MLS Seattle Sounders FC

Sounders FC News & Notes

Published on April 25, 2011 under Major League Soccer (MLS)
Seattle Sounders FC News Release


Sounders FC Back Home to Host Toronto FC, Seeks to End April Unbeaten

Back home for only the second time this month, Seattle Sounders FC seeks to seal an unbeaten April when it hosts Toronto FC on Saturday night. First kick is 7 p.m. PT on the Xbox Pitch at Qwest Field, and the game will be televised live on KONG 6/16.

Sounders FC (2-2-3) has recovered from a slow start by going undefeated and claiming nine points in the last five matches. The five-game unbeaten run equals the longest in MLS in 2011.

Following Saturday's match, Seattle embarks on a two-game eastern swing, beginning May 4 at D.C. United. From there they proceed to Columbus on May 7 before returning home for a three-match home stand that begins with a May 14 encounter with the Portland Timbers.

The Rave Green are coming off a gritty and costly road win against the reigning MLS Cup champions. They defeated the Colorado Rapids, 1-0, but lost left winger and top scorer Steve Zakuani to a broken right leg following a dreadful tackle in the game's third minute.

Fredy Montero returned to the first XI and scored his first goal of the campaign and the defense posted its first shutout against 10-man Colorado. The result lifted Seattle into a tie with the Rapids for third in the Western Conference and fifth overall in MLS.

Toronto FC (1-2-4) is the first of three straight dates against MLS Eastern Division opposition. The Reds, under new coach Aron Winter, are off to a slow start despite playing five of the last six at home. Since defeating Portland in late March, they have gone winless (0-1-4) in those last five, including last Saturday's shorthanded 1-1 draw with the Crew.

En route to Seattle, Toronto visits FC Edmonton on Wednesday in the first leg of the Nutrilite Canadian Championship series.

Sounders FC leads the series 2-1-1 after beating the Reds, 3-2, in the second meeting of 2010 at home on October 2. Since that game, two players have switched sides. Nathan Sturgis, who started in Seattle's central midfield, was acquired by Toronto FC during the offseason on the same day that forward O'Brian White came to the Emerald City. Both players contributed assists in that match.

Sounders FC are 16-7-10 all-time at home (1-1-1 this year and 6-1-3 in the last 10 during the regular season) while TFC has gone just 9-40-13 away since joining MLS in 2007.

Arlo White will provide the play-by-play on both KONG 6/16 and 97.3 KIRO FM. La Gran D 99.3 FM will broadcast the match in Spanish.

Tickets for Saturday's game and all Sounders FC home matches are available at www.SoundersFC.com or by calling 877-MLS-GOAL.

Thinking of Steve

Sounders FC wishes to thank fans from near and far for their outpouring of support for Steve Zakuani. Although Steve begins the week still at Denver Rose Medical Center, he is expected to return home in a few days. He underwent successful surgery to repair a fractured right fibula and tibia following the match on Friday night.

Sounders FC fans are invited to send their best wishes to Steve on twitter (@stevezakuani11 with the hash tag #forZakuani), on SoundersFC.com and via physical mail (Sounders FC Community Relations, 12 Seahawks Way, Renton, WA 98056).

Show of Support

Fans are invited to sign oversize cards for Sounders FC midfielder Steve Zakuani prior to Saturday's match. The cards will be located in Soccer Celebration, the Northwest Marshalling Area and near the main entrance to the Pro Shop. In addition, a Zakuani "11" card will be distributed at the gates for an in-match salute.

Filling Those Boots

Steve Zakuani has proven not only highly productive but also a unique force in his young professional career. He had scored 16 goals, including 12 in his last 32 matches, and prior to the Colorado match he had scored or assisted in his last four games. His acceleration and close control down the left flank was his signature on the pitch and his broad smile made fans of all who saw him. He had missed only three matches since being drafted with the top selection in the 2009 SuperDraft. Now Sounders FC faces the prospect of playing without Zakuani for the foreseeable future.

While the Rave Green must adapt, they will do so from a position of strength. Sigi Schmid has a deep squad from which to choose. Among the options are versatile midfielders Alvaro Fernandez and Erik Friberg who, together, have started nine matches thus far in 2011. Also waiting in the wings are David Estrada, Mike Fucito, Roger Levesque, Miguel Montano, Lamar Neagle and Michael Tetteh. All have seen action so far except Fucito-who was injured late in preseason but productive (three goals) late in the Champions League matches late last year-and Tetteh, the team's top pick in the 2011 SuperDraft.

Montero on the Mark

Fredy Montero is back in the lineup, and he's also making an impact. Montero scored the game-winner against the Rapids-his 23rd career strike-after assisting on the stoppage-time equalizer by Alvaro Fernandez at Philadelphia the week before. Montero missed two matches while recovering from surgery to repair a fractured right wrist. Prior to connecting in Colorado he had not scored in his previous 11 matches, dating back to a brace to beat Chicago at home on August 28, 2010. Seattle is now 14-2-5 when Montero scores.

Aces in April

Seattle has now battled back to .500 and to claim the identical seven-match record that it started with in 2010. Following a cold start in March (0-2-1) Sounders FC has gone 2-0-2 in April, and they have a chance to accumulate 11 points in a month for the first time. The best month to date was July of 2010 when 10 points were tallied in going 3-1-1. Another win or draw against Toronto would equal the second-longest streak for the franchise.

Competition for the XI

Clearly there is competition within the squad for a starting spot. Left back Tyson Wahl became the 17th player to start a match at Colorado. That was one of three changes in the XI. Only Osvaldo Alonso, O'Brian White and Kasey Keller have started each of the seven matches. Altogether, 23 players have seen action.

A Clean Sheet After Changes

Sigi Schmid shuffled his back four in Colorado and the result was the first shutout in 11 games, dating back to September 25, 2010 at Chicago. Tyson Wahl got his first action of the season at left back, replacing Leo Gonzalez, and Patrick Ianni was inserted into the middle in place of Jeff Parke. James Riley remained on the right and Jhon Kennedy Hurtado in central defense. Kasey Keller was called upon to make only two saves against the shorthanded Rapids, the most difficult being a dive to his left in the 51st minute to snare a low drive off the foot of Jeff Larentowicz. It was his 22nd shutout, boosting him into a tie for No. 13 among active keepers. Keller has now started 62 straight MLS regular season matches dating back to April 25, 2009.

The Usual Suspects

While players around them have may have changed, two of the constants in the attack during the unbeaten streak have been O'Brian White up front and Mauro Rosales, either on the right or as a second striker. Together, White and Rosales have either scored or assisted on five of the last six goals. White carried the ball some 40 yards down the right on the goal at Colorado, before leaving for Rosales to draw the defense close before dishing to the wide-open Montero. Both were credited with assists. In four starts Rosales now leads the team with three assists and White has two, along with Steve Zakuani. White, with two goals and two assists, shares the team points lead with Zakuani.

Out of thin Air

Seattle picked up its first victory in the Mountain Time Zone at Colorado. Previously there had been draws at both Dick's Sporting Goods Park and Real Salt Lake. Sounders FC has now picked up points in nine of its last 12 on the road, going 6-3-3 since July 15, 2010. The Rapids had entered Friday at 18-4-10 at home since the start of 2009 and they had scored 21 times in their last eight home matches before being blanked by Seattle.

Reserves Review

The Sounders FC reserves played a training game against Seattle University last Saturday, winning 3-0. Miguel Montaño scored the game's first goal followed by two tallies from forward Nate Jaqua. The first MLS Reserve League home match will be on May 9 against Chivas USA at Starfire Stadium.

Note: Time Change for June 11

Seattle Sounders FC vs. Vancouver Whitecaps FC on the Xbox Pitch at Qwest Field first kick on June 11 has been changed to 7:30 p.m. PT. The match will be nationally televised by Fox Soccer.

Match Recap: Sounders FC 1 at Colorado Rapids 0 - April 22, Dick's Sporting Goods Park

Fredy Montero scored the early winner as Seattle extended its unbeaten streak to five games with a 1-nil win over the defending MLS Cup champion Rapids.

Sounders FC took advantage of a counter-attack opportunity in the 19th minute. O'Brian White took the ball up the right side and passed it off to a streaking Mauro Rosales in the middle. Rosales found Montero who slid a one-touch ball past Colorado goalkeeper Matt Pickens and into the right corner of the net for the game's lone goal.

Montero, starting for the first time in four games, recorded his first goal of the season and his third all-time against Colorado. He also had the late game-tying assist in last week's 1-1 draw at Philadelphia.

Rosales leads the team with three assists.

Sounders FC played a man-up for the majority of the night after a harsh tackle on Steve Zakuani in the opening minutes.

Just three minutes into the match, Colorado's Brian Mullan was issued a straight red card after a poor tackle on Zakuani. Zakuani was carted off the field to the emergency room for X-rays, where it was determined he had sustained a fractured right fibula and tibia and will undergo surgery. Alvaro Fernandez took Zakuani's place in the ninth minute.

After the Montero goal, Colorado was relentless in pressing for an equalizer but Seattle's defense held strong to earn its first shutout of the season.

In the 29th minute Kasey Keller beat Caleb Folan to a ball in the box and cleared it for a Colorado throw. Keller made another stop on a Jeff Larentowicz long-distance attempt in the 61st minute and also stopped Kosuke Kimura's left-footed strike just two minutes later.

Seattle nearly tallied a second goal in the 54th minute after Fernandez headed a corner kick behind the Rapids backline. White got a shot off but Pickens sprung off his line to deflect the shot away.

Sounders FC and Symetra Financial Team Up to Launch 'Together We Play'

Sounders FC and Symetra Financial have launched a new community outreach program --"Together We Play" -- to teach local elementary school students about healthy and active lifestyles.

The "Together We Play" program brings Sounders FC players and coaches to King County-area elementary schools during the Major League Soccer (MLS) season to promote health and fitness. Through discussion and interactive soccer drills, kids learn from the pros that eating healthy and staying active can go a long way in helping them achieve their goals, both inside and outside of school. Student participants receive a T-shirt, Sounders FC team poster and other prizes.

Also participating in the program is Kibble & Prentice, one of the largest insurance brokerage and investment consulting firms in the Northwest, and a Symetra distribution partner.

The inaugural Together We Play visit took place at Hazelwood Elementary School in Newcastle, Wash. The program will include visits to at least eight elementary schools between now and October, the end of the MLS regular season.

To learn more about the program, visit www.soundersfc.com/Outreach/Together-We-Play.aspx

Among the Leaders

Sounders FC leads the league in shots on goal (34) and fouls committed (106) and is tied first with 96 total shots. The club is third in corner kicks (36) and is tied fifth with nine assists. Mauro Rosales is tied fourth with three assists and tied sixth in fouls suffered (14). Fredy Montero is fourth in shots (18) and tied first with 11 shots on goal. Teammate O'Brian White has taken eight shots on goal (T-4th). Montero is also 10th on shots on goal percentage (61.1%). Leo Gonzalez is tied fourth with 14 fouls committed and tied third with three yellow cards. Erik Friberg is tied ninth in MLS with 15 corner kicks. Osvaldo Alonso and Kasey Keller are tied third in MLS with 630 minutes played. Keller is eighth with a goals against average of 1.00 and seventh with 17 saves.

Series Notes

Sounders FC is 2-1-1 all-time against the Reds. The inaugural road match in 2009 was a 2-0 victory at BMO Field on April 4. The two sides battled to a scoreless draw in their next matchup at Qwest Field on August 29, 2009 and split the 2010 season series with each team winning its home match (Seattle 0 at Toronto 2 on 4/25 and Seattle 3 vs. Toronto 2 on 10/2). Seattle has scored four of five goals against Toronto in the first 45 minutes with its lone second-half goal coming in the 59th minute. Three out of four Toronto goals have come in the second half.

About Toronto

Toronto (1-2-4) is currently tied sixth in the East with seven points in its first seven matches. The Reds have not won a match since a 2-0 home win over the Portland Timbers on March 26 and are winless in its two previous visits to Seattle. The club has only played two games away from home in its first seven, losing 4-2 to Vancouver on opening weekend and drawing 1-1 with San Jose on April 9. The club is coming off a 1-1 home draw against the Columbus Crew after goal-scorer Tony Tchani was ejected for his celebration, forcing the Reds to play shorthanded for the final 45 minutes. With 26 of 67 shots on goal, the team is second in MLS with a 38.8% shots on goal percentage. Toronto is fifth in fouls committed (89) and fouls suffered (88) and is tied third with 15 yellow cards (tied first with three ejections).

Reds Notables

With the departure of their top two goal-scorers (Dwayne De Rosario and Chad Barrett) from last season, the 2011 Toronto FC attack features a pair of new players. Former Galaxy striker Alan Gordon joined the team over the offseason and is currently the club's co-leader with two goals and one assist. Javier Martina, a 24-year-old forward from Curacao, has also tallied two goals and has started all seven matches this season. Two other players, defender Adrian Cann and midfielder Jacob Peterson, have also started all seven matches. Peterson has combined with Julian de Guzman to help steady the midfield, each recording one assist this season, and forward Maicon Santos leads the team with 13 shots. Tony Tchani, who came from New York in the De Rosario trade earlier this month, scored his first goal for the Reds last week against Columbus and was then issued his second yellow card for jumping into the crowd to celebrate. Tchani will be suspended for Saturday's game. Goalkeeper Stefan Frei leads the league with 26 saves. He has posted two shutouts but has allowed four goals over the past two games. Overall, Frei holds a 1.43 goals against average and is tied with Kasey Keller for the most minutes played in net (630).

The TFC Connection

Seattle forward O'Brian White moved to Toronto from Jamaica as a teenager in 2002. White was team MVP in 2004 and 2005 at Lester B. Pearson High School in Toronto. After playing collegiately at UConn, White was selected by Toronto FC with the fourth overall pick in the 2009 SuperDraft. White spent two seasons playing for the Reds, totaling 33 appearances with four goals and four assists. Midfielder Nathan Sturgis spent the past two seasons playing in Seattle before being selected by Vancouver in the expansion draft and traded to Toronto over the offseason. Sturgis totaled 29 appearances with one goal and two assists for Sounders FC and has started two matches for Toronto this season, with his last appearance on March 26. Sigi Schmid coached Toronto FC forward Alan Gordon at L.A. Galaxy (2004). Gordon also attended Oregon State University. Sounders FC rookie Servando Carrasco (2007-10) played with Toronto's Stefan Frei (2006-08) and Demitrius Omphroy (2007-10) at the University of California. Defender Ty Harden played at the University of Washington from 2003-06.

Throw-ins

Kasey Keller's streak of 62 consecutive starts is second only to the 66 in a row by David Ferreira of FC Dallas...Prior to last Friday's match the longest time Seattle played man up was 70 minutes (59 uninterrupted) against the L.A. Galaxy on August 15, 2009...The Rapids' Brian Mullan is the third player to be red-carded within the first three minutes of an MLS regular season match. The others were Carlos Johnson of New York in 2009 (2') and Aidan Heaney of New England in 1996 (3')...A sellout this week would be the 36th in a row in MLS play for Sounders FC...Seattle tied its record for most fouls committed with 19 at Colorado. The mark was first established on April 22, 2010 at FC Dallas...The defense has only allowed one second-half goal in the last five matches...The Rave Green are now 23-4-7 all-time when scoring first...Nate Jaqua will be signing autographs and taking pictures with Sounders FC fans at Seattle Bank (Bellevue - 11120 NE 33rd Pl, Bellevue, WA 98004) on Tuesday, April 26 from 4-5 p.m...Come meet Leo Gonzalez on Thursday, April 28 from 5-6 p.m. at the Alaska USA Federal Credit Union - Northgate Branch (located inside the QFC store).

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Major League Soccer Stories from April 25, 2011


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