Sports stats



Seattle Sounders FC

Sounders FC News and Notes

February 23, 2009 - Major League Soccer (MLS)
Seattle Sounders FC News Release


The next phase of the preseason sends the Seattle Sounders FC to Argentina and the capital city of Buenos Aires for 10 days. A tentative schedule of four training games will take place, with opponents still to be confirmed. The travel squad departs Seattle on February 24 and returns on March 6.

Coach Sigi Schmid will have 25 players in the Argentina camp. Major League Soccer teams must be roster-compliant by March 2. The club is permitted to keep 20 senior players and four developmentals.

Sounders FC has won five of six preseason matches and scored 21 goals in the process. Last week Seattle resumed play with a 4-1 win at the University of Portland and a 4-0 defeat of the Vancouver Whitecaps FC at home.

Following the trip to Argentina, Sounders FC returns to the Xbox Pitch at Qwest Field for a March 12 closed-door game against the Colorado Rapids. The MLS season opens March 19 with Sounders FC hosting the New York Red Bulls in a game to be nationally televised on ESPN2 and ESPN Deportes.

Been There Before

Many members of the Sounders FC travel party are familiar with Argentina. General manager Adrian Hanauer and technical director Chris Henderson ventured to Buenos Aires and Uruguay during the spring of 2008, scouting locations for training as well as evaluating prospective preseason opponents. Hanauer then sent the USL-1 Sounders to Buenos Aires and Rosario for two weeks and five games last October. Six members of the current squad saw action during that trip: Chris Eylander, Taylor Graham, Seabstien Le Toux, Roger Levesque, Sanna Nyassi and Zach Scott.

Sigi Schmid took the L.A. Galaxy to Argentina for preseason training in 2000. He was coach of the U.S. team for the 1995 Pan American Games in Mar del Plata.

It's summertime in the southern hemisphere. Awaiting Sounders FC will be sun and temperatures rising into the mid-80s.

The following players will be training in Argentina: Goalkeepers (3): Evan Bush, Chris Eylander, Kasey Keller; Defenders (10): Evan Brown, Taylor Graham, Jhon Kennedy Hurtado, Patrick Ianni, Jared Karkas, Tyrone Marshall, James Riley, Zach Scott, Nathan Sturgis, Tyson Wahl; Midfielders (7): Osvaldo Alonso, Ryan Caugherty, Brad Evans, Michael Fucito, Stephen King, Sebastien Le Toux, Sanna Nyassi; Forwards (5): Jeff Clark, Nate Jaqua, Roger Levesque, Fredy Montero, Steve Zakuani.

Meet You in Buenos Aires

Meeting the team in Buenos Aires will be Colombian central defender Jhon Kennedy Hurtado on February 18. Hurtado's signing will be finalized upon receipt of his P-1 work permit and International Clearance.

Hurtado, 24, completed a trial with Italy's AC Milan last month. He saw action in a January 22 exhibition between Milan and Germany's Hannover, playing the second half along with Kaka, Andriy Shevchenko and Filippo Inzaghi.

Hurtado played the 2008 season for Deportivo Cali, where he was a teammate of Fredy Montero, a Sounders FC forward. In 2007, Hurtado played for Real Cartagena of the Colombian first division. He has played a total of 121 matches at the first and second division levels in Colombia since 2004.

"Jhon has good speed, he's a good man-to-man marker, a good tackler and uses his speed to close people down," said Sounders FC technical director Chris Henderson. "We had a chance to see him play two to three times, plus some video. We're excited to have him join our team."

Preseason Competition Schedule

The schedule of matches versus Argentine teams remains fluid and may not be confirmed until later this week.

Friday, Feb. 27, TBD - Argentina

Saturday, Feb. 28, TBD - Argentina

Tuesday, March 3, TBD - Argentina

Thursday, March 5, TBD - Argentina

Thursday, Mar. 12, 6:30 - Colorado Rapids; the Xbox Pitch at Qwest Field (closed)

Upcoming Training Schedule, Feb. 25-March 11

The Sounders FC training schedule for the next week is as follows (subject to change):

Wednesday, Feb. 25 - Training in Buenos Aires, 4:30 p.m.

Thursday, Feb. 26 - Training in Buenos Aires, 10 a.m.

Monday, March 2 - Training in Buenos Aires, 10 a.m.

Wednesday, March 4 - Training in Buenos Aires, 10 a.m.

Monday, March 9 - Training at the Xbox Pitch at Qwest Field, 10 a.m.

Tuesday, March 10- Training at the Xbox Pitch at Qwest Field, 10 a.m.

Wednesday, March 11- Training at the Xbox Pitch at Qwest Field, 10 a.m.

Brown Signs On

Evan Brown, the 16th overall selection in the 2009 MLS SuperDraft out of Wake Forest, was signed to a contract on February 19. "We talked highly about Evan on draft day and we're very pleased with his continued improvement," said Sounders FC head coach Sigi Schmid. "He is an exciting, attacking fullback who will add a lot to our team."

Brown, 21, was taken by Seattle with the first pick in the draft's second round on January 15. An outside back, Brown helped Wake Forest (21-2-1) hold opponents scoreless 14 times in 2008. He scored two goals, including the game-winning goal in an ACC Tournament quarterfinal victory over NC State, and added eight assists as a senior.

The Demon Deacons reached the NCAA College Cup each of his final three seasons, winning the national championship in 2007. Wake finished the 2008 regular season ranked No. 1 in the country. Brown was among six Wake players chosen in the draft.

Seattle to See the Blues

Seattle Sounders FC will host Chelsea FC, winners of five major English titles in the past five seasons, on July 18 at the Xbox Pitch at Qwest Field, it was announced February 17. Kickoff is set for 12 noon PT and the match will be televised live on ESPN2.

"This will be unlike any international game ever played in the Pacific Northwest," said Sounders FC majority owner Joe Roth. "Chelsea is one of the top clubs in the world, and they are playing the home team, our Sounders FC, backed by our loyal supporters. The atmosphere that afternoon will be incredible."

The match is part of the Sounders FC full 18-game season ticket package. In anticipation of the demand for tickets, seating at Qwest Field will be expanded to include the upper bowl for the Chelsea game.

"We are delighted to be opening our preseason preparations in Seattle," said Peter Kenyon, the Chief Executive of Chelsea FC. "It is a fantastic city and we have great memories of our time there in the summer of 2004 which went on to be a great season for us. The Sounders FC will provide us with a real test and we are happy that a sporting city like Seattle now has its own new soccer franchise as it is important for the development of the game in the United States. We will be bringing a full strength squad so it should be a great game."

Chelsea will be making its first trip to Seattle since the London club certified its standing as one of the world's powers by winning back-to-back English Premier League championships in 2004-05 and 2005-06. The Blues finished second in the EPL the past two seasons and in 2008 they were runners-up in Europe's most prestigious competition, the UEFA Champions League. The recent run of success also includes an FA Cup (2007) and two Carling Cups (2005, 2007).

This marks Chelsea's fourth visit to Seattle and second to Qwest Field. In 2004 the Blues defeated Scotland's Celtic, 4-2. The original North American Soccer League Sounders won a friendly, 2-0, at the Kingdome in 1977. Chelsea first toured in 1967, defeating a local amateur side, 5-0, at Memorial Stadium.

Last Week's Preseason Game Recaps

Sounders FC 4, University of Portland 1

Nate Jaqua wasted little time in finding the net upon his return to his alma mater, scoring in the 4th minute as Sounders FC made their Pacific Northwest public debut at the Pilots' Merlo Field. Jaqua, who starred for Portland from 2000-02, nodded home his third goal in the last three outings. Trialist Jeff Clark got his first marker of the preseason, converting a rebound in the 32nd minute. The collegians pulled a goal back in the 63rd before the visitors scored twice in four minutes. First came a Fredy Montero penalty (71'), followed by Brad Evans (75') rebound score. Kasey Keller, also a UP alum, played the first half in goal. Chris Eylander relieved Keller at the break.

Sounders FC 4, Vancouver Whitecaps FC 0

Nate Jaqua and Fredy Montero each scored a pair of goals within 3-minute spans and Kasey Keller made a reaction kick-save in the first half to earn the shutout over the reigning USL-1 champions at the Xbox Pitch at Qwest Field during a closed training game. Jaqua opened the scoring in the 37th minute, taking down Montero's short cross and slotting the ball left-footed from 12 yards. Jaqua made it 2-0 by finding an empty net after Sebastrien Le Toux's initial shot was parried by Whitecaps keeper Jay Nolly. In the second half, Montero's brace came between the 66th and 69th minutes. He finished a swift counterattack up the right with a 12-yard strike off roger Levesque's feed. The game's final goal came as Montero controlled a loose ball in the box and buried his shot from 8 yards. With his second multi-goal game, Montero now leads the team with seven goals and Jaqua has five.

Coming & Going

In addition to Hurtado, there are two other new players in training. Michael Fucito, the team's fourth-round MLS SuperDraft pick out of Harvard, arrived last week and will make the trip to South America. Also new to the training roster will be Evan Bush, a goalkeeper for the University of Akron the past four seasons. Bush was a teammate of Steve Zakuani the past two years.

Vini Oliveira, the Sounders Super Search winner, is no longer training with the team. Also departing last week was Densill Theobald. Kevin Forrest and Ben Dragavon did not make the trip to Argentina. Dragavon is going to trial with the Austin Aztex of the USL-1 league. Theobald and Forrest had joined training last week. Dragavon has been in camp since the outset.

From the Training Room

Steve Zakuani missed the Vancouver match with an ankle sprain but is expected to resume training in Argentina. Osvaldo Alonso (ankle) and Taylor Graham (bottom of foot) are also expected to participate. Jarrod Smith (hip flexor) will remain in Seattle. Peter Vagenas is recovering from arthroscopic surgery to trim articular cartilage above his knee. Freddie Ljungberg, who underwent surgery to repair a hip condition in December, continues to rehabilitate in Sweden. Both Vagenas and Ljungberg are expected to join the team for training in Seattle the week of March 9.

Check out the Seattle Sounders FC Statistics

• Discuss this story on the Major League Soccer message board...

Major League Soccer Stories from February 23, 2009


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

OurSports Central