MLS Seattle Sounders FC

Sounders FC News & Notes

August 6, 2013 - Major League Soccer (MLS)
Seattle Sounders FC News Release


Sounders FC Visits Toronto FC on Saturday

Coming off one of the most historic weeks in Major League Soccer history, Seattle Sounders FC visits Toronto FC on Saturday in the first of two road games against Eastern Conference opposition. Kickoff is set for 4 p.m. PT at BMO Field.

Saturday's match will be broadcast on KONG 6/16 with Ross Fletcher and Kasey Keller calling the action, and can also be heard on KIRO Radio 97.3 FM. The Spanish broadcast is available on Univision Deportes Network and on La Gran D 99.3 FM.

Saturday's match could be the first appearance for newest Sounders FC Designated Player Clint Dempsey. The U.S. National Team captain signed with Seattle on Saturday.

Sounders FC (9-7-4, 31 points) earned its second straight victory last Saturday against FC Dallas, capturing the season series and catapulting to third in the West on points per game. Seattle sits seven points from Supporters' Shield-leaders Salt Lake and New York with three games in hand on both teams.

The excitement from the Dempsey announcement sparked the Seattle attack last Saturday as Obafemi Martins and Eddie Johnson tallied in the first 25 minutes. Brad Evans added a late penalty kick as Sounders FC extended its home unbeaten streak to a club record nine games (6-0-3). The excitement carried over to the box office as Sounders FC sold 6,000 tickets to the August 25 match against the Portland Timbers since the announcement.

Seattle now hits the road for two straight games against East foes, beginning Saturday evening at Toronto FC (4-10-8, 20 points). Similar to Seattle, Toronto is riding a three-game unbeaten run, including two straight wins. The Reds currently sit ninth in the East, 13 points out of playoff position.

The match will be the lone meeting of the season between the two sides, and Seattle enters the match with four straight wins against Toronto.

Following Saturday's match, the Sounders FC reserves will visit Orlando City on Sunday, August 11. Kickoff is set for 4:30 p.m. at the Citrus Bowl in Orlando.

Sounders FC will then return to Seattle before departing for Houston to take on the Dynamo on August 17. It will be Seattle's first match at Houston's BBVA Compass Stadium. Seattle will conclude the month with a trip to the Columbus Crew on August 31.

Seattle's next home match is Sunday, August 25 against the Portland Timbers. The full stadium is open for the match, and the attendance is expected to be one of the largest in league history.

Sounders FC Competition Schedule (all times Pacific; subject to change)

Saturday, August 10, 4 p.m. - Sounders FC at Toronto FC

Saturday, August 17, 6 p.m. - Sounders FC at Houston Dynamo

Sunday, August 25, 7 p.m. - Sounders FC vs. Portland Timbers

Saturday, August 31, 4:30 p.m. - Sounders FC at Columbus Crew

By the Numbers...

2 - Clint Dempsey will wear the No. 2 shirt for Sounders FC. All-Star defender DeAndre Yedlin has switched to No. 17.

3, 9, 10 - Brad Evans, Obafemi Martins and Mauro Rosales have combined for three goals and five assists in the past two games.

3rd - Seattle sits third in the West with 1.55 points per game, and seventh overall.

4 - Sounders FC has won four season series (Kansas City, Dallas, Chivas USA and D.C. United).

8 - Last Saturday marked Seattle's eighth multi-goal game of the 2013 season, and the fourth three-goal game (4th in MLS).

14 - Sounders FC has the most MLS regular season games remaining (14).

18 - Seattle has gone 10-4-4 in 18 games in the month of August and has outscored opponents 32-15, including one loss in the past 14 outings.

20 - Seattle has earned the most wins (9), scored the most goals (27) and earned the second-most points (31) in club history through 20 games.

6,000 - More than 6,000 tickets have sold for the Portland Timbers match since the Clint Dempsey announcement last Saturday.

All the Rave

Seattle Sounders FC announced today the full stadium seated manifest has sold out for the August 25 match versus the Portland Timbers. Due to the high demand, the team will expand the capacity to include 400 additional upper level bleacher seats and standing room only. This will be the first time the team has ever sold these two categories for a Sounders FC MLS match.

More than 6,000 tickets have sold since the Dempsey announcement last Saturday.

The team also has 2-Match ticket packages available which includes home matches versus Salt Lake on September 13 and the final regular season match versus the Los Angeles Galaxy on October 27.

The 2-Match ticket packages are available by phone at 1-877-MLS-GOAL or online at SoundersFC.com.

Seattle is averaging a league-leading 40,500 fans per match in 2013. Sounders FC has led the league in attendance the previous four seasons.

Movin' On Up: Sounders Third in PPG

Seattle's win over FC Dallas last Saturday catapulted the club to third in the West with 1.55 points per game, ranking just behind Real Salt Lake and the Portland Timbers. Overall, Sounders FC is just two points from a playoff position and seven points from the Supporters' Shield lead with games in hand. Seattle has played at least two fewer games than every Western Conference team, including three fewer games then league-leading Salt Lake and four fewer than second-place Colorado.

Top Five Points Per Game - Western Conference

Team PPG PTS GP

Salt Lake 1.65 38 23

Portland 1.59 35 22

Seattle 1.55 31 20

Los Angeles 1.50 33 22

Vancouver 1.50 33 22

Lucky No. 9: Seattle Reaches Nine Wins

Sounders FC has reached nine wins in just 20 games, setting the top mark in club history. It took 21 games for Seattle to reach nine wins in 2011 and 2012. Currently tied for the sixth-most wins in MLS this season, just nine total teams have reached nine wins, five of which did it in fewer than 20 games.

Quickest to Nine Wins - Club History

Year GP Date of Ninth Win

2013 20 August 3

2011 21 July 10

2012 21 July 28

2010 22 August 28

2009 25 September 12

Top Twenty: Sounders on Pace with Seasons Past

The 2013 season has started strong for Sounders FC, posting its second-best point total (31) through 20 games in club history. The club has also scored the most goals (27) through 20 games, one more than 2009 and 2012, and has posted the second-best goal differential. In 2011 - the club's best-ever regular season - Sounders FC earned 32 points through the first 20 games, just one point better than this season's pace.

Record after 20 Games - Club History

Year Record (points) GD (GF/GA) Date of 20th Match

2011 8-4-8 (32 pts.) 7 (25/18) July 4

2013 9-7-4 (31 pts.) 5 (27/22) August 3

2012 8-5-7 (31 pts.) 5 (26/21) July 15

2009 7-5-8 (29 pts.) 5 (26/21) August 8

2010 8-8-4 (28 pts.) -2 (23/25) August 8

A Look Ahead: Lots of Games Left

With just 20 games played, Sounders FC has the most games remaining (14) of any MLS team. Seven of Seattle's remaining 14 matches are at CenturyLink Field, where the club is riding a record nine-match (6-0-3) unbeaten run, having not lost at home since the season opener on March 2. Nine of Seattle's remaining 14 matches are against Western Conference teams, with all but one of those teams currently ahead of Sounders FC in the standings.

Making a Point: Sounders Searching for Success on the Road

As the second-best road team in MLS over the past five seasons, Sounders FC has struggled away from home this season, going 3-6-1 with a -7 goal differential. With losses in the past three road games, Sounders FC will look to bounce back at Toronto - the site of the first-ever road win in club history.

Another Season Series Won

The win over FC Dallas last Saturday marked the second of the season over the Texas side, awarding Sounders FC the 2013 season series. Seattle has already won four season series (Kansas City, Dallas, Chivas USA and D.C. United) and has nine series yet to be determined. Five other series have already been decided as Seattle tied New England and Philadelphia and lost the series against Montreal, San Jose and Salt Lake.

#DempseyFound

Sounders FC capped off one of the most historic weeks in MLS with the signing of U.S. National Team captain Clint Dempsey, who will occupy Seattle's third Designated Player spot. At 30 years old, he has been named the U.S. Soccer Male Athlete of the Year three times, including the past two years, and holds the record for most goals (57) by an American in the English Premier League.

For Country

* Captain of the U.S. National Team

* Second all-time with 35 goals

* Ninth with 12 assists and 13th with 99 caps

* Became the second player in U.S. Soccer history to score in consecutive World Cups with the equalizer against England on June 12, 2010

* Has scored five goals in eight starts for the U.S. in 2013, and has led the team in goals the past two years

For Club

* Has spent the past seven seasons in the EPL playing for Fulham and Tottenham Hotspur

* Made 213 appearances in the EPL, scoring a record 57 goals and recording 23 assists

* Scored a career-high 17 goals in the 2011-12 season

* Led Fulham with six league goals in first full season

* Became the first American since DeMarcus Beasley in 2005 to play in the semifinals of a European competition on April 22, 2010

* Recorded eight braces and one hat trick in his EPL career

* Twice voted the Player of the Year for Fulham by the fans

* 2004 MLS Rookie of the Year and two-time Best XI player for New England Revolution

* Scored 25 goals and recorded 14 assists in 71 MLS appearances

Fulhamerica in Seattle

The signing of Clint Dempsey continued the trend of U.S. National Team and former Fulham players joining Sounders FC. The first was Kasey Keller in 2009, who played for Fulham from 2007-08, making 13 appearances. Then, Eddie Johnson signed with Seattle prior to the 2012 season. Johnson played for Fulham from 2008-11, but was loaned out several times, making 19 appearances total. Later last season, Sounders FC signed goalkeeper Marcus Hahnemann, who played for the EPL side from 1999-2002. Dempsey, the most recent former Fulham acquisition, spent six seasons with the club, making 184 league appearances with 50 goals.

Keep it Going: Oba, Evans, Mauro Pile up Points

Over the past two wins, Sounders FC has had contributions from three consistent attacking threats in forward Obafemi Martins and midfielders Brad Evans and Mauro Rosales. The trio has combined for three of the team's five goals over the past two matches and has added five assists.

Obafemi Martins - Seattle's goalscoring leader added one goal and two assists in the past two wins, bringing his total to seven goals and three assists on the season, including four game-winners. Seattle has continued to win when Martins contributes, going 8-0-0 when he scores or assists.

Brad Evans - The Sounders FC original has tallied twice with one assist in the past two wins, marking the second time in his career - and first with Seattle - that he scored in back-to-back games. He is now one assist and two goals from matching his career-highs.

Mauro Rosales - Seattle's assist leader of the past two seasons has served two helpers in the past two wins, raising his season total to a team-high five assists. It was the first time he recorded assists in consecutive games since August 18 and August 25 last season.

Back Home: Marcus Starts for Seattle

Marcus Hahnemann made his first MLS start for Sounders FC last Saturday, leading the team to a shutout win over FC Dallas. The game marked Hahnemann's first league appearance since June 26, 1999, setting the record for the longest lapse in appearances at 14 years, one month and eight days. Overall, Hahnemann has 67 appearances in five MLS seasons, including 14 shutouts and a 1.56 goals against average.

No Shots, Seventh Shutout

For the second time this season, Sounders FC held its opponent to zero shots on goal. It was the fourth time in club history that Seattle accomplished the feat, and the first time it has happened twice in one season. The shutout marked the team's seventh of the campaign, ranking seventh in MLS. The seven shutouts in 20 matches is the second-best mark in club history. Last season, Seattle posted seven shutouts in just 18 games, and in 2010 the club did it in 20 games. Overall, Sounders FC has recorded 49 shutouts in 148 regular-season games, and holds an all-time goals against average of 1.05.

Scoring in Bunches

Last Saturday marked Seattle's eighth multi-goal game of the 2013 season, and the fourth three-goal game (4th in MLS). Seattle may have the opportunity to set several scoring records this season as the club's four three-goal games is already the third-best total in club history. Last season, Seattle scored three or more goals five times and the club set the record in 2011 with eight three-goal games. Sounders FC could also catch the multi-goal club record (16 games), which was set in 2011 and 2012. In 2009 and 2010, Sounders FC recorded 13 and 12 multi-goal games, respectively.

August Outings

Sounders FC has lost just once in its past 14 August outings, earning 31 (9-1-4) of the possible 42 points. Overall, Seattle has gone 10-4-4 in 18 games in the month of August and has outscored opponents 32-15. Seattle's 1.89 points per game in August is the second-highest monthly average, and the team also averages the second-most goals (1.78) and holds the third-best goals against average (0.83) in August.

About Toronto FC

Led by first-year manager Ryan Nelson, Toronto is currently eighth in the Eastern Conference with 20 points (4-10-8). Winners of two straight games, the Reds are looking to rebound from a slow start when the team won just once (1-7-5) in the first 13 games. Toronto has struggled at home, going 2-3-6 with a -1 goal differential (14/15), but is unbeaten in the past three games (1-0-2) at BMO Field.

Despite the addition of English Premier League veteran Robert Earnshaw, the club has struggled offensively, ranking near the bottom of the league in goals (17th), assists (18th), shots (19th) and shots on goal (17th). Earnshaw leads the way with six goals - despite not played the last three games because of injury - while Bobby Convey and Jeremy Brockie have three assists apiece. Goalkeeper Joseph Bendik has played all 22 games this season and is just outside the top 10 with a 1.32 goals against average. The Reds have yet to win a game against a Western Conference side (0-5-2) this season.

Series Notes

Sounders FC has dominated the all-time series against Toronto FC, going 5-1-1 in league play. Seattle will enter the match on a four-game winning streak against Toronto, having scored three goals in three of those four wins. The last two meetings have provided memorable highlights as David Estrada netted a hat trick in the season opener last season and Fredy Montero scored a late winner while down a man in 2011. Overall, Seattle has outscored Toronto, 12-5.

Throw-ins

Servando Carrasco turns 25 on August 13 and Andrew Weber turns 30 on August 9...On August 14, 2008, Sounders FC signed goalkeeper Kasey Keller, becoming the second player to sign with the club...On August 8, 2012, Sounders FC reached its fourth straight U.S. Open Cup Final, falling to Sporting Kansas City in a penalty shootout...Participating Chipotle restaurants will give away free chips and guacamole to any fans wearing Sounders FC gear on the 11th of every month....The Sounders FC "Junior Alliance Night" is this Thursday at the PEMCO Outdoor Movies at Magnuson Park. The feature is "The Sandlot" and will begin at 7 p.m. Participants must register online at http://sndrs.com/4ndr . Visit SoundersFC.com for more information.

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