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Sounders prepare for Cascadia Rivalry Weekend

May 10, 2007 - USL First Division (USL-1)
Seattle Sounders News Release


Seattle Sounders (1-2-1, 4pts) goal keeper Chris Eylander will look to record his third consecutive shutout Friday night at 8pm when the Sounders play the Portland Timbers (1-1-0, 3pts) in a match broadcast nationally on Fox Soccer Channel from PGE Park in Portland.

The rivalry promises to produce drama worthy of the national stage with fresh animosity after the Sounders took their overall record against Portland to 14-10-3 all-time with a 1-0 win over the Timbers in their home opener at Qwest Field last Saturday night.

Timbers all-time assist leader, Hugo Alcaraz-Cuellar, will return to PGE Park for the first time as a Sounder and former Sounders midfielder Andrew Gregor will welcome his former club to his new home for the first time since moving between squads in the off season.

Gregor drew an early yellow card for a dangerous two footed challenge against the Sounders new left foot, Josh Gardner in last week's match. He had the favor returned just moments later when Sounders defender Zach Scott cleaned him out in the middle of the field and earned a yellow card for the retaliation.

Timbers keeper Josh Wicks, acquired from Vancouver in the off season, left his mark on the Sounders and the rivalry with a first half shoulder charge that left midfielder Sebastien Le Toux searching for his breath on the sideline and a second half stomp to the knee of Kevin Sakuda that enraged the Sounders coaching staff.

With off season acquisitions Greg Howes and Le Toux available for their first road match and forward Nathan Knox and defender Scott coming off team of the week honors, the Sounders, who's last away win was July 21, 2006 against the Timbers, will be eager to get their first win on the road in 2007 before returning home Saturday night to face the Vancouver Whitecaps (2-0-2, 6pts) at Qwest Field in their only back to back double header of the year.

The May 12 match against Vancouver will kick off at 7pm and be a rematch of the regular season opener on April 21 in Vancouver that saw the Sounders control play for much of the match, but fall 1-0 to an Eduardo Sebrango goal in the second half.

The USL First Division Defending Champion Whitecaps are one of three undefeated teams going into this weekend's matches. Steve Klein and Joey Gjertsen were both named to the Team of the Week, after last weekend's road trip where they played to a 1-1 draw in a rematch of last year's championship match with the Rochester Raging Rhinos and a 2-1 win against the Minnesota Thunder.

Vancouver will play 10 of their next thirteen matches on the road, making a victory close to home that much more important to their title defense.



USL First Division Stories from May 10, 2007


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