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SOUNDERS FC: Photos from the Match
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New Old Faces
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A Fan For Life
With each passing road trip I am more amazed at the dedication and vigor of the Sounders FC supporters. This week in New York - or more accurately, New Jersey - there was a healthy contingent up in the far reaches of section 220 at Red Bull Arena that made it truly sound like a home match when Fredy Montero blitzed the goal for his third score of the year in the 85th minute to lift Seattle to a 1-0 victory over the New York Red Bulls.
I met up with a good portion of those fans outside of the stadium before the match and knew that our supporters were ready for what turned into an incredible evening. They were loud. They were supportive. They were Sounders.
One thing surprised me on this particular trip though.
That was a young New Yorker named Micah.
Micah stood out to me as I sat at my work station on press row well before the scheduled kickoff. He couldn’t have been more than 9 or 10 years old. He sat with his older sister - who wore an LA Galaxy jersey - and two other friends who wore soccer gear, but not in clear support of any particular club. Micah, though, was rocking a rave green Sounders FC top.
I went over and talked with him and later his father and found out that this kid knew the team as well as anyone. Turns out he knew the rosters of other teams throughout the league too. But the one team he loved most was the Sounders FC. His sister was a fan too, but grew out of the rave green kit that Micah was now wearing and was left with her Galaxy jersey instead.
“Kasey Keller,” Micah told me, “is one of my four favorites.”
He wouldn’t tell me his other three, but it didn’t matter. Somehow this little soccer team out in Seattle had developed such a following that a young kid in New York, right in the back yard of one of the original MLS franchises, picked them as his favorite team, his team to follow. I pictured him kicking a ball against a wall out of frustration after the Sounders 4-0 loss to the Galaxy last week - he watches all their games on MLS Direct Kick. I was thrilled that he saw such a dramatic win for the Sounders FC for his first chance to see them up close and in person.
He took home some incredible memories - and some souvenirs from what I understand. I knew when I met him that we had a special fan on our hands. After the game when I saw his ear-to-ear grin as he jumped up and down with the look of a child that found the perfect gift under the Christmas tree, I knew that we had grown a fan for life.
This game, this team and these supporters never cease to amaze me.
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Who are the New York Red Bulls?
Who are the New York Red Bulls?
The New York Red Bulls are one of the original MLS franchises, though you may not know it by their name. Originally penned the New York/New Jersey MetroStars when the league started in 1996, they shortened to just MetroStars in 1998 and remained with the single name through 2005. Then they were purchased by Red Bull just before the 2006 season and changed the franchise name to Red Bull New York, though the team name is New York Red Bulls. Until this year, they played at Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. This year, they opened brand new 25,000-seat Red Bull Arena in Harrison, New Jersey. Though they are one of the founding franchises and have featured some of the marquee talent in MLS, they have not won the MLS Cup or any other major trophy.
Coach: New York is coached by Swedish tactician Hans Backe. Though he had limited success in his playing career, reaching the lower levels in Sweden in the 1970s, he had a good run as a manager throughout Scandanavia. From 1982-2006, Backe led teams all over Europe, from Denmark and Sweden to Austria and Norway and finally in Greece in 2006. After one year with Panathinakos, he signed on as an assistant to countryman Sven-Goran Eriksson with Manchester City and the Mexican National Team. Last October, he led Notts County, but left the team after just seven weeks because of wage disputes. He was quickly picked up in New York.
Who to watch: The Red Bulls are captained by Colombian striker Juan Pablo Angel. The former River Plate and Aston Villa star has notched 49 goals over 79 MLS matches with New York. In the midfield, newcomer Joel Lindpere has taken control of the central midfield, while speedster Dane Richards is always a threat on the wing. Big forward Macoumba Kandji will miss the game with a broken foot. Salou Ibrahim has picked up the slack in his place with 2 goals in 5 games.
Records: New York is 5-2-0 on the season and lead the Eastern Conference. Last week they suffered a 4-0 loss in San Jose. The teams are now 1-1-1 in the head-to-head series, with Seattle holding a 4-2 scoring edge. New York topped the Sounders 1-0 at Qwest Field April 3.
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US Submits World Cup Bid
This morning in Zurich, Switzerland, the US Bid Committee submitted their bid to host the 2018 or 2022 FIFA World Cup. US Soccer President and USA Bid Committee Chairman Sunil Gulati was joined by Executive Director of the USA Bid Committee David Downs, Managing Director John Kristick and US Men’s National Team captain Carlos Bocanegra.
The USA Bid Committee Board of Directors features MSL Commissioner Don Garber, owner of the LA Galaxy and Houston Dynamo Phillip Anschutz, New England Revolution owner Robert Kraft, Houston Dynamo owner Oscar De La Hoya, LA Galaxy forward Landon Donovan and Sounders FC owner Drew Carey.
“MLS is deeply committed to assisting the USA World Cup Bid Committee’s efforts to bring the 2018 or 2022 FIFA World Cup™ to the United States,” said Garber. “Our bid offers the opportunity to showcase the United States as a vibrant and rising soccer nation, but we need the support of every soccer fan in our country. We are asking all of our fans to sign the petition at goUSAbid.com and show the entire soccer world the level of America’s commitment.”
The 1994 FIFA World Cup in the United States was arguably the most successful tournament in FIFA history. Crowds averaged 69,000 fans per game and broke the FIFA World Cup total attendance record with 3.6 million attendees, a record that still stands today.
The 1994 FIFA World Cup also established the legacy of the U.S. Soccer Foundation. Established to manage surplus funds, the Foundation has provided over $51 million in grants, financial support, and loans to help fund programs and projects across the country. These programs look to improve the health and well-being of children in economically disadvantaged areas by using soccer as a vehicle for social change.
FIFA will announce the host countries for both the 2018 and 2022 World Cups on December 2, 2010.
For a video on bringing the World Cup to the US, go to http://sndrs.com/wfmx.
One of the many ways the Sounders FC are offering their support is by tweeting the following message to spread the word about the USA Bid:
.@goUSAbid gives FIFA their bid to host World Cup. Sign petition to support the USA! http://www.gousabid.com #goUSAbid PLS RT
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Miserable in Seattle
Feeling optimistic? Forbes.com just revealed its list of America’s most miserable sports cities and Seattle is at the top.
Citing a lack of championships and a departed franchise, Tom Van Riper says Seattle is the most miserable city in the country for sports fans. To make this even more depressing, Seattle tops the list for the second consecutive year.
The Sonics left for Oklahoma City and disgruntled followers in Seattle have watched Kevin Durant develop into a star. Basketball fans are hopeful a professional team will return, but the original Supersonics can never be replaced.
The Mariners haven’t made the playoffs in nearly a decade and only have four postseason appearances in their history. Despite winning 116 games in 2001, the Mariners have failed to ever make it to a World Series. And if you’ve watched the Mariners play this season, it is difficult to remain optimistic.
The Seahawks have posted a 9-23 record the past two seasons; despite five consecutive postseason appearances and a trip to Super Bowl XL, they have never won a championship for Seattle. Pete Carroll and an exciting new regime offer hope, but the Seahawks are definitely a team trying to rebuild.
Surprisingly, the article does not mention Sounders FC, Seattle’s newest MLS franchise. Devoted fans routinely fill Qwest Field to watch them play – the club set an MLS record for average attendance at 30,943 fans per game in their inaugural season. In addition to faithful fans, Sounders FC also became only the second MLS expansion team in league history to win the U.S. Open Cup tournament.
Professional sports in Seattle have not been remarkable, but I’m not sure the city deserves to be called the most miserable in the country for two consecutive years.
The past few years have been depressing and Seattle is well overdue for a championship, but there isn’t at least one city around the country worse-off than we are?
Forbes.com’s justification:
No. 1 Seattle
Teams: Mariners, Seahawks, Sonics
Championship round losses: 3
Semifinal round losses: 7
Total seasons/championships: 109/1
Years since last title: 31
Teams lost: SonicsWe’re not counting the one-year run of baseball’s Seattle Pilots, who split for Milwaukee in 1970 in an essentially pre-arranged deal. The city is still looking for its first MLB and NFL titles, while having to endure the sight of young NBA superstar Kevin Durant do his thing in Oklahoma City, which lured the Sonics with a sweet arena deal two years ago.
Shaun Dolence: dolencesm@gmail.com
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Tags: baseball, basketball, football, Mariners, mlb, mls, nfl, Seahawks, Sounders FC
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3 Former Sounders On US Roster
US National Team coach Bob Bradley announced his preliminary roster for the 2010 World Cup on Tuesday, and while the roster included no current Sounders FC players, it did show flashes of the Sounders past. Three players that played for the Sounders in the A-League/USL days made the roster.
Goalkeeper Marcus Hahnemann helped the Sounders to an A-League title in 1995 and 1996. He went on to play for the Colorado Rapids in MLS before transferring to England to play for Fulham in 1999. He has remained in England ever since, featuring for Reading and Wolverhampton. He recently signed a one-year extension wtih Wolverhampton through the 2010-2011 seaosn. The Kentridge and Newport High and Seattle Pacific University product has six caps for the US National Team.
Forward Brian Ching played on loan to the Sounders in 2001 and signed with the club in 2002. The Hawaii native and Gonzaga product plays now with the Houston Dynamo and has 11 goals in 44 international appearances.
The surprise of the group was Herculez Gomez. He played on loan to the Sounders in 2003 and went on to play six more seasons in MLS before moving on to Puebla in the Mexican First Division, where he was leading scorer with 10 goals in 14 games last season. He has just two caps for the US and has not featured for the Stars and Stripes since 2007.
The 30-man roster will report to training camp May 15 and play friendlies against Czech Republic and Turkey before the roster is pared down to 23 players by June 1.
The US opens the World Cup June 12 against England.
US 30-man roster
GOALKEEPERS (3): Brad Guzan (Aston Villa), Marcus Hahnemann (Wolverhampton), Tim Howard (Everton)
DEFENDERS (9): Carlos Bocanegra (Rennes), Jonathan Bornstein (Chivas USA), Steve Cherundolo (Hannover), Jay DeMerit (Watford), Clarence Goodson (IK Start), Chad Marshall (Columbus Crew), Oguchi Onyewu (AC Milan), Heath Pearce (FC Dallas), Jonathan Spector (West Ham United)
MIDFIELDERS (12): DaMarcus Beasley (Rangers), Alejandro Bedoya (Örebro), Michael Bradley (Borussia Mönchengladbach), Ricardo Clark (Eintracht Frankfurt), Clint Dempsey (Fulham), Landon Donovan (Los Angeles Galaxy), Maurice Edu (Rangers), Benny Feilhaber (Aarhus), Stuart Holden (Bolton), Sacha Kljestan (Chivas USA), Robbie Rogers (Columbus Crew), José Torres (Pachuca)
FORWARDS (6): Jozy Altidore (Villarreal), Edson Buddle (Los Angeles Galaxy), Brian Ching (Houston Dynamo), Robbie Findley (Real Salt Lake), Herculez Gomez (Puebla), Eddie Johnson (Aris Thessaloniki).
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Who Are The LA Galaxy?
The Los Angeles Galaxy are one of the original Major League Soccer clubs from the inaugural season in 1996. They have twice won MLS Cup, the Supporters’ Shield and the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup and are one of two MLS clubs to win the CONCACAF Championship. They play their home games at the 27,000-seat Home Depot Center in Carson, California. The club counts among its former starts Mauricio Cienfuegos, Alexi Lalas and Cobi Jones, who is the only player on the team to have his jersey number retired. Sounders FC head coach Sigi Schmid left UCLA to coach the Galaxy in 1999 and stayed there until 2004. Current Sounders FC players Tyrone Marshall and Peter Vagenas played under Schmid with the Galaxy, as did assistant coach Ezra Hendrickson.
Coach: Bruce Arena heads the Galaxy, his third stint with an MLS side. He started his coaching career in 1976 at the University of Puget Sound. In 1978 he started his illustrious tenure at University of Virginia, where he amassed 298 career wins in 18 seasons. With the inception of MLS came a new challenge and Arena coached DC United until 1998, when US Soccer came calling and he took over the head duties with the US Men’s National Team, where he remained through the 2006 World Cup. That marked a return to MLS and a stint with the New York Red Bulls before he took over with the LA Galaxy midway through the 2008 season. In 2009, he guided the Galaxy to a 12-6-12 record and berth in the MLS Cup finals, earning him Coach of the Year honors.
Who to Watch: Amazing not to write the name David Beckham here, but the English international suffered a torn Achilles’ tendon in the off-season and will be out most, if not all, of the season. That leaves most of the offensive onus on midfielder Landon Donovan, who has over 120 caps with the US National team and is fast approaching his 100th career MLS goal. This season, however, striker Edson Buddle has been a scoring marvel. Through seven games, he has already tallied nine goals and one assist. Add to that the defense of Gregg Berhalter and 2009 Rookie of the Year Omar Gonzalez and the rock-solid play of goalkeeper Donovan Ricketts, and it’s no wonder they are outscoring their opponents 11-2.
Records: Seattle is 1-0-1 in two regular season meetings with the Galaxy in 2009, drawing 1-1 at Qwest Field on Mother’s Day and winning 2-0 at Home Depot Center. The Galaxy are currently leading the MLS Western Conference at 6-0-1.
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Electron Boy Goes National
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SOUNDERS FC: Shorthanded Seattle faces hottest team in MLS
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MLS Addresses Champions League
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Who Are The Columbus Crew?
The Columbus Crew are one of the original Major League Soccer clubs that have been in the league since its inaugural year in 1996. They play their home games at 20,455-seat Crew Stadium. Winners of the 2008 MLS Cup, the Crew also won the Supporters’ Shield in 2004, 2008 and 2009 as well as the US Open Cup in 2002. They have several connections to the Sounders FC, beginning with head coach Sigi Schmid, who manned the helm at Columbus from 2006-2008, winning the Supporters’ Shield and MLS Cup for the Crew before signing with Seattle before their inaugural season in 2009. Assistant coach Ezra Hendrickson, along with forward Pat Noonan and midfielder Brad Evans also played on the championship team in 2008.
Coach: Robert Warzycha took over coaching duties in Columbus after Schmid left for Seattle and kept the train rolling. In his first full season as coach, he led the Crew to a league-best 13-7-10 record. He also went 7-6-3 with the Crew in 2005 when he was named interim coach while the team looked to replace Greg Andrulis. In his playing days, Warzycha played for teams in Poland and Hungary, as well as with Everton in the English Premier League, before coming to MLS in 1996. He scored 19 goals in 160 games over seven seasons before retiring in 2002.
Who to watch: The Crew are led by Argentinian superstar Guillermo Barros Schelotto. He has three goals and one assist this season and 27 goals and 34 assists in his 76 games with the Crew. The 36-year-old became legendary playing for La Plata and Boca Juniors in his native Argentina before coming to MLS in 2007. Midfielder Robbie Rogers and forward Steven Lenhart also play prominent roles in the Columbus attack. Defensively, they are led by Frankie Hejduk, who has 85 caps for the US National Team.
Records: Columbus is 2-0-1 on the season while the Sounders FC are 2-2-2 to start the 2010 season. In 2009, the Sounders went 1-0-1 against the Crew last season drawing 1-1 at Qwest Field and ending the Crew’s 22-game home unbeaten streak with a 1-0 win in Columbus.
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Midfielder Stephen King Traded to D.C. United
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Montero wins Goal of the Week
"It was far and my intention was to hit it strong and hard and on frame. Fortunately, thanks to God, the shot went in and over the wall and it was a great goal for us," Montero said.
Watch the goal, along with the other nominees here.
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A Few Notes From The Week
In addition to Nate Jaqua, who is recovering from his lower abdominal surgery and has been working out on the side of the field this week, the Sounders will also be without forwards Pat Noonan (hamstring) and Mike Fucito (knee). Fucito suffered a knee injury against the Kansas City Wizards on April 17, in the same game that Fucito scored the game-winning goal in stoppage time. Noonan suffered the hamstring strain in the 2-2 draw with FC Dallas April 22.
Five Sounders got their first starts of the 2010 season in the two-game foray - David Estrada against FC Dallas and Sanna Nyassi, Patrick Ianni, Nathan Sturgis and Tyson Wahl against Toronto FC. Estrada's start was also his first in MLS. Additionally, Terry Boss made his MLS debut in the second half against FC Dallas when he came on to replace the injured Kasey Keller.
Fredy Montero's 41-yard strike on a free kick against FC Dallas earned AT&T MLS Goal of the Week honors. Watch the video of the goal here.
The Sounders FC play five of their next seven games on ther home pitch at Qwest Field. We'll see you there.
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