MLS Seattle Sounders FC

Sounders FC News & Notes

Published on April 23, 2012 under Major League Soccer (MLS)
Seattle Sounders FC News Release


Back in Action, Sounders FC Kicks off Busy Four Weeks with Visit to Chicago

The break is over for Sounders FC as the Rave Green returns to action for the busiest stretch in club history with nine games in 32 days. The contests begin this Saturday with a match against the Chicago Fire at Toyota Park in Bridgeview, Ill. Kickoff is slated for 5:30 p.m. PT.

Saturday's match will be televised live on KONG 6/16 with Ross Fletcher and Kasey Keller on the call, and can be heard on 97.3 KIRO FM. The match will also be broadcast live out of market on ROOT Sports. La Gran D 99.3 FM will carry the match live in Spanish.

Sounders FC (3-1-1, 10 points) is off to the best five-game start in club history and will look to extend its MLS-best six-game (5-0-1) regular season road unbeaten streak.

With eight MLS matches before the end of May, including five over 15 days, Sounders FC looks to pile up the points with a possible 24 on the table. The Rave Green will also begin its march to a fourth consecutive Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup title with the third round scheduled for May 29.

Once before did Sounders FC play nine games in a 32-day stretch. In August of last season Seattle went 7-1-1 with a historic win at Monterrey and a victory over FC Dallas to advance to the Open Cup final.

Despite playing the fewest games in MLS, Sounders FC sits fourth in the West and tied-sixth overall. The Chicago Fire (2-1-2, 8 points) are one of two other teams to have played just five matches and currently sit fourth in the Eastern Conference.

Seattle is unbeaten over its past two matches, and will look to extend its 248-minute shutout streak (second-longest active streak in MLS) and end April unbeaten for the second straight year. The match will be the second road contest of the season for Seattle, earning a draw at D.C. United in its first away game, and will also mark the 100th regular season game for Sounders FC.

Chicago is also unbeaten over its past two matches with a win over Toronto FC last Saturday. The Fire are unbeaten (1-0-1) at home this season.

Sounders FC has had great success in the series with Chicago. The Rave Green is 3-0-3 all-time versus the Fire in MLS play and also defeated Chicago in the 2011 U.S. Open Cup final.

Sounders FC will return to the Pacific Northwest for two home matches in the first week of May. Seattle will host the L.A. Galaxy on Wednesday, May 2 and the Philadelphia Union visit on Saturday, May 5. Both matches will be played on the Xbox Pitch at CenturyLink Field.

Tickets to home MLS matches are available through www.SoundersFC.com, all Ticketmaster Outlets, CenturyLink Field Box Office or by calling 877-MLS-GOAL.

Upcoming Competition Schedule (times are Pacific & subject to change)

Saturday, April 28, 5:30 p.m. - Sounders FC at Chicago Fire, Toyota Park, Bridgeview, IL

Wednesday, May 2, 7 p.m. - Sounders FC vs. L.A. Galaxy, Xbox Pitch at CenturyLink Field

Saturday, May 5, 1:30 p.m. - Sounders FC vs. Philadelphia Union, Xbox Pitch at CenturyLink Field

Wednesday, May 9, 5:30 p.m. - Sounders FC at FC Dallas, FC Dallas Stadium, Frisco, TX

Saturday, May 12, 7 p.m. - Sounders FC vs. Real Salt Lake, Xbox Pitch at CenturyLink Field

Upcoming MLS Reserve League Schedule (times are Pacific & subject to change)

Friday, June 1, 6 p.m. - Sounders FC vs. Vancouver Whitecaps FC, Starfire Stadium, Tukwila, Wash.

Monday, August 6, 7 p.m. - Sounders FC vs. LA Galaxy, Starfire Stadium, Tukwila, Wash.

Busy Season: Nine Matches on the Horizon

Starting with Saturday's match at Chicago, Sounders FC will play eight MLS games plus an Open Cup fixture before the end of May. The 32-day stretch includes a guaranteed four home games and four road trips, notably home matches against West foes L.A. Galaxy and Real Salt Lake as well as the first Cascadia derby match of the season at Vancouver.

The eight matches in the month of May will be the third time Seattle has played eight matches in a single month. Sounders FC went 7-0-1 last August in a month full of memories, including the late dramatic victory over Sporting Kansas City, the historic Champions League win at Monterrey, the 6-2 home win over the Columbus Crew and the win over FC Dallas to advance to the Open Cup final. Seattle also played eight games in September 2010.

April Foiled: Unbeaten in Previous Seven

The month of April has treated Sounders FC quite well. Seattle has played a total of 16 regular season games in April and has earned points in all but four contests (7-4-5), including just one loss in the past 11 April outings (5-1-5). The Rave Green used April as a springboard to success in 2011, going undefeated (3-0-2) in its five April matches. The club has extended its April unbeaten streak to seven matches this season with a draw against D.C. United and a win over Colorado. The last April loss for Sounders FC was on April 25, 2010 at Toronto FC.

Road Warriors: Seattle Looks to Extend MLS-best Road Unbeaten Run

The top road team in 2011 hopes to continue the trend as Seattle currently holds the longest regular season road unbeaten streak in MLS at 5-0-1. The trip to Chicago will mark the second road trip of the season, and following the match Seattle will have just three Eastern Conference road trips remaining. Seattle went 9-3-5 away from home in 2011 and not only won more games than every other team but lost just three times (two fewer than any other MLS club). Seattle's .676 road winning percentage last season was fourth-best in MLS history as the Rave Green scored a league-best 24 goals on the road.

Two-Point Club: Sounders FC One of Three Teams to Average Two per Game

Seattle is in exclusive company as one of just three teams to average at least two points per game this season. Sounders FC has taken 10 points through the first five matches, marking the best start in club history (previously nine points through the first five matches in 2009). Sporting Kansas City (2.625) and the San Jose Earthquakes (2.28) are the only other teams to earn two points per game. Last year - Seattle's best regular season - the team averaged 1.85 points per game, finishing second overall in the MLS standings. The club is well ahead of its 2011 pace, reaching the 10-point mark in three fewer games.

Keeping it Clean: Rave Green Backline Among League's Elite

The most potent attack in MLS may garner most of the attention but the backbone of Seattle's success over the past three seasons has been its defense. The trend has continued this season as Seattle has earned three shutouts in its first five matches, allowing just two goals (Ryan Johnson's MLS Goal of the Week in week two and Chris Wondolowski's penalty kick in Seattle's third game). Sounders FC ranks second in MLS with a 0.40 goals against average. Last season, it took 12 games for Seattle to earn three shutouts.

Three standout defensive players have helped Seattle remain one of the league's stingiest defenses. Goalkeeper Michael Gspurning, center back Patrick Ianni and midfielder Osvaldo Alonso have played every minute this season. Gspurning is the only keeper to allow two or fewer goals, and he is tied-third with three shutouts. His 248-minute shutout streak is currently the second-longest in MLS (Zac McMath/Philadelphia Union - 334), and his saves percentage (86.7) is second among keepers. Seattle has allowed the fewest shots of any team in MLS, holding its opponents to just 47 total shots, 17 fewer than any other club.

Hitting the Century Mark: Saturday is Club's 100th Regular Season Match

In just three short years Sounders FC has cemented itself in the landscape of soccer in America, and this Saturday will mark another milestone. Kickoff in Chicago will be the 100th regular season MLS match for Sounders FC. The Rave Green have set the standard for MLS expansion clubs, becoming the first expansion side to qualify for the playoffs in its first three seasons as well as winning the U.S. Open Cup championship all three years. Seattle has amassed 166 points since 2009 (the second-most in MLS) and has scored 139 goals (third in MLS). The Sounders FC faithful have also set a new mark for success in MLS, setting the average attendance record each season with 54 consecutive sellouts.

On the Mend: Several Players Nearing Full Strength

Sounders FC hopes to have its full arsenal of weapons come Saturday as several players are nearing full strength. Mauro Rosales (knee sprain) and Adam Johansson (hamstring strain) both played in a training game on Saturday, and rookie defender Andrew Duran seems to be fully recovered from knee surgery. Midfielder Alvaro Fernandez has continued to recover from a hamstring strain and midfielder Steve Zakuani has been in full training.

Seattle has used a different lineup in all five contests this season, and head coach Sigi Schmid has used a league-high 19 starters (tied with D.C. United). Last season, Seattle started 23 different players in MLS play and 31 players in all competitions. The only player who did not start a match last season was backup keeper Josh Ford.

Kickoff Time Change for May 5 Home Game

The Seattle Sounders FC announced that the team's kickoff time for the May 5 match against Philadelphia Union has been moved to 1:30 p.m. PT. The game on the Xbox Pitch at CenturyLink Field will be aired live on NBCSN. Gates will still open at 11:30 a.m.

Tickets to home MLS matches are available through www.SoundersFC.com, all Ticketmaster Outlets, CenturyLink Field Box Office or by calling 877-MLS-GOAL.

Chicago Series Notes

Sounders FC is undefeated against the Chicago Fire with three wins and three draws in the series. Seattle has shutout Chicago in all three games at Toyota Park, earning one win and two draws. The lone goal scored in the three matchups at Toyota Park came in the final minutes of the match on September 25, 2010. Sounders FC has outscored Chicago 6-3 on three fewer shots. Fredy Montero leads all players with two goals in the series.

About the Men in Red

Coach Frank Klopas' 4-4-2 attack is headlined by the speedy duo of Dominic Oduro and Patrick Nyarko up front. Oduro leads the team with three goals through five games this season, and the pair combined for 50 points in 2011. In Saturday's 3-2 win over Toronto, Nyarko fed Oduro to go up 1-0 in the first minute, then Oduro fed Nyarko in the 58th for the gamewinner. Midfielder Sebastian Grazzini leads the team with two assists so far in 2012.

Captain Logan Pause, in his 10th year with the Fire, continues to patrol the midfield and scored Chicago's lone goal in a 1-1 draw vs. Houston on April 15. Six-foot-four goalkeeper Sean Johnson has played the last two matches for Chicago after missing the first three while playing with the US National Team in Olympic Qualifying. He made six saves in the win against Toronto FC. On defense, Gonzalo Segares has started all five games and scored a goal against Toronto, and recently-signed German international Arne Friedrich has joined Jalil Anibaba at center back the last two games.

MLS Reserve League: Seattle Sounders FC 4 at Chivas USA 3 - April 23, 2012

Seattle Sounders FC (1-2-1) earned its first victory of the 2012 MLS Reserve League with a 4-3 win against Chivas USA (1-1-0) at the Track & Field Stadium of The Home Depot Center on Monday.

Seattle's Sammy Ochoa scored twice with Cordell Cato and Andy Rose adding two more tallies.

Chivas USA scored the game's first goal in the 9th minute. Blair Gavin and Laurent Courtois combined on the left flank and Courtois finished to take the early lead.

Seattle equalized in the 12th minute when Cato received a cross from Roger Levesque and beat keeper Tim Melia. Sounders FC took a 2-1 lead in the 31st minute when Michael Seamon found Ochoa in the six-yard box for his first goal of the game.

Chivas equalized on a penalty kick by Juan Pablo Angel in the 39th minute and jumped out to a 3-2 lead in the 59th minute on a goal by Casey Townsend with Angel providing the service.

Seattle would level the scoring again just minutes later as Servando Carrasco found Rose for a strike from outside the box.

Sounders FC regained the lead for the final time in the 70th minute when Ochoa completed his brace on an assist from Andrew Duran.

Seattle created several scoring chances in the first half, including a shot from Levesque in the 3rd minute that hit the post and a strike from Rose in the 5th minute that missed wide.

Seattle's next reserve match will be on June 1 against the Vancouver Whitecaps FC at Starfire Sports while Chivas USA will take on San Jose on May 14.

Throw-ins

Roger Levesque will be at the Pro Shop to meet fans and sign autographs on Tuesday evening from 6-7 p.m. Fredy Montero will be at the Top Pot in Wedgewood on Wednesday from 3-4:30 p.m. Visit SoundersFC.com for more information...Michael Gspurning turns 31 on May 2. Seattle hosts the L.A. Galaxy on May 2, and it is David Beckham's birthday as well...Several Sounders FC players rank high in the Castrol Index. David Estrada (6), Michael Gspurning (7), Zach Scott (20) and Osvaldo Alonso (33) all rank in the top 50...Monterrey beat Santos Laguna, 2-0, in the first leg of the CONCACAF Champions League final with a brace from Humberto Suazo. The second leg will be played in Torreon, Mexico on Wednesday, April 25. Sounders FC beat both finalists in the 2011-12 tournament.

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