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MLS Seattle Sounders FC

Sounders FC News & Notes

February 24, 2014 - Major League Soccer (MLS)
Seattle Sounders FC News Release


12 Days until Kickoff

With kickoff to the league's 19th season just 12 days away, Seattle Sounders FC concludes its preseason training camp this week in Charleston, SC, with a pair of games against Eastern Conference opponents.

Sounders FC will play the Houston Dynamo on Wednesday and D.C. United on Saturday at Blackbaud Stadium, marking the final two rounds of the Carolina Challenge Cup. Both matches kick off at 2 p.m. PT and will be streamed live on www.SoundersFC.com.

Seattle played its first-ever match in the Carolina Challenge Cup last Saturday, netting an 89th minute game-winner to earn a 2-1 victory against Charleston. In the other matchup, D.C. United beat the Houston Dynamo, 2-0. Sounders FC also played the College of Charleston in a friendly on Sunday morning, winning 5-0 with goals from five different players. Overall, Seattle has gone 5-0-1 in the opening six matches of the 2014 preseason, outscoring opponents 13-4.

Following 31 days of preseason training, Sounders FC will put the finishing touches on its 2014 squad this week. All MLS teams are required to be roster and salary budget compliant by March 1. Teams may also make changes to their roster tomorrow when a waiver draft is held via conference call at 12 p.m. PT.

MLS will hold its second annual Jersey Week from March 3-7, with most teams hosting local events to unveil new primary, secondary or third jerseys. Sounders FC will unveil its third kit for the 2014 season on March 3 at the CenturyLink Field Pro Shop.

The 2014 MLS regular season will kick off on March 8 when Sounders FC hosts the MLS Cup champion Sporting Kansas City at 12 p.m. PT on the Xbox Pitch at CenturyLink Field. The match will be nationally televised on NBC Sports Network.

A limited number of season ticket memberships are still available. Single match tickets are also on sale now. Tickets can be purchased by visiting www.SoundersFC.com or by phoning 1-877-MLS-GOAL.

Competition Schedule (All times Pacific; subject to change)

Carolina Challenge Cup

February 26, 2 p.m. - Sounders FC vs. Houston Dynamo at Blackbaud Stadium

March 1, 2 p.m. - Sounders FC vs. DC United at Blackbaud Stadium

MLS Regular Season

March 8, 12 p.m. - Sounders FC vs. Sporting Kansas City at CenturyLink Field

Seattle Remains Unbeaten in Preseason Play

With its late win over the Charleston Battery on Saturday night, Sounders FC remained unbeaten in the 2014 preseason, going 5-0-1 over the first six matches. The preseason competition schedule opened on February 5 in Tucson, Ariz., when Seattle earned a 2-1 victory over the San Jose Earthquakes. The team also posted a pair of 2-1 wins over the Vancouver Whitecaps FC and played to a scoreless draw with the Portland Timbers while in Arizona. Saturday's win over the Battery marked Seattle's first match of the Carolina Challenge Cup, and the team continued its winning ways on Sunday morning against the College of Charleston. Overall, four of Seattle's five preseason wins have come in a 2-1 score line.

Date Opponent Result Location

Feb. 5 San Jose Earthquakes W, 2-1 Kino Sports Complex (Tucson, Ariz.)

Feb. 6 Vancouver Whitecaps W, 2-1 Grande Sports World (Casa Grande, Ariz.)

Feb. 8 Portland Timbers D, 0-0 Kino Sports Complex (Tucson, Ariz.)

Feb. 9 Vancouver Whitecaps W, 2-1 Kino Sports Complex (Tucson, Ariz.)

Feb. 22 Charleston Battery W, 2-1 Blackbaud Stadium (Charleston, SC)

Feb. 23 College of Charleston W, 5-0 Patriots Point Athletic Complex (Mt. Pleasant, SC)

Sounders FC Preseason Leaders

Seattle has seen strong performances from several individuals during the 2014 preseason. The usual suspects include Obafemi Martins (co-team-high two goals in 195 minutes), Osvaldo Alonso (one goal in 195 minutes) and Brad Evans (scored 89th minute game-winner). The newcomers have also performed well, including Chad Marshall (played full 90 minutes in past two starts), Jalil Anibaba (logged 210 minutes over four appearances), Kenny Cooper (started all three appearances) and Marco Pappa (appeared in both matches since joining the team).

There have also been a few pleasant surprises for the Sounders FC coaching staff. Most notably, Andy Rose is tied for the team-lead with four points, scoring one goal with two assists. He also leads all players with 265 minutes played, starting all four of his appearances. Dylan Remick has stepped in for the injured Leo Gonzalez to become the only player to appear in all five matches, and he is tied for the team-lead with two helpers. Homegrown Player Sean Okoli has added to the Seattle attack, recording a game-winning assist and drawing the decisive late penalty last Saturday against the Charleston Battery.

Defense Continues to Hold Strong

One constant for Sounders FC over its first five seasons in MLS has been a stingy defense, and 2014 will likely follow suit. The revamped backline has allowed just four goals in the opening six preseason matches for a 0.67 goals against average. The team has not allowed a multi-goal game this preseason and has posted two shutouts. Marcus Hahnemann leads the goalkeeping group with two goals allowed in 270 minutes, allowing 0.67 goals per 90 minutes. Newcomer Stefan Frei has started twice, allowing one goal in 150 minutes (0.60 GAA).

Carolina Challenge Cup Update

The 2014 Carolina Challenge Cup kicked off last Saturday, marking the 11th edition of the week-long, round-robin tournament. D.C. United downed the Houston Dynamo, 2-0, in the opening match on Saturday afternoon before Sounders FC beat the host Charleston Battery, 2-1. The tournament will continue on Wednesday as Sounders FC faces the Houston Dynamo in the early match, and concludes on Saturday afternoon with the third round. Both Sounders FC and D.C. United are tied with three points, though the Black-and-Red hold the top goal differential (+2).

Date Match (Result) Time/Goalscorers

Feb. 22 Houston Dynamo 0 vs. D.C. United 2 HOU: None; DC: Own Goal (21'), Seaton (88')

Feb. 22 Sounders FC 2 vs. Charleston Battery 1 SEA: Alonso (25'), Evans (89'); CHS: None.

Feb. 26 Sounders FC vs. Houston Dynamo 2 p.m. PT kickoff

Feb. 26 Charleston Battery vs. D.C. United 4:15 p.m. PT kickoff

Mar. 1 Sounders FC vs. D.C. United 2 p.m. PT kickoff

Mar. 1 Charleston Battery vs. Houston Dynamo 4:15 p.m. PT kickoff

Where to Watch

Both of Seattle's remaining matches in the Carolina Challenge Cup will be streamed live on www.SoundersFC.com. Tickets to every match of the Carolina Challenge Cup are on sale to the general public. Individual tickets priced at $15 and $25 will be available online or at the Charleston Battery Box Office (843) 971-4625. Carolina Challenge Cup tickets are also included in all 2014 Charleston Battery season ticket packages.

Tournament Opponents

Houston Dynamo

The Houston Dynamo have kept a fairly consistent group of players since falling to Sporting Kansas City in the Eastern Conference Championships of the 2013 MLS Cup Playoffs. The Dynamo have added just three new players, including defender David Horst in a trade with Portland and Tony Cascio via loan from Colorado. Six players have left the Dynamo over the offseason, most notably forwards Brian Ching (retired) and Cam Weaver (on trial with Sounders FC), and defender Bobby Boswell. Houston has played nine matches this preseason, going 6-3-0 and outscoring opponents 23-9. The team has played four MLS sides, losing three times (Colorado Rapids, Portland Timbers and D.C. United) while beating the San Jose Earthquakes. The Dynamo have competed in the Carolina Challenge Cup three times, winning back-to-back trophies in 2006 and 2007 and finishing fourth in the 2013 tournament.

D.C. United

The defending U.S. Open Cup champions finished at the bottom of the table in the 2013 regular season, prompting the club to a massive overhaul in the offseason. Overall, 11 players on last year's roster are no longer with the team, including midfielder Dwayne De Rosario and former Sounders FC defender James Riley. To replace the talent that left, the Black-and-Red brought in 12 players this offseason, including former Sounders FC forward Eddie Johnson and defender Jeff Parke. D.C. United also acquired defenders Sean Franklin and Bobby Boswell and forward Fabian Espindola in the Re-Entry Process, and midfielder Davy Arnaud in a trade with Montreal. The new-look group has played four preseason games, earning its first win last Saturday against Houston. D.C. United have competed in the Carolina Challenge Cup seven times, winning three straight times from 2010-12, and did not compete in the 2013 edition.

Roster Notes

Seattle's roster features 27 players who are currently under contract, 25 of which traveled with the team to South Carolina. Midfielder Clint Dempsey is on loan at Fulham until the beginning of March. An additional four trialists and two unsigned SuperDraft picks are with the team for a total of 31 players who are currently in camp.

Sounders FC Preseason Roster

Goalkeepers (3): Stefan Frei, Marcus Hahnemann, Josh Ford.

Defenders (9): Jalil Anibaba, Leo Gonzalez, Damion Lowe, Chad Marshall, Jimmy Ockford*, Dylan Remick, Zach Scott, Djimi Traore, DeAndre Yedlin.

Midfielders (13): John Arroyo#, Osvaldo Alonso, Michael Azira#, Alex Caskey, Clint Dempsey^, Brad Evans, Shalrie Joseph-, Aaron Kovar, Lamar Neagle, Marco Pappa, Fabio Pereira*, Gonzalo Pineda#, Andy Rose.

Forwards (8): Chad Barrett, Tristan Bowen, Kenny Cooper, David Estrada, Obafemi Martins, Sean Okoli, Kevin Parsemain#, Eriq Zavaleta.

^On Loan

*Unsigned SuperDraft picks

#Training Camp Invitees

-Not with Team

Academy Update: Sounders Win Big at Starfire

The Sounders FC Academy teams both earned big victories last weekend over the San Juan Soccer Club at Starfire Sports in Tukwila, Wash. The U-18s recorded their third-straight win with a 4-nil victory over San Juan SC. David Olsen scored a brace to up his total to a team-leading seven goals this season and Seyi Adekoya added a late tally for his sixth goal of the campaign. The win marked the second consecutive 4-0 game for the U-18s after they beat Real So Cal on February 9. The U-18s (8-3-4, 28 points) currently sit third in the Northwest Division.

The U-16 team also recorded a shutout victory over San Juan SC on Saturday, winning 5-0 to extend the team's unbeaten run to four games (3-0-1). The shutout marked the second-straight clean sheet for the U-16s (9-3-3, 30 points), who sit second in the Northwest Division.

Both teams continue USSDA play on Friday, February 28 against Nomads SC at Starfire Sports. The U-18s kick off at 5 p.m. with the U-16s to follow at 7:30 p.m. The sides will also host San Diego Surf on Sunday, March 2, with the U-18s scheduled for 11 a.m. and the U-16s at 1:30 p.m.

Kickoff Luncheon next Thursday

Sounders FC will host the fifth annual Kickoff Luncheon at CenturyLink Field on Thursday, March 6 from 12:30-1:45 p.m. Guests have the opportunity to attend a Sounders FC team training session and the team kickoff luncheon where guests sit side-by-side with and get to know Sounders FC players, coaches, owners and executives.

Proceeds from the luncheon ticket sales and event silent auction benefit the five Sounders FC Community Partners: America SCORES Seattle, Boys & Girls Clubs (King County and Bellevue), Special Olympics Washington, Washington Global Health Alliance and Washington Youth Soccer.

MLS Announces Second Annual Jersey Week

In advance of the 2014 MLS season which kicks off March 8, Major League Soccer today announced its second annual Jersey Week. This concept, which will come to life in MLS markets across the United States and Canada, celebrates the art, detail and nuance behind every club's jersey and the passion that supporters have for their club.

Jersey Week will take place March 3-7, 2014. There will be local events where each MLS club will unveil a new primary, secondary or third jersey. Sounders FC will unveil its third kit on March 3 at the CenturyLink Field Pro Shop.

Every year will see a new thematic. This year's theme, "Soccer, Made in North America," will allow MLS clubs to share the story behind the making of their new jersey with their supporters and will focus on the art and detail that went into the collaborative process with adidas, MLS' exclusive uniform supplier.

All nineteen MLS clubs will unveil at least one new jersey in 2014.

In advance of Jersey Week, jerseys that will be unveiled will be available for pre-order on MLSgear.com and MLSGearCanada.ca - using teaser images - starting today. There will also be Jersey Week coverage on MLSsoccer.com and a social media campaign using the #JerseyWeek hashtag.

MLS clubs will announce additional details on their local events in the coming days.

Jersey Week Schedule:

Club Jersey Date Location

Chicago Fire Primary March 4 Hyatt Regency Chicago*

Chivas USA Primary March 3 Plaza Mexico, Lynwood, CA^

Colorado Rapids Primary March 5 ColoradoRapids.com#

Columbus Crew Primary March 4 Bar Louie*

FC Dallas Primary March 6 F.ashion I.nstitute G.allery^

Houston Dynamo Secondary March 3 BBVA Compass Stadium^

LA Galaxy Primary March 3 LAGalaxy.com#

Montreal Impact Primary March 4 Theatre De L'Olympia^

New England Primary March 4 Royale Boston^

New York Red Bulls Secondary March 4 Stage 48*

Philadelphia Union Primary March 4 Dave & Buster's^

Portland Timbers Second/Third March 3 Pure Space*

Real Salt Lake Primary March 4 Rio Tinto Stadium*

Seattle Sounders FC Third March 3 CenturyLink Field Pro Shop*

Sporting Kansas City Secondary March 4 Hangar 1: Charles Wheeler Downtown Airport^

Toronto FC Secondary March 6 Real Sports Bar & Grill*

Vancouver Whitecaps Secondary March 5 The Commodore Ballroom*

* Private event

^ Public event

# Digital event

Note: D.C. United and San Jose Earthquakes have already held their Jersey Week events.

Sounders FC Summer Camp Registration Now Open

Registration for this year's Sounders FC Summer Camp is now underway and youth ages four to 15 years old may now sign up at www.SoundersFC.com. The camps are one-week in duration, ranging from three to six hours per day.

In 2014, Sounders FC plans to offer 64 summer camp locations, beginning June 16. Puget Sound locations include Seattle, Eastside and the North End, while satellite camps are held in the Tri-Cities, Spokane, Moses Lake, Bellingham and Olympia. Also open for registration are the Sounders FC Fantasy Camp held at CenturyLink Field from July 14-18 and the Northwest Residential Camp in Kirkland form July 7-11. Sounders FC Spring Break Camps are also open for registration. There will be seven camps available in the spring break schedule, beginning March 31.

Sounders FC Academy players, current and former collegiate players, former USL Sounders, and local premier club coaches coach and direct the camps.

For more information, please visit www.SoundersFC.com or contact the Youth Programs Customer Service Line at 425.203.8321.

Throw-ins

Sounders FC announced its 2014 MLS Reserve League schedule on Monday. For more information, visit www.SoundersFC.com...U.S. Soccer announced the Soccer Hall of Fame Class of 2014. Kristine Lilly and Brian McBride are first-ballot inductees while Bob Bradley was elected on the Builder Ballot...Djimi Traore turns 34 on March 1...On March 2, 2009, Sounders FC announced single-game tickets to the inaugural home opener sold out, and that seating will be expanded to 32,400 for the March 19 match versus New York.

Check out the Seattle Sounders FC Statistics

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