MLS Seattle Sounders FC

Sounders FC News & Notes

Published on June 20, 2011 under Major League Soccer (MLS)
Seattle Sounders FC News Release


Sounders FC Seeks to Extend Unbeaten Streak as Red Bulls & Revs Visit

Summer arrives along with two visitors from the East Coast as Seattle Sounders FC seek to finish the month of June unbeaten. A record crowd will descend upon the Xbox Pitch at CenturyLink Field on Thursday night when the Rave Green host the East-leading New York Red Bulls, and three days later come the New England Revolution.

Thursday's match against New York begins at 7 p.m. PT and will be televised nationally on ESPN2 and ESPN Deportes. KONG 6/16 airs Sunday's game with the Revs at 1 pm. PT.

Seattle then begins its defense of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup championship with a home game at Starfire Sports Stadium in Tukwila next week, facing either the Kitsap Pumas or Real Colorado Foxes.

Sounders FC(6-4-7, 25 points) are coming off an exhilarating road victory to conclude the first half of the MLS regular season, scoring in the 90th minute to beat Toronto FC, 1-0, and stretch the unbeaten mark to four matches, with three coming this month. Seattle owns the third-best point total in MLS.

Part of the three-date Premium Pack, the New York game will draw a crowd in excess of 40,000 with seating expanded in the stadium's upper deck.

The Red Bulls' two-match road trip to the Pacific Northwest got off to an eventful start in Portland last Sunday. New York came from two goals down to pull even in stoppage time, 3-3, but lost top scorer Thierry Henry to a red card in the process.

Tied for the fewest losses in the league, New York (5-2-8, 23 points) is first in the Eastern Conference despite winning just once (1-1-6) in the last eight outings and the next three games are on the road. They edged Sounders FC, 1-0, to open their campaign at home on March 19 to square the series at 2-2-1.

New England (3-7-6, 15 points) is enduring some tough times in 2011, going the last six games without a win. The Revs, coming off home draws with Toronto and Chicago, have won away only once in the last 14 months and are beginning a stretch in which they play five of their next six on the road. Seattle's only win in the series to date was a 3-nil blowout at home a year ago.

Arlo White will call Sunday's match on television and both matches are on 97.3 KIRO FM. Sunday's action can also be heard on La Gran D 99.3 FM.

July begins with two road games, the first being an Independence Day match at league-leading L.A. Galaxy on ESPN2.

For tickets to all Sounders FC home matches go to www.SoundersFC.com or call 877-MLS-GOAL.

The Bigger, the Better

The first of Seattle's 40 consecutive sellouts for MLS home matches began with a 3-nil win over New York in the inaugural game on March 19, 2009. Since then over 1 million fans have come to both witness and create the most vibrant atmosphere in the North American game. But the biggest crowds are yet to come.

For the first time in MLS play, on Thursday Sounders FC will open upper level seating beyond normal capacity of 35,500. Tickets are available for $15.

With increased capacity the New York match will likely draw the largest attendance for an MLS regular season match in nearly four years. Sounders FC have smashed league attendance records the past two seasons and are looking to do it again. Their current average is 36,297 after setting a new standard of 36,173 in 2010.

Summer Block Party Set for Thursday

Summer arrives on Tuesday and to help celebrate Sounders FC will host the inaugural Summer Block Party to be held in the North Lot of CenturyLink Field prior to Thursday's home match versus New York. Access to the Summer Block Party begins at 5 p.m. and is open to all fans, including non-ticket holders. There is no charge to enter.

The Summer Block Party will include the following activities:

- Fans may enjoy the Bud Light Beer Garden where they can pose for pictures with the 2009 and 2010 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup trophies. Fans must be at least 21 years-old to access.

- Eight tons of sand will provide the playing surface for pick-up games of beach soccer.

- Levy Restaurants will provide free Hawaiian pulled pork sliders topped with pineapple BBQ sauce to the first 1,000 fans. There will also be additional staff, food and beverage portables.

- Complimentary samples from Johnsonville Sausage - The NEW Chipotle Monterey Jack Smoked Chicken Sausage

- Music by the Caribbean Vision Steel Drum Band, plus face painters, a dunk tank, inflatable jousting tower and a sign making stand

Back with a Bang

Some cross-country trips go faster than others, and the 1800-mile flight home from Toronto was a breeze, thanks to a last-minute stroke of magic. Fredy Montero's free kick in the 90th minute sealed yet another memorable result on the road for the Rave Green. Not only was there late drama, but Seattle had played the final 41 minutes shorthanded.

Sounders FC has gone undefeated in its last four road games, and is now over .500 on the road all-time, at 14-13-12. They have won three away this season. In 2009 they didn't win their third on the road until Match 25 and in 2010 the third away result came in Match 19. By beating the Reds, they also earned their second series win of the year.

More Montero Magic

Fredy Montero's game-winner at Toronto figures to be a frontrunner for MLS Goal of the Week, if not for its sheer drama then for his cool execution. With the clock clicking down to full time, Montero carefully lined-up his free kick from 28 yards, then craftily curled it around the four-man wall and inside the upper right post. Sounders FC are now 15-2-5 when Montero scores and they are 4-0-3 this season when he either scores or provides an assist. It was the sixth time he has scored in the final 15 minutes of a match.

If anything, the last days of June could only prove brighter for the 23-year-old Colombian. It's his most productive month (seven goals, six assists in 11 June matches), and he's been particularly productive against New York (four goals, one assist in five meetings) and New England (two goals, one assist in four games). Last year his string of nine straight games with either a goal or an assist also began in June.

Montero, whose three goals this season have all come on the road, is looking to bag his first home goals since August 28, 2010, when he delivered a brace versus Chicago.

Maestro Rosales

For the second game in a row teammates and staff were voicing the praises of Mauro Rosales. The Argentine attacking midfielder exhibited his quality particularly in the second half when Seattle was down a man yet finished with a 4-1 advantage in shots on goal. His leadership was evident as he directed traffic, continually found and exploited space in the right channel, and Rosales was in the middle of several movements when his team needed to retain possession. Finally, he drew the foul that resulted in Montero's free kick goal. Seattle is 4-1-4 with Rosales as a starter.

Sounders FC at 100

On Thursday night Sounders FC will reach the century mark in competitive matches played. They are 11 games over .500 (32-21-24) in the first 77 MLS regular season matches and have yet to be beaten in U.S. Open Cup play (9-0-1). Yet the Rave Green is not satisfied. They are still searching for their first playoff win (0-3-1) and aim to advance beyond the group stage of the CONCACAF Champions League (2-5-1 in 2010) in their second time around later this summer.

Ten is Enough

Toronto was the first time that Sounders FC have won when finishing the match down a man. Central defender Jhon Kennedy Hurtado's second yellow card resulted in his first MLS expulsion in the 49th minute. It was the first red card for Seattle in 26 games and the 11th overall (eight came in the first 21 games of 2009). The only previous victory when taking a red came at L.A. in 2009 when the Galaxy had two players ejected.

All three road wins this season have involved a red card; Seattle won at Colorado and Real Salt Lake when the hosts played with 10 men.

Clean Sheets Can Do It

Missing some exceptional attacking components, goals have come at a premium but the Sounders FC defense is making them stand up. The clean sheet at Toronto was the third in the last six games and fifth in 11. Four of the six wins have featured shutouts.

Seattle enters this week with the fourth-best GAA in MLS at 0.88. But the back four must be altered this week with Jhon Kennedy Hurtado serving his suspension versus New York. The starting XI in Ontario was the same as that used versus Vancouver the week before, marking only the third time in 2011 that Sigi Schmid has done so.

Forward Thinking

Seattle remains committed to playing an attractive, attacking style. Despite the absence of winger Steve Zakuani and forward O'Brian White the club still leads MLS in shots and corner kicks and is No. 2 in shots on goal. Although he missed two matches with a fractured wrist, Fredy Montero leads the league in both shots on goal (19) and total shots. As evidenced by the second half in Toronto, Sounders FC keep firing until the final whistle; seven goals have been scored in the final 15 minutes.

Sounders FC at Halfway

Nothing has come easily for Sounders FC in the first half of 2011. Despite losing two starters to long-term injuries and playing without several other starters at times, Seattle reached the 17-match mark of the expanded 34-round schedule in a much better position than a year ago. Since losing their first two matches of the year, the Rave Green is four games above .500 (6-2-7) and third in the West.

Sounders FC was 4-8-3 and seventh in the conference at midseason in 2010. Over the second half they became the hottest side in MLS, going 10-2-3 in the final 15 games. In 2009, Seattle was third in the conference (5-3-7, 22 points) at the midway point. It is six points ahead of last year's 17-match pace, when the record was 5-8-4, and three points behind the 2009 start of 7-3-7.

Depth to be Tested

With an Open Cup fixture added in, there will be three matches in the final days of June, and Sounders FC will look to take full advantage of their deep squad. Twenty-one players have started thus far and 23 have seen action, and the competitive nature has extended to Reserve League play where Seattle is 6-0-0. Of last week's starters, three-defender Tyson Wahl, midfielder Lamar Neagle and forward Mike Fucito-earned those roles after first starting a reserve match.

Academy Update: Both Sounders FC Teams Win Division Championships

In its first season of competitive play Sounders FC became one of only three clubs (out of 78 total) to win a division title at both the U16 and U18 levels. Seattle claimed the top spot in the U18 Northwest Division by beating California Development Academy, 3-1, in the final regular season match at home last week. The U16s, who had clinched a week earlier, beat CDA, 3-nil.

The U.S. Soccer Development Academy Playoffs begin with group play on Friday and continue through June 28 in Frisco, Tex. Groups will be determined by a weighted draw on Tuesday. Teams will play a round-robin format with the winners of the eight groups advancing to the finals, to be played July 9-16 in Milwaukee.

Sounders FC staked a lead early in the U18s match. Jamael Cox and Darwin Jones scored four minutes apart for a 2-nil advantage after 22 minutes. In the five matches since league play resumed earlier this month, Jones has scored six goals and Cox five. Aaron Kovar added the team's third goal on the hour mark. Seattle finished the regular season 16-5-4 overall and 9-2-1 in the division to earn a top seed.

Jesse Klug scored his fourth goal in three games, capping off the U16s result. Jordan Thompson and Austin Sweeney scored the openers. The U16s are 18-3-4 and 8-2-2 in the Northwest.

Date Change: Sounders FC to Host Philadelphia on October 8

The date for the home match versus the Philadelphia Union has been moved to Saturday, October 8. The game will start at 7:00 p.m. PT on the Xbox Pitch at CenturyLink Field.

At the request of Major League Soccer the match was moved from its original July 23 date to accommodate the Union's involvement in the Herbalife World Football Challenge. All tickets issue for the original date will be honored on October 8.

Note: Time Change at Portland

First kick for Seattle's game at Portland on July 10 has been moved up to 1 p.m. PT at JELD-WEN Field. The Sounders FC-Timbers match will be televised by ESPN2.

AT&T MLS All-Star Game Voting Underway

Fans still have two weeks remaining in which to vote players to the 2011 AT&T MLS All-Star Game. They can continue to vote at www.MLSsoccer.com and via text messaging through July 5. Twitter voting concludes on June 20.

The six Seattle Sounders FC nominees are: Osvaldo Alonso, Brad Evans, Alvaro Fernandez, Jhon Kennedy Hurtado, Kasey Keller and Fredy Montero.

The players with the highest combined votes from these three voting methods will become the first 11 All-Stars - known as the All-Star First XI. The player who receives the most text votes by 8:59 p.m. PT on July 5 will automatically earn a spot among the All-Star First XI.

All-Star Head Coach Hans Backe of the New York Red Bulls will choose the gameday roster and the starting lineup against Manchester United on July 27. A total of 32 All-Stars will be named. Media, fans, players, the All-Star coach and MLS Commissioner Don Garber all contribute in the All-Star selection process.

Through July 5 at 8:59 p.m. PT, fans will select the "First XI" All-Stars. Fans can vote via any of three digital platforms:

- At MLSsoccer.com: Vote for your starting lineup of 11 players

- Via text message (SMS): Text an MLS player's last name to 22442. Each vote will count equally with those submitted online in determining the First XI. The player who receives the most text votes will automatically earn a spot among the First XI.

- Twitter: One vote per tweet between June 17-20. A vote will only be valid if the following conditions are met within one Tweet: An MLS player's Twitter handle (i.e. @juanagudelo17), OR an MLS player's full name with no space between first and last (i.e. landondonovan) appears in the Tweet. The Tweet contains @MLS AND #MLSAllStar

The First XI will be announced on Sunday, July 10, likely on ESPN during halftime of the Portland-Seattle game that begins at 1 p.m. PT.

The MLS All-Star head coach will select the gameday roster. MLS Commissioner Don Garber will select two All-Stars; the coach will decide if those two are selected for the gameday roster. The coach and Commissioner selections will be announced on Monday, July 18. The final list of 32 All-Stars (4 goalkeepers, 8 defenders, 13 midfielders and 7 forwards) will be announced on MLSsoccer.com on July 25.

Recap: Sounders FC 1 vs. Toronto FC 0 - June 18, BMO Field

Fredy Montero's free kick goal in the final minute of regulation proved to be the winner and earned Sounders FC another series win.

In the 89th minute, Mauro Rosales was fouled from behind by Ty Harden, setting up a Montero free kick. From 28 yards out, Montero bent his shot around the Toronto defensive wall and into the upper right corner of the goal. It was the sixth time this season that Sounders FC has notched either the equalizing or game-winning goal in the 80th minute or later.

Sounders FC was forced to play nearly the entire second half a man down after Jhon Kennedy Hurtado received his second yellow card of the match in the 49th minute. The man-down victory was the Sounders' first in the club's history in MLS.

The Reds' closest opportunity came in the 81st minute when Javier Martina had a chance to put one in from inside the right side of the box but his shot ricocheted off the near post and the rebound was defended away for a corner.

Kasey Keller recorded his fifth clean sheet of the season, recording two saves. In the 22nd minute, Maicon Santos sent a header on goal but Keller easily controlled the ball. A similar event took place in the 75th minute when Nick Soolsma's header found Keller's gloves as well.

The Rave Green started the game fast, as Mike Fucito found an opening off a throw-in on the left side in the second minute but his shot grazed off the far post.

In the 74th minute, Osvaldo Alonso fired a shot from the left side of the box off a quick corner kick but Toronto goalkeeper Stefan Frei was able to make the save.

Frei tallied three saves on the night, while Toronto held the advantage in shots over Seattle, 18-10. Seattle held the advantage in shots on goal, 4-2.

Among the Leaders

Sounders FC ranks in the top five of nearly every offensive statistical category, including shots (230; 1st), shots on goal (76; 2nd), goals (19; T-5th), assists (20; 4th) and corner kicks (92; 1st). The Rave Green also leads the league in fouls committed (226).

Brad Evans is tied tenth in MLS with four goals and Fredy Montero is tied seventh with four assists. Montero leads the league in shots (49) and shots on goal (19). Osvaldo Alonso is fifth in fouls committed (26) and, along with Kasey Keller, is one of five players to have played 1530 minutes or more this season. Keller is second in goalkeeper wins (six), third with 50 saves, tied fourth with five shutouts and fifth with a 0.88 goals against average.

New York Series Notes

The series is level at 2-2-1 and Seattle holds a 5-3 goal advantage. In its last trip, New York came away with a 1-nil result and three points for the first time at Seattle. Of the eight goals scored in the series, five have come in the first half. Fredy Montero is the only player to score in the final 15 minutes, netting the 85th-minute game-winner at Red Bull Arena last May. Sounders FC has outshot New York 71-54 with Montero leading both sides with 18 total shots (eight on goal). Montero is also the only player in the series with a multi-goal game (two tallies on March 19, 2009).

About New York

The New York Red Bulls sit atop the East with 23 points from 15 games. The team is second in the league with 24 goals (1st with 1.60 goals per game) and first with 27 assists. They have struggled to get wins on the road but not points, going 1-1-5 in seven away contests. The Red Bulls have outscored opponents 11-8 on the road but seven of those goals came in two games (four at D.C. United, three at Portland) and have been shutout twice. Their last road win came two months ago at D.C. United (April 21). However, New York has performed well in June, going 4-0-2 in 2010 and 2011.

Red Bulls Notables

Two newcomers have been instrumental in the Red Bulls' league-leading attack. Luke Rodgers is second on the team with five goals and three assists, with his last strike coming at Vancouver on May 28. He is tied second in MLS with two game-winning goals and leads the league with 24 offsides. Dwayne De Rosario, who joined New York just two games into the season, co-leads the club with four assists, which is top 10 in MLS at 0.38 assists per game. He has also added two goals. Norwegian midfielder Jan Gunnar Solli co-leads the team with four assists (T-7th in MLS). Greg Sutton has started the last six games in net, allowing 10 goals on 31 shots (1.43 GAA). Bouna Coundoul (0.86 GAA) started seven games at the beginning of the season but has not played since May 15. Sutton has not lost (2-0-5) in his seven starts.

Thierry Henry, who co-leads the league with eight goals, was shown a red card on Sunday at Portland and will miss the match. Juan Agudelo and Tim Ream are playing for the United States at the Gold Cup and Rafa Marquez is with Mexico. Dane Richards, the speedy midfielder with two goals and three assists, will likely return to the lineup as Jamaica was knocked out of the Gold Cup on Sunday.

SEA/NYRB Connections

Defender Jeff Parke played his first five MLS seasons for New York. In his return last season, Parke was named to the Red Bulls Best XI team. Defender Taylor Graham played for New York in 2006-07, seeing action in 15 games. New York defender Roy Miller and Seattle left back Leo Gonzalez have been teammates on the Costa Rica national team. Sounders FC technical director Chris Henderson finished his 11-year MLS career with the Red Bulls in 2006. Seattle's backup goalkeeper Terry Boss' brother plays for the New York Giants and third keeper Josh Ford is from Liverpool, N.Y. New York's John Rooney trained with Sounders FC before entering the MLS SuperDraft.

New England Series Notes

Seattle is 1-3-0 against the Revs with a -1 goal differential. In the last home game against New England on June 5, Seattle got a goal and assist from Leo Gonzalez and Fredy Montero and Steve Zakuani added tallies to assure the 3-nil win. The matchups have been a tale of two halves as Seattle has netted four of its five goals in the first half while New England has struck five times in the final 45 minutes.

About New England

With 15 points from 16 games, New England is tied sixth in the East. Although they have earned draws in the last two matches, the Revs have not won (0-4-2) since May 14 and have just two goals in their last five games. New England is yet to win (0-5-2) on the road this season, having been outscored 11-4. The 12 goals scored (0.75 per game) and 10 assists are fewest in MLS. Seven of their 12 goals have come in the second half.

Revs Notables

Shalrie Joseph leads the Revs' attack with four goals and one assist. He scored three goals against Seattle in 2009 but has since supplied just one assist and no goals. Joseph's 26 shots (14 on goal) leads the team. Midfielder Benny Feilhaber joined New England in April and has played the full 90 in all six appearances with one assist. Danish forward Rajko Lekic has added two goals and six other Revs have scored. Defender Kevin Alston is the only player to play all 1,350 minutes for New England this season and rookie defender A.J. Soares is one of three Revs to start all 15 matches. Matt Reis has started 13 of 16 games in net with a 1.00 goals against average (6th in MLS) and 56 saves (second).

SEA/NE Connections

Forward Pat Noonan was a mainstay of New England for his first five seasons in MLS, leaving the team after the 2007 season as the club's No. 4 goalscorer (37) and No. 3 in assists (29). Noonan has since played for Columbus and Colorado but he's yet to hit the net against the Revs in three meetings. Right back James Riley played his first three professional seasons for the Revolution. He was drafted by New England in 2005 out of Wake Forest, where he was once a teammate of Pat Phelan. While with New England, Riley was a starter for the 2007 Open Cup champions and MLS Cup runners-up in both 2006 and 2007. Servando Carrasco and A.J. Soares both played at Cal from 2007-10 before entering MLS together. They were co-captains in 2010. Forward Mike Fucito is a native of Westford, Mass., located approximately 50 miles from Foxborough. Fucito attended Brooks School and Harvard, where he was All-Ivy League and All-America as a senior in 2008. Darren Sawatzky, the Sounders FC director of youth development, played two seasons (1996-97) in Foxborough.

Upcoming Anniversaries

On June 22, 1974, Seattle's Memorial Stadium was the site of the first sellout in NASL history. A crowd of 13,876 attended the Sounders' 2-0 win over Philadelphia. Later on stadium capacity was expanded to nearly 18,000 but the franchise continued to draw full houses until a move to the Kingdome in 1976.

On June 24, 1975 the U.S. National Team played in Seattle for the first time, a friendly against Poland at Memorial Stadium.

Throw-ins

Goalkeeper Kasey Keller has now started 72 consecutive regular season games-the longest current streak in MLS...Midfieler Osvaldo Alonso, who has now started 30 in a row, is two card-less matches away from having his yellow card total reduced from four to three. A fifth caution would result in a one-game suspension...Midfielder Alvaro Fernandez returned to action following a two-game absence last week, coming off the bench for 21 minutes...Defender Zach Scott made his first substitute appearance since 2009. His last six matches had been starts...Prior to last week Seattle was 0-3-5 when finishing a man down and had scored only one goal, Tyrone Marshall's equalizer on a corner kick at Chicago in 2009...Sounders FC are now 7-7-3 in the Eastern Time Zone. The final ET trip comes October 1 at New England...Sigi Schmid is now five wins away from 150 in his MLS coaching career. He is the all-time leader in both regular season (145) and playoffs (19)...Come Saturday, Miguel Montano is no longer a teenager as the Colombian midfielder turns 20...Fredy Montero had not scored in 572 minutes until converting the free kick versus TFC but he has scored in both matches where Seattle has worn its shale kit...This will be the first time Seattle has drawn a PDL side in the Open Cup. In the past two years it was pitted against Portland, then a USL-1/U.S. Soccer Division 2 club.

Appearances

On Tuesday, June 21, Jhon Kennedy Hurtado and James Riley will meet fans and sign autographs from 4-5 p.m. at Museum Quality Framing in Issaquah (755 NW Gilman blvd Suite D, Issaquah, WA 98027). At the event fans can receive discounts on framing custom Sounders FC items...Hurtado will also meet Sounders FC supporters on Friday, June 24 from 5-6 p.m. at Alaska USA Rose Hill Branch (inside Safeway at 12519 NE 85th Street, Kirkland, WA 98033).

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Major League Soccer Stories from June 20, 2011


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