani (2), Brad Evans (2), Jhon Kennedy Hurtado, Nate Jaqua, Freddie Ljungberg, Tyrone Marshall and Sebastien Le Toux.

Sigi's Final Countdown

Schmid is approaching the summit of two MLS coaching categories. The league's active leader in wins (117), Schmid is seven wins shy of Bob Bradley's MLS record 124 victories. New England's Steve Nicol is No. 2 among active coaches in wins (89) and No. 3 overall. Schmid (265) is seven matches away from surpassing Bradley's MLS record of 272 career games coached.

More About Schmid

Schmid's career mark against Colorado is 19-10-6. In regular season games, Schmid was 11-8-4 with the L.A. Galaxy, and 3-1-2 with Columbus. Schmid's L.A. Galaxy faced the Rapids six times in the postseason, posting a record of 5-1-0.

About Colorado

Second-year coach Gary Smith leads a Rapids team that through eight games is tied for third with Houston in the Western Conference with 12 points (3-2-3), and is unbeaten in its last three (1-0-2). The Rapids feature two U.S. National Team veterans in Pablo Mastroeni and Cory Gibbs. Midfielder Colin Clark has assisted on all three of Colorado's game-winning goals. The Rapids are tied for 8th in goals scored with 11, and 4th in goals yielded with nine.

This past weekend, the Rapids tied with New England, 1-1. Forward Conor Casey, who is tied for third in MLS with five goals, scored in the third minute. Gibbs returned to the lineup as a second-half substitute for the first time since April 11. He had been sidelined with a groin injury.

Current Training Squad

The following players begin the week training in Seattle: Goalkeepers (4): Chris Blais*, Ben Dragavon*, Chris Eylander, Kasey Keller; Defenders (9): Evan Brown, Taylor Graham, Jhon Kennedy Hurtado, Patrick Ianni, Tyrone Marshall, James Riley, Zach Scott, Nathan Sturgis, Tyson Wahl; Midfielders (7): Osvaldo Alonso, Brad Evans, Stephen King, Sebastien Le Toux, Freddie Ljungberg, Sanna Nyassi, Peter Vagenas; Forwards (7): Kevin Forrest, Nate Jaqua, Roger Levesque, Fredy Montero, Lamar Neagle*, Jarrod Smith, Steve Zakuani.

*invitee

Injury Update

Midfielder Brad Evans is scheduled for an MRI on his left knee on Tuesday. Evans left the FC Dallas game in the 79th minute following a collision with FCD keeper Ray Burse. Evans sustained a mild concussion on the play.

Defender Zach Scott left last week's game in the 18th minute with a groin injury and will see a specialist Tuesday.

Midfielder Freddie Ljungberg is recovering from a migraine last Friday.

Forward Jarrod Smith and midfielder Nathan Sturgis (both hamstring strains) continue to make progress.

Goalkeeper Chris Eylander was placed on injured reserve last week with a left medial knee bone bruise. Eylander will eligible to return to action for the June 20 game at New York.

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