MLS Seattle Sounders FC

Sounders FC News & Notes

Published on October 26, 2009 under Major League Soccer (MLS)
Seattle Sounders FC News Release


Riding a wave of momentum and backed by the biggest, loudest legion of fans in league history, the Seattle Sounders FC will face the Houston Dynamo in the Western Conference Semifinal of the MLS Cup Playoffs beginning this week.

Seattle (12-7-11) takes a three-game win streak into Thursday's first leg against the Dynamo (13-8-9). Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. PT on the Xbox Pitch at Qwest Field.

The second leg of the series is Sunday, November 8, at Houston's Robertson Stadium at 12 p.m. PT.

Thursday's match will be televised nationally on ESPN2 and ESPN Deportes and can be heard on News Talk 97.3 KIRO FM radio with Kevin Calabro and Greg Vanney calling the action.

To purchase playoff tickets, visit www.SoundersFC.com, any Ticketmaster outlet or the Qwest Field Box office.

The Sounders FC finished third in the Western Conference, a single point behind the Los Angeles Galaxy and Houston. The Galaxy prevailed in a tiebreaker over the Dynamo. Seattle won the season series with both Houston and L.A.

Conference Semifinal series are conducted in a home-and-home, aggregate-goal format. The lower seeded team hosts the first game. The team that scores the most goals in the home-and-home series advances to the single-elimination Conference Championship. If the teams are tied after 180 minutes in the Conference Semifinal series, a 30-minute extra time period (divided into two 15-minute periods) will be played, followed by kicks from the penalty spot, if necessary.

The winners of the four series advance to a single-game Conference Championships that will determine the MLS Cup Finalists. The team with the higher seed between the two finalists will host the game, between November 12 and November 15.

MLS Cup 2009 will be played on Xbox Pitch at Qwest Field on November 22 at 5:30 p.m. PT.

Seattle is the first expansion team to qualify for the playoffs in 11 years and the third altogether. The Sounders FC concluded the regular season by rallying to beat the league's hottest team, FC Dallas, 2-1 last Saturday. Seattle has lost just once in the last eight outings (4-1-3).

Upcoming Competition Schedule (All times Pacific)

Thursday, October 29, 7 p.m. - Houston Dynamo; Xbox Pitch at Qwest Field; Seattle, Washington

Sunday, November 8, 12 p.m. - at Houston Dynamo; Robertson Stadium; Houston, Texas

Upcoming Training Schedule, October 27-November 5 (subject to change):

Tuesday, October 27 - Training at Qwest Field, 10 a.m.

Wednesday, October 28 - Training at Starfire Sports Complex, 10 a.m

Friday, October 30 - Training at Starfire Sports Complex, 11:30 a.m.

Saturday, October 31 - No Training

Sunday, November 1 - No Training

Monday, November 2 - Training at Starfire Sports Complex, 10 a.m.

Tuesday, November 3 - Training at Starfire Sports Complex, 10 a.m.

Wednesday, November 4 - No Training

Thursday, November 5 - Training at Starfire Sports Complex, 10 a.m.

Playoff Tickets Update

Due to the overwhelming response, the Sounders FC opened 3,000 loge seats in the Qwest Field upper level. The initial offering of tickets for Thursday's playoff game sold-out in 30 minutes on Saturday morning. To purchase tickets visit www.SoundersFC.com or call 800-745-3000.

MLS Cup Playoff Bracket

The race for the eighth MLS Cup Playoff spot went down to the 225th and final regular season game between Columbus and New England, and three of the berths were determined on the final week.

Chicago clinched the second automatic slot in the East with a 1-0 home win over Chivas USA. With that outcome, Columbus clinched the Supporters' Shield (highest point total) for the second year in a row.

Real Salt Lake defeated Colorado to catch the Rapids and prevailed on a tiebreaker. New England won the final MLS regular season game to secure the final spot.

Western Conference Semifinals, First Leg

#1 Los Angeles Galaxy at #4 Chivas USA, Sunday, November 1

#2 Houston Dynamo at #3 Seattle Sounders FC, Thursday, October 29

Western Conference Semifinals, Second Leg

#4 Chivas USA at Los Angeles Galaxy, Sunday, November 8

#3 Seattle Sounders FC at #2 Houston Dynamo, Sunday, November 8

Eastern Conference Semifinals, First Leg

#1 Columbus Crew at #4 Real Salt Lake, Saturday, October 31

#2 Chicago Fire at #3 New England, Saturday, October 31

Eastern Conference Semifinals, Second Leg

#4 Real Salt Lake at #1 Columbus Crew, Thursday, November 5

#3 New England at #2 Chicago Fire, Saturday, November 7

Sigi Goes to the Top

Last week's win over FC Dallas was the 125th for Sigi Schmid, moving him past Bob Bradley for the most regular season wins in MLS history. Schmid is also the career leader with 285 games coached. New England's Steve Nicol is No. 2 among active coaches (98) and No. 3 overall.

More About Schmid

Sigi Schmid is the MLS Cup Playoffs leader in career wins (19) and is the only coach to guide two different teams (Los Angeles in 2002 and Columbus in 2008) to the MLS Cup Championship. Schmid has now become only the third coach to take three different teams to the playoffs, joining Bob Bradley (Chicago, New York, Chivas USA) and Thomas Rongen (Tampa Bay, New England, D.C. United).

Schmid enters the 2009 playoffs with a career mark of 19-7-4. Five of his six previous playoff teams have advanced past the first round, and four (L.A. in 1999, 2001 and 2002; Columbus in 2008) have played for the MLS Cup.

Schmid is 2-2-4 in regular season games against Houston (1-0-1 with Seattle; 1-2-3 with Columbus). The Dynamo franchise traces its roots to the original San Jose Earthquakes, and Schmid's Galaxy was defeated by the Quakes in MLS Cup 2001 (2-1, overtime) and the 2003 Western Conference Semifinals (5-4, aggregate).

Freddie in Full Flight

If October is any indication, the playoffs will be primetime for Freddie Ljungberg. Ljungberg has assisted on the last four goals scored in the regular season, and he has figured prominently in all six scores in the last three wins.

The late surge propelled Ljungberg to fourth among MLS playmakers with nine assists. He leads the league with five game-winning assists.

In the FC Dallas match, his cross to Fredy Montero at the far post led to Nate Jaqua's leveler. Again from the left channel, Ljungberg put a ball on the foot of Brad Evans for the winner six minutes from full time.

Ljungberg was named the MLS Player of the Week after figuring prominently in all three goals against Kansas City. Two of the goals resulted from Ljungberg corner kicks. Although he wasn't credited with an official assist, his corner kick led to a Tyrone Marshall opener against the Wizards. Ljungberg also started the scoring sequence in the lone goal at Columbus on October 3.

Playoff Tested

Not only does the Seattle Sounders FC feature the winningest coach in MLS postseason history, it also possesses a core unit of playoff veterans. Six members of the team have been involved in past MLS playoffs, including four who have won championships.

Tyrone Marshall and Peter Vagenas won MLS Cups as L.A. Galaxy teammates in 2002 (under Sigi Schmid) and 2005. Both are returning to the playoffs for the first time in four years. Marshall, who went to the playoffs with expansion side Miami in 1998, leads Seattle players in career playoff appearances with 21 and Vagenas is next with 19.

Brad Evans and Nate Jaqua each won MLS titles in their previous stops. Evans went all the way with Schmid's Columbus Crew in 2008. Evans scored a game-winning goal in a first round win over Kansas City. Jaqua got the goal which advanced Houston to the MLS Cup 2007 final.

James Riley returns to the postseason after a one-year absence. He was a member of New England's MLS Cup runners-up in 2005, 2006 and 2007. Tyson Wahl was a playoff starter for Kansas City in 2008.

Nate's Late Show

Nate Jaqua has rediscovered his scoring touch when it matters most, late in games and late in the season.

After scoring the game-winner at Kansas City on October 17 to clinch a playoff berth, Jaqua followed with the all-important equalizer last week versus FC Dallas.

Jaqua finished with a career-best nine goals in the regular season, and seven of those strikes have come in the second half. His goal in KC came in the 76th minute and against Dallas he struck in the 62nd minute.

He has two GWG this season and four game-tying tallies in MLS play, plus an 89th minute strike in the U.S. Open Cup semifinal against Houston, sending that match into overtime.

Jaqua also added a career-high seven assists, finishing No. 2 on the team. He has 41 career goals and 24 career assists.

Evans: Big Goals, Big Games

Each of the three goals for Brad Evans this season have been memorable, however none more so than his game-winner against FC Dallas. All three of Evans' goals have come at home, beginning with the second score in the inaugural game win over New York.

His left-footed flick from the near post to far corner versus FCD was his first goal since April 25, when he helped snap a two-game losing skid with a 2-0 win over San Jose.

Comeback Club

Last Saturday's victory over FC Dallas was the third comeback win of the season. The Sounders FC has also rallied from down a goal to earn five draws. All of the wins (Houston, 2-1; Kansas City, 3-2; FC Dallas, 2-1) have come in the last half of the MLS season. Another comeback win occurred in the U.S. Open Cup semifinal against Houston.

All Aboard the Magic Bus

A magical first season of MLS soccer in Seattle only seems to gather more momentum as time marches on. The supporters and home match atmosphere of Sounders FC are already becoming legend. In September, the team lifted its first cup and last week it clinched a place in the MLS Cup Playoffs with a week to spare.

Seattle is the first expansion team in 11 seasons and the second overall to clinch a winning record in its first season. It becomes the third expansion team to make the playoffs and the first since 1998. Miami and Chicago each qualified that year.

The only other club to post a winning mark in its inaugural year was the Fire in 1998. Chivas USA finished above .500 and made the playoffs in its second year (2006). Miami (2001) and Real Salt Lake (2008) each needed four years to finish with winning records.

Sounders FC is the third first-year franchise in the modern era to win the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, matching the achievement of D.C. United in 1996 and Chicago, an expansion MLS team in 1998.

During the final two months of the season, Seattle won the Open Cup, ended an MLS record 22-game home unbeaten streak of Columbus, and defeated the hottest team in the league, FC Dallas.

Seattle finished the regular season with an unbeaten record (3-0-3) in six matches against the top three teams in MLS: Columbus (1-0-1), Houston (1-0-1) and Los Angeles (1-0-1).

The Wild West

Three points separated the top four teams in the Western Conference this season, with the L.A. Galaxy prevailing over Houston on a tiebreaker, each totaling 48 points. It was the Galaxy's first divisional title since 2002. Houston won the West in 2008.

A fifth Western Conference team also reached the postseason. Real Salt Lake, which placed fifth in the West and eighth overall, will be placed in the Eastern Conference bracket.

The top two teams in each conference clinch playoff berths, followed by the next four teams with the highest point totals, regardless of division.

Attendance Records Broken

Seattle set a new MLS record for attendance with an average of 30,897. The previous mark of 28,916 was set by the L.A. Galaxy in 1996. Sounders FC is the first franchise in MLS history to have 28,000 or more fans at 15 games, with each regular season match on Xbox Pitch at Qwest Field a sell-out. Last Saturday's attendance of 33,108 was also a franchise regular season record.

The top 10 home season attendance averages are as follows:

2009 Seattle Sounders FC 30,897

1996 Los Angeles Galaxy - 28,916

2008 Los Angeles Galaxy - 26,009

2007 Los Angeles Galaxy - 24,252

2005 Los Angeles Galaxy - 24,204

1996 MetroStars - 23,898

2004 Los Angeles Galaxy - 23,809

1997 New England Revolution - 21,423

1998 Los Angeles Galaxy - 21,784

2001 D.C. United - 21,518

When compared to the 2008-09 attendance averages worldwide, Seattle would rank 50th. Counting the combined 132,137 to watch the friendlies versus FC Barcelona and Chelsea, the Sounders FC would rise to 44th in the world (35,035).

1. Manchester United (England) 75,304 2. Real Madrid (Spain) 74,895 3. FC Barcelona (Spain) 73,913 4. Borussia Dortmund (Germany) 73,802 5. Bayern Munich (Germany) 69,622 6. Schalke 04 (Germany) 61,361 7. Arsenal (England) 60,040 8. Celtic (Scotland) 57,670 9. AC Milan (Italy) 57,066 10. Internazionale Milano (Italy) 55,185 50. Seattle Sounders FC (USA) 30,897

Apart, Together

Thirty-five days separated the last two Sounders FC regular season home games, but Seattle fans must wait only five days for the next date. Supporters endured 105 days between home wins, and witnessed 466 minutes of action between home goals. The Sounders FC struck for two goals 22 minutes apart in last week's win over FC Dallas.

Shrine to Supporters

A replica Sounders FC scarf was revealed on the northwest exterior wall of Qwest Field prior to last Saturday's match to recognize the 22,000 inaugural season ticket holders. Nine-thousand names listed on the oversize (5' x 80') scarf represent the season ticket account holders. The Sounders FC capped season ticket memberships at 22,000 prior to the first home match on March 19.

Back on Form

Seattle is 10-1-3 when scoring first and 12-1-7 when scoring a goal. Six of Seattle's seven losses have been by shutout. The Sounders FC is 11-1-1 when leading at halftime.

Despite a long scoring drought, Seattle finished with only two home defeats and a record of 7-2-6. It outscored visitors 21-10. In its first 10 home dates, Sounders FC averaged 1.90 goals per game and went 6-1-3.

Defensively, it has not allowed more than one goal at home in the last seven games. Overall it owns a home GAA of 0.67. The 16 second-half goals allowed this season is the lowest in the league.

Overdue for Home Goals

Sounders FC ended its home scoreless drought in sensational fashion against Dallas. After going without a home goal for 466 minutes, Seattle scored to equalize, 1-1, against the Hoops. Twenty-two minutes later came the game-winner by Brad Evans.

Seattle had not won nor scored since a 2-1 win over Houston on July 11. In the subsequent four games it settled for 0-0 draws with Chicago (July 25), Toronto FC (August 29) and Chivas USA (September 19), and lost to New England, 1-0 (August 20).

During the streak, Seattle created its share of chances, out-shooting visitors by a combined margin of 48-33 and plus a 31-19 advantage in corner kicks.

Defense Stands Firm

The Sounders FC has not allowed multiple goals in consecutive games this season. In six games in which it has given up more than one goal, Seattle has responded with a goals-against average of 0.67 in the next outing, going 3-1-2. The Sounders FC is tied for first with Houston in MLS scoring defense with a GAA of 0.97.

Ex-Dynamo Duo

Two members of the Sounders FC came north from Houston during the offseason. Nate Jaqua played parts of the past two seasons for the Dynamo, scoring 10 goals and six assists in 29 regular season appearances during 2007 and 2008. His goal against Kansas City in the 2007 Western Conference final helped Houston repeat as MLS Cup champion.

Jaqua, who came to Sounders FC via the expansion draft, scored two game-tying goals against the Dynamo this season. His 89th minute goal in the July 21 U.S. Open Cup semifinal sent the match into extra time. Seattle prevailed, 2-1, on a Stephen King goal. Jaqua also scored the 70th minute equalizer in an MLS meeting which ended 1-1 on August 23.

Patrick Ianni was obtained in a January 26 trade for a conditional pick in the 2010 SuperDraft. Ianni spent his first three pro seasons wearing orange, making 35 league appearances for the Dynamo from 2006-08. He played in both regular season meetings this season, and scored the game-winner on a second-half overhead kick in a 2-1 Seattle home win on July 11.

Expansion History: Seattle Best in 11

Seattle posted the best regular season record for an MLS expansion franchise since the Chicago Fire (19-11-0) in 1998. Miami and Chicago are the only other 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 Records

Team 30 Games 1st Season Notes

Chicago (1998): 19-11-0 Won MLS Cup, U.S. Open Cup

Miami (1998): 14-16-0 1st round playoffs

Salt Lake (2005): 5-21-4 Finished 5th, West

Chivas USA (2005): 4-21-5 Finished 6th, West

Toronto (2007): 6-17-7 Finished 7th, East

San Jose (2008): 8-13-9 Finished 7th, West

Seattle (2009): 12-7-11 Won U.S. Open Cup

Note: Real Salt Lake (5-22-5) and Chivas USA (4-22-6) each played 32 matches in their first season.

Changes in the XI

Sigi Schmid shifted his lineup with the return of right back James Riley for FC Dallas. Riley resumed his place, allowing Brad Evans to return to central midfield, replacing Peter Vagenas.

Going for Gold

Forward Fredy Montero's 12 goals are the most scored by a player for a first-year MLS franchise, and finished tied for third in the MLS Golden Boot race. No other player for an expansion franchise has scored more than 10 goals.

Montero, a top contender for MLS Newcomer of the Year, scored three of the club's five September goals in MLS and Open Cup play. Seven of his goals have been scored at home. He also finished tied for second on the team and ninth in the league with seven assists.

Jeff Cunningham of FC Dallas claimed the Budweiser Golden Boot with 17 goals and Colorado's Conor Casey was next with 16.

Leaders of the Pack

For the regular season Kasey Keller was No. 2 among MLS goalkeepers with a GAA of 0.92 and tied for 2nd in shutouts (10) and wins (12). Keller was 4th in minutes (2549) and 9th in saves (78). Forward Fredy Montero tied for 3rd in goals (12) and game-winning goals (4). Montero led MLS in shots (86) and was seventh in attempts on goal (32). Freddie Ljungberg finished 1st in game-winning assists (5). Ljungberg and Montero were 1-2 in fouls suffered (67, 62). Nate Jaqua was tied for 9th in assists (7). He was tied for 5th in fouls committed (47).

The Sounders FC ranked tied for 1st in goals allowed per game (0.97) and tied for 8th in goals scored (1.27). Seattle was 1st in fouls suffered (369). It was 2nd in corner kicks (167) and 3rd in assists (46). Seattle is 8th in fouls committed (353) and the 59 cautions ranks 5th.

Blue Means Business

Seattle is unbeaten (2-0-1) when wearing its blue kit, which it wore in Houston previously. The Sounders FC first donned those colors on August 15 for a 2-0 win at Los Angeles. Next came a 1-1 draw at Houston on August 23, followed by a 1-nil victory at Columbus on October 3. The team had worn all rave green in its first 10 road matches.

About the Dynamo

Houston booked its fourth straight trip to the postseason with two weeks remaining in the regular season. However, the Dynamo won only two of their final eight outings, going 2-2-4 since August 15.

Houston has played a grueling schedule, reaching the semifinals of the U.S. Open Cup and the group stage of the CONCACAF Champions League while at the same time playing several matches without the services of national team players.

The Dynamo snapped a six-game winless road streak (0-4-2) by defeating Chivas USA on the final day of the regular season, 3-2.

Over an 11-day period the Dynamo will play four matches: at home, in El Salvador, in Southern California and Seattle. Houston will stay and train in the L.A. area before flying north to face the Sounders FC.

Brad Davis of the Dynamo finished as the MLS co-leader in assists (12). U.S. National Team striker Brian Ching, a former USL 1 Sounders player, scored eight goals in 19 appearances. Five of Stuart Holden's six goals were game-winners (2nd in the league). Vancouver, B.C. native Pat Onstad is in goal with a GAA of 0.97 and 10 shutouts. The 41-year-old Onstad played every minute (2700) this season.

Fond of the Spotlight

The Sounders FC are 3-1-3 in seven nationally-televised games to date. Seattle is 1-1-2 in league matches on the ESPN network, including an emphatic 3-0 win over New York on Opening Night. There was also draws with both D.C. United and the Chicago Fire. All were at home. In four games on Fox Soccer Channel, Seattle defeated Toronto FC away, 2-0; tied Columbus at home, 1-1; beat D.C. United in the U.S. Open Cup Final, away, 2-1; and tied Chivas USA, 0-0, at home. On TeleFutura, Seattle was 0-1-1, tying Los Angeles at home, 1-1, and losing at San Jose, 4-0.

At Home on the Road

Seattle finished with the third-best away record in MLS, at 5-5-5, and did so by winning three of the last four and going 4-1-1 in the final six away games. In addition, it defeated D.C. United in the U.S. Open Cup Final at RFK Stadium. The Sounders FC generated 12 goals in the last six road matches and 14 in the last seven, counting the 2-1 Cup Final victory. In the last six MLS away games the Sounders FC took more points (13) than the first nine road matches (0-4-4), combined.

Awards Candidates Galore

Several members of Sounders FC are figuring to be contenders for the top MLS postseason awards. Sigi Schmid is a two-time past Coach of the Year winner, and he has quickly fashioned Seattle into an U.S. Open Cup champion and MLS Cup contender with the Sounders FC winning more games than any expansion team in the last 10 years.

All-Star selections Jhon Kennedy Hurtado, Kasey Keller, Fredy Montero and Freddie Ljungberg are in the running for various player awards. Steve Zakuani, the No. 1 selection in the MLS SuperDraft, is a candidate for Rookie of the Year with four goals and four assists.

Up in the Air, Again

Seattle and Houston represent the farthest reaches of the Western Conference, located 3,782 miles apart. The trip to Texas next week will only add to the plentiful air mileage logged by Sounders FC this season.

The team wrapped up a demanding travel stretch on October 17 in Kansas City. It was the fourth road trip in five games and eighth in 11 MLS games since July. In September and October, the Sounders FC flew more than 25,000 miles, including the trip to Washington, D.C. for the U.S. Open Cup Final.

Two years from now MLS will have three teams in the Pacific Northwest. Portland and Vancouver join the league in 2011. Projected mileage round trip to Portland (290 miles) and Vancouver (238) will level Seattle's average flight travel with the other MLS clubs. But for now, Sounders FC remains the only team, which means inevitably traveling greater distances than the other clubs.

Based on last season, MLS clubs averaged 31,764 miles per team with New England traveling the farthest (44,940) and Kansas City the shortest (26,790). Sounders FC traveled 46,898 miles this season.

Soldiering On

Seattle finished with the league's fourth-highest point total while facing its fair share of adversity. The Sounders FC has stayed above .500 since the outset despite finishing seven games shorthanded, going 0-3-4 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 eight occasions during the regular season.

Trends to Date

Of Seattle's 38 goals in the regular season, 20 have come in the first half and 27 in the first 60 minutes. Seven have come from set pieces, all from corner kicks; six by Freddie Ljungberg and one by Peter Vagenas. None of the goals came from either the penalty spot or a free kick. Of the 13 games in which Sounders FC has scored multiple goals, eight have been at home. The defense has not allowed more than one goal in 14 of 15 home games on Xbox Pitch at Qwest Field. Seven of the nine shutouts have been at home.

Back Four Solidified

The foursome of Leo Gonzalez, Tyrone Marshall, Jhon Kennedy Hurtado and James Riley played together in four of the final five games. Prior to that, from late June through mid-September, the back four alignment was shuffled 16 times in 18 games due to injuries, suspensions, national team call-ins and other factors. Riley has the most starts (27), followed by Hurtado (26). Leo Gonzalez has started the last 11 on the left.

Earlier Houston Meeting Recaps

Sounders FC 1, at Houston Dynamo 1 - August 23, 2009 (MLS match)

Nate Jaqua's volley earned the Seattle Sounders FC a valuable point on the road with a 1-1 draw against the Houston Dynamo at Robertson Stadium.

Seattle came from behind for the second time against Houston to win the season series by virtue of a 2-1 victory at home on July 11. The Sounders FC also defeated the MLS Western Conference leaders in the semifinal round of the U.S. Open Cup.

Jaqua scored his seventh goal of the season from 9 yards in the 70th minute. The play began with James Riley serving a long cross from the right wing which Steve Zakuani headed back across the goal to Jaqua.

Four minutes earlier, Zakuani had a chance to equalize just after entering the match. Freddie Ljungberg found Zakuani alone at point-blank range but the rookie winger shot high with an open net.

Jaqua had a goal nullified early in the second half on an offside call.

Geoff Cameron staked the Dynamo to a lead in the 36th minute flicking his header into the left corner from a Brad Davis free kick. It was the eighth assist for Davis.

Ljungberg also figured in a near miss in the game's opening four minutes. He accelerated toward goal and fired low from 15 yards, only to have Houston keeper Pat Onstad deflect the ball with his foot, and then Wade Barrett recovered to clear the goal-bound ball.

The Sounders FC forced two saves from Onstad and finished with advantages of 7-4 (3-2 on goal) in shots and 3-2 on corner kicks.

Ljungberg had missed the previous two games due to symptoms relating to hypoglycemia. Despite 90-dgree temperatures at kickoff he started at forward and played 88 minutes.

Sounders FC 2, Houston Dynamo 1 - July 11, 2009 (MLS match)

Patrick Ianni's goal in the opening minute of the second half gave the Seattle Sounders FC its first comeback win, 2-1, over the Houston Dynamo before a capacity home crowd of 32,404. Fredy Montero also scored for the Sounders FC, which pulled within three points of the league-leading Dynamo with the win.

Ianni, a central defender, put Sounders FC ahead in the opening minute of the second half, scoring from 4 yards on an overhead kick. A corner kick by Freddie Ljungberg was headed on by Jhon Kennedy Hurtado to Ianni, standing near the right post. It was later voted as the MLS Goal of the Week.

Montero equalized in the 31st minute with his ninth goal of the season. Off a counterattack, he ran onto Nate Jaqua's right-wing cross and on his second touch, chipped over Onstad. Mike Chabala, trailing the play, was judged to have cleared the ball after it crossed the goal line. A weak Sounders FC clearance led to the game's opening goal. Houston's Brad Davis fired past Kasey Keller from 16 yards after taking a square ball from Brian Mullan in the 12th minute. The Dynamo entered the game unbeaten (9-0-2) in 11 games when scoring first. Seattle had been 0-3-4 when allowing the first goal.

Seattle coach Sigi Schmid missed the match to attend his son Kurt's wedding in California. Brian Schmetzer served as head coach.

Seattle Sounders FC 2, Houston Dynamo 1 - July 21, 2009 (U.S. Open Cup)

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 a Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup semifinal match at Starfire Sports Stadium in Tukwila.

Seattle's Nate Jaqua sent the match into overtime with a goal in the 89th minute.

The Sounders FC will visit defending champion D.C. United in the Cup Final on September 2.

King's goal, his third in cup play, came after Steve Zakuani's cross was settled by midfielder Sebastian Le Toux. King's 12-yard shot beat Dynamo goalkeeper Tally Hall.

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.

Jaqua's equalizer was scored after Le Toux's cross was re-directed by substitute Roger Leveque. Jaqua, a former Houston player, finished with a close-range shot which deflected off a defender and into the net.

Houston had opened the scoring in the 32nd minute of the match with an unassisted goal from Ade Akinbiyi. He finished a loose ball in the box that the Seattle defense was unable to clear out.

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

The match, the second in 10 days between the two sides, was played in front of a sold out crowd of 4,895.

Seattle/Houston Connections

Houston features several personalities with Northwest ties, including two former A-League/USL-1 Sounders. Central defender Craig Waibel played for Seattle from 1999-02 following his collegiate career at Washington. Forward Cam Weaver was the Sounders' top scorer in 2005 as a rookie out of Seattle University. Weaver had helped the Redhawks win the NCAA Division II championship in 2004. Forward Brian Ching starred at Gonzaga and made the all-league team with the Sounders in 2002. Dominic Kinnear, the Dynamo head coach, played for the Sounders' 1995 A-League championship team.

Mike Chabala also played his collegiate career at Washington. Backup goalkeeper Tally Hall is a native of Gig Harbor. Danny Cruz of the Dynamo was a college teammate of Seattle's Lamar Neagle at UNLV and Kei Kamara was a teammate of James Riley in San Jose in 2008.

Last Game Recap:

Seattle Sounders FC 2, FC Dallas 1 - October 24, 2009

Brad Evans scored the game winning goal in the 84th minute as the Seattle Sounders FC capped the regular season with a 2-1 comeback win over FC Dallas on Xbox Pitch at Qwest Field on Saturday night.

Sigi Schmid earned his 125th career win, lifting him to the MLS career lead over Bob Bradley.

Freddie Ljungberg assisted on two goals for the second consecutive game. He found Evans running to the near post for the finish past FC Dallas goalkeeper Dario Sala.

The victory assured Seattle of at least third place in the MLS Western Conference. The loss snapped a four-game win streak and eliminated Dallas from playoff contention.

It was the first win at home since July 11 and earned the Sounders FC 47 points. The LA Galaxy (48 points) clinched the West by beating San Jose, 2-0.

Seattle had pulled level at 1-1 in the 61st minute. Nate Jaqua scored his second goal in as many games from a double assist when Fredy Montero found the end of a Ljungberg cross and re-directed the ball into the goal box for Jaqua's equalizer.

FC Dallas opened the scoring in the 15th minute when midfielder Atiba Harris found space at the top of the box to rip a shot into the left side netting past goalkeeper Kasey Keller.

Seattle finished with an 18-10 advantage in shots (8-3 on goal), forcing six saves from Sala.

The attendance of 33,108 set a Sounders FC all-time single match attendance record for league play and a MLS record for highest average attendance per game at 30,897.

October: Sounders Good Vibrations

While the Sounders FC is 3-0-0 this month, Seattle's past Sounders never lost in six October matches over the years. In fact, it's the month the franchise won three of its four league championships.

While the NASL originals were never required to play in October, the A-League/USL club was extended into the tenth page of the calendar for postseason play in three different seasons, going a combined 2-0-4 and winning league championships each time.

Seattle won its first A-League title over Atlanta on October 12, 1995. The Sounders repeated that feat the following year, defeating Rochester, 2-0, on October 6, 1996. They went 2-0-4. Seattle won the 2005 USL-1 crown on October 1 (a shootout victory following a 1-1 draw).

MLS Cup Credential Process Opens

Media planning to cover MLS Cup 2009 at Qwest Field in Seattle on Sunday, Nov. 22 can now apply for their credentials online by using the following link http://sum.iwebreg.com/apply. Media members who have applied for credentials for recent MLS / SUM events can login using the same email address and password previously used. Otherwise, please set up new user and login information through the online application.

Media credential applications must be received by Friday, Nov. 13 at 6 p.m. ET. Credentials from previous MLS matches or other soccer events, including 2009 MLS All-Stadium and Team season credentials, will NOT gain media access to this game.

MLS Cup Tickets On Sale

Tickets for MLS Cup 2009 are now on sale to the public. Major League Soccer's premier event, MLS Cup, will be played November 22 on Seattle's Xbox Pitch at Qwest Field. Fans can purchase tickets www.ticketmaster.com or by calling Ticketmaster at 1-800-745-3000. MLS Cup tickets are included in the Seattle Sounders FC 18-game season ticket package.

Drew Carey Joins World Cup Hosting Effort Sounders FC part owner Drew Carey has joined the board of the U.S. committee bidding to host the 2018 or 2022 FIFA World Cup. A comedian, actor and host of The Price Is Right on CBS, Carey is recognized as American soccer's most visible supporter.

Seattle is one of 27 cities under consideration as a host city, with both Qwest Field and Husky Stadium listed as possible venues. In December 2010, FIFA will award the host nation for the 2018 and 2022. Next year's World Cup will be in South Africa and the 2014 host is Brazil.

Crowds Swell

Due to the demand for Sounders FC tickets, stadium capacity was 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 for Chelsea and FC Barcelona. A record crowd of 66,848 watched the Barcelona friendly and the throng of 65,289 was on hand for Chelsea on July 18. It was the fourth largest attendance ever to watch soccer in Seattle. The highest attendance for a league game this season was the 33,108 for the October 24 win over FC Dallas.

Records Watch

The crowd of 66,848 for the Sounders FC-FC Barcelona friendly on August 5 was the largest for a soccer match played in Seattle.

The top 10 attendances are as follows:

66,848 August 5, 2009 Qwest Field Seattle v Barcelona (friendly)

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)

Throw-Ins

Chris Eylander underwent successful arthroscopic surgery on his right knee last week. Eylander has been on the disabled list since May 15...Tyson Wahl made his first appearance in 11 matches, coming on as a late substitute versus Dallas. Wahl had started and played the full 90 of the U.S. Open Cup Final win over D.C. United on September 2. His last MLS appearance had been August 2 at San Jose...Roger Levesque has been on the field for four of Seattle's last six goals. Levesque scored two of those: the game-winner at Columbus on October 3 and the equalizer at Kansas City on October 17...Birthdays being celebrated this week are James Riley (27 on October 27) and Nate Jaqua (28 on October 28)...Seattle finished 5-2-4 outside the Pacific Zone this season, including the U.S. Open Cup Final played September 2 in Washington, D.C. The Sounders FC was 4-1-1 in the Eastern Time Zone...Ben Dragavon, a member of the MLS emergency goalkeeper pool who trains regularly with Sounders FC, was called in by Toronto FC for last Saturday's 5-0 loss at New York. Dragavon has also served as the TFC reserve keeper the previous week. He dressed for 12 games with the Sounders FC, seeing 61 minutes of action.

Current Training Squad

The following players begin the week training in Seattle: Goalkeepers (4): Terry Boss, Ben Dragavon*, Chris Eylander, Kasey Keller; Defenders (10): Evan Brown, Taylor Graham, Leo Gonzalez, 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.

*invitee

Check out the Seattle Sounders FC Statistics

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Major League Soccer Stories from October 26, 2009


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