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MLS Seattle Sounders FC

Sounders FC News & Notes

January 31, 2012 - Major League Soccer (MLS)
Seattle Sounders FC News Release


Sounders FC Heads South for Arizona Sunshine

Just five weeks from an imperative contest against Mexico's elite, Seattle Sounders FC players and coaches flew south this week for eight days of training under the desert sun.

The week-long stay in Casa Grande, Ariz. began Monday with a light training session but the intensity will increase for the remainder of the visit as two-a-days will become a common occurrence. Seattle will hold training sessions everyday with extra sessions on five of the days. The team will take Super Bowl Sunday off.

The sole training game in Arizona will be on Monday, February 6 against the Vancouver Whitecaps FC. Kickoff is slated for 3 p.m. PT at Grande Sports World.

Seattle will continue to focus on developing the players' aerobic base and style of play in preparation for March 7 when Sounders FC hosts Santos Laguna on the Xbox Pitch at CenturyLink Field. Tickets for the CONCACAF Champions League quarterfinal are available at www.SoundersFC.com, by calling 800-745-3000 and the CenturyLink Field Box Office as well as all Ticketmaster outlets.

Sounders FC will return to Seattle on February 7 and transition to the next phase of training camp in Bradenton, Fla. on February 11. Further details on the training schedule are being finalized and will be announced soon.

The More, The Merrier: New Faces Join Camp

A newcomer, a draft pick and a pair of Hondurans join Sounders FC training camp this week. Most anticipated is the arrival of Swedish right back Adam Johansson. Johansson spent the first several weeks of January training with the Swedish National Team, making two appearances in international friendlies. Draft pick Wes Feighner, 21, has also joined the team in Arizona. Feighner, a defender from Cal Poly, was selected by Seattle with their final pick (72nd overall) in the 2012 Supplemental Draft.

The scouting process is never complete for Sounders FC coaches as they continue to bring in trialists and training camp invitees. The most recent targets are Honduran defenders Ever Alvarado and Harlinton Gutierres who will fly into the Arizona on Tuesday night and begin training with the team on Wednesday.

Aside from the additions, two players, Michael Tetteh (hamstring) and O'Brian White (blood clot), stayed behind in Seattle to continue rehab. Forward Sammy Ochoa also stayed behind with his wife who is expected to give birth to their second child soon.

Beep Tested, Tenney Approved: Players Undergo Preseason Fitness Tests

Although training camp officially opened in the third week of January, many Sounders FC players attended optional training sessions throughout the offseason at Starfire Sports. Fitness coach Dave Tenney has worked with the group for the past two months to improve fitness levels and help players prepare for preseason camp.

The long days and hard work paid off last week as Tenney put the entire group through endurance and speed tests at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center. Returnees David Estrada and Mike Seamon put in two of the best efforts in the dreaded beep test that measures the players' endurance. Newcomers Andy Rose and Cordell Cato were also two of the top performers.

Cato also caught the coach's attention in the speed test where he clocked the second-fastest time. Sounders FC Academy alum Darwin Jones took first and Supplemental Draft pick Abdul Aman came in third. Mike Fucito and Christian Sivebaek rounded out the top five.

Going International: Parke Debuts, Evans Earns Sixth Cap

Two Sounders FC players progressed their international career with the U.S. National Team in a friendly with Panama last week in Panama City. Defender Jeff Parke made his international debut, coming on in the 55th minute to help the U.S. hold a 1-nil lead after the team received a red card ejection. Midfielder Brad Evans made his second appearance of the New Year, entering in the 66th minute. Evans also appeared in a 1-0 win over Venezuela earlier in the month.

The U.S. National Team is scheduled to play four-time World Cup champion Italy in its next friendly on February 29. The match will be played at Stadio Luigi Ferraris in Genoa.

Tickets to Sounders FC vs. Santos Laguna on Sale Now

Tickets for the Seattle Sounders FC versus Santos Laguna match are on sale now. Tickets will be available by phone at 800-745-3000 or online at www.SoundersFC.com.

Seattle will host Mexico's Santos Laguna in the CONCACAF Champions League quarterfinals on March 7 on the Xbox Pitch at CenturyLink Field. The second leg will be played on March 14 in Torreon, Mexico.

To purchase 2012 season tickets, including seating in the Hawk's Nest, please contact the Sounders FC Ticket Office at 877-MLS-GOAL (877-657-4625) or www.SoundersFC.com.

For more information visit www.SoundersFC.com

Sounders FC Aligns With U-23 PDL Franchise

Seattle Sounders FC announced today that it has added an Under-23 Premier Development League (PDL) team to its Youth Development Program. The Sounders FC U-23s will be coached by Darren Sawatzky, Sounders FC director of youth development, and will begin play in May.

Sounders FC U-23 will be operated by Pierce County business leaders Lane Smith and Cliff McElroy, who purchased the former Tacoma Tide FC and Sounders Women franchises in November. The Tide, who will now be known as Sounders FC U-23, has been a member of the PDL's Northwest Division since 2006.

The Sounders FC U-23s will play their home matches in Pierce County. The venue for the games will be announced at a later date.

The Sounders FC Academy, consisting of boys U-15/16 and U-17/18 teams in the U.S. Soccer Development Academy, is now in its second season of play.

Sounders FC Youth Camps Registration

Registration is now open for the Boys High School Prep Camp, Finishing School and Spring Break Camps. For more information and to register, visit www.SoundersFC.com.

The Boys High School Prep Camp will be held from February 20-24 at Starfire Sports. The week-long training course is designed for boys age 14-18 preparing for 2012 high school soccer tryouts and season. All positions are welcome and encouraged to prepare for the high school season.

Finishing School will be held on March 2, 9, 16, 23 and 30 at Starfire Sports. This training course is designed for players who have a want, need, and a passion for scoring goals. Goalkeepers will receive intense instruction from a keeper coach and will be placed in game like shot stopping situations.

Sounders FC Spring Break Camps begin in April and will be held throughout the greater Seattle area. Visit www.SoundersFC.com for more information.

Sounders FC Training Camp Participants

Goalkeepers: Josh Ford, Michael Gspurning, Bryan Meredith, Andrew Weber.

Defenders: Ever Alvarado, Marc Burch, Andrew Duran, Wes Feighner, Leo Gonzalez, Harlinton Gutierres, Jhon Kennedy Hurtado, Patrick Ianni, Adam Johansson, Jeff Parke, Tim Pontius, *Michael Tetteh, Zach Scott.

Midfielders: Osvaldo Alonso, Jason Banton, Servando Carrasco, Alex Caskey, David Estrada, Brad Evans, Alvaro Fernandez, Roger Levesque, Lamar Neagle, Mauro Rosales, Andy Rose, Amadou Sanyang, Michael Seamon, Christian Sivebaek, Andrew Vanzie, Steve Zakuani.

Forwards: Cordell Cato, Mike Fucito, Fredy Montero, Sammy Ochoa, Babayele Sodade, *O'Brian White.

*Stayed in Seattle for Rehab

Throw-ins

David Estrada turns 24 on Saturday, February 4...Santos Laguna is atop the Mexican Clausura after downing previously unbeaten Tijuana, 3-1, on the road last weekend. Santos has won their past three matches...It is a homecoming of sorts for trialist goalkeeper Andrew Weber who grew up in nearby Phoenix. Weber played against fellow Phoenix-native Brad Evans in high school...The U.S. Women's National Team beat Canada, 4-0, in the final of the CONCACAF Olympic qualifying tournament last Sunday in Vancouver, B.C. They outscored their opponents 38-0 in the four games...The kickoff for Seattle's game at Vancouver on May 19 has been changed to 2 p.m. PT.

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Major League Soccer Stories from January 31, 2012


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