MLS Seattle Sounders FC

Sounders FC News & Notes

Published on July 28, 2009 under Major League Soccer (MLS)
Seattle Sounders FC News Release


August begins with a stretch of three consecutive league road matches awaiting the Seattle Sounders FC. After Wednesday night's MLS All-Star Game in Sandy, Utah, the Sounders FC (7-3-8 and 29 points) gets back into action Sunday against the San Jose Earthquakes (3-10-5 and 14 points). Kickoff is at 12 noon PT at Buck Shaw Stadium in Santa Clara.

Next Tuesday, August 5, Seattle returns home to host reigning UEFA Champions League champion FC Barcelona in a friendly before a possible record crowd on Xbox Pitch at Qwest Field.

The Sounders FC is unbeaten (3-0-3) in its last six MLS games since June 6. Last weekend the Sounders tied 0-0 with Chicago. San Jose ended a two-game losing streak last weekend coming from behind to draw 2-2 with D.C. United, but the Quakes remain last in the Western Conference.

It will be the third meeting between the two sides with Seattle winning the first two, both at home. Seattle defeated San Jose 2-0 on April 25 and 2-1 on June 13.

Sunday's contest will be shown locally on KONG 6/16 and can be heard on KIRO 97.3 FM with Kevin Calabro and Greg Vanney calling the action. The game will be available nationally in Spanish on Telefutura and locally on Ke Buena 1210 AM with Rene Aleman, Noe Menendez and Victor Hernandez calling the action.

The Barcelona game will be nationally televised on ESPN2 and heard locally on 97.3 FM with Kevin Calabro on play-by-play and Alan Hinton providing analysis.

To purchase tickets to future home games, call 1-877-MLS-GOAL, visit www.SoundersFC.com, any Ticketmaster outlet or the Qwest Field Box office.

Upcoming Competition Schedule (All times Pacific)

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

Wednesday, August 5, 7:30 p.m. - FC Barcelona; Xbox Pitch at Qwest Field

Saturday, August 8, 6 p.m. - at Real Salt Lake; Rio Tinto Stadium, Sandy, Utah

Saturday, August 15, 8 p.m. - at L.A. Galaxy; Home Depot Center, Carson, Calif.

Thursday, August 20, 7 p.m. - New England Revolution; Xbox Pitch at Qwest Field

Upcoming Training Schedule, July 30-August 4 (subject to change):

Thursday, July 30 - Training at Starfire Sports Complex, 10 a.m.

Friday, July 31 - Training at Starfire Sports Complex, 10 a.m.

Saturday, August 1 - Training at Starfire Sports Complex, 10 a.m.

Monday, August 3 - Training at Starfire Sports Complex, 10 a.m.

Tuesday, August 4 - Training on Xbox Pitch at Qwest Field, 10 a.m.

All-Stars Aplenty

Seattle boasts two members of the MLS All-Stars First XI in Kasey Keller and Freddie Ljungberg. In all, Seattle will be represented by four players. Central defender Jhon Kennedy Hurtado and forward Fredy Montero were selected to the MLS All-Stars 18 by Coach Dominic Kinnear. Only Kinnears Houston Dynamo has more representatives with five altogether.

The First XI-consisting of one goalkeeper, three defenders, five midfielders and two forwards-received the most votes at their respective position from four groups: fans, players, media and coaches/general managers.

The 14th annual MLS midsummer showcase will bring together Major League Soccer's best for a marquee matchup Wednesday versus 2009 FA Cup finalists Everton FC at Rio Tinto Stadium in Sandy, Utah, the home of Real Salt Lake. The game will be televised on ESPN2 and Galavision at 6:30 p.m. PT.

Unbeatable in July

Seattle finished last month with a record of 4-0-1 in competitive play. Before last week's nil-nil draw with Chicago, the Sounders FC had won consecutive league games for the first time since starting 3-0-0. In between MLS wins over Colorado and Houston were U.S. Open Cup triumphs over USL-1 Portland, 2-1 on July 1, and Kansas City, 1-0 on July 7. Seattle beat Houston for a second time in extra time of the Open Cup semifinal, 2-1 on July 21. Sounders FC is now four games above .500 for the first time. The only result resembling a blemish in July was a 2-0 loss to England's Chelsea FC in a friendly on July 18. Seattle'1 six game unbeaten streak in league play is the longest current streak in MLS.

Bound for The Cup Final

The Sounders FC has reached the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Final in its first season. Seattle came from behind to defeat the Houston Dynamo, 2-1 after extra time, in a semifinal match on July 21 at Starfire Sports Stadium.

Sounders FC will face defending champion D.C. United on September 2 at RFK Stadium in match to be televised nationally on Fox Soccer Channel. United beat the USL-1 Rochester Rhinos, 2-1, in the other semifinal game.

Seattle becomes the third MLS club to make the Open Cup Final in its first season of play, joining D.C. United (1996) and the Chicago Fire (1998).

On the Road Again

At San Jose, Seattle will be playing its first MLS road match since June 20 at New York. Although the Sounders FC has earned at least a point in five of seven away games, it has not taken the full three since its inaugural trip, a 2-0 win at Toronto FC back on April 4. Seattle has scored just seven goals on the road, but San Jose has yet to post a shutout. The only road losses were both shutouts to Chivas USA.

Seattle visits Real Salt Lake on August 8 and the L.A. Galaxy on August 15 before returning home to host the New England Revolution on August 20. Eight of the final 12 MLS games are on the road.

Table Tightens

Seattle along with Chicago owns the third-highest MLS point total (29) and is in second place in the Western Conference, a point in front of the L.A. Galaxy. Chivas USA and Colorado are tied for fourth (27 points).

Sounders FC, with one game in hand, gained one point on Houston (32), which lost to New England. Only two points separate the top three teams in the East and in the West there is a difference of five between first and fifth place.

Eleven teams have accumulated 23 or more points to date. The top two teams in each conference qualify for the playoffs, along with the four teams with the next-highest point totals.

Barcelona Sell Out

A capacity crowd will greet the Sounders FC and FC Barcelona on August 5 on the Xbox Pitch at Qwest Field. The match will be Barca's second during its 2009 U.S. Tour. Barcelona opens against the L.A. Galaxy on Saturday night in Pasadena's Rose Bowl. The tour concludes on August 8 against Mexico's Guadalajara in San Francisco.

In addition to winning the UEFA Champions League, Barca also claimed titles of both Spain's La Liga and the Copa del Rey. The club recently announced the signing of Swedish striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic from Inter Milan.

Sounders FC season ticket holders have received tickets to the Barcelona 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.

Character Building

In league play, the Sounders FC is coming off a character-building performance in its draw with Chicago. It is the first time Seattle has earned a point without having scored a goal. Seattle found itself up-a-man in the 54th minute for the first time this year, but that lasted just five minutes before Freddie Ljungberg was issued red in the 59th.

A week earlier, its win over the Dynamo marked the first time Seattle has won after surrendering the game's opening goal and it came against a Houston side which owned the best point total in MLS and a record of 9-0-2 when scoring first.

Fredy Denied by the Bar

After scoring goals in five straight league games, forward Fredy Montero was finally denied by the Chicago defense last week, although Montero did crack one drive off the crossbar. His streak had been the longest in the league this season. He has now totaled six goals and five assists in the last nine outings.

Montero is second in MLS scoring with nine goals and six assists. He shares the lead in game-winning goals with three. Montero earned March Player of the Month after scoring three times in the first two matches. He started his first Open Cup match versus Kansas City and was fouled to earn the decisive penalty kick in the 89th minute.

June, July & Jaqua

Summertime has proven to be bountiful for Nate Jaqua. Along with Montero, Jaqua has figured prominently in the unbeaten run through cup and league play. Jaqua finished June with three goals and one assist after scoring twice and earning an assist in the 3-0 victory over Colorado on June 28. That also earned Jaqua MLS Player of the Week and his first goal was voted MLS Goal of the Week. Since then Jaqua has earned an assist in the cup road win at Portland, another on Montero's opener versus Houston, and the game-tying goal against Houston in the cup semis in the 89th minute.

June is Jaqua's most productive month, with 14 goals in 25 MLS career games. He has contributed either a goal or an assist in seven of the last ten games. He has six goals to date. His best season total was eight with Chicago in 2006.

Freddie Sees Red

Freddie Ljungberg became the sixth Sounders FC player to see red this season. To make matters worse, Ljungberg will miss the next two MLS games after receiving a red-card and his fifth yellow card against Chicago. He faces the league mandated one-game suspension for red, and another for yellow-card accumulation. Ljungberg has totaled four assists and a goal in his last seven games. Corner kicks by Ljungberg led to a Montero goal against Colorado and Patrick Ianni's winner versus the Dynamo. All four of Seattle's set-play goals this season have involved Ljungberg.

Due Back: Evans & Gonzalez

Seattle's squad should be strengthened by the arrival of two players who have completed duty with their respective nationals teams during the CONCACAF Gold Cup.

Midfielder Brad Evans (United States) rejoins the team after earning his first three international caps during the Gold Cup, starting one and coming off the bench in two others. The U.S. lost in the Gold Cup final, 5-0 to Mexico on July 26 in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

Costa Rican midfielder/defender Leo Gonzalez is expected to join the Sounders FC for the first time this week. Gonzalez is signed, but still awaiting receipt of his P-1 work permit and International Clearance. Gonzalez, 28, has been capped 59 times by Costa Rica, including three starts during the 2006 World Cup. He started and played the full 90 minutes of the Ticos' opening Gold Cup game against El Salvador on July 3. Mexico defeated Costa Rica in the semifinal game in Chicago on July 23.

A Sixth Clean Sheet

The 0-0 draw with Chicago was the second shutout in the last three MLS games for Seattle, which blanked Colorado, 3-0, on June 28. Sounders FC has allowed only two goals in the last four league fixtures and four goals in seven games, including both Open Cup and MLS.

Keller's Nearly Unbeatable

Seattle is 7-1-8 when goalkeeper Kasey Keller goes the entire 90 minutes, including 6-0-4 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.

Multi-national Triumvirate

Good things happen when a Swede, a Colombian and an American get together for Seattle. Freddie Ljungberg, Fredy Montero and Nate Jaqua are the top three Sounders FC scorers and they have been heavily involved in the offensive production of late. At least one of those players has scored or assisted on the team's last eight and 17 of the last 18 goals scored. Together, Montero (6), Jaqua (5) and Ljungberg (1) have scored 12 of the last 14.

Chasing History

At 7-3-8 through the first 18 league games, Seattle is off to the best start for an MLS expansion franchise since the Chicago Fire (13-5-0) 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.

Chicago (1998): 13-5-0 13-6-0 Won MLS Cup, U.S. Open Cup

Miami (1998): 7-11-0 8-11-0 1st round playoffs

Salt Lake (2005): 3-11-4 4-11-0 Finished 5th, West

Chivas USA (2005): 2-13-3 2-14-3 Finished 6th, West

Toronto (2007): 5-9-4 5-9-5 Finished 7th, East

San Jose (2008): 3-9-6 4-9-6 Finished 7th, West

Seattle (2009): 7-3-8

Crowds Swell

Due to the demand for Sounders FC tickets, stadium capacity has been expanded to 32,400 for the final seven MLS home games. Capacity was 27,700 for home dates between March 28 and June 17. The team utilized the full stadium capacity of 67,000 for Chelsea and will do the same for FC Barcelona. A record crowd of 65,289 watched the Chelsea friendly on July 18, the third largest attendance ever to watch soccer in Seattle. The highest attendance for a league game this season was the 32,526 that watched the June 28 Sounders FC win over Colorado.

Attendance Record

Sounders FC is the first franchise in MLS history to have 28,000 or more fans at 11 consecutive regular season or postseason home games. Each of the first 11 games on Xbox Pitch at Qwest Field has sold out. Seattle leads MLS with an 11-game average of 30,204. The MLS record for a season attendance average is 28,916, set by the L.A. Galaxy in 1996.

Records Watch

Last Saturday's crowd of 65,289 for the Sounders FC-Chelsea FC friendly was the largest for the franchise and was the third-largest attendance for a soccer match played in Seattle.

The top 10 attendances are as follows:

66,830 August 9, 2006 Qwest Field Real Madrid v D.C. United (friendly)

66,722 July 22, 2003 Seahawks Stadium Manchester United v Celtic (friendly)

65,289 July 18, 2009 Qwest Field Sounders FC v Chelsea (friendly)

58,218 April 9, 1976 Kingdome Seattle v New York (friendly; Pele 2 goals)

56,416 April 16, 2008 Qwest Field Mexico v China (friendly)

56,256 August 25, 1977 Kingdome Seattle v Los Angeles (NASL playoffs)

49,606 August 9, 1980 Kingdome New York at Seattle (NASL)

47,052 May 31, 2008 Qwest Field Brazil v Canada (friendly)

43,651 January 29, 1994 Kingdome U.S. v Russia (friendly)

42,091 August 17, 1977 Kingdome Minnesota at Seattle (NASL playoffs)

First Meeting Recaps

Sounders FC 2, San Jose 0 - April 25

In the first meeting between the Sounders FC and San Jose, rookie Steve Zakuani scored a goal and assisted on another in the 2-0 victory. Kasey Keller made five saves to earn his fourth shutout and establish an MLS record for consecutive scoreless minutes to start a season.

Zakuani scored the first Sounders FC goal in the 38th minute. A free kick by Freddie Ljungberg bounced around in the box before settling at the feet of Tyrone Marshall, who sent a quick far post cross to the head of Zakuani for the finish.

Early in the second half, Earthquakes forward Ryan Johnson forced a diving save by Keller with his one-touch re-directed shot from a corner kick in the 49th minute of the match.

Seconds later, in the 50th minute, Zakuani won a ball on the left flank and played it up the line for forward Nate Jaqua. Jaqua's square pass with the outside of his right foot set up midfielder Brad Evans with an easy finish from the penalty kick spot around charging Earthquakes goalkeeper Joe Cannon.

Sounders FC 2, San Jose 1 - June 13

Freddie Ljungberg and Fredy Montero led the Seattle Sounders FC each with a goal and an assist to defeat San Jose. The victory ended a six-game winless streak.

Montero scored what proved to be the decisive goal in the 59th minute off a play started by a Ljungberg corner kick. Montero converted re-directed header by Patrick Ianni to fall at the far post for a 2-0 lead. It was Montero's fifth goal of the season.

Seattle opened the scoring shortly before halftime. Montero stripped the ball off the feet of San Jose defender Jason Hernandez deep in their end. He quickly dropped the ball to forward Sebastian Le Toux whose one-touch pass slipped in Ljungberg behind the defense for his second goal of the season past San Jose goalkeeper Joe Cannon.

Cannon made four saves in the match, including a reactionary block with his right heal from one of Montero's three shots on goal, while Keller finished the match with one save and a goal against.

San Jose's lone goal came in the second half when a drop-pass from Montero was intercepted by -substitute Shea Salinas in the Sounders' defensive third. He passed wide to forward Ryan Johnson whose cross inside the box across the face of the goal was finished by midfielder Darren Huckerby for his first goal of the season.

Last Game Recap: Sounders FC 0, Chicago 0

Two red cards issued early in the second half contributed to the 0-0 draw Chicago Fire and the Seattle Sounders FC at Xbox Pitch at Qwest Field.

The Sounders FC played a man-up for the first time as Fire midfielder John Thorrington was sent off with a red card in the 54th minute after accumulating two cautions. The advantage didn't last long when Seattle's Freddie Ljungberg was issued two cautions that resulted in an ejection in the 59th minute.

It was the first scoreless draw for the Sounders FC (7-3-8) but the second tie against the Chicago Fire (7-3-8). Seattle had won three in a row

Seattle and Chicago drew in their first meeting 1-1 on May 2nd at Toyota Park.

Nate Jaqua finished with three shots on goal to lead the Sounders FC in a 15-11 advantage in shots, including a shot from a Freddie Ljungberg corner kick that hit the post and a header from a Fredy Montero cross in the first half. Jaqua forced two saves from Jon Busch. He and Montero each hit the post in the run of play.

Busch finished with five saves and Seattle's Kasey Keller made two stops to earn his sixth shutout.

Announce Amateur Soccer Tournament at Alki Beach

The Sounders FC Soccer Beach Blast, presented by Super Supplements, will be held on Alki Beach on Sunday, August 23. Registration is $75 per team. Interested teams can register at www.soundersfc.com.

The 32-team, 3-on-3 soccer tournament will be played on sand at Alki Beach. Each team is allowed up to five players and all participants must be 18-years-old. Each team will play a minimum of two matches. Each match will consist of two seven-minute periods with a one-minute halftime break.

Fans can visit a Western Washington Super Supplements location to pick up a coupon good for $15.00 off their team's registration fee. All registration will occur online at www.soundersfc.com/beachsoccer.

Tournament space is limited to the first 32 teams who register. For more information and to register visit www.SoundersFC.com/beachsoccer.

Youth is Served

Some of the youngest Sounders FC players are gaining experience in key roles as Schmid deals with absence and injuries to the squad. Stephen King (age 23) has been deployed in attacking midfield during each of the five cup games and also served that role against Houston as MLS play resumed. King has scored three goals in cup play, including the winner in the semifinal versus Houston.

Osvaldo Alonso, the regular holding center mid, is 23. Left winger Steve Zakuani is 21 and the team's youngest player, Sanna Nyassi (20), has started all five cup games on the right flank. Nathan Sturgis (22) got a starting call at left back in the third round of the Open Cup. Fredy Montero, who turned 22 on July 26, is the team's top scorer and has started 16 of 18 MLS games.

Middle Readjusted

Over the past weeks Sigi Schmid's midfield and central defense has been reconfigured due to national team call-ins and injuries. In midfield Stephen King made his fifth straight cup start and then his third MLS start against Houston. King, who helped trigger the opening goal by Fredy Montero against Houston, scored his third goal in open cup play; the game-winner in extra time to defeat Houston for the 2nd time in less than a week.

Against the Dynamo twice King was paired with Peter Vagenas, who was also starting for the third time in league play. Patrick Ianni started in central defense for the sixth time and fourth in the last six MLS matches against Chicago. He has started four of five cup games. Nathan Sturgis started his fifth match this season against Chicago. It was his first action in league play since serving as a substitute against Columbus on May 30.

Both central midfield starters Brad Evans (USMNT call in) and Osvaldo Alonso (groin strain) were out, as was center back Tyrone Marshall (Jamaica call in). Marshall returned in replacement of Ianni (hamstring) for the open cup semifinal and played the entire 120 minutes. Ianni then replaced Marshall against Chicago four days later.

Attack Was Clicking

Prior to being blanked by Chicago, Seattle's attack was beginning to fire on all cylinders, totaling 11 goals over five MLS games. Ten of those goals were scored at home. Prior to this recent surge, Sounders FC had netted only six goals in the six previous MLS outings.

Back Four Shuffle

In the past 11 MLS games, due to injuries, suspensions, and the unexpected, coach Sigi Schmid has been forced to shuffle his back four each time. 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, has played together only twice in the seven games since. Each of the other absences was due to suspensions. Right back James Riley and left back Tyson Wahl have started each of the last eight matches. Patrick Ianni has filled in for Riley, Hurtado and Marshall.

Now Appearing

Sebastien Le Toux remains the only player to have appeared in each MLS match, starting 11. He came off the bench in the 75th minute against Chicago. Le Toux has also played in each cup play-in and tournament game. James Riley leads the team in minutes played (1478), just ahead of Kasey Keller (1469) and Nate Jaqua (1464).

Leaders of the Pack

Kasey Keller is No. 2 among MLS goalkeepers with a GAA of 0.80. Keller is also tied for third in wins (7) and shutouts (6). Forward Fredy Montero is No. 2 in goals (9) and tied for fourth in assists (6), and shares the lead in game-winning goals (3). Montero is second in fouls suffered (42) and shots (55). Nate Jaqua is tied for tenth in goals (6) and third in assists (6). He is tied for fourth in fouls committed (32). Freddie Ljungberg is tied for first in game-winning assists (3).

Sounders FC ranks fifth in scoring average (1.44) and third in goals allowed per game (0.89). Its 33 assists are first in the league. Seattle is the team with most fouls suffered (239) and eighth in fouls committed (217). The 41 cautions are second in the league. Sounders FC is the only team to have +10 goal differential.

Trends to Date

Of Seattle's 26 goals in the first 18 games, 17 have come in the first half and 21 in the first 60 minutes. Four have come from set pieces, all from corner kicks by Freddie Ljungberg. A goal has yet to be scored from either the penalty spot or free kick. Of the nine games in which Sounders FC has scored multiple goals, seven have been at home. The defense has not allowed more than one goal in 10 of 11 home games on Xbox Pitch at Qwest Field. Five of the six shutouts have been at home.

Soldiering On

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 despite finishing six games shorthanded, going 0-2-4 in those contests. Resulting suspensions, injuries, national team call-ins 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 7-0-7 when scoring at least one goal. Each of Seattle's three losses has been by shutout.

Rivals from Days Ago

Seattle and San Jose are two clubs who share the same nickname of their NASL predecessors. The Sounders and Earthquakes were, at times, bitter rivals from 1974-83. Now they represent the two youngest franchises in MLS. The Earthquakes became the league's 14th team in 2008 and Sounders FC joined this season.

Seattle and San Jose/Golden Bay met 24 times in NASL outdoor games from 1974-83, including the Sounders' final game at Spartan Stadium. FC Seattle and San Jose met another 10 times from 1985-88, most notably in the 1988 Western Soccer League final won by Seattle, 5-0, at Memorial Stadium.

As for the USL-1 Sounders, the only competitive meetings came in U.S. Open Cup play in 2002 and 2003 (there were an additional five exhibitions, including one in 2008). An SRO Interbay Stadium crowd of 1,275 saw the Quakes win 4-3 on an overtime goal in the 109th minute. Seattle won, 1-0, a year later at the University of Washington, with Zach Scott playing for the Sounders.

Expansion Experience

James Riley, the starting right back for Seattle, was selected by San Jose in the 2007 expansion draft following three years in New England. Sounders FC took Riley from the Earthquakes in the 2008 expansion draft. Riley played in 24 games, starting 23, for San Jose, which finished with the most wins (8) and points (33) by a first-year team in this decade.

Other Sounders FC/Earthquakes Connections

Earthquakes assistant coach Ian Russell is a West Seattle native, and former USL-1 Sounder who graduated to MLS and helped form the nucleus of two championship teams in San Jose from 2001-03. The former University of Washington standout played a total of six seasons in the league before retiring. In 2008 he returned to the Bay Area as an assistant on Frank Yallop's staff. Russell played for the USL-1 Sounders in 1998 and '99. He has 131 appearances for the Earthquakes from 2000-05, ranking No. 5.

Sounders FC forward Roger Levesque started his professional career with San Jose before he joined the Sounders in the USL after several loan stints. Levesque played a total of four MLS games for the Quakes (2003-05). He was selected by San Jose with the 23rd overall pick in the 2003 MLS SuperDraft.

Sounders FC goalkeeper Kasey Keller played with San Jose midfielder Simon Elliott at Fulham in 2007-08 and briefly with Quakes forward Darren Huckerby at Millwall in 1996.

Sounders FC defender/midfielder Patrick Ianni played collegiate soccer at UCLA from 2004-05 alongside San Jose defender Mike Zaher.

Earthquakes defender Chris Leitch played under Sounders FC Coach Sigi Schmid in 2006 for Columbus, starting 18 of 24 appearances.

Sigi's Final Countdown

Now with 120 victories, Sigi Schmid is four wins shy of Bob Bradley's MLS record 124 career victories. Schmid is the career leader with 273 games coached, surpassing Bradley (272). New England's Steve Nicol is No. 2 among active coaches in wins (93) and No. 3 overall.

More About Schmid

Schmid against San Jose is 12-6-4 (9-5-4 with L.A.; 1-1-0 with Columbus; 2-0-0 with Seattle) in the regular season, and 1-2-0 (all with L.A.) in the playoffs.

On to the USOC Final: Next up D.C. United

Stephen King scored the game-winning goal in the fifth minute of overtime to give the Seattle Sounders FC a 2-1 comeback win over the Houston Dynamo in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup semifinal match.

Seattle's Nate Jaqua sent the match into overtime with a goal in the 89th minute. Seattle finished with a 26-7 advantage in shots, including a second-half drive off the post by Zakuani, who led the team with five shots.

Houston had opened the scoring in the 32nd minute of the match with an unassisted goal from Ade Akinbiyi.

The Sounders FC played the final 10 minutes of overtime without defender Jhon Kennedy Hurtado who was issued his second yellow card. Hurtado must now miss the Cup Final.

Sounders FC defeated Real Salt Lake 4-1 and Colorado 1-0 at Starfire in USOC Play-ins, and then beat the USL-1 Portland Timbers 2-1 in the third round, and Kansas City Wizards 1-0 in the quarterfinal round.

The Sounders FC will now face defending champion D.C. United in the Cup Final on September 2 at 4:30 p.m. PT at RFK Stadium in Washington D.C. The game will be televised on Fox Soccer Channel.

D.C. United defeated the Rochester Rhinos of USL-1, 2-1, in the other semifinal.

Getting to the Final

Seattle reached the Open Cup final by virtue of five consecutive knockout victories. It 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.

Once in the tournament proper, Seattle earned a 2-1 road win at Portland of USL-1. Levesque and King connected on first-half goals. Le Toux's penalty was the difference in the quarterfinal result with Kansas City. Jaqua scored the equalizer in the 89th minute to send the semifinal to overtime, and King added the winner, his third in cup play.

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 (9): Osvaldo Alonso, Brad Evans, Michael Fucito, Stephen King, Sebastien Le Toux, Freddie Ljungberg, Lamar Neagle, Sanna Nyassi, Peter Vagenas; Forwards (4): Nate Jaqua, Roger Levesque, Fredy Montero, Steve Zakuani.

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Major League Soccer Stories from July 28, 2009


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