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MLS Seattle Sounders FC

Sounders FC News & Notes

July 6, 2011 - Major League Soccer (MLS)
Seattle Sounders FC News Release


Seattle Visits Portland in Derby Match on Sunday; Host Open Cup Quarterfinal July 13

North America's most spirited soccer rivalry meets the light of midday on Sunday afternoon when Seattle Sounders FC invade the ground of the Portland Timbers for the third Cascadia Cup fixture of 2011. First kick is 1 p.m. PT and ESPN2 and ESPN Deportes will televise the match nationally from JELD-WEN Field.

Sounders FC will turn around and play a quarterfinal Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup game three days later. They host the L.A. Galaxy at Starfire Sports Stadium on July 13 at 7 p.m. PT.

The Rave Green are on the verge of an 11-day test of stamina an depth. Four matches will be played over the stretch that begins in the Rose City and concludes with the Manchester United friendly on July 20.

Seattle (8-4-8, 32 points) rides south with a club record seven-match unbeaten streak (4-0-3) in MLS, eight games in all competitions and five games undefeated on the road following the scoreless draw against the Galaxy on July 4. The total of 32 points is third in the league.

Sounders FC are 3-2-5 away this season and have fared well in matinees, going 2-0-1. Their record through 20 matches is the best in the club's three-year existence.

Portland (5-8-3, 18 points) is searching for its first win since May 21. Since then the Timbers have gone 0-5-1, including a 2-1 home loss to Sporting Kansas City last week. Since winning their first five matches at JELD-WEN Field they have lost three and drawn one. Portland hosts Mexico's Club America in a friendly on Thursday night.

In the first meeting between Seattle and Portland on May 14, Alvaro Fernandez staked the home side to a 52nd minute lead and Mamadou Danso answered in the 65th, heading home a free kick.

In Open Cup play Seattle has been next to perfect, with a mark of 10-0-1 in tournament-related games. A 2-1 win over Kitsap Pumas punched the ticket to the quarterfinal round.

This is the second year in a row that the Galaxy have come to Starfire for a quarterfinal. L.A. came from behind to beat the PDL Los Angeles Blues, 2-1, last week.

The Sounders FC-Galaxy winner moves on to the semifinal round, which begins August 30. They will be pitted against the FC Dallas-Real Salt Lake victor.

Arlo White will be on the call for Sunday's radio broadcast on 97.3 KIRO FM.

Sounders FC face the reigning MLS Cup champion Colorado Rapids on July 16 on the Xbox Pitch at CenturyLink Field. First kick is 1 p.m. PT.

For tickets to all Sounders FC home matches go to www.SoundersFC.com or call 800-745-3000.

The Wheels on the Bus

Each of the first 40 Sounders FC road matches has involved all the inconveniences of air travel. The early airport arrivals, security checks, middle seat assignments and the waiting, always waiting. Not so this week. The Rave Green will ride down Interstate 5 in comfort aboard a chartered coach. At 151 miles, Portland is not the nearest destination (Vancouver is 118), yet it's the shortest trip in terms of transit time-under three hours.

Prior to the Timbers and Whitecaps FC joining MLS, the shortest travel flights were to San Jose (713 miles) and Salt Lake (726). Later this month Sounders FC will take their longest trip to date for a competitive match. They face San Francisco FC of Panama on July 26 in the opening match of the CONCACAF Champions League preliminary round. Panama City is 3685 air miles from Seattle-49 percent more than the farthest destination in MLS.

Let There Be Electricity

For those who like their Rave Green turned up a notch, the next handful of matches will make them merry. Sounders FC are in the midst of a wearing the Electricity third kit four times in five matches. They wore it in L.A. and will once more in Portland. The bright yellow strip is a standard for Open Cup and friendlies, so it will be donned again and again for the Galaxy quarterfinal and Manchester United on July 20.

Thanks for the Memories

Perhaps no other venue holds more vivid memories for longtime Sounders fans than the pitch in Portland. JELD-WEN Field and its previous incarnations are thick with history for Seattle.

Seattle was the opposition in Portland's first and last matches of the NASL era. The Sounders won both, 1-nil, at Civic Stadium. Jimmy Gabriel's penalty was the difference in a May 1975 downpour and Mark Peterson sealed the deal and clinched the Western Division championship under an August sun in 1982.

In between the NASL Sounders played in the playoffs for the first time in 1975 (falling 2-1 in overtime, and then seeing the field overrun with fans). Two years later, in 1977, Seattle advanced to the NASL title match for the first time, with thousands of fans following the lads to Portland for the final. The game, played against the New York Cosmos, attracted a record crowd of 35,548. It marked the final competitive performance by the legendary Pele.

In 1985, FC Seattle and FC Portland played the inaugural match in the Western Soccer Alliance (forerunner to the A-League and USL-1) at Civic, with Seattle winning, 6-1. Brian Schmetzer scored one of Seattle's goals. Schmetzer was the USL Sounders coach in 2004 and 2005, when Seattle eliminated the Timbers in the first round of the playoffs.

Keller in Portland

Kasey Keller played a key role in putting Portland back on the America soccer map. During his freshman season at the University of Portland, Keller established records for shutouts (14.5) and GAA (0.33) that still stand today, and the Pilots advanced to the NCAA semifinals for the first time, finishing 21-1-0. He would go on to become a three-time All-American and two-time MAC or Hermann trophy finalist.

Keller was a crowd favorite when he started in goal for both U.S. National Team matches played at then-Civic Stadium, most notably the 1997 World Cup qualifier win over Costa Rica.

For Sounders FC, Keller is 1-0-1 in the Rose City in a pair of Open Cup third-round games the past two seasons. A year ago he made six saves in regulation and overtime then stopped two penalties in the tiebreaker. Last week he earned his 27th career MLS shutout at L.A. while starting for the 75th consecutive match, dating back to April 25, 2009. It's the longest current streak in MLS.

Doughnuts on the Road

When Sounders FC travels they are not in the habit of giving their hosts any gifts. The defense has not allowed a goal in the last 273 minutes on the road, including three consecutive clean sheets in Chicago, Toronto and L.A. The road unbeaten streak began May 7 in Columbus with a 1-1 draw and on May 28 Seattle snapped Real Salt Lake's record 29-match home unbeaten streak. Seattle, which begins the week with the third-best GAA in MLS at 0.90, has a road GAA of 0.80. The club's all-time road record is above .500 (14-13-13).

One for the Record

The current seven-game unbeaten streak equals the club record set last summer, when the Rave Green went 5-0-2 to begin the second half of the season. After 20 games they are three points ahead of the 2009 start (7-5-8). In 2010 they were 8-8-4.

Galaxy, Again

For the second year in a row Sounders FC find the Galaxy as the third-round opponent in the Open Cup. In 2010 at Starfire, Nate Jaqua scored two second-half goals to secure Seattle passage to the semifinal with a 2-nil win. Terry Boss got the shutout in goal two days after a 3-1 MLS loss in Carson, Calif. Seattle will be playing L.A. for the 10th time-the most of any opponent.

Cup History in Seattle

A Seattle team is vying to make the Open Cup semifinals for the fifth year in a row. Sounders FC won the title in 2009 and 2010, and the USL-1 Sounders reached the final four in both 2007 (against FC Dallas) and 2008 (Charleston). Previously, the only Seattle club to qualify for an Open Cup final was the amateur Mitre Eagles, runners-up in 1987. The NASL Sounders did not participate in the Open Cup, yet the A-League Sounders competed on an annual basis beginning in 1995, advancing to the semifinals that season and again in 1996.

Seattle became the Open Cup's first repeat champion in the MLS era of the tournament. The last back-to-back winner was the New York Pancyprian Freedoms in 1982-83. New York Greek-American (1967-69) achieved the only three-peat in the 98-year-old tournament's history.

Tickets Now On Sale for Open Cup Quarterfinal

Tickets went on sale Wednesday for the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup quarterfinal match between Seattle Sounders FC and the L.A. Galaxy. Tickets are available at the CenturyLink Field box office, by calling 1-800-745-3000, visiting www.SoundersFC.com or through Ticketmaster. Tickets are general admission and priced at $16 for covered grandstand and $12 for uncovered bleachers.

The Cup Runneth Over

The Open Cup has also opened the door to Sounders FC on the international stage. The tournament champion earns a berth in the CONCACAF Champions League the following season. Seattle advanced to the Group Stage of the Champions League in 2010. The Rave Green visit Panamanian champion San Francisco FC on July 26 for the first game of the aggregate goals series. That game will be played at the Panama National Team's home stadium, Estadio Rommel Fernandez, in Panama City. Seattle hosts the return match on August 3 at 7 p.m. PT on the Xbox Pitch at CenturyLink Field.

Pat Noonan Signs Extension

Pat Noonan has signed a contract extension through the remainder of the season. Noonan, 30, made his first appearance of the season on June 26 versus New England. He is in his second year with Sounders FC after scoring one goal and one assist in 12 games (eight starts) in 2010.

Noonan spent the latter portion of last season on the Disabled List and underwent hip surgery during the offseason.A veteran of nine MLS seasons, Noonan has 41 goals and 33 assists in 165 career appearances.

Michael Tetteh Loaned to Orlando City

Midfielder Michael Tetteh has been loaned to USL PRO league club Orlando City SC from June 30 through July 10.

Tetteh, a rookie from UC Santa Barbara, can be re-called by Sounders FC if necessary. He started in last week's U.S. Open Cup match against Kitsap Pumas and had been a member of the match day roster versus New England on Sunday. Tetteh has played in all six MLS Reserve League matches, scoring two goals.

Academy Update: U16s Open National Finals on Sunday in Milwaukee

On Sunday the Sounders FC Academy U16 boys play their first group stage match at the U.S. Soccer Development Academy Finals in Milwaukee. Seattle faces the Dallas Texans at 12 p.m. PT, then Real So Cal on July 12 and the L.A. Galaxy on July 14. The group winner advances to the championship game on July 16.

Sounders FC clinched a berth in the finals with a 5-1 victory over D.C. United on June 28 in Frisco, Tex. Austin Sweeney, Michael Steele, Ike Crook, Jesse Klug and Jason McGlothern accounted for the scoring. The Rave Green won all three group phase games by a combined score of 8-1.

Sounders FC Academy U16 Roster

Goalkeepers: Conor Adkisson (Federal Way, Wash.), Trevor Larson (Auburn, Wash.), Keenan Townsend (Vancouver, Wash.)

Defenders: Jacob Beck (Poulsbo, Wash.), Jeffrey Collings (Seattle, Wash.), Michael Gallagher (Sammamish, Wash.), Ian Lange (Federal Way, Wash.), Sam Langston (Sammamish, Wash.), Jalen Markey (Renton, Wash.)

Midfielders: Stefan Bangsund (Kent, Wash.), Ike Crook (Federal Way, Wash.), Prince Gundersen (Olympia, Wash.), Tolossa Hassan (Seattle, Wash.), Jason McGlothern (Des Moines, Wash.), Odason Pelogi (Federal Way, Wash.), Miles Rodriguez-Nilsen (Poulsbo, Wash.), Jordan Schweitzer (Everett, Wash.), Michael Steele (Custer, Wash.), Austin Sweeney (Federal Way, Wash.), Jordan Thompson (Bellevue, Wash.)

Forwards: Jesse Klug (Sammamish, Wash.), James, Nosack (Vancouver, Wash.), Isidro Prado-Huerta (Renton, Wash.), Chad Radulovich (Delta, B.C.)

Directory of Youth Development: Darren Sawatzky

Head Coach: Dick McCormick

Assistant Coaches: Bill Crook, Mark Boyes

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.

Champions League Tickets On-Sale July 6

Tickets for the first CONCACAF Champions League home match for Sounders FC are now on sale. The Sounders FC will host Panama's San Francisco FC August 3 at CenturyLink Field. Kickoff is 7 p.m. PT. Tickets will be available at www.SoundersFC.com, by calling 800-745-3000, all Ticketmaster outlets and the CenturyLink Field Box Office.

The Sounders FC will play the first leg of the Preliminary Round in Panama on Tuesday, July 26 at 5 p.m. PT. The winners advance to the six-round Group Stage, which will begin August 16-18 and conclude October 18-20.

The Sounders FC-San Francisco FC winner will advance to Group D, joining defending Champions League winner CF Monterrey (Mexico), CD Comunicaciones (Guatemala) and the winner of the preliminary round matchup between CS Herediano (Costa Rica) and Alpha United of Guyana.

The CONCACAF Champions League is open to the leading teams from federations throughout North America, Central America and the Caribbean.Monterrey won the 2010-11 CONCACAF Champions League last month, defeating Real Salt Lake, 3-2 on aggregate.

Recap: Sounders FC 0, L.A. Galaxy 0 - July 4, Home Depot Center

Kasey Keller got the shutout in his 75th straight start as Sounders FC extended their unbeaten streak to seven matches with a scoreless draw against the league-leading L.A. Galaxy in front of 27,000 fans and a national television audience on Independence Day.

Keller made two saves to pick-up his 27th career shutout. Third-string goalkeeper Brian Perk recorded two saves, including a penalty kick stop of Fredy Montero in the 18th minute, as the Galaxy extended their unbeaten streak to 11 matches.

With Galaxy goalkeeper Donovan Ricketts out to injury and back-up Josh Saunders serving a suspension, Perk made his MLS debut for the Galaxy.

In the 17th minute, Seattle's Mauro Rosales moved the ball to Roger Levesque inside the box, who found Montero in front of the goal. Montero took one touch and attempted an overhead kick with Galaxy defender Omar Gonzalez on his back. Gonzalez knocked down Montero's attempt with his hand for a penalty.

Montero took the ensuing spot kick and Perk stayed low and dove to his right to make the save.

The 21-year-old Perk became just the second goalkeeper in MLS history to record his first career save off of a penalty kick (Matt Napoleon, 1998).

Sounders FC managed 14 shots, three on goal. In the third minute, Seattle's Rosales got free from two defenders along the right side and got the ball to Montero, who sent in a low cross to the feet of Levesque, whose shot sailed high over the crossbar.

In the 20th minute, Jhon Kennedy Hurtado got a clean look at a corner kick sent into the box by Tyson Wahl, but his header missed wide. After a Seattle throw in the 65th minute, Erik Friberg hit a side-winding shot from the middle of the box but missed wide left.

The Galaxy offense failed to find any consistency as well, totaling nine shots with just two on goal. In the 68th minute, Juan Pablo Angel got some space on the left side of the box as he received a ball from Landon Donovan. After a couple of touches Angel blasted a shot off the fingertips of Keller, hitting the far post before rolling out of bounds for a Galaxy corner kick.

A long ball found its way through the Seattle defense to Donovan in the 50th minute, but Donovan could not gather enough force behind his header, as it fell softly into the hands of Keller for the save. In the 28th minute, Mike Magee pounded a shot from the left side of the box, missing wide right.

Open Cup Recap: Sounders FC 2, Kitsap Pumas 1 - June 28, Starfire Sports Stadium

Mike Fucito scored twice as Sounders FC remained unbeaten in Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup tournament-related games, topping the Kitsap Pumas in a third-round match in front of 3,811 fans.

The Rave Green is now riding a four-match winning streak in all competitions and remains unbeaten in their last seven games (5-0-2). The two-time defending Open Cup champions are 10-0-1 all-time in the tournament and related qualifiers.

Fucito's game-winning goal came in the 62nd minute when Michael Seamon played him into the right side of the box. Using some quick footwork to maneuver around a Kitsap defender and away from goalkeeper Bryan Meredith, Fucito then blasted a right-footed shot past Meredith, giving Sounders FC a 2-0 lead that they would not relinquish.

The Harvard graduate's first goal came in the 39th minute when Seattle forward Nate Jaqua headed down a cross to Fucito in the box. Fucito sent a left-footed volley across Meredith and into the back of the net.Fucito left the contest in the 68th minute. He was replaced by Jeff Parke.

The Pumas, unbeaten and atop the Northwest Division of the USL Premier Development League, got on the scoreboard in the 71st minute after Seattle had just cleared a corner kick. Robert Christner the ball back into the box where Pumas midfielder Nikolas Besagno hit it past Seattle goalkeeper Terry Boss, cutting the lead in half.

Sounders FC dominated the Pumas in total shots (25-7) and shots on goal (8-1). Impressive goalkeeping from Meredith kept the Pumas in the match late, as he recorded six saves.

In the 75th minute, Sounders FC midfielder Miguel Montano got off a powerful strike from 24 yards out, but Meredith lunged to his right and made the stop.In the 82nd minute, Jaqua fired a hard shot at Meredith, who made an impressive stop diving to his right.

Reserve League Recap: Sounders FC 2, L.A. Galaxy 1 - Home Depot Center/University Field

Nate Jaqua and Lamar Neagle struck in the first half as Sounders FC remained perfect (7-0-0) in the MLS Reserve League by winning on the road. Adam Cristman pulled back a goal late for the Galaxy to make for a tense final 15 minutes.

Seattle got off to a quick start, scoring first with a strike from Jaqua at the top of the box in the 18th minute. Collecting the ball on the left wing, Neagle sent a low cross into the box for Jaqua, who took a touch before firing a low shot past the Galaxy's Josh Saunders.

Seattle doubled its lead in the 31st minute when Neagle converted a penalty kick past Saunders. The penalty was called after Mike Fucito had broken through the Galaxy back line and into the box with just the keeper to beat when he was fouled by defender Dan Keat.

In the second half, Los Angeles battled back, finally breaking through in the 74th minute with a strike from Cristman. Just back from the U-17 FIFA World Cup with the U.S. National Team, Jack McBean provided the assist flicking a pass into the box for Cristman to slot past Terry Boss.

The next scheduled Reserve League action for Seattle is August 9 at Vancouver.

Among the Leaders

Sounders FC ranks in the top five of nearly every offensive statistical category, including shots (263; 1st), shots on goal (85; T-1st), goals (25; T-3rd), assists (23; 3rd) and corner kicks (104; 2nd). The Rave Green also leads the league in fouls committed (254) and is second in yellow card cautions (36).

Fredy Montero is tied ninth with four assists. Montero leads the league in shots (53) and shots on goal (20). Osvaldo Alonso is tied seventh in fouls committed (28). Kasey Keller leads the league in minutes played (1800). Keller is also second in goalkeeper wins (eight), third with 56 saves, tied third with six shutouts and third with a 0.90 goals against average.

Portland Series Notes

The two clubs have met five times since Seattle joined MLS in 2009: once in MLS play, twice in the U.S. Open Cup and twice in preseason play. Prior to the 1-1 draw on May 15, the visiting side had won every match, including two Sounders FC Open Cup road wins. The Cascadia rivals also met in the 2010 Community Shield and 2011 Cascadia Summit with the visiting Timbers winning both matches.

About Portland

The Timbers sit eight in the West with 18 points from 16 games. Since drawing 1-1 in Seattle on May 15, the Timbers have won just once and are winless in their last six (0-5-1), having not won at home since May 21. They have been outscored 6-1 over their past two contests and have been shutout in three of their last five. They average 1.19 goals per game but allow 1.75 (17th in MLS). Portland is whistled offside second-most in the league (63) and are last with 59 shots on goal and 152 fouls committed.

Timbers Notables

Jack Jewsbury leads the Timbers attack with a team-high four goals and six assists (2nd in MLS). Jewsbury is also second in MLS with three game-winning assists and 72 corner kicks. He has also started all 16 games and is the only Timber to have played all 1440 minutes. Kenny Cooper and Jorge Perlaza have each added three goals while defenders Rodney Wallace and Mamadou Danso have both scored twice. Cooper is third in MLS with 37 fouls suffered and Perlaza leads the league with 26 offside calls. Ghanaian midfielder Kalif Alhassan is second in the group with five assists. Rookie Darlington Nagbe, the second overall selection in the 2011 MLS SuperDraft, scored his first career goal in sensational fashion in Portland's 2-1 loss to Sporting Kansas City on Saturday. Nagbe's volley strike from the top of the box made its rounds in the national media and is nominated for MLS Goal of the Week. Troy Perkins has started 11 of the 16 games in net with a 1.64 goals against average and three shutouts.

Timbers Connections

Forward Nate Jaqua is from Eugene, Oregon, and, like Kasey Keller, played collegiately for the University of Portland. Defender Jhon Kennedy Hurtado and Timbers forward Jorge Perlaza are cousins. Tyson Wahl played with Portland midfielder Jack Jewsbury for three seasons at Kansas City (2006-08). Terry Boss is from Philomath, Oregon. Sigi Schmid coached midfielder Adam Moffat for two seasons in Columbus (2007-08).

About Los Angeles

The league-leading Galaxy have won the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup twice (2001, 2005) and were runners-up twice (2002, 2006). The club's first Open Cup title came under the direction of head coach Sigi Schmid in 2001. The Galaxy are riding an 11-game unbeaten run (5-0-6) in MLS play and will play the Chicago Fire on Saturday night at home. They reached the quarterfinal round with a come-from-behind win, 2-1, over the USL Pro League's L.A. Blues last Tuesday.

Galaxy Notables

Omar Gonzalez led the Galaxy to victory in the third round with a goal and assist against the L.A. Blues. Gonzalez scored the second-half equalizer then served the winning assist on Mike Magee's 81st minute strike. Other notable Galaxy players who started in the third round include defenders Sean Franklin and A.J. DeLaGarza, midfielder Juninho (who also recorded an assist), forward Chad Barrett and goalkeeper Brian Perk. In last year's quarterfinal matchup Josh Saunders started in goal and Landon Donovan and David Beckham were left off the gameday roster.

SEA/LA Connections

Sounders FC Head Coach Sigi Schmid began his MLS coaching career with Los Angeles in 1999, serving as head coach for six seasons (1999-2004). Schmid won four major competitions, including the 2002 MLS Cup, and he was voted MLS Coach of the Year in his first season. Assistant coach Ezra Hendrickson played for Schmid's 2002 MLS Cup champion Galaxy team. The Galaxy's Bruce arena served as coach for the University of Puget Sound in 1976 and previously played for the Tacoma Tides of the American Soccer League. Jeff Parke played with Juan Pablo Angel and Mike Magee at New York. Nate Jaqua played with Chad Barrett in Chicago in 2005 and 2006. Schmid coached Frankie Hejduk at UCLA from 1992-94. David Estrada (2006-09) and the Galaxy's Brian Perk (2006-09), Michael Stephens (2006-09) and Sean Alvarado (2005-09) played together at UCLA. Perk also played in the USL-PDL for the Seattle Wolves in 2009.

Throw-ins

As Sigi Schmid continues to rotate his squad, among outfield players central defender Jeff Parke has the most consecutive starts at nine. Parke came out of the New England game on June 26 after 17 minutes due to vision problems, but has gone the full 90 in the other eight matches...Sounders FC own a perfect 7-0-0 record in Open Cup related games since 2009...Fredy Montero's saved penalty was the first unsuccessful attempt for Seattle in more than a year. Nathan Sturgis and Brad Evans (twice) had converted the last three from the spot. The club is now 3 of 7 on penalties. Lamar Neagle has also converted both of his attempts in Reserve League play...The USL W-League Championships will be held at Starfire Sports Stadium on July 29 and July 31. The Seattle Sounders Women will host and be joined in the semifinals by the winners of the three regional conferences. See SoundersWomen.com for details...On July 7, 2005, Puget Sound native Marcus Hahnemann returned home and he started in goal for the U.S. for a 4-1 win over Cuba in the CONCACAF Gold Cup at CenturyLink Field.

Appearances

James Riley will be signing autographs and taking photos on Thursday, July 7 from 4-5 p.m. at the Seattle Bank in Queen Anne (190 Queen Anne Ave N Ste 100 - 98109)...O'Brian White will sign autographs next Tuesday, July 12 from 6-7 p.m. at the Pro Shop at CenturyLink Field...For more information visit www.SoundersFC.com

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