MLS Seattle Sounders FC

Sounders FC News & Notes

Published on March 18, 2013 under Major League Soccer (MLS)
Seattle Sounders FC News Release


First Road Test of the Season Saturday at San Jose

After advancing to the Champions League Semifinals and picking up its first point of the 2013 Major League Soccer season, Sounders FC travels to Northern California for the first road test of the campaign against the defending Supporters' Shield winners San Jose Earthquakes. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. PT from Buck Shaw Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif.

The match will be televised on KING-5 with Ross Fletcher and Kasey Keller calling the action, and can also be heard on KIRO Radio 97.3. Spanish broadcasts will be available on KOMO2 and La Gran D 99.3 FM. The game will also be shown live out of market on ROOT Sports.

Sounders FC (0-1-1, 1 point) finished a challenging two-game week with a 1-1 draw against rivals Portland Timbers. Eddie Johnson scored Seattle's goal as Portland netted the stoppage time equalizer in the opening match of the 2013 Cascadia Cup.

Five days earlier, Sounders FC became the first MLS club to oust a Mexican team from the CONCACAF Champions League with a 3-1 home win over Tigres UANL, advancing to the club's first-ever semifinals, 3-2 on aggregate. Johnson scored the deciding goal after newcomers DeAndre Yedlin and Djimi Traore became the first two defenders to score in the same game for Sounders FC.

Seattle's newest Designated Player, Obafemi Martins, joined the team for Saturday's derby match and played the final 20 minutes. Martins' stay was short as he boarded a flight early Sunday morning to join the Nigerian National Team for a World Cup Qualifier against Kenya on Saturday.

Two other Sounders FC players, Eddie Johnson (United States) and Mario Martinez (Honduras), will also miss Saturday's match at San Jose for qualifying matches. Both national teams play Friday and next Tuesday.

The meeting with San Jose will be the 11th all-time regular-season match between Seattle and San Jose. Sounders FC trails the series 4-5-1 after dropping all three matches by one goal last season.

The Earthquakes (1-1-1, 4 points) earned a late win against New York and salvaged a road point against Columbus on Saturday after dropping the first match of the season to Salt Lake. Golden Boot winner Chris Wondolowski has scored once as all three San Jose goals have been scored in the final 20 minutes.

Sounders FC will finish the opening month of the season with another road contest as the Rave Green visit Real Salt Lake on March 30. Seattle then opens the CONCACAF Champions League Semifinal series at home against Mexico's Santos Laguna on April 2 with the away leg on April 9 in Torreon, Mexico.

Sounders FC Nominated for 2013 Sports Team of the Year

The Seattle Sounders FC has been nominated for the 2013 Sports Team of the Year by SportsBusiness Journal/Daily. The other nominees include the Oklahoma City Thunder, San Francisco 49ers and the Washington Nationals. Sounders FC previously won the award in 2010.

Overall, 75 nominees are up for awards across 15 categories. The awards recognize outstanding achievements in sports business from March 1, 2012, to Feb. 28, 2013. Each of the nominees will be featured in a special Sports Business Awards preview issue that will be published May 20.

For more information on the awards, visit www.Sports-Business-Awards.com .

Up Next: On the Road at San Jose

Sounders FC heads to Northern California on Saturday evening for the first away contest of the regular season. The team's next two matches in league play are the shortest road trips of the season, first to San Jose followed by a visit to Real Salt Lake. Overall, five of the next seven league matches are away from home.

Sounders FC has had four consecutive seasons with at least a .500 road record, including last year's mark of 4-4-9. Since entering the league in 2009, Seattle has earned the second-most points (94) on the road, just eight points behind the LA Galaxy. The team finished third in road goal scoring last season with an average of 1.29 goals per game.

First Pair: Eddie Goes for Goals

Eddie Johnson is starting strong in his second season with Seattle. After 180 scoreless minutes to start the campaign, Johnson scored twice last week, netting the deciding goal in the CONCACAF Champions League Quarterfinal series against Tigres on Tuesday and scoring Seattle's lone goal versus the Portland Timbers on Saturday. He has played all 360 minutes this season and he has put seven of his 15 shots on frame. He continued his Cascadia dominance as he now has a total of five goals and one assist in just seven rivalry games.

Johnson may have found a new set-up man this season in midfielder Steve Zakuani. Last year, it was Mauro Rosales who fed Johnson in the attack as the pair connected for six goals. This season, both of Johnson's goals have come from Zakuani's service. The duo had previously started just three games together before the 2013 season opener.

Fastest to Fifteen: EJ Sets Scoring Mark

With his goal against Portland on Saturday evening, Eddie Johnson became the fastest player to score 15 goals in Sounders FC history. He accomplished the feat in just 30 games, six games fewer than Fredy Montero. Johnson has averaged one goal every two games since joining Seattle last year.

No. 110: Ozzie Sets Club Record

With his inclusion in Saturday's Starting XI, Osvaldo Alonso became the club leader with 110 starts, surpassing Fredy Montero's mark of 109. Alonso (114) still has six matches to go before passing Montero (119) to become the club's all-time leader in games played. In his fifth year in MLS, Alonso has started all but four appearances, and has only been subbed out five times.

First Strike: Seattle Stretches Streak

Sounders FC improved to 25-0-7 when scoring first with the draw against Portland on Saturday (28-0-7 including playoffs). The streak is the longest active unbeaten streak in MLS. The last time Seattle scored first and came away with no points was on October 23, 2010 in a 2-1 loss at Houston. The New York Red Bulls hold the league record at 58 games (40-0-18), which started on October 9, 2008 and was snapped at San Jose on March 10.

Starting Points: The Beginning of Season's Past

With the first point of the season secured, Sounders FC enters its first road match eyeing more early points. It took three game to earn the first point of the 2011 season as Seattle won the other three season openers. The 2012 season was the best start in league history as Sounders FC went 7-1-1 to lead the league through the first nine matches.

Opening Three Games

Year Record Goals For/Goals Against

2009 3-0-0 (9 pts.) 7/0

2010 1-1-1 (4 pts.) 4/3

2011 0-2-1 (1 pt.) 1/3

2012 2-1-0 (6 pts.) 5/2

Five Years Later: Anniversary of Inaugural Match on Tuesday

Tuesday marks the five year anniversary of Seattle's inaugural match in Major League Soccer. On March 19, 2009, Sounders FC beat the New York Red Bulls 3-0 in front of 32,608. Fredy Montero scored the team's first goal in the 11th minute, and completed the brace in the 75th minute. Brad Evans added the third goal against the 2008 MLS Cup runners-up.

Scoring Summary

SEA - Montero (Le Toux, Alonso) 11'

SEA - Evans (Montero) 25'

SEA - Montero 75'

Seattle Lineup

Kasey Keller; James Riley, Tyrone Marshall, Jhon Kennedy Hurtado, Zach Scott; Sebastien Le Toux, Osvaldo Alonso, Brad Evans, Sanna Nyassi (Steve Zakuani 68'); Nate Jaqua, Fredy Montero (Roger Levesque 89').

Sounders FC Signs Nigerian Striker Obafemi Martins

Seattle Sounders FC signed Nigerian striker Obafemi Martins on March 15. Per Major League Soccer and club policy, terms were not disclosed. He will occupy Seattle's third and final Designated Player slot.

Martins, 28, played 12 seasons in Europe's top leagues, including five seasons with Inter Milan of Italy's Serie A and three seasons for English Premier League side Newcastle United. Martins has 103 goals in 316 appearances, and has 18 goals in 38 appearances for the Nigeria National Team, including two games in the 2010 FIFA World Cup.

He joins Sounders FC following one season with Levante of Spain's La Liga where he scored nine goals in 24 appearances across all competitions. Martins spent the first five years of his professional career with Inter, scoring 28 goals in 88 league games and 49 goals in 135 appearances across all competitions. He helped Inter win four major titles, including the Serie A title in 2005-06.

Following his time with Inter, Martins joined Newcastle United for three seasons. He scored 28 goals in 88 English Premier League games and 35 goals in 104 all competitions appearances. Martins had his highest-scoring professional season when he scored 17 goals in 2006-07, including 11 goals in the EPL and six in UEFA Champions League play.

Martins also played for Wolfsburg in the German Bundesliga, Russia's Rubin, and England's Birmingham City before joining Levante last September.

Three Sounders FC Players Called In for World Cup Qualifiers

Seattle Sounders FC announced that forwards Eddie Johnson and Obafemi Martins and midfielder Mario Martinez have been called in by their national teams for 2014 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers. The three players will miss Seattle's next match at San Jose.

Johnson, 28, joins the United States for two qualifiers, beginning with Friday's match against Costa Rica at Dick's Sporting Goods Park in Commerce City, Colo. The U.S. will then play Mexico on March 26 at Estadio Azteca in Mexico City. The U.S. is currently the only team with no points through the first match of Round Four of qualifying.

Johnson has 46 caps and 14 goals for the United States. He helped the team advance to Round Four of qualifying with two goals and one assist in matches against Antigua and Barbuda and Guatemala last October.

Martins, 28, joins Nigeria for a qualifier against Kenya on March 23 at U.J Esuene Stadium in Calabar, Nigeria. He has 38 caps with 18 goals. Nigeria recently won the African Cup of Nations, beating Burkina Faso on February 10.

Martinez, 23, joins Honduras for qualifiers against Mexico in San Pedro Sula on March 22 and against Panama in Panama City on March 26. He has 27 caps and three goals for Honduras.

San Jose Series Notes

The Earthquakes took the series lead last year with three wins, dropping Seattle to 4-5-1 in the all-time series. San Jose holds a 14-11 goal advantage, with Chris Wondolowski leading all scorers with five goals in the series. Seattle is 1-2-1 at Buck Shaw Stadium, nearly earning a late draw in their last visit only to be undone by a late San Jose winner.

About San Jose

The Earthquakes have four points (1-1-1) through three games this season, including a win and a loss at Buck Shaw Stadium. They opened the season with a 2-0 home loss to Real Salt Lake, then responded with a late 2-1 home win over the New York Red Bulls before drawing 1-1 on the road with the Columbus Crew. San Jose is looking to build off of an impressive 2012 in which they won the Supporter's Shield with 66 points (19-6-9) and scored 72 goals, 13 more than any other team. They lost just one game at home (10-1-6) and held a league best +21 goal differential at home last season.

Earthquakes Notables

Frank Yallop's club is led by defending MLS MVP Chris Wondolowski, who won the 2012 Budweiser Golden Boot with 27 goals, tied for the MLS single-season record. Wondolowski scored his first goal of 2013 on a penalty kick in a 2-1 win over the Red Bulls. Ramiro Corrales, a 16-year MLS veteran with 37 career assists, has recorded an assist in each of the last two games. Forwards Alan Gordon and Steven Lenhart (23 goals combined in 2012) are each battling injuries and have yet to make an appearance in 2013.

Fifteen-year MLS veteran Jon Busch has nine saves and has allowed four goals in three games this season. The San Jose backline will be shorthanded Saturday, with defenders Victor Bernardez (Honduras) and Justin Morrow (USA) away with national team duty. Bernardez was named the 2012 MLS Newcomer of the Year and Morrow's goal against Columbus is nominated for MLS Goal of the Week.

SEA/SJ Connections

Seattle's Eddie Johnson and San Jose's Justin Morrow will be teammates with the U.S. National Team for two upcoming World Cup Qualifiers. Mario Martinez and Victor Bernardez will also play together for Honduras. Former Sounders FC players Mike Fucito and Cordell Cato play for San Jose. Defender Ty Harden and midfielder Jacob Hustedt attended the University of Washington. Earthquakes forward Steven Lenhart played for Sigi Schmid and with Brad Evans in Columbus in 2008. Servando Carrasco and David Bingham played together at Cal-Berkeley.

Academy Returns Home and Rolls SoCal Opponents

After four straight road fixtures, Sounders FC Academy returned to go 3-1-0 against non-conference opponents Pateadores and Irvine Strikers. The U18's swept the weekend with a couple of 4-1 wins, giving them five straight, and the U16's bounced back from a 3-1 loss to Pateadores on Saturday to take down the Strikers, 3-1, on Sunday. Henry Wingo recorded two goals and an assist for the U18's and Elliot Havens netted a brace in Sunday's win for the U16's.

During their five-match winning streak, the U18's have outscored their opponents 19-3, with Jordan Morris leading the way with six goals and four assists in that span. The U16's loss marked the first time the team had given up more than two goals in a game this season.

Sounders FC U18 (USSDA) (11-3-5, 38 points)

Sounders FC vs. Pateadores (March 16) - W, 4-1

Cody Crook put Seattle on the board first with his second goal of the season. After Pateadores equalized, the Rave Green exploded with three second half goals en route to a 4-1 win. Kenny Sweet and Jason McGlothern connected for a goal minutes after they both entered the game.

Sounders FC Goals (Assists): C. Crook (Wingo), Morris (Olsen), Sweet (McGlothern)

Sounders FC vs. Irvine Strikers (March 16) - W, 4-1

Henry Wingo scored two goals and Jordan Morris scored a goal and two assists as the U18's won their fifth straight and extended their unbeaten streak to seven (6-0-1). Morris leads the team with 18 goals and 11 assists, and David Olsen's late goal gives him eight on the season (second on the team).

Sounders FC Goals (Assists): Wingo, Wingo (Morris), Morris (I. Crook), Olsen (Morris)

Sounders FC U16 (USSDA) (10-3-6, 36 points)

Sounders FC vs. Pateadores (March 16) - L, 1-3

Harrison Kurtz put Seattle up 1-0 before the half, but Pateadores netted three second half goals for a 3-1 win. The loss for Seattle snaps a seven-match unbeaten streak (4-0-3).

Sounders FC Goals (Assists): Kurtz

Sounders FC vs. Irvine Strikers (March 17) - W, 3-1

Elliot Havens scored two goals and Sean Bowman had a goal and an assist as the U16's got back on track with a 3-1 win. Havens put Seattle on the board with a diving header on a ball from Vic Mansaray, then added another on a ball from Bowman. Bowman rounded out Seattle's scoring with a goal into the upper corner of the net.

Sounders FC Goals (Assists): Havens (Mansaray), Havens (Bowman), Bowman

Meet Osvaldo Alonso at the Pro Shop

Come to the Downtown Pro Shop on Tuesday, March 19th from 6-7pm to meet Osvaldo Alonso - bring your MatchPass and earn 500 points. There is no better way to spend your Tuesday evening than getting an autograph with Sounders FC's best XI midfielder, Osvaldo Alonso, checking out exciting new retail offers and earning points for your MatchPass. Remember - to receive points, your MatchPass must be scanned.

Where: Downtown Pro Shop - 410 Pike Street, Seattle, WA 98101

When: Tuesday, March 19th from 6-7 pm

Throw-ins

Tickets to the Santos Laguna match on April 2 are available by phone at 800-745-3000 or www.SoundersFC.com...CenturyLink Field will host two Gold Cup matches on July 11, featuring Panama versus Martinique followed by Mexico versus Canada...Sounders FC debuted a free Android app on Monday. The app is available for download in the Google Play Store...Sounders FC will wear Rave Green on Saturday and San Jose will be in all black. The referee is Baldomero Toledo. His assistants are Frank Anderson and Adam Garner. The fourth official is Daniel Radford...Djimi Traore's goal against Tigres has been viewed over 1.3 million times on YouTube...Eddie Johnson's goal against Portland is nominated for MLS Goal of the Week.

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