SOUNDERS FC: Photo Gallery of the Match

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SOUNDERS FC: Photos from the Match

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SOUNDERS FC: Fredy Montero Player of the Week

SOUNDERS PRESS RELEASE: 

RENTON, WASH. - Seattle Sounders FC forward Fredy Montero was voted Major League Soccer Player of the Week by the North American Soccer Reporters (NASR) for Week 22 of the 2010 MLS season. Montero scored the first goal against the Chicago Fire to tie the game at 1-1 in the 36th minute. His second strike came in second half stoppage time to give the Sounders a 2-1 victory.

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SOUNDERS FC: Sanna called to Gambia

SOUNDERS PRESS RELEASE
RENTON, WASH. - The Seattle Sounders FC announced today that the Gambia National Team has called in midfielder Sanna Nyassi for Saturday's African Cup of Nations qualifier with Namibia in Banjul, Gambia.

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SOUNDERS FC: Seattle extinquishes Fire 2-1

Written by Galen Helmgren

Saturday’s match is a game that will haunt Freddie Ljungberg. In his first game at Qwest Field since being dealt to the Chicago Fire, the Swede’s new team was only two minutes from snatching a point on the road against Seattle. A last minute header by Fredy Montero bounced past Chicago’s rookie goalkeeper, spoiling Ljungberg’s return while posting a 2-1 victory for the Rave Green.
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SOUNDERS FC: Photo slideshow of the Match

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SOUNDERS FC: Photo from the win

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SOUNDERS FC: Match Preview

SEATTLE SOUNDERS PRESS RELEASE: 
Sounders FC vs. Chicago Fire - August 28, 2010 at 7:30p.m. PT on Xbox Pitch at Qwest Field; Seattle, Wash.

The Seattle Sounders FC aims to reestablish its midseason momentum, as it will play the second of three home matches over an eight-day span of great significance in separate competitions when it resumes MLS play against the Chicago Fire on Saturday at 7:30 p.m.


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SOUNDERS FC: Slideshow of the match

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SOUNDERS FC: Fall 0-2 to Monterrey

Sanna Nyassi was the Man of the Match.

SOUNDERS PRESS RELEASE:

 
SEATTLE - The Seattle Sounders FC fell to Mexico's CF Monterrey, 2-0, in round two of the CONCACAF Champions League group stage in front of 22,513 on the Xbox Pitch at Qwest Field on Wednesday night. 

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SOUNDERS FC: To host Chivas de Guadalajara

Mexico's Popular Club Were 2010 Copa Libertadores Runner-Up

RENTON, Wash. - Seattle Sounders FC will host Chivas de Guadalajara, an 11-time champion, one of Mexico's most popular teams and the 2010 Copa Libertadores runner-up, on Tuesday, October 12, on the Xbox Pitch at Qwest Field, it was announced today. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. PT and the match will be televised live on TeleFutura.
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SOUNDERS FC: About Monterrey

(Courtesy of CONCACAF)
Club: Club de Futbol Monterrey
Founded: 1945
City: Monterrey, Mexico
Stadium: Estadio Tecnologico
Manager: Victor Manuel Vucetich
Qualification method: Mexican Apertura winner
Previous Champions League appearances: None
Honors: Mexico league - 3 (1986, 2003, 2009); Copa Mexico - 1 (1991); CONCACAF Cup Winners Cup - 1 (1993)
 
Official Web site: http://www.terra.com.mx/rayados

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SOUNDERS FC: Nine-game unbeaten streak ends in Honduras

After being banged around at the Olympic Stadium by Marathon of Honduras for the first 17 minutes of Thursday’s match, the Seattle Sounders drew first blood in what ended up being a 2-1 defeat at the hands of Marathón. In other words, Seattle’s unbeaten streak of nine matches (6-0-3) over all competitions has ended.

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Seattle scored the go-ahead goal when Fredy Montero pushed the ball up the right flank to the Marathón end line where he toyed with his defender until he cleared enough room to make a cross to Blaise Nkufo. The Swiss striker flicked a one-touch pass behind his back to the far side of the goal box where Roger Levesque calmly pounded the ball toward the near post, behind a defender and past Marathón’s Goalkeeper Shane Orio.

The next 10 minutes were owned by Seattle, but just as it seemed that the Sounders would surge to a second goal, Marathón clamped down on defense and turned the game in their favor.

Marathón found them facing Seattle’s goal in the 27th minute seemed to score without effort. Randy Diamond passed into the goal box, finding Orvin Paz, who threaded a low shot to the near post, catching the Sounders’ defense off guard and flat-footed.

Fast-forward to the end of the first half and Marathón is making a final push for a goal before the halftime whistle. The ball goes up near the Sounders’ goal box and as Tyrone Marshall attempts to feed the ball to goalkeeper Kasey Keller, but before he can make contact with the ball, Nicolas Cardozo wildly throws his leg towards the ball and into the path of Marshall’s kick. The resulting foul leads to a penalty kick and a second goal for Marathón.

“I don't know how it was a penalty,” said Keller after the match.

“I haven't seen the tape but it didn't look like a penalty to me. It looked like two guys swing and kick each others' legs and next thing you know the ball is in my hands and he [the referee] is signaling a foul. I don't know what he saw. It may have been good play by the striker but I don't know. That was frustrating."

What it comes down to is tactical awareness. Both teams the Sounders have faced in the CONCACAF tournament have played in the Champions league before and both are better at drawing fouls. Marathón used that to their advantage and earned a penalty on a routine feed to the goalie.

Both Metapán and Marathón have, for the most part, set the tempo of each game, forcing Seattle to play to their opponent’s style and making the Sounders vulnerable to tricks and flops. The loss was the first for the Sounders in a non-MLS competitive match (8-1-2).

Sounders Head Coach Sigi Schmid was pleased with the early goal by his team, but felt that a lack of energy was a major factor in this loss.

“I think our effort in the game, we didn't do well in the outset with [Carlos] Palacios on the one side and [Randy] Diamond on the other side. I think we were disjointed offensively. The last 20 minutes, 25 minutes of the game I thought we had very good energy. In the beginning of the game we didn't have good energy and we didn't see an awful lot of the ball. If you want to see the ball a lot you need to play hard. We need to be better next time.”

Seattle will host CF Monterrey of Mexico in the next CONCACAF match on August 25 at the Xbox Pitch at Qwest Field. Their next league match is at Qwest Field on August 28 versus Freddie Ljungberg and the Chicago Fire and the U.S. Open Cup semifinal with Chivas USA is on September 1 at Starfire Sports Stadium.

Reach Galen Helmgren at car_freak85@hotmail.com Read more

SOUNDERS FC: No win versus Chivas

SEATTLE SOUNDERS PRESS RELEASE:

Seattle Sounders FC 0 at Chivas USA 0 - August 14, 2010

CARSON, Calif. - Kasey Keller earned his eighth shutout of the season as the Seattle Sounders FC extended its unbeaten streak to six league matches with a draw against Chivas USA on Saturday night at The Home Depot Center.
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Sounders FC (8-8-5, 29 points) is currently fourth in the Western Conference and unbeaten nine games over all competitions.

Chivas USA (5-10-4, 19 points) sits just one point behind Houston at the bottom of the West.

Keller kept a clean sheet with three saves, including a stop on Alan Gordon's shot from the top of the box in the 66th minute as well as Paulo Nagamura's strike in the 68th minute.
Sounders FC defense has conceded one goal in the last 450 minutes of MLS play, dating back to July 15.
Despite 10 shots (four on goal) for Seattle, the match resulted in a scoreless draw for the first time this season.
Sanna Nyassi nearly found the net in the 62nd minute. Blaise Nkufo served a cross to the far post where Nyassi sent a bouncing header off the frame.
Fredy Montero tested Chivas USA keeper Zach Thornton with a free kick in the 70th minute and Osvaldo Alonso hit a long-range shot in the 89th minute that Thornton deflected out.

Montero collided with Thornton in the box as he leapt to meet a Nathan Sturgis cross in the 38th minute. After a six minute delay, Montero remained in the game with a thigh contusion.

The physical play continued as Leo Gonzalez and Mariano Trujillo were both sent off with red cards in second half stoppage time.

Alvaro Fernandez made his first start for Sounders FC, going 67 minutes before being replaced by Miguel Montano.

Seattle is still looking for its first win over Chivas USA (0-2-2).

Sounders FC begins CONCACAF Champions League group stage play as it travels to Honduras to face Marathon on Thursday then hosts Mexico's Monterrey on August 25. League play resumes on August 28 against the Chicago Fire on the Xbox Pitch at Qwest Field.


Chivas USA -- Zach Thornton, Mariano Trujillo, Dario Delgado, Michael Umana, Ante Jazic (Jonathan Bornstein 30), Rodolfo Espinoza, Michael Lahoud, Paulo Nagamura, Osael Romero (Giancarlo Maldonado 45), Justin Braun, Alan Gordon (Jesus Padilla 79).


Substitutes Not Used:Kevin Guppy, Carlos Borja, Marcelos Saragosa, Ben Zamanski.

TOTAL SHOTS: 10; SHOTS ON GOAL: 3; FOULS: 8; OFFSIDES: 6; CORNER KICKS: 4; SAVES: 4.

Seattle Sounders FC -- Kasey Keller, James Riley, Patrick Ianni, Jeff Parke, Leo Gonzalez, Sanna Nyassi (Roger Levesque 81), Osvaldo Alonso, Nathan Sturgis, Alvaro Fernandez (Miguel Montano 67), Fredy Montero (Nate Jaqua 86), Blaise Nkufo.

Substitutes Not Used: Mike Seamon, Tyrone Marshall, Zach Scott, Terry Boss.

TOTAL SHOTS: 10; SHOTS ON GOAL: 4; FOULS:11; OFFSIDES: 4; CORNER KICKS: 5; SAVES: 3.

Misconduct Summary:

SEA - Jeff Parke (caution; Reckless Foul) 89
SEA - Leo Gonzalez (ejection; Violent Conduct) 90
CHV - Mariano Trujillo (ejection; Violent Conduct) 90


Referee: Arkadiusz Prus
Referee's Assistants: -George Ganser; Brian Poeschel
4th Official: Ricardo Salazar
Attendance: 13,839
Time of Game: 1:50

Reach Jane Gershovich at nextseasonsports@gmail.com Read more

SOUNDERS FC: Photo slideshow of the Match

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SOUNDERS FC: Montero leads Seattle to 2-0 victory with goal and assist

The image epitomized Seattle’s recent string of success as Fredy Montero slid to his knees after scoring his eighth goal of the season, his teammates swarming him in celebration. The MLS player of the month rightfully held his arms high signaling “number one” in each hand as the stadium rumbled around him.

Seconds earlier, Montero had netted the go-ahead goal in the 64th minute off a Kasey Keller goal kick, who booted it from one box to the other. Montero, marked by only one man, took the pass off his chest and boxed out his defender before sending a shot past a diving GK Tally Hall to give Seattle a 1-0 lead against the Houston Dynamo.

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But Montero and the Sounders weren’t finished just yet. Shortly after Nate Jaqua subbed on in the 87th minute, he helped connect a pass to Montero, who then found Seattle’s newest designated player Alvaro Fernandez streaking behind defenders on the left side. Fernandez briefly mishandled the pinpoint pass but regained control with defenders licking his heals. The Uruguayan national teamer then finished past GK Hall for Seattle’s second goal of the game in the 88th minute.

Fernandez's breakaway goal gave Seattle a 2-0 lead, which stood for the remainder of the match.

"This is definitely the highest level that the team has had," Montero said via interpreter. "I'm proud to share the field with my teammates. We're going to keep building and be able to match up with every team out there."

The Montero efforts extended his goal or assist streak to nine MLS matches, a league best. But, more importantly he helped Seattle earn another win and three points, leaving them in playoff position with 28 points on the season, good for fourth place in the Western Conference.

Reach Aaron Weinberg at nextseasonsports@gmail.com
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SOUNDERS FC: Sounders vs Houston preview

SOUNDERS PRESS RELEASE:

The surge of the Seattle Sounders FC continues as the Rave Green returns from 3,000 miles away in San Salvador to the friendly confines of Qwest Field for a match against the Houston Dynamo. Seattle can further climb up the Western Conference of MLS when it hosts the Dynamo on Sunday night at 8 p.m. PT.

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Seattle advanced Tuesday night, by way of aggregate goals scored, to the group stage of the CONCACAF Champions League with a 1-1 draw in San Salvador. Sounders FC had defeated Metapán, 1-0, in the first leg of the preliminary series, played on the Xbox Pitch at Qwest Field last week. The team then won at San Jose, 1-0, before continuing its journey to San Salvador.



Undefeated in its last four MLS matches and in seven games over all competitions, Sounders FC (7-8-4, 25 points) has vaulted from seventh to fourth in the West, two points behind FC Dallas. Seattle has won three straight and has not lost in its last four MLS starts dating back to July 11. The seven-game unbeaten run (5-0-2) in all competitions began with a 2-0 win over the L.A. Galaxy in a U.S. Open Cup quarterfinal on July 7.



Seattle and Houston (5-8-5, 20 points) are sowing the seeds of a true rivalry, having already met five times with some memorable outcomes. Houston is coming off its fourth draw in the last five, a 2-2 result at home against the New York Red Bulls. It is winless since May 22.



This will be the first meeting since the Dynamo eliminated Sounders FC from the MLS Cup Playoffs last November. The two-game postseason series was extended to extra time after the second leg at Robertson Stadium in Texas. Earlier in 2009, Seattle had beaten Houston, 2-1 after extra time, in the semifinals of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup. The Rave Green won at home and drew on the road in two regular season matches with the Dynamo.

Sounders FC vs. Houston Dynamo - August 8, 2010 at 8:00 p.m. PT on Xbox Pitch at Qwest Field; Seattle, Washington

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SOUNDERS FC: “El Flaco” advances Seattle to CONCACAF group stage

It must have been the rain. Three hours before the Sounders were scheduled to face AD Isidro Metapán in El Salvador, the skies opened, soaking the national stadium in the capital San Salvador. In other words, ideal conditions for the Seattle-based team.

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After starting the Major League Soccer season trailing the conference-leading L.A. Galaxy by as many as 15 points, the Seattle Sounders came roaring back into relevance Tuesday night with a 2-1 aggregate defeat over Metapán, advancing the Rave Green to the group stage of the CONCACAF Champions League tournament and extending their all-competition win streak to seven games, including four MLS matches.

After defeating Metapán 1-0 before 17,228 fans in Seattle 5 days ago during the first leg of the two-game set, the Sounders traveled 2,800 miles to face the Central American team on their home turf. Estadio Cuscatlán looked like a ghost town, with fewer than 3,500 fans predicted to attend the match.

Metapán dominated the first half and seemed much more comfortable in familiar territory compared to the first leg in Seattle. Metapán went up 1-0 in the 18th minute when Rodolfo Suarez chipped a cross from the far end-line. Metapán forward Anel Canales shook his defender and aimed his header toward the near post, past Sounders’ goalkeeper Kasey Keller.

The first half ended with a draw, but one goal by the Sounders would almost ensure the over-all win in the series. (In CONCACAF, away goals are a tie-breaker; if the Sounders scored just once in El Salvador, Metapán would need to score two goals just to tie the series.) Despite giving up the early goal, Seattle kept up the pressure, pushing a little harder in the second half, to the tune of two yellow cards (Roger Levesque: Reckless Foul, 75’ and James Riley: Unsporting Behavior, 81’)

Keller made three saves in the first half before Sounders’ Head Coach Sigi Schimd made the match more physical in the 64th minute. Out came Steve Zakuani and Sanna Nyassi in favor of the extra-tall duo of Nate Jaqua and Alvero “El Flaco” Fernandez, the newly-signed midfielder.

Fernandez, who made his MLS debut on Saturday against the San Jose Earthquakes, found the net in only his second match in a Sounders uniform. Osvaldo Alonso collected a loose ball in the center circle, fed to James Riley on the right wing who curled a cross into the box, finding “El Flaco” in the 74th minute.

The score could have been 2-1 at that point, but the goal earned by Roger Levesque in the 53rd minute was disallowed on a dubious offside call. Still, 2010 marks only the second time Sounders (both MLS and USL-1) have advanced to the group stage of the CONCACAF Champions League tournament. In 1996 the USL-1 Sounders finished last in their group, losing to eventual champion Cruz Azul.

Seattle joins Monterrey (Mexico), Saprissa (Costa Rica) and the winner of the Tauro (Panama) and Marathon (Honduras) play-in series. Marathon defeated Tauro, 3-0, on the road in the first leg and the two teams finish the set on Wednesday. In the group stage, each team plays a two-game, home-away set against the other three teams.

The Sounders (7-8-4, 25 points) are back at Qwest field this Sunday at 8 p.m. for a MLS match against the Houston Dynamo (5-8-5, 20 points). Should their luck fail and Colorado and San Jose triumph, Seattle risks dropping back to seventh place in the Western Conference and out of the eighth and final playoff spot. But, just two points ahead in third place sits FC Dallas (6-2-9, 27 points).


Unofficial Box Score:

Scoring Summary:

MET - Anel Canales (Rodolfo Suarez) 17
SEA - Alvaro Fernandez (James Riley) 73

AD Isidro Metapán -- Jose Gonzalez, Jose Alvarado, Erick Prado, Ernesto Aquino, Oscar Jimenez (Andres Flores 87), Hector Mejia, Emerson Umana (Mark Lester Blanco 72), Rodolfo Suarez, Anel Canales, Josue Flores, Milton Molina

Substitutes Not Used: Misael Alfaro, Moises Menendez, Jorge Luis Moran, Carlos Carrillo

TOTAL SHOTS: 7; SHOTS ON GOAL: 5; FOULS: 2; OFFSIDES: 0; CORNER KICKS: 4; SAVES: 6

Seattle Sounders FC -- Kasey Keller, James Riley, Tyrone Marshall, Patrick Ianni, Leo Gonzalez, Sanna Nyassi (Alvaro Fernandez 64), Osvaldo Alonso, Nathan Sturgis, Steve Zakuani (Nate Jaqua 64), Roger Levesque (Michael Seamon 84), Fredy Montero

Substitutes Not Used: Taylor Graham, Zach Scott, Terry Boss, Tyson Wahl

TOTAL SHOTS: 9; SHOTS ON GOAL: 7; FOULS: 6; OFFSIDES: 2; CORNER KICKS: 3; SAVES: 4

Misconduct Summary:
SEA - Sanna Nyassi (caution; Reckless Tackle) 22
MET - Ernesto Aquino (caution; Reckless Foul) 26
SEA - Roger Levesque (caution; Reckless Foul) 75
SEA - James Riley (caution; Unsporting Behavior) 81

Referee: Jose Pineda
Referee's Assistants: Rafael Beltran; Oscar Velasquez
4th Official: Marlon Mejia

Time of Game: 1:50
Weather: Heavy Rain


Reach Galen Helmgren at nextseasonsports@gmail.com Read more

SOUNDERS FC: Injury update

The Seattle Sounders FC announced today midfielder Peter Vagenas has been placed on disabled list due to a right quadriceps strain.

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As a result, Vagenas, 32, is required to miss six games. Included in those six games was the San Jose Earthquakes match on July 31, and he is eligible to return to league play for the September 9 game in Seattle against the Real Salt Lake.

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SOUNDERS FC: Montero leads Seattle to 1-0 win

Team release:

SANTA CLARA, Calif. - Fredy Montero's header in the first half helped the Seattle Sounders FC grab three points on the road as it beat the San Jose Earthquakes, 1-0, at Buck Shaw Stadium on Saturday night.

Montero has scored (4) or assisted (5) in eight consecutive MLS games.

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Sounders FC (7-8-4, 25 points) has won its last three league matches and is unbeaten in six matches in all competitions. With the win, Seattle jumps from sixth in the West to fourth.

San Jose (6-5-5, 23 points) lost for the first time since the World Cup break and falls to sixth in the Western Conference.

Montero struck in the 26th minute. Sanna Nyassi took a ball from Montero and served it back to him in front of the goal where he headed it past San Jose goalkeeper Jon Busch.

Montero has seven goals and eight assists this season.

Nyassi has recorded an assist in three consecutive matches, dating back to his first career assist on July 10. All three have been game-winning assists.

Blaise Nkufo had two dangerous shots, including a header in the 2nd minute and a low, left-footed drive in the 63rd minute. Both were stopped by Busch.

Seattle held a 9-8 advantage in shots (7-2 on goal) and corners, 6-5.

Kasey Keller earned his sixth clean sheet of the season, making two saves.

Jeff Parke left the game at halftime with a head injury and was replaced by Tyrone Marshall.

Alvaro Fernandez made his Sounders FC debut, entering the match in the 69th minute for Steve Zakuani. Fernandez, who played for Uruguay in the recent 2010 FIFA World Cup, was signed by the club on July 29.

San Jose beat Seattle, 1-0, in the previous meeting on the Xbox Pitch at Qwest Field on May 22.

Sounders FC travels to El Salvador on Tuesday as Metapán and Seattle are vying for a spot in the Champions League group stage. The match will be broadcast on Fox Soccer Channel and can be heard on KIRO 97.3 FM with Arlo White on the call.

Seattle returns to MLS play at home against the Houston Dynamo on August 8 at 8 p.m. PT.

Reach Aaron Weinberg at nextseasonsports@gmail.com Read more