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The Pitch: MLS Weekly

Published on April 6, 2009 under Major League Soccer (MLS) News Release


MLS Players Hail from Around the Globe - International Player Map

U.S.-born players make up approximately two thirds of the League's 15 rosters, with the remaining players hailing from around the globe. The League features exciting young international stars who are making a name for themselves in MLS like Fredy Montero (Colombia), Emmanuel Ekpo (Nigeria), Sanna and Sainey Nyassi (Gambia), and Marco Pappa (Guatemala), among others. MLS also features veteran players who have starred on the international level for years like Cuauhtémoc Blanco (Mexico), Freddie Ljungberg (Sweden), Jaime Moreno (Bolivia) and Juan Pablo Angel (Colombia).

The map located here on the League's web site illustrates the breadth of birthplaces among the League's 350+ players. As of March 31, 2009 there were 128 players born in 47 countries outside the United States, demonstrating the diversity of Major League Soccer. Among the five major team professional sports leagues in the United States, MLS is the most diverse.

Seattle Sounders FC - Off To Dream Start - Make History as an Expansion Team

Seattle Sounders FC went on the road for the first time in their inaugural season and came away with a familiar result - a shutout victory. Kasey Keller has proved to be the leader that the expansion team was looking for at the back. The Seattle netminder has recorded 270 minutes of goalless soccer, setting the record for shutout minutes to begin an MLS career. The longest stretch of shutout soccer to start a season was 375 minutes by Ronald Waterreus in 2007. Sounders FC have the third longest shutout streak to start a season trailing Dallas in 1999 (342 minutes) and New York in 2007 (420 minutes). Both Dallas and New York made the MLS Cup playoffs in their respective record-setting seasons.

Seattle designated played Freddie Ljungberg notched his first MLS goal and number one overall pick in the 2009 MLS SuperDraft, Steve Zakuani, opened his MLS account to give Sounders FC a 2-0 victory over a stunned Toronto FC crowd at BMO Field. Seattle becomes the first expansion team to start a season 3-0-0. The Chicago Fire, the last expansion club to get out to a 2-0-0 start, fell in their third match, however, the Fire won their first and only MLS Cup in their inaugural season.

Conor Casey Wins MLS Player of the Week for Week 3

Colorado Rapids forward Conor Casey was voted Major League Soccer's Player of the Week for Week 3 of the 2009 season. Casey struck early and often as the Rapids defeated the Los Angeles Galaxy 3-2 on the road Saturday night.

Casey, a native of Denver, Colo., played two years of college soccer at the University of Portland before heading to Germany where he played with Bundesliga sides Borussia Dortmund, Hannover 96, Karlsruher SC and FSV Mainz 05. Casey was acquired by the Rapids in a trade with Toronto FC on April 19, 2007. He's scored 16 goals for the Rapids in three MLS seasons.

The Major League Soccer Player of the Week is selected each week of the MLS regular season by a panel of journalists from The North American Soccer Reporters (NASR). The group consists of members of print, television, radio and online media. More information and membership information can be found at http://www.soccerreporters.com/.

Rookie Spotlight: Steve Zakuani, Seattle Sounders FC forward

Steve Zakuani is living up to the early billing as one of the most exciting rookie prospects to come out of college in recent years. Zakuani, the number one overall pick in the 2009 MLS SuperDraft by Seattle, opened his MLS scoring account Saturday with an opportune strike past Toronto FC goalkeeper Greg Sutton. His goal sealed the victory and helped Seattle Sounders FC to the first 3-0-0 start by an expansion team in League history. Zakuani has played a key role in the success of Sounders FC, starting two games and playing in all three victories. He's pitched in with a goal and an assist. The former University of Akron standout and 2008 MAC Herman Award winner has enjoyed success at every level. Zakuani was born in the Democratic Republic of Congo and relocated to London as a youth. Zakuani played his youth soccer with the Arsenal Developmental Academy before starring in Caleb Porter's attacking offense at the University of Akron. In Zakuani's breakout sophomore season he tallied 20 goals and seven assists and was tabbed to be the number one pick in the 2009 MLS SuperDraft.

This Week's MLS Games: Saturday, April 11, 2009

Fourteen of the League's 15 teams are in action as a full slate of games, 10.5 hours, of MLS action will be played on Saturday. This marks the only time this season seven games will be played on one day.

FC Dallas at Toronto FC, 4:00 p.m. (DK, Match Center)

- Last year, FC Dallas were one of just two MLS teams to register victories at BMO Field. The hosts; however, will be eager to produce a better showing than last week's shutout loss to Seattle. In the teams' encounter last August, Toronto's undoing was a pair of late goals by Kenny Cooper and red cards to Amado Guevara and Marco Velez.

Chicago Fire at San Jose Earthquakes, 4:00 p.m. (Telefutura)

- On Sunday, Guatemalan midfielder Marco Pappa had one of his best games in a Fire uniform by scoring the lone goal against New York after Chicago's John Thorrington had been sent off. The new Earthquakes have yet to score against Chicago in two meetings - a scoreless tie and a 1-0 loss in 2008.

D.C. United at Real Salt Lake, 6:00 p.m. (DK, Match Center)

- Rising star Robbie Findley notched the first hat trick in RSL team history in a 4-1 victory over Columbus last week. With goals in consecutive games, D.C. United striker Luciano Emilio appears to be finding his form. The past six meetings between these teams have been dominated by the home team, going 5-0-1.

Colorado Rapids at Columbus Crew, 7:30 p.m. (DK, Match Center)

- The Rapids visit Crew Stadium with the teams moving in opposite directions. The Rapids have won two consecutive league games behind the one-two punch of Omar Cummings and Conor Casey, who have combined for five of Colorado's six goals this season. Meanwhile, the defending MLS Cup champions are struggling, going winless in four games to start the year and having conceded six goals in the past two games.

New York Red Bulls at Houston Dynamo, 8:30 p.m. (FSC, FSE)

- The Red Bulls return to the site of one of the most shocking upsets in MLS Cup Playoff history, a 3-0 victory at Robertson Stadium in the Western Conference Semifinal Series that eliminated the back-to-back MLS Cup champions. This year; however, each team is looking for its first victory of the season. The Red Bulls are also looking for a goal scored by one of their players -- their lone marker so far this season was an own goal.

Chivas USA at Los Angeles Galaxy, 10:30 p.m. (ESPN2, Deportes)

- The first installment of the MLS SuperClasico pits teams at different ends of the spectrum. Chivas USA are one of two teams with a perfect 3-0-0 record and one of five undefeated teams in MLS. With a loss and a tie to start 2009, the LA Galaxy want to buoy their spirits with a win against their chief rival. The teams tied their final two meetings of the 2008 season; LA won the first on April 26, 2008.

Kansas City Wizards at Seattle Sounders FC 10:30 p.m. (DK, Match Center)

- Sounders FC have gotten off to a hot start and are one of two teams currently 3-0-0 (Chivas USA). They have not allowed a goal thus far (270 minutes) and return home to the friendly confines of Qwest Field. The Wizards bounced back from a Week 2 defeat and blanked the Earthquakes at home, 2-0, behind goals from Claudio Lopez and Aaron Hohlbein. Seattle has a chance to increase their record shutout streak for an expansion team and could get closer to New York's shutout streak to start the 2007 season (MLS record 420 minutes).

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Major League Soccer Stories from April 6, 2009


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