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MLS Seattle Sounders FC

Sounders FC News & Notes

April 22, 2014 - Major League Soccer (MLS)
Seattle Sounders FC News Release


Sounders FC Kicks Off Three-Game Home Stand Saturday against Colorado

Following three-straight come-from-behind road results, Seattle Sounders FC returns to the Pacific Northwest for three consecutive home games, beginning Saturday afternoon against the Colorado Rapids. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. PT on the Xbox Pitch at CenturyLink Field.

Saturday's match will be televised locally on Q-13 FOX and live out of market on ROOT Sports with Ross Fletcher and Kasey Keller on the call, and can be heard on KIRO Radio 97.3 FM. The match will also be televised live in Spanish on THIS-TV (KOMO2) with Jaime Mendez and Diego Arrioja on the call, and Spanish radio is available on ESPN Deportes 1490 AM with Rene Aleman and Noe Menendez.

Sounders FC (4-2-1, 13 points) jumped to second place in the Western Conference with its second-straight comeback road win last Saturday, 2-1 at Chivas USA. It marked the third come-from-behind result for Seattle this season as the team concluded a three-game road stretch claiming seven of the available nine points.

Clint Dempsey continued his hot streak with two assists, extending his streak to a league-best five games with a goal (6) or assist (3). The Seattle is yet to be held scoreless this season as Dempsey co-leads the Golden Boot race and Obafemi Martins has recorded a league-high four assists.

Seattle returns home to face one of the league's top road teams as Colorado has gone unbeaten (2-0-1) in three away contests this season. The Rapids (3-1-2, 11 points) are currently fourth in the West with one game in hand and are unbeaten (2-0-1) in the past three outings.

Sounders FC holds an 8-2-2 advantage in the all-time series, marking the club record for most wins over a single opponent. In the last meeting between the two sides, Seattle ousted the Rapids from the 2013 MLS Cup Playoffs in the club's first-ever Knockout Round match. The season series will continue on August 30 at CenturyLink Field before concluding at Dick's Sporting Goods Park on October 5.

Following Saturday's match, Seattle will host Colorado in the home opener of the 2014 MLS Reserve League season. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. PT at Starfire Stadium in Tukwila, Wash.

Sounders FC will continue its three-game home stand on May 3 against the Philadelphia Union followed by a meeting with FC Dallas on May 7.

Tickets for Sounders FC home matches, including the Tottenham Hotspur friendly, are available now at www.SoundersFC.com and 1-877-MLS-GOAL. The 6-Match ticket package is also available now with expanded seating to include the upper bowl at CenturyLink Field.

Competition Schedule (All times Pacific; subject to change)

April 26, 1 p.m. - Sounders FC vs. Colorado Rapids, CenturyLink Field

May 3, 7 p.m. - Sounders FC vs. Philadelphia Union, CenturyLink Field

May 7, 7 p.m. - Sounders FC vs. FC Dallas, CenturyLink Field

May 11, 3 p.m. - Sounders FC at New England Revolution, Gillette Stadium

Seattle Sits Second

With 13 points through the opening seven matches, Sounders FC is tied with Real Salt Lake for second place in the Western Conference. Seattle also sits second in the race for the Supporters' Shield as its average of 1.86 points per game tops all Eastern Conference teams. Sounders FC is one of two teams (FC Dallas) with at least four wins this season. Seattle's second-place position in the West is the highest Week 7 placement since the club's inaugural season in 2009 and the team has not dropped out of the top four for the first time since 2010.

Goal Scoring Sounders

Sounders FC has scored the second-most goals (14) in MLS this season, three tallies behind league-leading FC Dallas. Seattle also ranks second behind Dallas with four multi-goal games as the Western Conference foes are the only two sides to average at least two goals per game this season. It is the first time in club history that Sounders FC have started a season with goals in its opening seven matches and the 14-goal total in Week 7 is the most in club history.

Top 5 Goals Leaders - 2014 season

Team GP Goals GPG (Rank)

FC Dallas 7 17 2.43 (1st)

Sounders FC 7 14 2.00 (2nd)

Real Salt Lake 7 11 1.57 (3rd)

Chicago Fire 7 10 1.43 (T-6th)

Vancouver 7 10 1.43 (T-6th)

Leading the Way

Clint Dempsey and Obafemi Martins are quickly becoming one of the league's most lethal attacking tandems. Dempsey leads the league with six goals and ranks second with three assists while Martins leads the league with four assists and has added two goals. The pair has contributed to nine of the last 10 goals scored, dating back to the 2-1 home loss to Columbus on March 29. Dempsey has scored five goals with two assists and Martins has recorded one goal with three assists in that span. Martins has assisted on two of Dempsey's goals while Dempsey assisted on Martins' game-winner last Saturday at Chivas USA.

Dempsey Riding Hot Streak

Clint Dempsey has recorded a goal (6) or assist (3) in all five appearances this season, marking the league record for consecutive games with a point in 2014. It is one of the best runs of form in club history as Fredy Montero twice tallied six goals with one assist in a five-game stretch (9/10-10/15/11 and 8/5-8/25/12). In the 2013 season, just six players recorded a goal or assist in at least five-straight games, led by Landon Donovan's seven-game stretch. Dempsey's best-ever stretch came in 2005 when he scored five goals with four assists over a six-game stretch to begin the season with the New England Revolution.

Consecutive Games with a Goal/Assist - 2014 season

Player, Team Games Dates

Clint Dempsey, SEA 5 March 8-April 19*

Obafemi Martins, SEA 4 March 15-April 5

Quincy Amarikwa, CHI 4 March 29-April 19*

Erick Torres, CHV 4 March 9-March 30

Fabian Espindola, DC 4 March 29-April 19*

Robbie Keane, LA 4 March 22-April 19*

*Active

Back Home to Secure Points

The top road team in MLS returns home for a three-game stretch at CenturyLink Field. Seattle is 1-2-0 at home this season with three goals scored and four conceded. The lone win came in the season opener against Kansas City, and Sounders FC has since dropped back-to-back contests to Toronto FC and the Columbus Crew. Seattle has never lost three-straight home games, and the team has only lost consecutive home games twice in club history (May 12 and May 23, 2012; May 8 and May 22, 2010). Seattle was one of the league's top home teams in 2013, going 10-2-5 with a 14-game (10-0-4) unbeaten streak and a league-best six-game home winning streak.

Road Sweet Road

Sounders FC has earned three-straight comeback results on the road, beginning with a late 4-4 draw at Portland on April 5, followed by a 3-2 come-from-behind win at Dallas on April 12. The team capped the impressive run last Saturday with a 2-1 win at Chivas USA after trailing 1-nil in the fifth minute. Seattle earned seven of the available nine points in the three-game road stretch, matching the club record set in 2013, and the nine goals scored set a club record. The team will have another three-game road stretch from June 7 to July 5 (Chicago, D.C. United and Vancouver).

All-Time Record in Three-Straight Road Games - club history

Dates Record (points) GF/GA

Apr. 5-Apr. 19, 2014 2-0-1 (7 pts.) 9/7

Apr. 20-May 8, 2013 2-0-1 (7 pts.) 4/2

Sept. 26-Oct. 17, 2009 2-1-0 (6 pts.) 5/4

Aug. 2-15, 2009 1-2-0 (3 pts.) 2/5

June 24-July 4, 2012 0-1-2 (2 pts.) 3/4

Best Road Team in MLS

With Saturday's win at Chivas USA, Sounders FC remained unbeaten (3-0-1) on the road, amassing the most road points (10) in MLS this season. Seattle is one of six unbeaten road teams, and the three away wins are the most in the league. The 11 goals scored on the road are five more than any other MLS side, averaging an impressive 2.75 goals per game away from home.

Top 5 Road Records in MLS - 2014 season

Teams Record (points) Pct. Goals (Rank)

Seattle 3-0-1 (10 pts.) .875 11 (1st)

Columbus 2-0-1 (7 pts.) .833 6 (T-2nd)

Colorado 2-0-1 (7 pts.) .833 4 (T-9th)

FC Dallas 1-0-1 (4 pts.) .750 5 (T-6th)

LA Galaxy 1-0-2 (5 pts.) .667 6 (T-2nd)

Best Road Start in Club History

Sounders FC is off to the best road start in club history, earning 10 of the available 12 points in the opening four away games of the season. The team has scored multiple goals in four-straight road games for the first time in club history and the 11 goals in the opening four away games is a club record. With four multi-goal road games this season, Sounders FC is approaching the club record of seven set in 2012 and has already bested its 2013 total (3). Seattle started the 2012 road campaign with a five-game unbeaten streak (2-0-3), falling for the first time in the sixth away outing.

Top Road Records after Four Games - club history

Year Record (points) Goals Scored

2014 3-0-1 (10 pts.) 11

2012 2-0-2 (8 pts.) 6

2011 1-1-2 (5 pts.) 4

2010 1-1-2 (5 pts.) 5

2009 1-1-2 (5 pts.) 4

2013 1-2-1 (4 pts.) 4

Comeback Points

Sounders FC has earned six points (2-1-0) this season when allowing the first goal, downing FC Dallas and Chivas USA in the past two contests. Seattle earned just seven points (2-12-1) in the 2013 season when allowing the first goal. The team has also matched its 2013 season total (1-10-0) with three points (1-1-0) when trailing at the half. Seattle is one of two teams (Columbus) to win when trailing at the half this season, and the team's two victories when allowing the first goal is tied with Dallas for the most in MLS. Overall, just four teams have won a match when trailing at the half this season.

Late Game Heroics

Obafemi Martins' game-winner at Chivas USA marked the team's fifth goal of the season in the final 15 minutes of a game, matching FC Dallas for the league-lead. All five late goals were either winners or equalizers, as Chad Barrett (vs. Kansas City), Clint Dempsey (at Dallas) and Martins (at Chivas) all netted game-winners while Dempsey's two-goal effort in the final five minutes at Portland earned a crucial road draw. Seattle ranks second in MLS with eight goals scored (1.14 average) in the second-half, and its four goals allowed (0.57 average) in the final 45 minutes ranks fourth, including a league-best one goal allowed in the final 15 minutes.

April Unbeaten Streak Extended

Saturday's win extended Seattle's unbeaten streak in the month of April to 13 games (8-0-5), dating back to April 2, 2011. The team is 11-4-7 in 21 all-time April matches, outscoring opponents 31-22. The Sounders FC roster boasts two of the top five active goal scorers in April as Kenny Cooper has totaled 18 career goals and Clint Dempsey has scored 11 times.

Series Notes

Sounders FC has been dominant in the all-time series against Colorado, going 8-2-2 in regular-season play and ousting the Rapids from the 2013 MLS Cup Playoffs. Seattle's eight wins against Colorado marks the most wins against one opponent in club history, which includes a stretch of seven-straight victories from 2010 to 2013. In the 2013 season series, Sounders FC earned a 1-nil road win behind Obafemi Martins' first club goal, then returned to CenturyLink Field to battle to a 1-1 draw. Seattle dropped the final meeting of the regular season, allowing a club record five goals in a 5-1 loss on October 5. The teams faced off 25 days later in the Knockout Round as Seattle advanced, 2-0.

* Sounders FC is unbeaten (5-0-1) in six all-time home matches, outscoring Colorado 13-6.

* Overall, Seattle holds a 20-15 goals advantage, including 7-1 from the 61st to 75th minute.

* Sounders FC has been held scoreless once in the 12 meetings and has scored multiple goals six times.

* Kenny Cooper has scored the most career goals against the Rapids, scoring six goals with four assists in 14 meetings. A total of eight other Sounders FC players have scored against Colorado, including four multi-goal scorers.

About Colorado

The Colorado Rapids currently sit fourth in the Western Conference with 11 points through six games, and its average of 1.83 points per game is nearly level with Seattle (1.86). The Rapids lead the league with four penalty kick goals and were held scoreless for the first time this season last Saturday against the San Jose Earthquakes. Colorado has taken the second-fewest shots (71) in MLS, including three or fewer shots on goal in three matches. The team's 0.83 goals against average ranks third in MLS, allowing just five goals (three in one game) with three shutouts.

Rapids Notables

The Rapids are led by first-year head coach Pablo Mastroeni, who made 334 appearances over 17 MLS seasons, including 12 (2002-2013) with Colorado. The attack features MLS veteran Edson Buddle up top alongside second-year Jamaican forward Deshorn Brown. Both forwards have tallied just one goal this season, though Brown led the way with 10 goals in 2013, including a brace against Sounders FC. The midfield includes Uruguayan playmaker Vicente Sanchez, who has set his career-high with four goals this season - all from the penalty spot. Dillon Powers, the 2013 MLS Rookie of the Year, has started all six matches and 20-year-old defender Shane O-Neill has logged a team-high 540 minutes. After missing the first three matches, goalkeeper Clint Irwin has returned to the Colorado nets, allowing just one goal in 270 minutes of action (0.33 goals against average) while posting two shutouts.

SEA-COL Connections

Former Sounders FC defender Marc Burch has started four of his five appearances this season for the Rapids, recording one assist. Burch made 49 appearances in two seasons (2012-13) for Sounders FC. Seattle's DeAndre Yedlin and Colorado's Dillon Powers and Deshorn Brown were the three finalists for the 2013 MSL Rookie of the Year, which ultimately went to Powers.

MLS Goal of the Week

Obafemi Martins' game-winner against Chivas USA is nominated for MLS Goal of the Week. Clint Dempsey took the honors in Week 6 for his free kick against FC Dallas.

Check out the Seattle Sounders FC Statistics



Major League Soccer Stories from April 22, 2014


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