MLS Seattle Sounders FC

Sounders FC News & Notes

Published on October 31, 2011 under Major League Soccer (MLS)
Seattle Sounders FC News Release


Faced with an immense challenge going into the second leg of their MLS Western Conference Semifinal, Seattle Sounders FC seeks to make it their finest hour.

Proven to be a resilient side all season, Seattle hosts Real Salt Lake on Wednesday night on the Xbox Pitch at CenturyLink Field. First kick is 7 p.m. PT and the match will be shown nationwide on ESPN2, ESPN Deportes and ESPN3.com.

Sounders FC (18-8-9 in MLS) must outscore RSL by at least four goals to win the aggregate goal series outright. If Seattle outscores the visitors by three and the teams are tied following regulation, Wednesday's game will be followed by 30 minutes of extra time and, if necessary, penalty kicks.

It's a tall task for the Rave Green yet if they succeed next comes the Western Conference Final on Sunday, November 6. They would either visit the top-seeded L.A. Galaxy or host the 10th-seeded New York Red Bulls at a time to be determined. The Galaxy hosts the Red Bulls in their second leg on Thursday night with L.A. leading, 1-0.

The West winner advances to the MLS Cup Final on November 20 at the Home Depot Center in Carson, Calif.

If there's an MLS club owning the required components for such a comeback it's Sounders FC. They have continually confounded pundits and opponents with their ability to rebound from adversity this season. No other side has come from behind as many times. No other team has scored as many goals. And no other team can boast the passion, noise or numbers of Seattle's supporters.

Urged on by those fans, the Rave Green must play with a composed fury on Wednesday. Halfway through the 180 minutes of regulation Real Salt Lake (16-11-8) leads 3-0 after a first-leg home win last Saturday. It was RSL's first win in seven matches and their second over Seattle in 2011; they also won, 2-1, at CenturyLink on September 10.

Real Salt Lake will be returning to the site of its greatest feat-winning MLS Cup 2009 in a shootout over the Galaxy. The Utahns are 5-8-4 on the road this season, going winless (0-3-1) in the last four. Seattle was 9-4-4 at home during the regular season.

Arlo White will call all Sounders FC playoff matches on 97.3 KIRO FM.

A limited number of tickets are available for Wednesday night's match. Seattle has sold out 49 consecutive MLS regular season and playoff matches. For tickets go to www.SoundersFC.com or call 800-745-3000.

Upcoming Competition Schedule (All times Pacific)

Wednesday, November 2, 7 p.m. - Sounders FC v Real Salt Lake, MLS Cup Playoffs Western Conference Semifinal (Second Leg), Xbox Pitch at CenturyLink Field, Seattle

Sunday, November 6, TBD - Sounders FC/Real Salt Lake at L.A. Galaxy or host New York Red Bulls, MLS Cup Playoffs Western Conference Final

Overcoming Adversity is Nothing New

For sure, nothing has come easily for Sounders FC this season, and if overcoming adversity is the mark of a championship team then they have done so in spades. Including matches in the CONCACAF Champions League they have come from a goal down 12 times to win or draw. They trailed their aggregate series with Panama's San Francisco FC before coming from behind to prevail, 2-1, in extra time. And this finest of three remarkable MLS seasons has been accomplished while two of the club's most prominent players-Steve Zakuani and O'Brian White-were out for the final seven months of the campaign.

The Rave Green must score at least three goals on Wednesday. They scored three or more goals in eight MLS matches and 10 times altogether. Four of those games of three or more goals came in the final eight outings. Seattle scored 56 times in league play and 76 goals in all competitions. Real Salt Lake allowed three or more goals on four occasions during the season with three occurring in the final six matches.

Kept in Contention by Keller

If not for Kasey Keller's exploits in Utah, Seattle's situation might be insurmountable. Keller made nine saves-tying for the second-highest total in team history-at Real Salt Lake. He will be making his 95th straight MLS regular season and playoff start on Wednesday (99th overall), and it will be his first appearance at home since being honored following the San Jose match on October 15.

Keller, who will turn 42 on November 29, has announced he will retire at the end of the 2011 season. He finished the regular season as the league leader in goalkeeper wins (18), third in saves (110), tied for third in shutouts (9) and fifth in GAA (1.09). He was one of four players to play every minute (3,060) this season (41 games and 3,720 overall). Of Seattle's 129 competitive matches to date, Keller has started 118.

Playoff Comeback Lore

Since MLS instituted the aggregate goal conference semifinal series in 2003, the team losing the first leg has rallied to win the series 10 times. Three of those clubs went on to lift MLS Cup. Four of those survivors trailed by at least two goals at one point. However the mother of all comebacks to date was pulled off by the San Jose Earthquakes in 2003.

The Quakes were beaten, 2-nil, by the L.A. Galaxy in the first leg, and then they fell behind 2-0 (4-0 on aggregate) after the first 13 minutes of the second leg at home. San Jose (with then-rookie Roger Levesque among those in uniform) began chipping away at the deficit, finally tying the score in 90th minute before winning in extra time, 5-4. The Quakes proceeded to win the conference final and championship game.

The Great Late Show

If Seattle's season comes down to the final minutes it would only be appropriate. Sounders FC struck for goals 15 times in the final 15 minutes to lead MLS. Six of those of those goals either won (5) or tied (1) the match in the final seven minutes, plus stoppage time. In Champions League play they earned advancement from the preliminary round during extra time and secured a quarterfinal spot with a tying goal in the 89th minute.

Latest MLS Goals Scored in 2011

93+ Jeff Parke vs Sporting KC, 5/21 (W 1-0)

92+ Lamar Neagle at Sporting KC, 8/6 (W 2-1)

91+ Alvaro Fernandez at Philadelphia, 4/16 (D 1-1)

90 Fredy Montero at Toronto, 6/18 (W 1-0)

90 Mauro Rosales at Sporting KC, 8/6 (W 2-1)

87 Fredy Montero vs San Jose, 10/15 (W 2-1)

84 Osvaldo Alonso vs Vancouver, 6/11 (D 2-2)

84 Lamar Neagle at Real Salt Lake, 5/28 (W 2-1)

83 Osvaldo Alonso at Portland, 7/10 (W 3-2)

82 Sammy Ochoa vs San Jose, 10/15 (W 2-1)

Others

98 Nate Jaqua vs San Francisco FC, 8/3 (W 2-1 aet)

96+ Osvaldo Alonso vs Chicago, 1-/4 (W 2-0)

89 Osvaldo Alonso at Comunicaciones, 9/27 (D 2-2)

Will Rosales Return'

Sounders FC played without MVP and Best XI candidate Mauro Rosales at Real Salt Lake. Rosales, who assisted on a club-record 13 goals and scored five himself in 2011, sustained an MCL sprain in the fifth minute of the final regular season game at Chivas USA on October 22. Prior to that he had missed three regular season games after first suffering an MCL sprain versus D.C. United on September 17.

The Argentine quickly won over Seattle supporters this season with his creativity and work ethic. Nine of his assists and three of his goals came at home, and Sounders FC is 10-1-2 when Rosales either scores or assists.

On the Verge

The Rave Green have made history by becoming the first MLS team to win three consecutive Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cups and they are a win away from making some more. With 26 victories across all competitions Sounders FC are tied with the 2000 Chicago Fire for the most outright wins by an MLS club in one season.

Going into this week Seattle has won 26 times, including regular season, Open Cup, Champions League and playoffs. The L.A. Galaxy are right behind with a sum of 25 to date.

D.C. United is credited with 32 wins in 1998, however seven of those were tiebreaker shootouts following draws (MLS abolished regular season tiebreakers after the 1999 season).

Total Outright Wins (excluding tiebreakers)

26 Seattle Sounders FC, 2011 (18 regular season, 4 Open Cup, 4 Champions League)

26 Chicago Fire, 2000 (17 reg. season, 4 playoffs, 5 Open Cup)

25 L.A. Galaxy, 2011 (19 reg. season, 1 playoffs, 1 Open Cup, 4 CCL)

24 D.C. United, 1997 (17 reg. season, 4 non-tiebreaker playoffs, 2 Open Cup, 1 CCL)

24 L.A. Galaxy, 1998 (22 reg. season, 2 playoffs)

24 L.A. Galaxy, 2002 (16 reg. season, 5 playoffs, 3 Open Cup)

24 D.C. United, 1998 (17 reg. season, 3 playoffs, 3 CCL, 1 InterAmerican Cup)

Seattle Synonymous with Comebacks

Since those tiebreakers went away after 1999, no team has earned more points after allowing the first goal than Seattle in 2011, according to Elias. The top five are as follows:

24 points (7-7-3) Seattle, 2011

19 points (4-9-7) Real Salt Lake, 2006

19 points (6-7-1) Chicago, 2000

17 points (4-13-5) Columbus, 2011

17 points (4-7-5) Columbus, 2008

Will Sounders FC Fans Out-Do Themselves'

The two largest crowds for MLS Cup Conference Semifinals or Finals have been produced by Sounders FC fans. However, there might be room for more. In 2009 Seattle attracted 35,807 for its first postseason match and last year, despite playing on Halloween, there was another sellout of 35,521 (the fourth-largest MLS Cup final crowd of 46,011 was also in Seattle in 2009).

In 2011 Sounders FC set another season record for attendance, averaging 38,496. In the final home regular season game the crowd of 64,140 was the third-largest crowd for a single match in MLS history.

The 2011 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup final attendance of 35,615 set a record for the 98-year-old tournament. Seattle supporters accounted for two of the top three and four of the 13 biggest attendances in the CONCACAF Champions League preliminary and group stage matches.The crowd of 21,233 for the preliminary round win over Panama's San Francisco FC on August 3 was the largest of the tournament.

The top 10 attendances for MLS Cup Playoffs are as follows:

61,316 10/20/2002 Final LA vs NE Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, Mass.

57,431 10/26/1997 Final DC vs COL RFK Stadium, Washington, D.C.

51,350 10/25/1998 Final CHI vs DC Rose Bowl, Pasadena, Calif.

46,011 11/22/2009 Final LA vs RSL CenturyLink Field, Seattle, Wash.

44,910 11/21/1999 Final LA vs DC Foxboro Stadium, Foxborough, Mass.

39,859 11/18/2007 Final NE vs HOU RFK Stadium, Washington, D.C.

39,159 10/15/2000 Final KC vs CHI RFK Stadium, Washington, D.C.

35,807 10/29/2009 West Semifinal SEA vs HOU CenturyLink Field, Seattle, Wash.

35,521 10/31/2010 West Semifinal SEA vs LA CenturyLink Field, Seattle, Wash.

34,643 10/20/1996 Final LA vs DC Foxboro Stadium, Foxborough, Mass.

The Art of Survival

Wednesday will mark the first time Seattle has faced elimination from the MLS Cup Playoffs at home. In both 2009 and 2010 Sounders FC was the low seed and as a result played the deciding game away. In the inaugural season Seattle and Houston went scoreless in the first leg before the Dynamo went through to the next round on the strength of an extra-time goal at home. Last year the Galaxy left the Emerald City as 1-nil winners and added a 2-1 home win.

The only other aggregate goal series occurred during the preliminary rounds of the CONCACAF Champions League in 2010 and 2011. A year ago Sounders FC defeated Metapan, 1-0, at home and 2-1 on aggregate. In August the Rave Green lost, 1-0, at Panama's San Francisco FC but won the second leg at home, 2-1 after extra time.

Strange But True

For the first time in 77 league and playoff matches the Seattle attack failed to generate a single shot on goal at RSL. The only other such occurrence in franchise history was versus New England on August 20, 2009. Overall, Real Salt Lake out-shot Sounders FC, 19-10. The 12 shots on goal by RSL was the most since the dozen by Philadelphia on June 27, 2010.

The score line in Sandy, Utah was a shocker for a club which has lost by multiple goals only eight times.The offense was held scoreless for only the third time in the last 15 MLS games and it was the biggest losing margin in 59 matches dating back to the 4-0 home loss to L.A. on May 8, 2010. The Rave Green have not been shutout in consecutive MLS matches since the first two outings of 2011, versus L.A. and New York.

Making Themselves at Home

Each of the three most productive attackers for Seattle have been in great form at home. Fredy Montero, whofinished the regular season with eight consecutive games contributing either a goal or assist, has contributed three goals and five assists in his last six home MLS matches. Montero has scored in each of his last three home games across all competitions and has totaled five in his last seven.

Alvaro Fernandez leads the team with seven (six in MLS) home goals this season while Mauro Rosales has three goals and nine assists.

In Montero's last 13 games across all competitions since August 30 he has scored 11 goals, six of them game-winners. He set a club record for MLS total points (33), tying his record of 12 goals and assisting on nine. Each tied him for fifth in the league. He shared the MLS lead in game-winners with five. Altogether he totaled 16 goals and 11 assists in 39 games played.

Zoo Animals Get Kicking on Tuesday

A soccer ball kicking exhibitionwill take place at Woodland Park Zoo on Tuesday as animal residents-a new Sicilian miniature donkey named Rico, a juvenile frisky lion, grizzly bear brothers, a pack of wolves and a snow leopard-play with Seattle Sounders FC soccer balls in a "wild" rally for the team's run for the MLS Cup playoffs.

Rico, a 4-year-old male donkey, is the latest addition to the zoo's Family Farm and is impressing zoo staff with his soccer playing skills. Rico will kick-off the exhibition beginning at 10:15 a.m. PT.

Soccer balls for the animals are part of the zoo's excellent animal care program to help enrich the lives of the zoo's animals, promote natural animal behavior, keep animals mentally stimulated and engage zoo visitors.

Sounders FC executives served as co-chairs of the zoo's 35th annual Jungle Party held in July and helped raise $1.5 million to support the zoo's excellent animal care, inspiring education programs and field conservation projects around the globe and in Washington state.

Postseason Squeeze

With a FIFA international date in the middle of November, all but the cup final has been squeezed into a period of 12 days between last Wednesday's first wild card match and the Conference Finals on November 6. However the twice-weekly schedule is nothing new to the Rave Green, who have been operating on that regimen for nine of the last 12 weeks.

When an MLS regular season match is preceded by a competitive match four or fewer days prior, Seattle's record is 18-8-2 over the past two seasons and 19-8-8 all-time.Sounders FC has gone 7-1-0 in their last three MLS matches on short rest and 10-2-0 since May.

Recap: Sounders FC 0, Real Salt Lake 3 - October 29, Rio Tinto Stadium

Two goals from Alvaro Saborio on either side of halftime led Real Salt Lake in the first leg of the Western Conference Semifinals. Javier Morales had two assists and Ned Grabavoy came off the bench to score late for RSL before 17,067 fans.

The hosts first got on the board in the 42nd minute when Chris Wingert played the ball to the left side, Morales sent a across the goalmouth of the goal, and Saborio poked it in for an easy score.

Seattle had a good chance to equalize in first half stoppage when Leo Gonzalez's cross found Alvaro Fernandez in front of the goal, but his header went wide.

Saborio picked up his second goal in the 53rd when he used his heel to redirect a low cross from Morales past Kasey Keller. Saborio has four goals in four matches versus Seattle.

RSL dominated on the offensive end, out-shooting Seattle 19-10, including a 12-0 shot on goal advantage. Despite giving up three goals, Keller was in top form, notching a season-high nine saves. The closest opportunity of the second half came when Alvaro Fernandez's cross from the left skipped off the top of the crossbar in the 64th.

As Seattle pressed forward in the second half, RSL moved more and more people behind the ball on defense stifling each Sounders FC opportunity.

RSL made it 3-0 in the 88th minute. After a Seattle defender cleared a cross from the right side, Grabavoy took possession and drilled a shot into the net.

Academy: League Play Resumes in California

The Sounders FC Academy teams resume league play in California this weekend, visiting the San Jose Earthquakes on Saturday and California Odyssey in Fresno on Sunday. Seattle's U18s are 3-1-1 overall and are unbeaten in their last three outings. The U16s (2-1-2, 8 points) are going after their first wins in Northwest Division matches.

Saturday's games at the Quakes' Nutrilite Training Facility in San Jose 11:30 (U16) and 1:30 (U18) PT. On Sunday Sounders FC meets the Odyssey at 11:30 (U18) and 1:30 (U16).

The Sounders FC Pre-Academy team played the Blackhills U18 team last Thursday and won, 11-1. The match was highlight by David Olsen, who scored six goals for the Rave Green.

Series Notes

Sounders FC is 2-3-2 all-time against Salt Lake, including MLS regular season and playoffs. Both sides earned 2-1 road victories in the 2011 season series as Seattle snapped Salt Lake's MLS record 29-match home unbeaten streak on May 28 on Lamar Neagle's game-winner. Since the last regular season meeting (a 2-1 RSL victory at CenturyLink Field on September 10), Seattle finished the season 5-1-0 while Salt Lake finished with two wins in their final eight matches (2-4-2). Salt Lake's first leg victory was the first in their past six matches, including a four-match losing streak before picking up draws in their final two regular season contests. Seattle is 9-4-4 at home while Salt Lake is 5-8-4 away. RSL was shut-out in their final two road matches and have not won on the road since September 21, going 0-3-1. Salt Lake has been outscored 15-21 on the road this season.

Seattle has tallied multiple goals in three of the seven matchups with Salt Lake. Eleven of the 16 goals scored by both teams in the series have come in the final 45 minutes, including two of the three RSL goals in the first leg. Six different Sounders have scored against Salt Lake. Fredy Montero has two goals and two assists in six starts and Osvaldo Alonso is the only Sounder to record two assists in a single match (3/28/09) in the series.

About Real Salt Lake

Real Salt Lake finished the regular season with the third-highest point total in MLS (53). They entered the playoffs on a six-game winless streak and their win in the first leg was their first since September 21. The side seems to start the half quickly with eight goals coming in the first 15 minutes of the first half and nine in the first 15 of the second. They have also scored 11 goals in the final 15 minutes of the game but have allowed nine, the most that they allow in any 15-minute interval. Salt Lake is 16-3-2 when scoring first and have not won (0-8-2) when allowing the first goal (Seattle is 11-0-3 when scoring first). They are 9-3-2 when leading at the half and 0-6-2 when trailing going into the break.

RSL ended the MLS regular season ranked in the top ten in nearly every statistical category, including top five in shots on goal (153; 3rd), fouls committed (443; 3rd), offside (115; 4th), corner kicks (165; 4th) and cautions (56; T-5th). Salt Lake also has one of the league's stingiest defenses, allowing just 1.06 goals per game (2nd in MLS). Their three goals are the most scored by any team in this year's playoffs.

RSL Notables

RSL has dealt with injuries to key performers and absences of international players throughout the MLS regular season but, despite those challenges, the club has managed to finish top three in the league. Kyle Beckerman returned to the RSL lineup after missing the last four games due to suspension and international duty. He ended the regular season tied fifth in MLS with nine assists, six game-winning (T-2nd). Alvaro Saborio was tied ninth with 11 goals this season, four game-winners (T-5th), and added a brace in the first leg, becoming one of just two players to score multiple goals this postseason. Fabian Espindola finished the regular season second on the club with 10 goals (his career-high) and was tied eighth in MLS with 31 shots on goal. Javier Morales went down with an injury on May 7 and returned to action on September 28. He played 90 minutes in the last three matches of the season and went 79 minutes in the first leg. Midfielder Andy Williams is seventh all-time with nine assists in the MLS Cup Playoffs. He has appeared in 32 matches this season, including the playoffs. The backline has remained fairly consistent with the likes of Nat Borchers (31 games started), Jamison Olave (25), Robbie Russell (23) and Chris Wingert (23) helping to create one of the league's top defensive units. Borchers (84th minute) and Olave (32nd minute) both left the game with injuries on Saturday. Keeper Nick Rimando finished the season tied with Kasey Keller with a 1.09 goals against average (T-5th). Rimando was tied first with 13 shutouts and his 14 wins were third-most.

Salt Lake Connections

Both Leo Gonzalez (61 appearances) and Alvaro Saborio (54) began playing for the Costa Rica National Team in 2002. Saborio played for Gonzalez's rival club, Saprissa, for five seasons. Seattle's Mauro Rosales and Salt Lake's Javier Morales, Fabian Espindola and Nelson Gonzalez are from Argentina. Midfielder Collen Warner went to the University of Portland where he played all four seasons for the Pilots. Sigi Schmid coached midfielder Ned Grabavoy for one season at Los Angeles (2004). David Estrada and Tony Beltran played at UCLA together from 2006-07. Colombia's Deportivo Cali is the former club of Seattle's Fredy Montero and Jhon Kennedy Hurtado and Salt Lake's Jamison Olave.

Throw-ins

Sammy Ochoa started up front with Fredy Montero at RSL. It was Ochoa's first MLS start for Sounders FC. He had scored in each of the final regular season games...Seattle is 11-0-3 when scoring first...Players coming off the bench have combined to score seven goals and add five assists and the result has been a record of 8-0-2 in those matches...Players accumulating two yellow cards during the conference semifinals will be suspended for the conference final...On November 2, 2002 the U.S. Women's National Team routed Panama, 9-0, before 21,522 at Safeco Field. Tiffany Millbrett scored five goals in the Gold Cup opener...On November 5, 1983 the Tacoma Stars made their MISL debut, losing to the L.A. Lazers, 6-2, in the Tacoma Dome.

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Major League Soccer Stories from October 31, 2011


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