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MLS Seattle Sounders FC

Sounders FC News & Notes

June 29, 2009 - Major League Soccer (MLS)
Seattle Sounders FC News Release


A rivalry will be renewed on Wednesday night when the Seattle Sounders FC embarks upon its trip to the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, facing the Portland Timbers of USL-1. Kickoff is 7 p.m. PT at Portland's PGE Park.

The winner of Wednesday's game advances to the quarterfinal round of the Open Cup on July 7. If Sounders FC prevails, it will either host the Kansas City Wizards at Starfire Sports Stadium or visit the Minnesota Thunder. The next MLS match is at home on July 11 against the Houston Dynamo.

Seattle is 8-3-7 overall (6-3-7 in MLS) and is unbeaten in its last four (2-0-2) games, all in MLS. Sounders FC owns the third-best percentage record and its 25 points is tied for third in the league.

To reach the third round of the Open Cup, Sounders FC eliminated Real Salt Lake (4-1, April 28) and Colorado (1-0, May 26) in play-in games.

Portland advanced to this stage with wins over the Kitsap Pumas (3-0) and Sonoma County Sol (3-0).

Wednesday's match will be televised live on FSN.

To purchase tickets to future home games, call 1-877-MLS-GOAL or visit www.SoundersFC.com.

Upcoming Competition Schedule (All times Pacific)

Wednesday, July 1, 7 p.m. - at Portland Timbers; PGE Park, Portland, Ore.

Saturday, July 11, 1:00 p.m. - Houston Dynamo; Xbox Pitch at Qwest Field

Saturday, July 18, 12 p.m. - Chelsea FC; Xbox Pitch at Qwest Field

Saturday, July 25, 12 p.m. - Chicago Fire; Xbox Pitch at Qwest Field

Sunday, August 2, 12:00 p.m. - at San Jose Earthquakes; Buck Shaw Stadium, Santa Clara, Calif.

Upcoming Training Schedule, June 30-July 5 (subject to change):

Tuesday, June 30 - Training at PGE Park, Portland, 6 p.m.

Thursday, July 2 - Training at Starfire Sports Complex, 11 a.m.

Friday, July 3 - No Training

Saturday, July 4 - No Training

Sunday, July 5 - Training at Starfire Sports Complex, 2 p.m.

Reserves Schedule (subject to change)

Monday, July 13, 10:30 a.m. -Kitsap Pumas; Starfire Sports Complex

Note: All reserve team games are closed to the public

Rebooting the Season

To open the second half of the MLS, Seattle replicated its start, a 3-0 home win. Sounders FC started its inaugural campaign with three straight wins but has not managed consecutive league victories since.

Fredy's En Fuego

Forward Fredy Montero finished the first half of the season just as hot as he started it. Montero has scored in four straight games-the longest such streak in the league this season-and he has totaled five goals and five assists in the last seven. He is now tied for second in MLS scoring with eight goals and six assists. He shares the lead in game-winning goals with three. Montero began the season by earning March Player of the Month after scoring three times in the first two matches.

June & Jaqua

Nate Jaqua capped another productive June by scoring twice and earning one assist in the 3-0 victory over Colorado last Sunday. June has been Jaqua's most productive month, with 14 goals in 25 MLS games. He missed the June 13 game with San Jose as a result of receiving a red card the week prior, but has scored three times in the last three games. He has six goals to date. His best season total was eight with Chicago in 2006.

Jaqua is MLS Player of the Week

Nate Jaqua's two goals and one assist in the 3-0 victory over Colorado on Sunday earned him MLS Player of the Week. Jaqua becomes the third Sounders FC player to earn the award during the club's inaugural season. Fredy Montero did so in Week 1 and Kasey Keller followed in Week 2. It was Jaqua's fifth career multi-goal game and his first as a Seattle player. His first goal against the Rapids is also a nominee for MLS Goal of the Week. Jaqua fended off two defenders before working a give-and-go with Montero to set-up an 8-yard strike in the 48th minute.

Freddie's In-Form

Freddie Ljungberg figured in two of Seattle's three goals against Colorado. Ljungberg's corner kick led to Fredy Montero's opener and his long cross-field ball to Sebastien Le Toux triggered a counterattack which led to Nate Jaqua's second goal. Ljungberg has totaled three assists and a goal in his last five games.

Color Them Blue

For the first time in competitive first team play, Sounders FC will wear blue this week. Seattle's regular away strip of rave green jerseys and short with blue socks will give way to all blue kit in Portland. The Timbers traditionally wear all green at home.

When Country Calls

Following Sunday's game, Seattle lost both midfielder Brad Evans and central defender Tyrone Marshall to their respective national teams for the CONCACAF Gold Cup. Evans received his first call-in to the United States National Team and Marshall will represent Jamaica for the final time. He has 65 caps for the Reggae Boyz. Jamaica will face Canada in its opening group play game in Los Angeles on July 3. The U.S. opens against Grenada in Seattle on July 4.

Rivalry Roots

For much of the last 34 years, Seattle and Portland have been rivals at the highest senior levels in soccer. From 1975-82 the NASL Sounders and Timbers met 21 times. FC Seattle and FC Portland (1985-89) collided on 13 occasions. From 2001-08 in USL-1 the Timbers and Sounders battled 38 times in league and Open Cup play. Until 2011, when Portland joins MLS, the only possible competitive meetings between the Sounders FC and Timbers will occur in Open Cup play.

A Homecoming for Some

For three members of the Sounders FC, Wednesday will serve as a homecoming of sorts. Nate Jaqua (Eugene) and Terry Boss (Philomath) are both Oregon natives, while both Jaqua and Kasey Keller played for the University of Portland. Jaqua trained with the USL-1 Timbers while in college and Keller also played for FC Portland in the Western Soccer League. While representing the U.S. National Team, Keller posted shutouts (1-0) in a World Cup qualifying win over Costa Rica in 1997 and a friendly defeat of Kuwait (2-0) in 1998, both at Portland's then-Civic Stadium.

Site of Seattle History

Seattle and Portland's professional soccer histories are intertwined, going back to the NASL Timbers' inaugural game, played against the Sounders at then-Civic Stadium in 1975. The two teams' first playoff games were against one another later that season. The Sounders' first Soccer Bowl appearance was against the New York Cosmos at Civic in 1977 and the Timbers' final NASL appearance was versus Seattle in 1982.

Oregon Native Signs

Sounders FC signed goalkeeper Terry Boss on June 26. Boss, 27, earned USL-2 Goalkeeper of the Year honors in 2008 while playing for the Charlotte Eagles. He joined the New York Red Bulls on September 15, 2008, and remained with the MLS club until being waived May 27.

A native of Philomath, Oregon, Boss has been training with Sounders FC since early June. He has represented the Puerto Rico National Team three times, all in 2008. Boss led USL-2 in wins (11) and shutouts (9) in 2008, helping Charlotte reach the league championship game. After signing with New York he played in three reserve team games before sustaining a torn posterior cruciate ligament.

Cup History in Seattle

The Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup is the longest running team tournament championship in the U.S., dating back to 1914. It is open to both amateur and professional clubs who can qualify. The only Seattle club to qualify for an Open Cup final was the amateur Mitre Eagles in 1987. The Eagles fell to Club Espana of Washington, D.C., on penalties following a 0-0 draw.

While the NASL Sounders did not participate in the Open Cup, the USL-1 Sounders competed on an annual basis, beginning in 1995. They lost to El Paso in the semifinals that season, and also advanced to the final four in 1996 (FC Dallas), 2007 (FC Dallas) and 2008 (Charleston Battery).

Getting Here

Sounders FC claimed one of eight MLS slots in the Open Cup with two play-in wins. Sebastien Le Toux scored two goals and assisted on scores by Sanna Nyassi and Stephen King in the 4-1 defeat of Real Salt Lake. Kevin Forrest's header from Roger Levesque and Nyassi assists fueled the 1-0 shutout of Colorado, with Kasey Keller posting the clean sheet.

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.

Cup Format Notes

If any U.S. Open Cup play-in game is tied at the end of regulation, a 30-minute extra time period (consisting of two 15-minute halves) shall be played in its entirety. If the score is still tied at the end of the 30-minute extra time period, the game shall be decided by a penalty kick tiebreaker. Teams are limited to five foreign players on the 18-player match roster.

Road Show for Supporters

Hundreds of Sounders FC faithful will travel south for the Open Cup match at Portland. The Emerald City Supporters, Gorilla FC, Immortal Fury and the North End Supporters are all organizing travel buses to PGE Park.

Sigi & The Cup

Sigi Schmid hasted tasted success in Open Cups past. While with the L.A. Galaxy, Schmid won the 2001 Cup and finished runner-up in 2002. The Galaxy also reached the semifinal stage in 2000 and 2003. Schmid's career record in Open Cup play is 14-7-1.

Last Game Recap: Sounders FC 3, Colorado Rapids 0

Nate Jaqua scored two goals and Fredy Montero scored the game's first and assisted on the others as the Seattle Sounders FC posted a 3-0 win over the Colorado Rapids at Xbox Pitch at Qwest Field on June 28.

Montero scored in his fourth consecutive game as the Sounders FC (6-3-7) extended their unbeaten streak to four games (2-0-2). The match attracted the largest crowd of the season, 32,526, and it was Seattle's first shutout in 10 MLS games.

Colorado (5-3-6) had an eight-game unbeaten run ended. The Rapids trail Seattle by four points in the Western Conference and have two games in hand.

Montero opened the scoring in the 23rd minute with his eighth goal of the season. His header on the goal line came after Jaqua had redirected Freddie Ljungberg's corner kick toward goal. Montero is now tied for 2nd in the league in goals scored.

Colorado had an opportunity to equalize in the 35th minute but a penalty kick by Omar Cummings struck the crossbar. Kasey Keller made two saves to earn the shutout .

Jaqua made it 2-0 in the 48th minute. He slipped the ball to Montero and took the return pass for a shot past Rapids keeper Matt Pickens.

Jaqua converted his sixth goal of the season in the 68th minute. Montero received a cross from Sebastien Le Toux and laid the ball open for Jaqua's strike from 15 yards. Three of Jaqua's goals this season have come against Colorado.

Midweek Magic

Sounders FC is unbeaten (3-0-1) in its four midweek matches to date, beating New York, 3-0, to open the season on a Thursday, March 19. Seattle has since won a pair of Tuesday night games in U.S. Open Cup Play-Ins, defeating both Real Salt Lake, 4-1, and Colorado, 1-0. Both were played at Starfire. The sole blemish was a 3-3 draw with D.C. United at home on June 17. This will be the fourth instance of Seattle playing games fewer than four days apart.

Levesque's Timbers Totals

From 2004-08, Roger Levesque scored nine goals for the Sounders in USL-1 games against Portland. Five of those tallies came on the road. He scored all three goals in a two-game, 2005 postseason sweep. In all, Levesque scored four game-winners. Sebastien Le Toux scored three goals against the Timbers during 2007-08. Le Toux and Levesque started up front for Seattle in both play-in matches. Sanna Nyassi, another member of the USL-1 Sounders in 2008, also started the play-ins, scoring once and adding an assist.

Available for the Cup

Jarrod Smith remains on the MLS injured reserve list but is eligible to play in Wednesday's Open Cup match. Last week Smith returned from his call-up to the New Zealand National Team for the FIFA Confederations Cup in South Africa. While he did not see action in any of the All Whites' three Confederations Cup games, he did start a friendly at Botswana. Smith, on the disabled list for MLS games since the start of the season, made his only Sounders FC appearance in an Open Cup Play-In on April 28.

Men in the Middle

Sigi Schmid's midfield and central defense is sure to be reconfigured for the bout in Portland. Both central midfield starters Brad Evans (USMNT call in) and Osvaldo Alonso (groin strain) are out, as is center back Tyrone Marshall (Jamaica call in). Likely to get the starting call in the Rose City is Stephen King, who started both play-in games. He was paired with Nathan Sturgis in the first outing and Patrick Ianni in the second.

Matinee Idols

Seattle's next three home games, including the Chelsea FC friendly on July 18, will all be played in the afternoon. Five of the final seven home MLS games start at either 12 noon or 1 p.m. To date, Sounders FC has played three day games, winning at Toronto, 2-0, on April 4, and tying Los Angeles at home, 1-1, on May 10, and blanking Colorado, 3-0, last Sunday.

Attack Is Clicking

Seattle's attack is beginning to fire on all cylinders, totaling nine goals in the last four games. Eight of those goals were scored at home, where each of the next two league games will be played. Prior to this recent surge, Sounders FC had netted only six goals in the six previous MLS outings. MLS play resumes July 11 against Houston and Chicago visits Seattle on July 25.

Chasing History

At 6-3-7 through the first 16 games, Seattle is off to the best start for an MLS expansion franchise since the Chicago Fire (11-5-0) in 1998. 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.

Previous Expansion Starts

Team 16 Games 17 Games 1st Season Notes

Chicago (1998): 11-5-0 12-5-0 Won MLS Cup, U.S. Open Cup

Miami (1998): 6-10-0 6-11-0 1st round playoffs

Salt Lake (2005): 3-9-4 3-10-4 Finished 5th, West

Chivas USA (2005): 1-12-3 1-13-3 Finished 6th, West

Toronto (2007): 5-7-4 5-8-4 Finished 7th, East

San Jose (2008): 3-9-4 3-9-5 Finished 7th, West

Seattle (2009): 6-3-7

Crowds Swell

Due to the demand for Sounders FC tickets, the club has expanded seating capacity beginning with last Sunday's match with Colorado. A record crowd of 32,526 watched the win. With the addition of seats in the south end zone of the stadium's lower bowl, capacity for Xbox Pitch at Qwest Field is listed at 32,400. The team will utilize the full stadium capacity of 67,000 for Chelsea and FC Barcelona.

Attendance Record

Sounders FC is the first franchise in MLS history to have 28,000 or more fans at nine consecutive regular season or postseason home games. Each of the first nine games on Xbox Pitch at Qwest Field has sold out. The inaugural March 19 match drew 32,523 fans for the 3-0 defeat of New York. Seattle leads MLS with a nine-game average of 29,715.

Gold Cup Tickets on Sale

The 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 double header. 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.

Chelsea Tickets on Sale

Fewer than 2,000 tickets remain for the Sounders FC-Chelsea match on July 18. The match will be the only one featuring MLS opposition for the Blues during their American preseason tour. It will be nationally televised by ESPN and start at 12 noon PT.

To purchase, call 1-800-745-3000, all Ticketmaster outlets or the Qwest Field Box office, or visit www.SoundersFC.com.

Barcelona Tickets on Sale

Tickets for the Sounders FC match with reigning European champion FC Barcelona are also on sale with less than 3,000 remaining. Barca will play Sounders FC on the Xbox Pitch at Qwest Field on Wednesday, August 5. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. (PT). FC Barcelona - whose heralded roster of international superstars currently includes Lionel Messi, Rafa Marquez, Xavi, Carles Puyol, Thierry Henry and Andres Iniesta - secured its third UEFA Champions League crown on May 27 against Manchester United in Rome.

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 be available at www.SoundersFC.com or by calling 1-800-745-3000.

A Clean Sheet At Last

Last Sunday's win marked the first shutout in 10 MLS games for the defense. Kasey Keller made two saves and the Rapids were unable to convert a first-half penalty kick. An unsettled lineup contributed to an inability to earn a clean sheet in the previous nine games. Sounders FC posted shutouts in four of its first six games, and all five clean sheets have occurred in matches when the central core of Tyrone Marshall, Jhon Kennedy Hurtado and Keller played the entire match. Prior to last week, Seattle's last shutout was against San Jose (2-0) on April 25.

Keller's Nearly Unbeatable

Seattle is 6-1-7 when goalkeeper Kasey Keller goes the entire 90 minutes, including 5-0-3 at home. Keller set an MLS record for consecutive scoreless minutes to start a season (457), and he is the only goalkeeper in league history to post three complete shutouts to start an MLS career.

Back Four Shuffle

In the past nine games due to injuries, suspensions, and the unexpected, coach Sigi Schmid has been forced to shuffle his back four each game. Schmid has deployed seven different players and his central defense tandem of Tyrone Marshall and Jhon Kennedy Hurtado, after starting and playing the entire 90 minutes of the first 11 games, played together for the first time in three games against D.C. United on June 17 and were reunited once more last Sunday. Each of the other absences was due to suspensions. Right back James Riley and left back Tyson Wahl have started each of the last six matches. Patrick Ianni has filled in for Riley, Hurtado and Marshall.

Leaders of the Pack

Kasey Keller is No. 3 among MLS goalkeepers with a goals-against-average of 0.84 and five shutouts. Keller is tied for third in wins (6). Forward Fredy Montero is tied for second in goals (8) and assists (6), and shares the lead in game-winning goals (3). Montero is second in fouls suffered (37) and he is third in shots (49). Nate Jaqua is tied for fifth in goals (6) and sixth in assists (5). He is third in fouls committed (31).

Sounders FC ranks second in scoring average (1.50) and third in goals allowed per game (0.94). Seattle is the team with most fouls suffered (217) and fifth in fouls committed (184). The 86 corner kicks and 34 cautions are second in the league.

Seeing Yellow

After seeing just one yellow cards in the previous two games, Seattle players were shown two against Colorado. Freddie Ljunbgerg and Brad Evans were each issued their fourth of the season. Players receive a one-game suspension after accumulating five. Nate Jaqua's season total will be rolled back from four to three after going three consecutive games with a card.

Three Now on IR

Seattle has three players on the disabled list. Defender Taylor Graham sustained a fractured third metatarsal of his right foot during training on May 27 and was placed on the IR later that week. He is eligible to return to league play for the July 11 game versus Houston. Graham was in uniform for four league games. He started and played the full 90 minutes of a U.S. Open Cup Play-In game on April 28. Forward Jarrod Smith and goalkeeper Chris Eylander had been placed on IR earlier. Eylander, who started one MLS game and an Open Cup Play-In, is eligible to return as of June 20.

Zach Scott, who has missed the last seven games with a partial tear of an abdominal muscle, is now participating in full training. Of the 26 players on the roster, all but midfielder Lamar Neagle and newly-signed goalkeeper Terry Boss have been used during the MLS and USOC play-in games played to date.

Not Grass, No Worries

The Sounders FC is 9-1-4 on artificial turf in MLS and cup matches this season. Portland's PGE Park features such a surface. Seattle is 5-1-3 on Xbox Pitch at Qwest Field, 2-0-0 at Starfire and 1-0-1 on the road.

Getting Involved

Eleven players have been involved in the 24 goals scored by Seattle to date, including nine different goal scorers: Fredy Montero (8), Nate Jaqua (6), Steve Zakuani (2), Brad Evans (2), Freddie Ljungberg (2), Tyrone Marshall, Jhon Kennedy Hurtado, Sebastien Le Toux, and Osvaldo Alonso.

Trends to Date

Of Seattle's 24 goals in the first 16 games, 16 have come in the first half and 19 in the first 60 minutes. Only three have come from set pieces, all from corner kicks by Freddie Ljungberg. Of the eight games in which Sounders FC has scored multiple goals, six have been at home.

The defense has not allowed more than one goal in eight of nine home games on Xbox Pitch at Qwest Field. Four of the five shutouts have been at home.

16 Game Totals

Seattle is off to the second-best start in MLS expansion history, and has done so despite facing its fair share of adversity. Sounders FC has stayed above .500 through the first 16 games despite finishing five games shorthanded, going 0-2-3 in those contests. Resulting suspensions, injuries and the unexpected have allowed Sigi Schmid to pick his starting lineup from his top players on only four occasions to date.

Score and Earn

When Sounders FC scores, points in the standings have followed, and when Seattle scores first, so much the better. It is 6-0-3 when striking first and 6-0-7 when scoring at least one goal. Each of Seattle's three losses has been by shutout.

Sigi's Final Countdown

Schmid is approaching the summit of two MLS coaching categories. The league's active leader in wins (119), Schmid is five wins shy of Bob Bradley's MLS record 124 victories. New England's Steve Nicol is No. 2 among active coaches in wins (91) and No. 3 overall. Schmid (272) is one match away from surpassing Bradley's MLS record of 272 career games coached.

Zakuani on FSN's In My Own Words

Sounders FC rookie midfielder Steve Zakuani is scheduled to appear on the FSN series In My Own Words. The debut of his interview will be June 29 at 7:30 p.m. PT.

Sounders FC owner Drew Carey, head coach Sigi Schmid, technical director Chris Henderson and goalkeeper Kasey Keller have previously been on the series.

Current Training Squad

The following players begin the week training in Seattle: Goalkeepers (4): Terry Boss, 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 (8): Osvaldo Alonso, Brad Evans, Michael Fucito*, 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

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