MLS Seattle Sounders FC

Sounders FC News and Notes

Published on May 12, 2009 under Major League Soccer (MLS)
Seattle Sounders FC News Release


Seattle Sounders FC will strive to shift its season from neutral back into gear this Saturday night, May 16, when it visits FC Dallas. Now past the one-quarter mark in its inaugural MLS campaign, Seattle (4-2-2) enters the week unbeaten in its last four games overall and tied for the second-highest point total (14). Kickoff at Pizza Hut Park in Frisco, Texas is 5:30 p.m. PT.

The match will be aired live on KONG 6/16 and News Talk 97.3 KIRO FM. Kevin Calabro will call the action with analysis from Greg Vanney. It can also be heard locally in Spanish on 1210 AM Ke Buena with Rene Aleman, Noe Menendez and Victor Hernandez.

Sounders FC continues to set the pace for the best start by an MLS expansion team. It is 2-0-2 in its last four games overall (1-0-2 in MLS), including last week's 1-1 tie at home against the Los Angeles Galaxy. Seattle is second only to Western Conference leader Chivas USA (7-1-1, 22) in total points. Eastern Conference leader D.C. United (3-1-5) has 14 points through nine games.

Forward Fredy Montero, the team's scoring leader with three goals, returns to action this week after missing the team's last game due to a red card suspension.

FC Dallas has lost three in a row-all on the road-since earning its first win of the season, 3-2 over Toronto, on April 19. Dallas has scored a league-low seven goals, with four coming from forward Kenny Cooper, the 2009 MLS Comeback Player of the Year and Best XI member.

Seattle's next four MLS home games through the June 28 are sold out. There are tickets on sale for the other remaining home dates. To purchase, call 1-877-MLS-GOAL or visit www.SoundersFC.com.

Upcoming Competition Schedule (All times Pacific)

Saturday, May 16, 5:30 p.m. - at FC Dallas; Pizza Hut Park, Frisco, Tex.

Saturday, May 23, 6:30 p.m. - at Colorado Rapids; Dick's Sporting Goods Park, Commerce City, Colo.

Tuesday, May 26, 7:00 p.m. - Colorado Rapids; Starfire Sports Stadium, Tukwila, Wash.

Saturday, May 30, 7:30 p.m. - Columbus Crew; Xbox Pitch at Qwest Field

Saturday, June 6, 7:30 p.m. - at Chivas USA; The Home Depot Center, Carson, Calif.

Upcoming Training Schedule, May 12 - 19 (subject to change):

Tuesday, May 12 - No Training

Wednesday, May 14 - Training at Starfire Sports Complex, 10 a.m.

Thursday, May 14 - Training at Starfire Sports Complex, 10 a.m.

Friday, May 15 - Training at Starfire Sports Complex, 9 a.m.

Saturday, May 16 - Reserves Training at Starfire Sports Complex, 10 a.m.

Sunday, May 17 - No Training

Monday, May 18 - No Training

Tuesday, May 19 - Training at Starfire Sports Complex, 10 a.m.

Barcelona Coming to Seattle

The Seattle Sounders FC will play FC Barcelona on the Xbox Pitch at Qwest Field on Wednesday, August 5. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. (PT).

Sounders FC season ticket holders have received tickets to the game as part of their 18-match package, which also includes Chelsea and the MLS Cup.

Tickets will go on sale to the general public on Monday, June 15th at 10 a.m. Tickets will be available at www.SoundersFC.com or by calling 1-800-745-3000.

FC Barcelona, whose heralded roster of international superstars currently includes Lionel Messi, Rafa Marquez, Xavi, Carles Puyol, Thierry Henry and Andres Iniesta - who scored the goal that propelled Barca into the Champion's League Final - will look to secure its third UEFA Champions League crown on Wednesday, May 27 against Manchester United, at Rome's Stadio Olimpico.

FC Barcelona has more than 150,000 voting members. Barcelona inspired formation of the Sounders FC Alliance, a supporters association which empowers members to have a vote in the club's direction.

Chelsea Tickets on Sale

Tickets for the Sounders FC-Chelsea match on July 18 are now on sale, To date, 60,000 tickets have been sold and less than 7,000 remain. To purchase, call 1-800-745-3000, all Ticketmaster outlets or the Qwest Field Box office, or visit www.SoundersFC.com.

Seating Capacity Increasing

Due to the demand for Sounders FC tickets, the team will open up seating in the south end zone of the stadium's lower bowl, beginning with the June 28 match. The configuration will be the same as used for the inaugural game on March 19. Seating capacity for Xbox Pitch at Qwest Field will be approximately 32,000, the same seating configuration featured on March 19. The team will utilize the full stadium capacity of 67,000 for Chelsea and FC Barcelona.

Attendance Record

With another capacity crowd for the match against the L.A. Galaxy, Sounders FC is first franchise in MLS history to have 28,000 or more fans at five consecutive regular season or postseason home games. Each of the first five games have been sellouts, including 32,523 to watch the inaugural home match versus New York on March 19. The Mother's Day match with the Galaxy on the Xbox Pitch at Qwest Field was the second-largest to date, 29,025.

Nine Sellouts and Counting

Seattle has sold-out its next four MLS home games through June 28. The average attendance through five home dates is 29,536. A 9-game partial season ticket package is now on sale. The Second-Half Pack includes the team's final six MLS regular season games, plus dates with Chelsea FC, FC Barcelona and MLS Cup.

Gold Cup Tickets on Sale

The two-time defending champion USA will play a first-round match of the 2009 CONCACAF Gold Cup on Saturday, July 4, on the Xbox Pitch at Qwest Field. The U.S. will face Grenada at 6 p.m. PT in the second match of the Gold Cup double header. The first match will feature Haiti and Honduras at 4 p.m. PT. For ticket purchases and information visit www.Ticketmaster.com, www.GoldCup.org and www.CopaOro.org.

Chasing History

With four wins and two draws in the first eight games, Seattle is off to the best start in MLS expansion history. No expansion team has been above .500 through eight games. Miami and Chicago are the only expansion teams to reach the playoffs, with the Fire winning both the MLS Cup and the U.S. Open Cup in its first season (1998).

Previous Expansion Starts

Team 8 Games 9 Games 1st Season Notes

Chicago Fire (1998): 3-5-0 4-5-0 20-12/MLS Cup, U.S. Open Cup

Miami Fusion (1998): 4-4-0 5-4-0 15-17/1st round playoffs

Real Salt Lake (2005): 3-3-2 3-4-2 5-22-5/5th, West

Chivas USA (2005): 1-6-1 1-7-1 4-22-6 /6th, West

Toronto FC (2007): 2-5-1 3-5-1 6-17-7/7th, East

San Jose Earthquakes (2008): 2-5-1 2-6-1 8-13-9/7th, West

Seattle Sounders FC (2009): 4-2-2

They Got Next In 2010, MLS welcomes its 16th team, the newly-named Philadelphia Union. The Union's name, colors (Navy blue and gold) and crest were announced on May 11, and the team begins play next season in Chester, Pennsylvania.

Sounders FC to Host Colorado in Open Cup Play-In

Sounders FC will host the Colorado Rapids in a Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup play-in match on Tuesday, May 26, at Starfire Sports Complex in Tukwila. Kickoff is set for 7:00 p.m. If Seattle defeats Colorado, it will advance to the Open Cup Round of 16. The other MLS play-in game features New York Red Bulls at D.C. United.

All tickets are general admission and priced at $15 for covered grandstand seating and $10 for uncovered bleacher seats. There will be limited seating capacity. For information on Open Cup tickets please visit www.SoundersFC.com and www.Ticketmaster.com.

Seattle won its first play-in game, 4-1 over Real Salt Lake, on April 28 before 3,890 fans at Stafire.

Opportunity to Shine

The Open Cup play-in victory provided an opportunity for several Sounders FC players to present their case for first-team consideration. Sebastien Le Toux scored two goals and assisted on two others in the 4-1 win and, four days later, was Schmid's choice as the first tactical substitution against the Fire in the 56th minute. Le Toux then started at the forward spot this past weekend against Los Angeles in place of the suspended Fredy Montero, delivering the team's only goal.

Stephen King, who started at attacking central midfield and also scored versus RSL, saw first MLS action of the season against Chicago replacing Freddie Ljungberg in the 81st minute. A week later versus Los Angeles, King replaced Le Toux in the 87th minute.

Earning a spot on the list of reserves for the first time was central defender Taylor Graham, who had been sidelined with fractured bones in his left foot since February. Graham played the entire 90 minutes of the play-in versus RSL.

Recap: Sounders FC 1, L.A. Galaxy 1

Sebastian Le Toux scored his first MLS goal to help the Seattle Sounders FC hold on for a 1-1 draw with the Los Angeles Galaxy on Mother's Day, May 10, 29,025 fans on the Xbox Pitch at Qwest Field.

Le Toux opened the scoring in the 22nd minute and Alan Gordon equalized for the Galaxy in the 35th. Seattle played with 10 men for the final 30 minutes. Defender James Riley was sent off the field with a red card in the 57th minute, moments after drawing a yellow card.

Le Toux's goal was set-up by midfielder Steve Zakuani, who chipped into some space behind the L.A. defense. Nate Jaqua beat Galaxy goalkeeper Donovan Ricketts to the ball, tapping it left to Le Toux to slot into an open net from 15 yards. Later, Jaqua nearly made it 2-0 when his near-post header glanced off the right post.

The equalizer from the Galaxy came following a turnover by Seattle in its own end. Mike Magee quickly crossed to Gordon, who headed past Kasey Keller from 8 yards.

Points Positive

While a win was the objective, the single point earned in the draw with L.A. was positive, if only for the determination exhibited by Sounders FC. Shorthanded for the final half-hour, Seattle continued to press forward and finished with a 7-6 advantage in shots. It is the second game in a row in which Sounders FC has been down a man yet earned a tie. Fredy Montero was issued a red card at Chicago on May 2 and Seattle managed to come from behind to draw, 1-1, on the road.

Foul Numbers

James Riley is the third Seattle play to be shown a red card and all have come within the last five games. Sounders FC is 4-1-0 when playing a match 11 vs. 11. Seattle has suffered more fouls (105) than all but New York and ranks 12th (80) in fouls committed. However, it is tied for the league lead in red cards (3). Sounders FC remains one of three teams which has yet to earn a penalty kick.

Spotless No More

Kasey Keller's spotless record at home ended after 334 minutes with the first-half goal by L.A.'s Alan Gordon. Combined with games played for the U.S. National Team, Keller had not allowed a goal in 604 minutes of his games played in Seattle. Earlier, Keller set an MLS record for consecutive scoreless minutes to start a season (457 minutes), and he is the only goalkeeper in league history to post three complete shutouts to start their MLS career. His record in goal this season is 4-0-2.

Getting Defensive

Sounders FC ranks tied for No. 2 in MLS in fewest goals allowed (5); two of those goals were scored while playing shorthanded. Kasey Keller rates first among keepers with a GAA of 0.32. He is No. 2 in shutouts (4) and wins (4).

Le Toux on a Tear

Sebastien Le Toux has played a key role in each of the last three Sounders FC games. He first sparked the team with two goals and two assists in a 4-1 U.S. Open Cup Play-In win over Real Salt Lake on April 28. Four days later, on May 2 at Chicago, Le Toux came off the bench to help energize his shorthanded team and rally to earn a 1-1 draw with the Fire. Starting at forward for the first time against L.A., he scored his first MLS career goal. He scored 24 goals in 54 games at the USL-1 level for Seattle from 2007-08. He was first spotted by the USL-1 Sounders management while at a free agent tryout in Dallas in November of 2006.

Getting Involved

Nine players have been involved in the 11 goals scored by Seattle to date, including seven different goal scorers: Fredy Montero (3), Steve Zakuani (2), Brad Evans (2), Nate Jaqua, Freddie Ljungberg, Tyrone Marshall and Sebastien Le Toux. Evans scored a game-winning goal versus FC Dallas while playing for Columbus last season.

Schmid vs. Hyndman

Schellas Hyndman was the head coach for Southern Methodist University from 1984-2008 before taking on the head coaching position at FC Dallas midway through last season. During his tenure at SMU, Hyndman's teams faced off six times with Sigi Schmid's UCLA Bruins, going 1-4-1. All three times the two coaches faced off in the NCAA tournament Sigi's teams won, two of which went on to win the Championship (1985, 1990).

Sigi's Final Countdown

Schmid is approaching the summit of two MLS coaching categories. The league's active leader in wins (117), Schmid is seven wins shy of Bob Bradley's MLS record 124 victories. New England's Steve Nicol is No. 2 among active coaches in wins (89) and No. 3 overall. Schmid (264) is nine matches away from surpassing Bradley's MLS record of 272 career games coached.

More About Schmid

Schmid's career mark against FC Dallas is 11-7-7, including 2-0-0 last season with Columbus. His Crew teams were 2-1-0 in three visits to Pizza Hut Park, from 2006-08.

About FC Dallas

FC Dallas, which is coming off a 1-0 loss at Houston last Saturday, is off to the slowest start in MLS (4 points) this season. FC Dallas has been outscored 12-2 after halftime. It has scored just one goal in losing its last three games, and has been shutout four times this season, including its 2-0 loss to D.C. in the Open Cup play-in. Its four points have all come against Toronto FC, a 1-1 draw on the road on April 11 and a 3-2 home win on April 19. Forward Kenny Cooper has scored four of the team's seven goals this season, and is tied in second for the golden boot.

Current Training Squad

The following players begin the week training in Seattle: Goalkeepers (3): Ben Dragavon*, Chris Eylander, Kasey Keller; Defenders (9): Evan Brown, Taylor Graham, Jhon Kennedy Hurtado, Patrick Ianni, Tyrone Marshall, James Riley, Zach Scott, Nathan Sturgis, Tyson Wahl; Midfielders (7): Osvaldo Alonso, Brad Evans, Stephen King, Sebastien Le Toux, Freddie Ljungberg, Sanna Nyassi, Peter Vagenas; Forwards (6): Kevin Forrest, Nate Jaqua, Roger Levesque, Fredy Montero, Jarrod Smith, Steve Zakuani.

*invitee

Check out the Seattle Sounders FC Statistics

Share: Facebook | Twitter/X | LinkedIn | Reddit | Email



Major League Soccer Stories from May 12, 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