MLS Seattle: The Beautiful Game in the Emerald City

Notes from the press box

2009-04-25T15:56:00.000-07:00

So during the Earthquakes-Sounders match I had the chance to sit in the press box. Thanks to my writings for American Soccer News, I get a press pass, even though the presence of a college student draws some funny looks and remarks of "are you sure you're in the right place?" The press experience was new for me, as it probably would be for most of you. So here's a few interesting things I noted.

- I had to wait 10 minutes for them to make enough phone calls to get me my proper credentials. At the end of this process, I was told that a Sounders PR person (who will go unnamed) wanted to meet me. Well, really, he/she just wanted to express their annoyance with me. And after that, I accidentally sat in the seat of some KOMO reporter but figured it out just in time. All in all, it was an inauspicious start to my press career.

- The press box is surprisingly big - it wasn't close to full, and there were 75 to 90 people in it.

- The back of the press pass specifically says "No autographs allowed during media access periods." Damn.

- There's a press box announcer for official scoring, and he mispronounced Jaqua as 'jack-wa.' Seriously? It's been four games, and you still can't figure out how to say the name of our starting forward? Put some effort into your job, man. Also, he then left his mic on, because after an apparent Sounders handball he said "uh-oh" which was heard loud and clear by everyone in the box. Brought a good laugh out of everyone.

- I got to sit behind two San Jose writers, which was very entertaining. They muttered and cursed under their breaths whenever anything bad happened, which for their team was quite frequently. When Cam Weaver subbed on for them, one of them audibly said "Come on big man, f****** make something happen." In the 85th minute one of them got up, and when his partner asked where he was going, he replied, "to get some snacks." I never saw him again.

- The press box has food, but more importantly, free Jones Soda! Win.

A few bad apples

2009-04-13T00:10:00.001-07:00

In general, Sounders fans have been absolutely amazing during the run-up to the beginning of the 2009 season, and the first few weeks into it. 3 sellouts, standing the whole game, raising scarves, chanting, cheering, generally being great soccer supporters. But during this period everything was going right for the franchise. The question hung overhead - how would fans respond to the first bit of adversity?

Well, it came Saturday night in a tough 1-0 loss to Kansas City. And the response was disappointing. During the game objects were thrown at the referees, though I didn't see anything worse than what looked like a paper airplane. And after the game, as the players walked off the pitch in the southeast corner of the stadium, two separate fans reportedly threw beer down on the players. One of the fans was ejected by police. At the other end of the pitch the referees were walking off, and I saw at least one fan spit down on them.

This is crap. Sounders fans can't be doing this. So maybe the referees didn't have a particularly good game. Guess what? It happens. This is MLS, which is not the top league in the world, and as such we won't be treated to the top referees in the world either. We have to get used to it, and we have to be smarter. And there's no excuse for throwing beer, or any projectiles really, at the players on the pitch. Ever.

Granted, this was a few isolated incidents, and the majority of the fans were reasonable, sending nothing more than a massive chorus of boos at the referees. But it's the bad apples that get the negative publicity. And as a young club, negative publicity is something we should avoid like the plague. So let's continue to be passionate - but reasonable - fans. There's a lot of season left, and it will contain a lot of adversity. Sounders fans should deal with it better.

Early season playoff dreams

2009-04-06T23:26:00.000-07:00

There are a lot of people out there who might put aside the early success of the Seattle Sounders as a fluke, as a good thing that certainly can't last. They might point to the fact that teams that have started well fade very often, and the reverse is true as well. Houston last year being exhibit A - a terrible start which left them at the bottom of the league didn't stop them from being the best team in the West by years end. So, these people say, the success of the Sounders is great and all. But they're still an expansion team and they probably won't make the playoffs.

Don't listen to them. Already, Seattle is in prime position for the postseason.

Facts are facts, and 9 points are 9 points - the number Seattle has through 3 games. What'll it take to make the playoffs? All along I've been using 40 points as my benchmark. In a 30 game season, an average record of 10-10-10 will get you to 40 points. 8 teams make the playoffs out of 15 teams in the league, meaning the 8th team will necessarily be the average team in the league. Call it 40 points.

So with that as the target, and 9 of those 40 points out of the way, Seattle now has 27 games to get 31 points. And 13 of those games are at home, in the friendly confines of Qwest Field, which is quickly proving to be the most difficult venue in MLS after just two games. (Well, unless you have a soft spot for fans that throw beer and leave early.) Would 7 wins out of those 13 games be to ambitious a target? I don't think so. 7 wins gives you 21 points, making a total of 30. And yes, other games could yield more points in the form of draws. Which would be great.

With 30 points (at least) at home not seeming like too difficult a target, that leaves the other 14 games to pick up 10 more road points. This would be harder than you think: a few teams didn't manage this last season. But that still seems like a reasonable target, making two goals for the remainder of the season.

- Win 7 games at home
- Get 10 points on the road

Accomplish both of these, and I guarantee the Sounders will be playing in the playoffs in 2009.

Winning on the road

2009-03-31T01:46:00.000-07:00

With the Sounders about to head off to their first road game in franchise history, I thought I would take a look at how past expansion teams have fared on the road. The statistics are... ghastly, really.

San Jose, 2008. 2-8-5. 11 points.
Toronto FC, 2007. 1-10-4. 7 points.
Real Salt Lake, 2005. 0-14-2. 2 points (!).
Chivas USA, 2005. 1-11-4. 7 points.

Those are some truly horrible numbers. But in reality, in MLS it's very difficult to win games on the road no matter how new or old your team is. Last year, no team won more than 6 games on the road. Three accomplished that feat, and those three were the best Eastern Conference teams - Columbus, New England, and Chicago. The average number of games won on the road last year was 3.35. Out of 15 total games!

Clearly success on the road will not come easily, and the Sounders shouldn't expect their success thus far to carry over to Toronto on Saturday, in one of the most hostile environments in the league. Anything other than a loss would be a huge surprise to me. So temper your expectations for the upcoming match.

Of course, if they *do* manage to win somehow, then we could be in for a special season indeed.

The Jeff Parke Saga

2009-03-27T01:06:00.000-07:00

Jeff Parke won't be signing with the Seattle Sounders after all. And I honestly don't believe it's his fault.

According to Jose Romero's always excellent blog at the Seattle Times, Jeff Parke is no longer with the Sounders. He was barely just with them to begin with, having played in one reserve match and practicing a couple times without signing a contract. But Wednesday he left the team and seems unlikely to return.

Parke's case has been an unusual one. He was picked by Seattle from New York in the expansion draft, and did not have a contract with MLS at the time, making him effectively a free agent, though his rights belong to Seattle for the next two years. Instead of negotiating a deal with the Sounders, he attempted to fulfill one of his dreams by playing in Europe, but two trials in Belgium met with no success. He returned to the USA and Seattle last week to presumably attempt and work out a deal. That, clearly, has fallen through.

So what the hell is going on? To get some insight, check out this interview of Parke from last week. One particularly interesting quote on his negotiations with New York prior to the expansion draft - 'They gave me a number and at the end of the day I didn't agree with it," Parke said of his final contract talks with New York. "That was that. I obviously had some hurt and some anger toward the club for how it was handled and how I was kind of just left by myself.' He also mentions needing to look out for his family, something that has come up with him multiple times. And that's fair. He made about 60,000 last year, which isn't bad but is certainly less than someone as good as him should be making.

What this insightful interview shows us is that for Parke, it's about the money. The reason he was left unprotected by the Red Bulls wasn't because of his steroid suspension, or because he was an inferior talent. It was that he would have been too expensive. Fair enough. So Parke jumped for Europe, trying to get the big bucks. When that didn't work, he came back to Seattle to begin contract talks. And things looked good. But remember Sigi Schmidt's comment about Parke? Something along the lines of 'It's always good to have depth'. From that, and from the money Parke is probably looking for, upwards of 150 thousand dollars, the problem was clear. In terms of the roster, Parke was a luxury, not a necessity. The Sounders don't have a lot of money left under the cap, and what they do have they'd probably like to save for summer additions. They simply weren't able to offer Parke as much as he wanted.

It's a shame that Jeff Parke apparently isn't going to work out in Seattle. He's a very good player, a quality MLS starter, and we could use some more of those. I would imagine the next step would be shopping his rights to a defense-deficient team that has some salary cap space to work with. (New England, perhaps, to fill the hole left by Michael Parkhurst?)

I don't blame Parke for looking for the cash, though, or the Sounders for not giving it to him. What I do blame is the Scrooge-like salary cap of MLS that makes keeping players like Parke in America next-to-impossible. After this year, with the Collective Bargaining Agreement expiring, I hope we can see some major changes to the salary structures of MLS to keep things like the Jeff Parke saga from happening. Because in this situation, there is no winner.

The Sounders ad campaign

2009-03-25T01:06:00.001-07:00

I've read the sports section of the Seattle Times for years. As a five year old, it was the first thing I began reading. And throughout all the years I've been doing that, I can't remember any time an advertisement was on the front page of the sports section.

Monday, though, I was shocked and delighted to see a huge Sounders ad in glorious full color, green and blue. It's just a incredibly well done ad. First off, it takes up probably a sixth of the entire front page. In large block letters are the words 'every minute counts,' a reference to both the teams 'give us your full 90!' slogan as well as the scarcity of Sounders tickets. The date of the next match (Saturday!) is given, along with information on how to get tickets. Alongside is a picture of a fan, green-clad, standing, yelling and holding a scarf. Finally, the slogan and a stylized logo are in the corner. [EDIT] And upon reading the sports today, another similar ad was on the front page. Damn. Pictures of both below - Monday's is on top, Wednesday's is on the bottom. Click below for a better quality image.So basically what these ads have done is tell every single literate sports fan in Seattle that the Sounders have hugely passionate fans, that it's going to be difficult to get tickets to join them, and - oh yeah - there just happens to be a game this weekend, so you should probably act fast. It's a brilliant bit of advertising.

Every Sounders fan really has to give huge props to both the ownership and the marketing departments/firms they've hired. The ownership because ads in the front page of the sports can't come cheap. Not only that, I've seen Sounders ads on the front page of the Times website, billboard ads, bus-side ads, you name it, they've done it. Joe Roth and co. are willing to spend big bucks to get big recognition, sacrificing short-term revenue for long-term popularity. And that's on top of the thousand or so scarves that have been distributed across the city for free. Which is where marketing comes in. Whoever thought up the 'scarf Seattle' campaign needs a raise. I've heard many people, not soccer fans, talk about the free scarves, and that's contributed to the overall interest in the Sounders. Guerilla marketing works and the Sounders are going about it wonderfully.

And hanging a giant scarf from a downtown building, from a bridge over Aurora Avenue, to catch the eyes of thousands as they drive by? It's just incredible stuff, especially for a soccer team in America, to be doing.

We're only one game into the history of Sounders FC. We shouldn't be patting ourselves on the back quite yet. There's a lot of stuff we, as fans, still have to learn, and we probably shouldn't be singing praises of everything Sounders related and thinking of ourselves as God's or Allah's or Xenu's gift to MLS. We aren't. But I can say with utter certainty that we have the best marketing in the league. The other 14 MLS teams would do well to take notice.

The 2009 season in review - 4th place

2009-03-19T00:47:00.000-07:00

It's been 4 days now. 4 days since the FC Dallas game. And I still find myself checking the MLS website multiple times a day, just to look at the season standings and give myself some tangible proof that no, I'm not dreaming, and yes, we actually did it.

The season is over, but the playoffs are just beginning, and in their inaugural year in MLS the Sounders will be taking part. And maybe it's a little bit silly to recap the year now, since we have at least two games remaining, but just thinking about it makes me want to just smile and jump up and down. Actually writing about it is causing my fingers to shake with glee. I can't help it. Despite what the owners said, what the coaches said, what the players said, I never really expected this team to make the playoffs this year. Even as the 4th place team in the west, 8th overall. My expectations were never that high.

But then who could have forseen, really, the perfect storm of events that seemed to form around this team? I mean, it feels just a little bit too much like one of Joe Roth's cheesy movies. How else could Fredy Montero have led the league in goals, in his first year in MLS, as a friggin 22 year old? In what other world could Keller and Marshall have somehow found the fountain of youth, keeping our goals-against numbers down in respectable territory? It was really a magical run. It's a cliche, but there's no other word. Somehow as the season went along, the team coalesced, the whole being more than the sum of the parts. Or however that phrase goes.

And we were no small part of it. Us, the fans, providing what was arguably the best atmosphere in all of MLS, though I'm sure Toronto and DC United fans would quibble with that. I mean, we had one of the best home records in the league. That seems to be pretty good proof that something is working. And maybe some of it is the turf surface or the long travel distance. But you can't tell me that, when Jaqua poked in that stoppage time winner against the Rapids, that he wasn't being boosted by the crowd somehow. I like to think we gave him that extra inch on his stretch to toe-poke the ball into the back of the net. Crazy? Yes, but that's the way this whole season has been.

You really can't single out one player that made the difference. True, Freddy Ljungberg being healthy and able to start 23 games was a huge boost. But so was Nyassi, flitting down the wing, tormenting outside defenders from every team. So was Alonso, becoming our own defensive force in the center of the pitch. Le Toux, Riley, Evans, you could name any one of the regular starters. And it wasn't just them. Stephen King off the bench, Zakuani as a dangerous reserve. Jarrod Smith! Who would have guessed that Jarrod Smith would become a fan favorite, just for the effort and hilarious clumsiness he showed in his rare appearances? He even got a goal against Los Angeles, bless his Kiwi heart. Although I'm still fairly certain he intended it to be a cross instead of a shot.

So the dream season lives on, at least for a few more weeks. It's been unreal to get to this point. But I'd like it to go further. I'd like to see just how much this city, which has seemingly adopted the Sounders as their own, would go crazy over a deep playoff run. Seeing green and blue scarves on random passers-by in downtown Seattle... who could have guessed? And I'm imagining... I can't help it, but I am... I'm picturing a sold-out Qwest Field, top to bottom, 67,000 strong, to watch the home side in MLS Cup. It is, after all, only 3 matches away.

But first we have to get thru Houston. And I can honestly say I wouldn't mind if this fairy-tale of a season ended after the first round. Because even if this is a movie, it could be Rocky, where the lovable underdog loses in the end. And that'd be alright. The ride just to get here has been indescribably wonderful.

Besides. There's always time for a sequel.

The 2009 season in review - 6th place

2009-03-18T00:38:00.001-07:00

(this is the first of a 3 part series previewing the Sounders FC season by reviewing it. confused? great. read on.)

Tonight I put the ticket stub from the FC Dallas game on my shelf, next to the other 14-odd tickets I've gone through since March. Next to them sit an assorted pile of other Sounders FC knicknacks I've accumulated as the inaugural season has gone by. (A Sounders cowbell? Really?) They're probably worth nothing, same as the tickets, but they are tangible reminders of a season that I'll never forget. The sentimental value is far more than the actual product.

That ticket, and the ones next to it, are in a way a microcosm of the season. Sure, the 2009 campaign for the Sounders FC wasn't the best, and a sixth place finish isn't particularly sexy. But it was the first sixth place finish ever. Yes, the tickets aren't worth much more than the 10% off coupon to the team shop printed on the back, but they're the first season's tickets. I'll treasure them forever, as I will this season, much more than I would saving 2 dollars on a Sounders trash bin.

Objectively, it would be hard to make a case for treasuring a season in MLS in which the team placed ahead of only Colorado and the LA Galaxy. For most teams, this is a normal and expected feat. Looking at it from a completely rational point of view, the on-pitch play wasn't the greatest. (Relative to MLS, I mean. You European-only fans can hold your jokes back.) As we expected, it took a while for the team to come together. The defensive line never really did seem to fire on all cylinders, bailed out many times by some timely tackles by President Hurtado and James Riley. But the scoring compensated for that somewhat. I lost count of all the times Jaqua and Montero combined in the area, and their 20 goals between them was nothing to sneeze at. And some of the young guys really stepped up to solidify their places in the starting lineup for years to come - Nyassi and Alonso especially.

There was just never that sense of cohesion. And it showed for the first several games. But something went *click*, eventually, and the early summer months were very promising. I still remember the week in early August where if we had ended the season right then, Seattle would have been in the playoffs. But then a road loss at Salt Lake happened, and another heartbreaking loss on a late goal, and we were back out of the picture. The end of season road trip didn't help, either, losing three straight games against Eastern Conference teams. But by then we were well and truly out of it, and 2009 had dissolved from 'promising' back into 'expansion doldrums". The rational observer would look at the course of the season and regard it as a disappointment.

That's the great thing about sports, though - the complete and utter lack of rationality. Was it logical that my favorite moment of this year, not just in sports, in everything, was walking four blocks through downtown Seattle wearing a garish shade of green singing at the top of my lungs? With thousands more doing the same beside me? Of course not. And yet something stirred in my heart every time I watched 11 men kick a ball around, directed by a Baloo-looking man on the sidelines. It's passion. Pure, nearly unbridled passion. And that's what makes sports, soccer in particular, great. For 90 minutes 15 times a year you can leave all the numbers behind and indulge yourself, along with tens of thousands of your neighbors, in what is truly a beautiful game.

(Granted, the midfield efforts of one Peter Vagenas could hardly be described as 'beautiful'. 'Soul-suckingly depressing' might be a better fit. But let's not ruin the moment.)

So it's true that the season wasn't totally successful. Eight wins is nothing to write home about. Our designated player only appeared in 17 games and tallied but 3 goals. Kasey Keller faced more shots per game than any other keeper in MLS. Le Toux missed a penalty by about 30 feet in that US Open Cup qualifier. Negative numbers all. But not enough to overcome this number - one. As in season number one. I will always remember the 2009 season for reasons that defy statistics and logic.

But if we could just graft Nate Sturgis's one good leg onto Freddy Ljungberg somehow, giving him two functional lower limbs, I think we might just have a shot at the postseason next year. I would treasure that too.

The 2009 season in review - 8th place

2009-03-17T00:27:00.000-07:00

(this is the first of a 3 part series previewing the Sounders FC season by reviewing it. confused? great. read on.)

Well, I guess everybody told us so.

Yes, the memorable 2009 season has come to a close for the Sounders FC, and it ends with us settled comfortably in last place, no team within six points of us. Now to be sure, in the stands, in the city, it was quite an experience. The full stadium for the opening day was an indicator of what was to come, as all season long we had sold-out or mostly sold-out games.

Unfortunately, the play on the pitch was an indicator as well. The first 2-0 loss, to the Red Bulls at home, wasn't so bad, with the festive atmosphere in the air. On opening day the result was secondary. But the 3-0 loss to Real Salt Lake the next week was a little tiresome. And then the 2-1 loss at Toronto. Hell, we didn't even get a win in league play until May. Far from the surprise contender that the Sounders aspired to be, they were the anchor of the west - and them some. When we lost to San Jose at home, we should have known things weren't going to get a whole lot better. Which they didn't.

The reasons were numerous. The backline was, as predicted, atrocious. I'm a little surprised Kasey Keller never got a sore back from bending over to pick so many balls out of the back of his net. It took a long time for the defense to gel, and when they did, the on-field play had only a minor increase, because the talent just wasn't there. Marshall was constantly beaten, Sturgis was injured, Ianni and Wahl were outclassed, Hurtado struggled to adapt to the physical nature of MLS. But it wasn't just the defense that struggled. With Ljungberg, the supposed superstar, injured seemingly half the season, nonchalantly sitting on the bench eating swedish fish or whatever it is that Swedes eat, the attack wasn't as good as predicted. Evans couldn't do it all on his own, nor could Jaqua. And the callups from the USL proved that there was in fact a large gulf in talent between the two leagues.

But the on-field play wasn't the only negative to come out what can only be described as a nightmare of a season. The justification of all the naysayers, the ones who said we'd be just like every other expansion, was painful. Because we *were* just like every expansion team. The fans in Portland must be dancing with glee while they play catch with their USL trophy. The electric mood in Portland, what with their incoming franchise in MLS and all, is in direct contrast to that of Seattle. The Sounders are just another sports team now. The glamour is gone. Last week I saw a Freddy Ljungberg kit show up on the rack at Value Village, right next to the Supersonics Patrick Ewing jersey. And as I watched, someone bought the Ewing. That hurt me.

All in all, I suppose I can't blame the one bright spot on the pitch, Fredy Montero, for skipping town in July to play in Spain's La Liga. He only had to play out half the season in front of what were mostly passionate, vocal crowds, even at the last game against Dallas. Which, fittingly, was a loss.

I suppose we can't really complain too much. After all, it was the inaugural season. And we did get to witness Chelsea FC beat down the Sounders - our Sounders - in magnificent fashion. We cheered our boys on even when the scoreline was 3-0, 4-0, 5-0. Because they were ours. And dammit, that's the most important thing I can come up with in terms of positivity. All those games where the team in green got manhandled, that was our team in green. The level of play wasn't the highest, to be sure, but it was our team. Seattle's team. And that's what matters.

Even though MLS Cup is next week, and will display the two best teams in MLS going at it, watching the New York Red Bulls take on the LA Galaxy in Qwest Field just won't be the same.

So here's to you, 2009. You sucked. Let's win more next year.

Season Preview - Real Salt Lake

2009-03-13T01:02:00.000-07:00

Ten wins, ten losses and ten draws. Real Salt Lake were the very definition of average in 2008. And yet they made the playoffs, and were a post-widths distance away from taking New York to extra time in the Western Conference Final, a game that they dominated. So expectations are higher than they might be for any other average club.

And the Utah club is even easier to figure out going forward, because they hardly made any changes to their roster from 2008. But one of the late additions they made last season proved to have a crucial impact. Canadian winger Will Johnson served as a sparkplug, and had the goal of the year (well, officially, though I'd rate Marcelo Gallardo's audacious volley higher) on a ridiculously sublime flick, turn and blast. Outside of Johnson, this off-season they drafted a raw defensive mid project and claimed Ned Grabavoy off waivers. Pardon me for not being too excited. They are looking at adding Luis Miguel Escalada, a Argentine striker with potential but who is a bit of an unknown quantity at this point.

It is another Argentine that carries their team, and one who is one of the more unheralded stars in all of MLS. Javier Morales, totaler of 6 goals and 15 assists last year, is a fantastic presence in the attacking midfield role. On the other hand, if he gets hurt, RSL will struggle badly. He's joined in attack by Yura Movsisyan, whose name I incredibly spelled correctly from memory. Movsisyan really came on strong at the end of last season, and I'm not sure if he'll keep it up. Also at forward is Robbie Findley, who would be a great player if he didn't have the first touch of a drunken rhinocerous.

The back line, however, is where RSL really looks to stand out. Their defense is possibly the best in the west. A central defense of Nat Borchers and the excellent Jamison Olave, who came to Salt Lake from Fredy Montero's Deportivo Cali, is solid. With Olave signed for 4 more years, they have a good core to build around. Chris Wingert and Ian Joy on the wings are both very quality, plus there's good depth in defense as well. And I can't forget the heart and soul of Salt Lake, holding midfielder Kyle Beckerman. Though he does sport the ridiculous white-guy dreadlocks, he makes up for it with his consistently passionate play on the pitch. It's hard not to like Beckerman.

There aren't really any apparent weaknesses on the Real Salt Lake roster. Striker would probably be the thinnest position, but if Luis Miguel Escalada pans out then that isn't much of a question either. They definitely look to be better than average this year, and they should be drawing increased crowds to shiny new Rio Tinto Stadium, which is for my money the second-best venue in MLS. And a repeat to the playoffs looks likely. Yes, if you're a Real Salt Lake fan, there's a lot of reasons to be excited about 2009. Aside from the fact that you live in Salt Lake.

Season Preview - Chicago Fire

2009-03-09T21:31:00.000-07:00

No team in MLS appears more confident heading into the 2009 campaign than the Chicago Fire. If you go to their team website, you will be greeted with an advertisment for a five-game ticket plan which includes, as they call it, 'Playoff Game One.' They're actually that sure that they'll make the playoffs this year.

And to be honest, they have good reason to be. Chicago was extremely strong last year, finishing second to the Columbus Crew both in the Eastern Conference regular season and conference finals, and missing out on MLS cup by just one goal. Everything appeared to be working well for the franchise, whether it was the on-field play, the notably strong and passionate fan support, the uniforms - ok, the block 'Best Buy' with the white stripe across the front does look a bit crap, but that's a minor point.

The best news of all is that they look to be almost exactly the same squad that they had last year. The only players they lost were low-impact reserves like Stephen King and Andy Herron. They return the entire defensive line, which with Wilman Conde, Bakary Soumare and Gonzalo Segares is certainly the best in the league. And if Dasan Robinson can stay healthy, it could be even better. Scary. Marco Pappa oozed potential playing on the wing in limited minutes last year. If he starts, watch out. Opposite him, Justin Mapp could be a truly standout winger if he decides to care for an entire season. Logan Pause couldn't attack goal to save his life, but he is still a solid defensive midfielder. He doesn't have to attack, though, because of the guys up front.

A lot of the offensive responsibilities rest on the hunched shoulders of number-10 attacking midfield Mexican legend Cuahtemoc Blanco. You can hate him for his scowling on-pitch theatrics, and many do, but it's hard to question his heart, passion and creative playmaking ability. And of course, he is aided up top by Brian McBride, himself an American legend. He's played in 3 World Cups, scored 62 goals in MLS, almost single-handedly saved Fulham from relegation in the EPL in 2008... the list of accolades goes on. Oh yeah, and Chris Rolfe is pretty decent too, what with 9 goals and 7 assists last year, playing his way into National Team contention. And I haven't even gotten into the potential of Mike Banner or Patrick Nyarko. Bottom line, Chicago are stacked.

(And did I mention that netminder Jon Busch was the league's top goalkeeper last year?)

In my opinion, the best teams in MLS are always those that have a solid lineup, all eleven spots, with no discernable weaknesses in the core of the starters. Houston had it in 2006 and 2007, as did New England. Columbus had it last year. Chicago looks to be that way this year. Unless they have a ridiculous amount of injuries, or Jon Busch forgets how to play keeper, the Fire look they'll make good on that promise for Playoff Game One. And possibly Playoff Game Two. If they aren't the best team in the league, they're mighty close.

Season Preview - FC Dallas

2009-03-09T00:42:00.000-07:00

In some ways, the history of FC Dallas is a microcosm for all of Major League Soccer. They first came into existence in 1996 as the Dallas Burn, with hideous uniforms and a giant football stadium as their home. This existence was very shaky in the late 90s and early 2000's, as they actually played in a high school football stadium one season to save money. But eventually, they moved into their own shiny soccer stadium, rebranded with a less ridiculous name and uniforms, and acquired a local rival in Houston. Since then, the future has been bright.

On the pitch, however, the recent past has been ugly for Dallas. Finishing out of the playoffs last year, the hoops went through an extremely turbulent season involving a coaching change. They finished the year under the guidance of Schellas Hyndman, but still stumbled to the finish. FCD had talent on the team, and one of the leagues best overall players in forward Kenny Cooper, but they never seemed to gel and come together, especially in midfield. At times, the defense was shaky as well, with the sluggish Duilio Davino doing little more than taking up space on the pitch and the salary cap.

A full season under Hyndman - and especially, a full pre-season for the team to come together - sound help this team achieve their full potential. Or at least something close to it. If Cooper doesn't jet to Europe and stays around all season to partner with a rejuvinated Jeff Cunningham, the forwards will be very dangerous. The midfield looks to be much more settled now, with a true attacking midfielder in new Colombian signee David Fereirra filling what had been FC Dallas's biggest hole. Dallas also acquired Dave Van den Bergh, one of the very best left wingers in MLS. Andre Rocha on the other wing showed great promise and could have a breakout season this year. Not a lot has been done to better the defense, and that could be a weak point, though the addition by subtraction of Davino should help. And Dario Sala, my single least favorite player in the league, is nonetheless competant in goal. The team, to me, looks solid.

The biggest worries for FC Dallas may in fact be off the pitch. The franchise has long struggled to draw fans wherever they play. Every time I've watched their home games on tv, the gaping swaths of empty seats that fill Pizza Hut Park are very noticeable. And very recently have come reports that FCD have sold just 5000 tickets for their season opener (INCLUDING season tickets), a high-profile matchup against Cuahtemoc Blanco and the Chicago Fire. My reaction is somewhere between embarassed and saddened. Numbers like that, regardless of which team, are no good for the league.

I really do think that Dallas could make some noise this year, and gun to my head, I'd say they make the playoffs. Even as they have problems off the pitch, they have shored up most of their major weaknesses and look to be improving on it. And their attack looks balanced and powerful. FC Dallas are a club that should be putting on some entertaining displays of soccer under the Texas sun. The only question is if anyone will be there to watch them.

Season Preview - DC United

2009-03-06T10:36:00.000-08:00

I like DC United. Really. Their uniforms are classy and their fan support is top-notch. And they have a wonderful tradition of winning, which is something almost every club in the young MLS lacks, and they added to it last year by taking the US Open Cup.

That success was deceptive, because for a team that expects to win every year, they failed to even make the playoffs in 2008. (Although, in fairness, United were still technically not eliminated until the final weekend of the season.) They were even worse in Concacaf Champions League play, looking completely uninspired and often trotting out second-team players who were totally outmatched. Down the stretch, the black and red were relying on USL callups to be the sparks in both defense (Greg Janicki) and attack (Boyzee Khumalo. Yes, that's really his name). The main problem on the field was newly signed playmaker Marcello Gallardo. Or rather, the lack of Gallardo on the field - while brilliant when healthy, he was injured more often than not. Goalkeeping woes and a leaky defense didn't help either.

Over the offseason, there was one big move made, which was the return of Christian Gomez to DC. Gomez, a beloved star central midfielder for United from 2004 to 2007, will hopefully fit right in to his old role after effectively a one-year exile in Colorado. He joins an attack that, when healthy, has more starpower than any other in the league. The legendary Jaime Moreno (who has the most goals all-time in MLS, 122) is partnered up top with Luciano Emilio, who himself has scored 31 times in just 2 seasons. With Fred and Santino Quaranta on the flanks, they have the potential to be very dangerous.

There is a major problem in attack, though - age. DC has some old dudes. Moreno was their best player last year, but he's 35 now, at the age where a striker can completely fall off any given season. Gomez himself is 34 and Emilio is 31. Relying on 3 over-30 players to lead you offensively is very risky, especially since the reserves at forward are somewhat lacking. Another question is keeper. Even when healthy, Louis Crayton is always an adventure between the pipes. But the biggest trouble spot is the back line. The USL callup Janicki will be relied on to start, most likely, and Canadian signing Dejan Jakovic will be relied on heavily since the team lacks a standout defender.

I went into this article with the idea that DC United would be back in the playoffs, where they feel they belong, this year. Trouble is, they've got far more areas to worry about than to be confident about. If everyone stays healthier than last year, yeah, they could still be competitive in the east. It'll be tough, though. I think that when summer comes, they'd be better off putting a serious effort into the Concacaf Champions League this time around. Maybe that'll be how they get the trophy that their fans crave and deserve, because I don't see them winning MLS.

Season Preview - San Jose Earthquakes

2009-03-04T01:32:00.000-08:00

For obvious reasons, last year, the San Jose Earthquakes were of special interest to Sounders fans. As the expansion club in 2008, the Quakes were an example of what Seattle will go through this year. We can only hope that there will not be similarities in the points column.

As most expansion clubs do, the Quakes struggled. And I’ve written a lot about their struggles. The main point is that they had very little scoring options for much of the season. After picking up British winger Darren Huckerby, their attack was rejuvenated. (Perhaps just ‘juvinated’?) San Jose found more success toward the end of the season, getting themselves back into a tie for last place with Los Angeles while staying in the playoff hunt longer than most thought possible.

Apparently the Quakes are thinking this success will continue, because they made few changes to their roster. The only major ones were signing target forward Cam Weaver, who was a standout for the USL Sounders a few years ago and had most recently been playing in Norway, and the acquisition of former USA nat Bobby Convey. Arguably their most important move was re-signing keeper Joe Cannon, who had a stellar 2008. The rest of the moves were mostly effective-looking shoring up of squad depth. They did lose starters Francisco Lima and James Riley, the latter of whom is now one of Seattle’s best defenders.

Even without Riley, the defense – San Jose’s strength last year – still looks solid. Jason Hernandez remains one of the best one players nobody has heard of. The midfield is solid as well, with Convey, the ever-dangerous Huckerby and Ramiro Corrales. Cannon is a quality presence in goal. Forward is still the question. Arturo Alvarez might play up top, but that would probably relegate Jamaican Ryan Johnson to the bench, and he’s starter quality. On the other hand, Johnson and Weaver are both big banger-type players, and I’m not sure if they’ll work well together.

I’ll just say it right now – I think San Jose can make the playoffs. Not sure if they will, but the talent is there. The nucleus in defense and goal remains, which is what coach Frank Yallop wanted. His team construction is a multi-year process, and I think it’ll pay off this year. Adding Convey is a bit of a gamble – they want him to play attacking mid, which is not his natural position. If he gets his form back, expect San Jose to seriously compete for a spot in the postseason.

Season Preview - Toronto FC

2009-03-02T22:00:00.000-08:00

Over the last two years, no club has garnered as much praise for their fans as Toronto FC. And rightfully so – they always sell out BMO Field, have rowdy and passionate fans, and support their team through wins and the much more common losses.

Over those two years, they haven’t really had a lot to cheer about. As an expansion club in 2007, they were flat out terrible, and were marginally better in 2008, but still last in the East. A high degree of roster turnover led to the team never really gelling. Toronto really didn’t have an area of strength on the pitch, and had weaknesses everywhere, particularly at forward. This past offseason they’ve continued to rework the roster, but the difference is the number of quality players that have joined the Reds.

First, obviously, is Canadian soccer legend Dwayne De Rosario. The attacking midfielder was picked up from Houston, delighting TFC fans. He’s getting old, but is still a dynamic presence on the field and has moments of brilliance matched by almost nobody in MLS. And he’s getting a chance to be the star for his hometown club. You think he’ll be energized this year?(DeRo is my favorite player in MLS, though, so I’m admittedly biased.)

Toronto made all sorts of other acquisitions. They traded for veteran Canadian defender Adrian Serioux and signed forward Pablo Vitti, a former member of the Argentina U-20 national team. They also had 3 picks in the SuperDraft, and acquired two of the very few college players who can contribute right away – forward O’Brien White and central midfielder Sam Cronin. All this, and they only lost two players who could even contribute somewhat, with one of them being Seattle’s new defender Tyrone Marshall.

There’s a lot of new talent on Toronto, and in some ways they look similar to how the Sounders’ roster is at the moment. Lots of midfield depth and attacking talent, what looks like a good combination at forward (Vitti and Chad Barrett), an old but still solid national team keeper (Greg Sutton, Canada), and a very thin defense. There’s a lot of ingredients there, but will they go together?

Defense is the main worry, as an injury to any one starter would create a huge talent drop-off. But the thing I’m most curious about is how De Rosario will work with Amado Guevara, who is Toronto’s current attacking midfielder and is pretty good in his own right. What type of formation will accommodate them both? Can they work together and still share the ball with the rest of the midfield? Hard to say. And they will probably still struggle to contend. But it’s clear that Toronto – just like Seattle – will at a minimum be a very entertaining team to watch.

Season Preview - Los Angeles Galaxy

2009-03-01T23:47:00.000-08:00

If the Sounders were looking at a list of MLS clubs to emulate, the Los Angeles Galaxy would probably be right at the bottom. Which is exactly where they finished in MLS last year.

Embarrassingly, the MLS team with the most recognition worldwide was also the league's worst club, ending the season in a tie with San Jose on 33 points. And that was with David Beckham playing at mostly full strength and Landon Donovan playing with the strength of 3 men. Their heroics were not nearly enough to make up for an atrocious backline and the ineptitude of goalkeeper Steve Cronin, who lost playing time to the just as bad Josh Wicks. Wicks came from USL club Portland Timbers. If you’re relying on Portland to help fix your team, you know you’re crap.

The Galaxy are looking to put their multiple years of futility behind them. Coach Bruce Arena, a name familiar to any American soccer fan, is leading the renovations. And on paper they look much improved. Dema Kovalenko has been brought in to bring some brutality to the center of midfield; Todd Dunivant (left back) and Mike Magee (forward) are decent veteran options. Donovan Ricketts, Jamaican international goalkeeper, has signed on. The talismanic Donovan looks to be coming back to Los Angeles, fresh off a successful loan to Bayern Munich. Some good college picks have joined the mix, notably huge centerback Omar Gonzalez. Oh yeah, and that Beckham guy may or may not be coming back.

With so many changes, can the Galaxy actually rise up and compete this year? While they’ve suddenly become an experienced team, they’re not made up of washed-up veterans. Ok, maybe a couple. The core of their attack is all back, and the defense is almost completely new except for the lone decent defender they already had, Sean Franklin.

On paper, they look much improved. But that’s the key. On paper.

Arena’s coaching skill is well documented – he might be the best American soccer coach ever – but his last task was New York in 2006 and 2007, and he did nothing to improve that team. And he is notoriously egotistical… how well will he work with the star personalities of Donovan and (presumably) Beckham? Will Donovan even be around all season? Will the young defense be able to form a cohesive unit early on in the season? They didn’t look so hot in some of their preseason games… And will the new keeper Ricketts live up to expectations? They’re really banking on him to close the revolving door they’ve had at the keeper position.

These are, in my mind, the biggest questions facing a team that has plenty of them. And they have to answer a lot to get up into playoff contention in the West. I will say this with confidence, though – at a minimum, the Galaxy have improved enough to get off the bottom of the league. As for how much they’ve improved, we’ll have to wait and see.

The '09 Sounders vs. the '08 Earthquakes - an analysis

2009-02-26T01:10:00.000-08:00

A common belief among Sounders fans is that our team is better prepared for MLS than previous expansion teams. A common belief among fans of various other MLS teams is that the Sounders will very much struggle this year, just like previous expansion teams. I fall into the former camp, and I’m going to defend it. I’ll look at how Seattle’s opening day lineup matches up against San Jose’s in 2008, compare the starters at each position, and quantify which team is stronger.

First, the lineups. The projected opening day lineup for Seattle and San Jose’s opening day lineup last year. (NOTE – for any eagle-eyed Quakes fans, yes, Shea Salinas did start the first game at forward, but he really wasn’t a striker so I put Glinton, who mostly started during the beginning of the year.)

San Jose: Joe Cannon, Jason Hernandez, Ryan Cochrane, Nick Garcia, James Riley, Ronnie O'Brien, Ramiro Corrales, Ned Grabavoy, Ivan Guerrero, Kei Kamara, Shea SalinasSeattle (projected): Kasey Keller, Nate Sturgis, Jhon Hurtado, Tyrone Marshall, James Riley, Sebastien Le Toux, Osvaldo Alonso, Brad Evans, Sanna Nyassi, Nate Jaqua, Fredy Montero

Keeper – Joe Cannon vs. Kasey Keller. To be honest this is a really tough one. Cannon was (and still is) one of the best keepers in MLS. Keller is the best American goalkeeper ever. But age and the fact that Keller hasn’t played competitively since last May probably make this a toss-up, though I'm sure Sounders fans will disagree. EVEN

Left back – Jason Hernandez vs. Nate Sturgis. Hernandez is one of the best young up and coming defenders you’ve never heard of, and was a real bright spot for the Quakes. Sturgis was a similar rising prospect a couple years ago, but until he proves that he’s more durable than a tower of Jenga blocks, he’s not at the same level. SAN JOSE

Center back – Tyrone Marshall vs. Nick Garcia. Both veterans on the downsides of their careers. Garcia wins because of being younger, more in his prime, and having a prime-r prime anyways. SAN JOSE

Center back – Ryan Cochrane vs. Jhon Hurtado. As Hurtado has yet to suit up for the Sounders, this is a bit tricky, but Cochrane just was never anything special. SEATTLE

Right back – James Riley vs. James Riley. Riley was a solid MLS player who won’t make any all-star teams, but is a reliable option in defense and a threat going forward. Of course, so is Riley. EVEN

Left wing – Ivan Guererro vs. Sebastien Le Toux. The two are actually very different styles of player – Guererro more defensive, Le Toux more offensive. I’m going to give this to Seba, but it’s close. SEATTLE

Center mid – Osvaldo Alonso vs. Ned Grabavoy. Alonso is young and unproven at the MLS level. But Ned Grabavoy has just never been very good. SEATTLE

Center mid – Brad Evans vs. Ramiro Corrales. Both are above average, yet somewhat unheralded players in the center of the park. This is basically a draw as well. EVEN

Right wing – Ronnie O’Brien vs. Sanna Nyassi. Sorry, Sounders fans. Nyassi may be cheaper and have a brighter future, but last year O’Brien was a huge part of San Jose’s attack and one of the only reasons they’d ever score goals at all. SAN JOSE

Forward - Gavin Glinton vs. Nate Jaqua. Once upon a time Glinton was a decent player. That time was not last year. This is no contest. SEATTLE

Forward - Kei Kamara vs. Fredy Montero. Hahahahahahaha SEATTLE

Totals: San Jose 3, Even 3, Seattle 5

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This could be even more lopsided, really. If the Sounders come out of Argentina with a new left back, they could win that category, and when Freddy Ljungberg returns to play center-mid, that’ll gain another category. And when Pete Vagenas comes back from his injury... well, actually, that'll probably make us worse. Anyways, we’re quite a few steps ahead of where San Jose was last year. As I outlined a couple posts below, San Jose garnered just 10 points in their first 10 games. With a much better overall squad, Seattle should expect more success during the start of their inaugural season.

Sounders to sign Colombian defender - the final piece of the puzzle?

2009-02-17T20:23:00.001-08:00

Back in January I wrote that three more major moves would be needed to make the Sounders a complete team. One at forward, two in defense. The forward slot was taken care of with Fredy Montero, which is seeming like more of a coup every day. One defensive hole was filled with Tyrone Marshall, who, while merely adequate in MLS, is still better than anything we had previously.

And now the Sounders have filled that second hole. According to Enlajugada, the Colombian soccer website that originally broke the Fredy Montero signing (months before announced in the states), John Kennedy Hurtado has signed with the club.

From the article: "El joven defensor central del registro del Deportivo Cali, John Kennedy Hurtado, continuará su ascendente carrera profesional en la 'Major League Soccer' de los Estados Unidos."
(My rough translation: "The young central defender registered to Deportivo Cali, John Kennedy Hurtado, will continue his ascending professional career in MLS in the United States." Sounds pretty clear that we've signed him, I think.)

Hurtado isn't the rising superstar that Montero is, but he was on trial with Milan and had plans to sign with Swiss club Grasshoppers before visa problems caused that to fall through. A natural center back, Hurtado comes from Montero's former club, Deportivo Cali. He is 5'11" but reportedly has fantastic speed. Could he be pushed out to outside defense, I wonder...?

Either way, this signing will bolster greatly what had been a questionable defense. It probably will be the last major international move the Sounders make before the season opens. Although he'll have to prove himself, Hurtado might just be the final piece Seattle has been missing to have a club that maybe - just maybe - could dream of contention in 2009.

Lowering Expectations

2009-02-17T01:25:00.000-08:00

First 10 games of MLS expansion seasons, 2005-2008

San Jose 2008 - LLWLTLLWLW – 10 points from 10 games
Toronto FC 2007 – LLLLWWLTWL – 10 points
Chivas USA 2005 - LTLLLWLLLL – 4 points
Real Salt Lake 2005 - TLWLTLWWLL – 11 points

- None of these expansion teams had over a .500 record in the first 10 games (first 1/3) of the season.
- None of these teams won a single game until their third match.
- Over the first 5 games these teams accumulated 4, 3, 1 and 4 points respectively.

I think the numbers paint a pretty clear and indisputable picture. Teams entering MLS do not fare well at first. Each team was last in the league at the 1/3 point, except Real Salt Lake who had another expansion team in the league in Chivas USA. It's not a huge leap to assume that expansion clubs need time to adjust to MLS, to begin working as a team. Seattle will have the same problem. So if Seattle has just 10 points (which should be about what we expect, based on the above data) at the beginning of June, and looks hopelessly out of contention, it's not due to poor roster management or poor coaching. It's just the growing pains every expansion team has to overcome.

Meet the longshots

2009-02-11T01:05:00.001-08:00

Confused by all these names that keep popping up in the Sounders practice reports? I'm here to help. Seattle has brought in many young players with hopes of impressing a coach and maybe, just maybe, playing their way onto the team. Almost all of these guys are names you've never heard of, so here's a brief summary of those players.

Jeff Clark – A forward from tiny Concordia College, he played in the NAIA against Sounder draft pick and blog friend Jared Karkas. For whatever it’s worth, he’s Concordia’s all time leader in points, goals and assists. Has shown reasonably well in camp, might have a shot at a developmental slot.

Ryan Pore – A 25 year old striker. Was last seen on the Kansas City Wizards, where he racked up a staggering 3 goals in 58 appearances. An actual quote from a KC fan – “How in the hell does this washout make this much money?” Wizards fans were happy to see him waived this offseason. Probably camp filler.

Lamar Neagle – A reasonably skilled forward from UNLV. Don’t see much of a chance for him to make the Sounders… right away. However, he is local, a Federal Way native. It’s quite possible that he could be signed by Seattle and loaned to the new pro team in Kitsap, or just play there anyways. Keep an eye on him.

Quavas Kirk – Left winger formerly from DC United. He entered the league at just 16, and while gifted with raw talent, saw his development stall. He is just 20, and could be one of those guys who just needs the right coach to click – or maybe not. Still, he has the highest upside out of anyone in this group. With Khano Smith probably being traded to New York, Kirk becomes intriguing. His age means he could potentially be on the developmental roster.

Ryan Caugherty – A Korean-American midfielder who has played in Denmark, Hungary, Romania and Sweden. Mostly in the second or third divisions. Also has played in USL-2 on a couple different stints. He has good size, but I’m thinking he’s a journeyman for a reason.

Emerald George – Midfielder from St. Vincent and the Grenadines. Hands down the best name of the bunch. Has actually started for his national team on multiple occasions, but to be fair, they have a population of about 120k people. I like what I’ve heard of him, but his international status means he probably doesn’t have a prayer. Hope he does well though.

Fernando Screpis – Journeyman 29 year old Argentine central midfielder. I think he plays more of a d-mid. Has been all around Europe, most recently being cut by Scottish club Hearts. Can’t see how he makes the squad.

Mamadou Danso – A big (6’2”, 190) central defender, also from an NAIA school – Southern Polytechnic. He played forward for his school and was ranked highly in the nation in all offensive categories. However, defense is his more natural position. Was a sophomore last year. His nickname is ‘Futty’ for some reason. He could have some potential, maybe a chance at a developmental slot.

Kyle Schmid – A young defender. He’s Sigi Schmid’s son. I think that goes a ways towards explaining why he’s in camp.

Kicking it with Jared Karkas

2009-02-05T21:52:00.000-08:00

Although in my mind the defense is the biggest question for the Sounders FC, Jared Karkas is set to change that. An attacking left back from Azusa Pacific University, Karkas was the Sounders' 3rd round draft selection, 31st overall. I was able to catch him on a relatively light training day and ask him a few questions, to hopefully help readers and Sounder fans get to know one of their talented new young team members.

(Karkas is in white in the photo. Credit to apu.edu.)

Ness: Was getting drafted in the 3rd round a surprise? Did you expect to be drafted at all?
Jared Karkas: Being drafted was a bit of a suprise. I was told I would just go to Seattle's training camp after the draft. I did not expect to be drafted at all. It's hard for NAIA players to get drafted. I feel very honored and blessed.

Ness: What's the most noticable difference between NAIA soccer and MLS training camp thus far?
JK: I would definitely say the speed of the game. In NAIA you seem to have more time to decide what you want to do but in MLS you have to be one step ahead or you won't last long. There are many talented players out there that seem to struggle when it comes to the pace of the higher levels of soccer.

Ness: The Sounders are a little light on defense... think you have a chance to contribute to the team this year?
JK: To be honest I don't think the Sounders are light on defense at all. We have alot of talented defenders in camp right now so its just a matter of time to see who the coaching staff keeps. I know if the Sounders sign me I will contribute to the team whether its playing or not playing. I am going to work as hard as I possibly can to help prepare the team.

Ness: For those that don't know you, what would you say are your specialties, the parts of your game that stand out?
JK: I'd have to say my crosses. I had many many assists in the NAIA from serving crosses in. I would also say my pace going forward with the ball. If I get into a good enough position up the field with the ball alot of the times I created trouble and found opportunities for my team. Ifjust always have been that fortunate.

Ness: Ever been to Seattle? Can you imagine playing in front of 25,000 fans?
JK: I haven't been to Seattle since I was about 12. I think it's beautiful up there. I dont think they could have chosen a better expansion area then Seattle. When I was a kid I used to imagine playing infront of thousands of fans, but who knows... It could be a little overwhelming at first.

Ness: Finally the all-important question... are you a fan of the bright green on all the gear?
JK: (Laughs) I actually am a fan of the bright green. It's different and I like it. Teams in the league will fear the bright green eventually.

Big ups to Jared for chatting with me. I certainly hope he can contribute to the Sounders in 2009.

Where's the defense?

2009-02-04T23:09:00.000-08:00

In 2008 the Sounders were in the USL and were unquestionably a very average team. Their record of 10 wins, 10 losses and 10 ties is pretty damning proof. Their strength was on offense, specifically with Sebastian Le Toux. However, as a team they were in the bottom half of almost every category defensively. And their defensive performance would have been much worse had it not been for Chris Eylander, who deservedly earned his spot on the Sounders FC. The local keeper turned in a season that was nothing short of heroic - 119 saves, the runaway league leader. But to still allow so many goals (36 in 30 games) means that the back line had some serious issues in USL.

Which makes it all the more strange that they are seemingly being counted on to play a major part on the Sounders FC in the much more difficult MLS.

That might be overstating things, but the defense is a huge question right now, and the USL Sounders should not be the answer. Taylor Graham, Danny Jackson and Zack Scott are the three former Sounders who are all getting consideration, with Graham having actually signed a contract. Graham was the most solid of the bunch in USL, but he's had two equally unsuccessful stints in MLS. (In fact, his name is a joke among fans of one of his former teams.) Jackson has played a grand total of 1 game in MLS and is on the downside of his career. And while I like Scott, he was noticably inconsistant even in USL. To think he can adequately make the jump up a league is a bit of an enormous stretch.

Although there are of course other defenders in camp, they only improve the picture marginally. James Riley is the only sure-fire starter of the bunch. Tyson Wahl has started in MLS at Kansas City, but only for 1 year and that was only after regular starter Nick Garcia left. Aside from that, there's Patrick Ianni, a 3rd to 4th string player with the Dynamo, and Nate Sturgis, who's been so hurt that he's missed 70% of the last two seasons. And then there are the college draft picks, but if you're counting on a second and/or third round draft pick to contribute, you're in trouble.

Wahl---Ianni---Sturgis---Riley

That's probably our back four as of right now. That's not a good defense. That's downright Galaxyesque. I might as well write

We---Need---More---Players

At least one more major signing is necessary for this team to be anything close to decent. A center back would be fantastic, or even an outside back to let Wahl play in the middle, his more natural position. And it lets somebody, Sturgis probably, come off of the bench and give us more quality depth. Everything looks a whole lot rosier if we get one more defensive signing. Let's make it happen.

Sounders vs. Mariners - The battle for summer

2009-02-01T23:53:00.000-08:00

The Sounders will be competing with a local team for much of the 2009 season. Both the Seattle Sounders of MLS and the Seattle Mariners of MLB will be playing through spring, summer and into fall. The schedule overlaps almost perfectly. And, of course, the two teams play next door to each other. Each will be fighting for the increasingly scarce entertainment dollars of the average Seattle citizen. The Mariners have been the regions most popular franchise for years, but incredibly, the Sounders have a very good chance at drawing more fans per game in 2009. Seriously.

How do I arrive at this seemingly outlandish conclusion? From the Sounders side, it's simple. With Qwest having a proposed MLS capacity of 24,500, and over 19,000 season tickets sold, it seems pretty likely that the club will sell out every game. If necessary, they might even open up some more seats (the Hawks Nest, to be specific), bumping the capacity to around 27,000. For this exercise, I'll play it safe and give the Sounders an even 25k, not counting friendly matches.

The Mariners, of course, have been trending in the wrong direction as of late. With last season being an abysmal failure by any measure, the attendence dropped to mirror that. For the first time since the magical 1995 season, the team drew less than 30k people - just over 28.5k, to be exact. They dropped by five thousand fans in one season. Now, unsurprisingly, changes happened for the M's over the offseason, including a new general manager who isn't a complete moron. And in the long term the club looks to be on the right track. But they aren't going to win this season, and a lot of fair weather fans have bailed on the club. The casual fan doesn't want to see a team that loses every year. And with the economy being in the toilet, another drop of a few thousand fans per game seems likely, putting the Mariners below the Sounders.

Of course this doesn't mean the support for the teams will be equal. That would be an insane suggestion. The MLB season has more than 5 times as many games, giving the M's a huge advantage in total attendence, and baseball (unlike soccer) draws historically well in Seattle. But for the Sounders to draw more fans per game would be a major victory, albeit largely a symbolic one. It would be a first in MLS history. And yet another sign that the club is primed for success.

5 games to look forward to

2009-01-28T21:11:00.000-08:00

The MLS schedule for 2009 was released today, giving us the dates and times of every single Sounders game in the inaugural season. There are 30 to pick from, but here’s my take on the five most exciting SSFC matches to look forward to. These dates should be circled on your calendar, preferably in suitable shades of blue or green.

5. Los Angeles at Seattle, May 10. Assuming that David Beckham does suit up for the Galaxy in the coming season, this match will bring a wave of media attention. Assuming that the Sounders’ Freddy Ljungberg has functional legs this season, it will be a matchup between two legitimate European stars, the first of its kind in MLS. Oh, and thanks to the mind of Bruce Arena, the Galaxy might actually be good this season. Hold on to your tickets for this one.

4. Seattle at Columbus, October 3. Not only will this be possibly the hardest match of the season, an away game at the defending champions, but it marks the return to Columbus for former Crew coach/current Sounders coach Sigi Schmid. There was some bad blood over how that transaction was handled, making this match all the more intriguing. The rowdy Crew fans will surely be in full voice.

3. Seattle at San Jose, June 13. In truth, all three Quakes – Sounders clashes will be great games. The teams are relatively geographically close, and have tons of history from the NASL in the 70’s and 80’s. In fact, there has been a trophy created for the winner of this series, aptly named the Heritage Cup. This game will likely determine the winner. Expect to see a big group of Sounders supporters traveling south, creating a fantastic atmosphere.

2. Dallas at Seattle, October 24. The last game of the season is a home one for Seattle, and could have massive playoff implications for one or both of these teams. Plus FC Dallas is a team Seattle has some beef with – they knocked out the USL Sounders in the semis of the ’06 US Open Cup. Sounders supporters are still mad that the match contained less-than-sportsmanlike conduct from several FCD players. I’m looking at you, keeper Dario Sala. And you look like a vampire.

1. New York at Seattle, March 19. Sorry, it’s just too easy. Taking on an MLS Cup finalist on national TV in the first game in franchise history? Very, very hard to top that.

(Except, of course, in the unlikely event of playoffs in ’09. But never say never!)

A team of the world

2009-01-26T23:52:00.000-08:00

There could be a lot of different nationalities represented on the Sounders FC this coming season. Behold:

Fredy Montero (Columbia)
Osvaldo Alonso (Cuba)
Khano Smith (Bermuda)
Jarrod Smith (New Zealand)
Sebastien Le Toux (France)
Sanna Nyassi (The Gambia)
Steve Zakuani (Congo and U.K)
Freddie Ljungberg (Sweden)

If you want to go even further, Hugo Alcarez-Cuellar, a USL Sounders midfielder, is from Mexico, and recent signee Taylor Graham has played for the Puerto Rican national team (despite his being completely American).

That's a total of four different languages, five different continents and a bunch of completely different styels of soccer. The official website says 'the Seattle Sounders FC will be comprised from the top talent around the world'. While they might be stretching the term 'top talent' a little bit, they've certainly covered almost all parts of the globe.

Chelsea coming, Montero’s here, and more

2009-01-21T21:29:00.000-08:00

On the first day in Sounders FC history (well, the first practice, that is) I had to write something, but so much has happened over the last 24 hours you will get it in bullet-point format.

- England superclub Chelsea FC are coming to Seattle to play in a friendly! No, really. The tentative date is July 18, and apparently all Sounders season ticket holders already have tickets, with this being one of the 3 bonus games.

- You’ll think I’m kidding, but I’ve heard quite a few whispers about another superclub setting up a Seattle showdown. Try Barcelona.

- USL defender Taylor Graham has signed with the Sounders FC. He’s kicked around MLS a little bit before, and might be able to find a spot as a backup central defender.

- Freddy Montero was in Seattle for practice! The star Columbian forward hasn’t worked out a deal with Seattle yet, and all sorts of rumors are flying around about whether he is going to play in Spain or stay stateside. The international transfer window closes at the end of the month, so we’ll know about his future in 10 days or so.

- In addition to Montero, there is at least one more international signing in the works. Could it be one of the Aussies I’ve noted in the past, Diego Walsh or Tarek Elrich? Their season ends down under on Sunday…

- Last but not least, there is an MLS team in Seattle. The wait is officially over.

Seattle's 2009 draft class

2009-01-15T22:09:00.000-08:00

Akron’s 20 year old wunderkind Steve Zakuani was the first overall pick and first college player selected in Sounders history. The striker drew tremendous praise from many at the draft, including (not surprisingly) Adrian Hanauer. The Sounders general manager said of his new forward, “He’s got all the tools, a great pedigree, grew up in the Arsenal youth system, obviously had a very good college career and we think has the potential to be very explosive and a very exciting player.” Zakuani also is a Generation Adidas player, and his salary will not count against the meager MLS cap. Since he is rumored to be making upwards of 150k a year, a lot for any MLS player, this is hugely important for Seattle, as it allows them to use that money on other players.

The other three players are all seniors. Evan Brown was chosen in the second round. He is a right back out of soccer powerhouse Wake Forest who is solid defensively, but still excels at getting forward and joining in the attack. He has drawn comparisons to Frankie Hejduk, the prototypical MLS defender who can play a role on offense as well.

Jared Karkas, the third round selection, is a left back out of little Azusa Pacific University. A left footed player, he is otherwise similar in skill and style to Brown, although his play came against much easier opposition. With only 5 total defenders on the Sounders roster, both Karkas and Brown figure to be in competition for one of the 20 roster spots.

The fourth round selection was Harvard’s Michael Fucito. He was talked about little leading up to the draft. Another left footed player, Fucito can line up either in the midfield or at forward. Although his Harvard pedigree is probably indicative of his smarts, he likely will end up as one of the Sounders’ four Developmental Roster players.

MLS SuperDuperDraft 2k9 predictions!

2009-01-14T18:55:00.000-08:00

We're inside 24 hours to go, with the 2009 SuperDuperDraft beginning at 11 am PT and the Sounders holding the top overall pick. There has been massive speculation about the team's choice, whether to use it or trade it, whether to go for offense or defense. After consulting all the soccer world's top sources for college knowledge, I've come to some fearless conclusions about what exactly will take place tomorrow.

- The Colorado Rapids will, at some point, do something hilariously stupid and/or embarrassing.
- The talking heads on the ESPN broadcast will mispronounce a player's name.
- David Beckham will be discussed.
- Unless Mo Johnston is gagged, bound and shoved in a closet somewhere, Toronto FC will make at least one trade.
- The Sounders will pick a little-known player in the 3rd or 4th round and, after looking him up on Wikipedia/Youtube, you will convince yourself that this player has potential.
- The words 'tremendous upside' will be spoken.
- David Beckham will be discussed some more.
- You will wish Eric Wynalda was on the broadcast.
- You will be extremely thankful Marcelo Balboa is not on the broadcast.
- You will spend at least an hour refreshing your computer, checking on the next Sounders pick, during the second and third rounds.
- The Sounders will select.... Omar Gonzalez!
- Or Steve Zakuani.
- Or Sam Cronin.
- Or trade the pick.
- You will wish that March 19 was tomorrow.

MLS Seattle is on ESPN!

2009-01-11T12:53:00.000-08:00

In the shameless self promotion department, I recently conducted an interview with Marcus Tracy, whom you might remember from articles such as this. The top college player in the country, Wake Forest's star senior striker reportedly has signed a contract with Danish champions Aalborg. (He asked me not to go into detail about his future plans, aside from saying that he 'is most likely exploring options in Europe.) Here's a bit from the interview:

ESPNsoccernet [me!]: What sort of advice did you hear about entering the MLS draft versus jumping to play in Europe? What were the main factors that went into deciding where you want to play?

MT: Jumping to Europe [and any professional level in general] is certainly a challenge, and the most important thing is that you don't overshoot and go for the mega-contract right off the bat. You need to go somewhere where you can evolve in soccer and in life, because playing abroad is much different than college and/or MLS. It is also important that you have a realistic chance of playing regularly at your new club because game experience cannot be substituted. I've also been told that the life of a professional is much different than anything I've ever experienced thus far. The day-to-day competition and rigors of it are demanding and stressful and it takes a strong mind to grind through it all.

Go here to read the rest. It's good stuff, honest - Tracy's a very gracious and insightful guy. I wish him all the best for his future, even if it won't be in Seattle.

3 steps to making the Sounders a serious contender in MLS

2009-01-08T20:31:00.000-08:00

I've been down on the playoff chances of the Sounders. I've said that the roster needs significant change, and I stand by that. But if said change happens, Seattle could have a postseason contender after all.
(Step zero, of course, is signing defender Jeff Parke and keeping him from trotting off to Europe. If that doesn't happen, no playoffs. Period. This should be priority numero uno for the organization right now.)

What do we have to work with? Well, with Schmid, Hanauer and Henderson, some of the best minds in the American soccer business, for starters. More importantly, there's quite a bit of cash left. Taking the 15 players we have signed, I slightly increased most of their salaries and decreased a few (here's looking at you, Vagenas). I doubled Parke's contract and assumed he signs here, and gave Keller 300k. All told, I estimate we've used about 1.6 million of a 2.3 mil cap. And with a bunch of allocation money remaining, probably in the neighborhood of 400k, the Sounders are in a good position to spend.

The latest sexy hot draft rumor has us taking Akron's Steve Zakuakuani, a striker. He's a guy in the Patrick Nyarko mold, and as such wouldn't be more than a backup next season. He also wouldn't count against the cap. We should add one more former USL Sounder to the team - and bench - leaving 3 roster spots left to make significant upgrades.

1. Central defense. Parke is good, Wahl is ok. But we want better than ok, right?

Solution - sign Roy Miller. This one appears to be nearly done. Miller is a big 24 year old Costa Rican who has a comparable game to Cory Gibbs. A defensive pairing of Parke and Miller would be amazing. Probably the best in the Western Conference.

Cost - since he's likely coming on a loan, I'd guess a relatively reasonable 200k.

2. Striker. Nate Jaqua is a very good target guy, but he can't create and do it all on his own. We don't have the personel to play a Columbus-style 4-5-1 very well, so another man up top is necessary.

Solution - sign Freddy Montero. Haven't we been over this already? The young Columbian has long been rumored to have had his rights purchased by the Sounders.

Cost - whatever it is, there would be allocations used. I'll go with about 200k, with maybe 125k in allocation money as well.

3. Outside back. Unless we're planning on playing someone out of his best position, we only have one at the moment - James Riley. And do you really want to count on Nate Sturgis's body not completely imploding? There's no easy answer for this one, but I've got a creative one...

Solution - sign Tarek Elrich! Who? He's a 21 year old Aussie currently playing for his home country's Newcastle Jets. A member of his U-23 team, he's the best player on a team going nowhere. He's got speed in bunches, vision, and loves to get forward and spur the attack. Exactly the type of outside back Sigi loves. When the Australian season ends in February, he will probably be looking for better opportunities.

Cost - not much. The A-League is even cheaper than MLS, and Elrich could probably be had for around 125k.

---Jaqua -- Montero --
-------Ljungberg -----
KSmith Evans Le Toux
Riley Miller Parke Elrich
--------Keller---------

This lineup, combined with the depth the Sounders would have, would be a top-4 club in MLS. No question. The resources are there to make Seattle a contender. The only question is whether the Sounders are willing to give it a try.

New year, new teams

2009-01-01T23:51:00.000-08:00

While the Sounders are joining MLS in 2009, they will leave Seattle without an entry in the minor-leagues of USL. Or so we thought. Recently the USL website has listed a mysterious 'Seattle' club under the new PDL clubs for 2009. (PDL is about the third division of USL, and the fourth tier of American soccer.)

I have very good reason to believe that we will be seeing this team announced soon, likely within the next week. I am also fairly certain that this team will be affiliated with the Sounders FC in some way, probably as their U-23 team. I do not know that last part for a fact, but it seems likely. A U-23 team would be a great step forward in the player development department. Such a team would probably play an 8 to 10 game season at Starfire Sports Complex in Tukwila.

Whether this mystery team is essentially a Sounders youth squad or not, it will mean more soccer in Seattle, and that can only be good. It's a nice way to start off what should be a fabulous 2009.

Where we stand

2008-12-29T22:32:00.000-08:00

With about 20 days until the first Sounders training camp gets underway, there are still huge chunks of the roster to fill out. 10 spots remain unclaimed. Now, five are more or less spoken for, with 4 picks in the college draft and one player (who will in all likelihood be forward Junior Garcia) from the Sounders Super Search.

I’m going to make a couple of safe assumptions. I’ll say that the Sounders keep all their draft picks, and that their first overall pick makes the 20-man senior roster. Because if he didn’t it would be an awful pick. I’ll also say that Garcia, plus the other 3 draftees, make up the 4-man developmental roster, whose salaries do not count against the cap. Which still leaves room for 5 more on the senior roster. Throw Chris Eylander into the mix as the backup keeper, and that’s 4 major spots left to fill.

But how do we need to fill them? Add some attackers, defenders, starters, bench depth? To try and answer that, here’s a look at our best possible lineup with only our current players.

---------Jaqua--------
--Ljungberg—Evans—
KSmith—Vagenas—Le Toux
Riley—Parke—Wahl—Sturgis
----------Keller---------
(King, JSmith, Eylander, Nyassi)

That’s bad. Honestly, it is. Looking at that, we have 3 players who are clearly above average MLS talents at their positions (Keller, Ljungberg, Parke). Of those, one is injured, one is 38, and one might not sign with Seattle. Two others are around average (Evans, Jaqua). While Nyassi and King could be good sparks off the bench, the majority of the roster aren’t dynamic players, the ones who can control a game. What happens when Ljungberg is out? There’s nobody to carry the team. Jaqua needs service to score, Le Toux won’t transition to the MLS level immediately (if at all) and Khano Smith is less reliable than the Seattle Metro bus system.

Put simply, this is not a playoff contending team. Not even close. And there has to be significant additions to the roster over the next 20 days to get us there.

A Schmetzer Christmas for all

2008-12-23T23:59:00.000-08:00

Longtime fans of the USL Sounders recieved a double early Christmas present at the start of this week. The first was a bit of a slip by new coach Sigi Schmid, with him mentioning that Chris Eylander would be playing understudy keeper to Kasey Keller. Eylander, both a Sounders fan favorite and one of the teams best players, had been considered a must-sign. If all goes well, he should be ready to take over between the pipes in two or three years time.

The second gift, however, was even better. USL Sounders coach Brian Schmetzer was given an assistant coach spot in the new Sounders regime. He led the Sounders to two USL titles, which nicely parallels the two Schmid has won in MLS. He also was the man many USL Sounders supporters strongly wanted for the Sounders FC head coaching job, but this way makes more sense. He needs to learn the ins and outs of MLS, an extremely complex and unusual league. Plus, as I suggested earlier, Schmetzer will immediatly become the heir to the Sounders FC coaching throne, should Schmid leave in two years or five.

So the longtime fans have been duly rewarded. Could any other former USL Sounders make the jump up - Taylor Graham? Kevin Sakuda? Kenji Treschuk? With only 10 roster spots left, and five probably tabbed for young prospects, the chances are slim. I'll take a look at that on Monday. Until then, happy holidays, and may you all recieve something rave green.

*CHRISTMAS EDIT* Holy crap do the new jerseys look awesome in real life

Shiny new update: I'm now writing for American Soccer News!

2008-12-16T23:48:00.000-08:00

It's true, it's true. By now you've probably heard about the major announcement of the day. Yes, I am indeed taking my wit and wisdom to the slightly more popular website American Soccer News. I summarized todays other announcement, the signing of Sigi Schmid as Sounders coach, so go and take a look.

During the regular season, you'll be able to read my pre-game analysis and post-game recaps at that location, but I'll still be keeping this blog updated just as often. Maybe one day I'll even get that Jaqua interview we all want, too. I will be an official member of the press, so I should be able to get more inside information, in-depth coverage and just straight up interesting stuff more than any other independant Seattle sports blog. I'm excited and grateful to the ASN team for giving me this opportunity. Bring on March 19!

Latest Sounders signing is super... but Sigi's not the savior

2008-12-15T21:54:00.000-08:00

Tomorrow the Sounders will unveil the worst-kept secret since... well, their last major announcement, the signing of Ljungberg as Designated Player. Funny how these things leak ahead of time.

In any case, at 11 AM PT Sigi Schmid will officially be given the reigns to Seattle's newest sports franchise. He will immediately inherit a fan base nearly large enough to fill Columbus Crew stadium to capacity. Many of these fans have high expectations - after all, Sigi did just mold the Crew into the best team in MLS this year. But those should be tempered. Sigi does have the pieces necessary to recreate his success with Columbus (and the Galaxy prior to that), but it will take time. And he might not be in Seattle long enough to finish the job.

As Crew blogger Bill Archer points out, Sigi has long had his eye on the US National Team job. He has twice coached the U-20 USA team, and having accomplished just about everything possible in MLS - and some of it twice - there's only one challenge remaining on his coaching checklist. Plus the Nats job would allow him to be based out of his current residence in Southern California. If being close to home was a factor in his choosing Seattle over Columbus, it certainly would be if the USA job became available. And should the current USA coach, Bob Bradley, be fired after the 2010 World Cup, you'd have to expect Sigi to want to take over.

So would two years be enough time for the silver-haired Schmid to create a winner in Seattle? His track record is mixed. His first year Galaxy squad were the regular-season's best team in 1998, but his first two years with the Crew produced zero playoff appearances. So it might not be crazy to expect a playoff team in 2010, but maybe a touch optimistic. As for 2009... well, we can dream.

To avoid running the risk of appearing like too much of a downer, here are three reasons that Sigi's signing is still a big positive.

- If Sigi adds on USL Sounders coach Brian Schmetzer as an assistant, two years might be the perfect period for Schmetz to learn the ins and outs of MLS. Then when Sigi goes, Seattle has a perfect replacement lined up.
- Sigi's biggest strength is his knowledge and usage of young American players. His record with international players is a bit more mixed. But GM Adrian Hanauer has a notoriously good eye for int's, having signed Le Toux and Nyassi as well as Maykel Galindo a few years ago. The two should compliment each other.
- Sigi was the best coach available. You can't argue with that!

Kicking it with George John

2008-12-11T19:18:00.000-08:00

The MLS SuperDuperDraft is fast approaching, which will distribute the country's top college players to various MLS teams. One of these players is Seattle native and UW senior midfielder George John. I caught up with him recently via email and got his views on school, soccer and the Sounders. (I managed to restrain myself from asking about his lack of a surname.)

Ness: Were you disappointed with how this season ended - UW winless in their last five games and you injured? How far along in your recovery are you?
George John: Yes, I was disappointed with how our season ended up this year. It was very surprising to me how we went winless in our last six games or so. The most disappointing thing was I could see how our team was not playing up to its potential late in the year, however I couldn't be on the field to change anything. Getting injured was very unfortunate but I have managed to stay positive and am doing well in my recovery. I was just recently cleared to play.

Ness: You're both an All-Academic award winner and an all Pac-10 first team member. What's the hardest part about balancing your sport and your studies?
GJ: The hardest thing about balancing playing a sport and studying is missing class. During the season we travel often and I usually have to miss a majority of my classes. It's just a big headache having to get notes from classmates and make sure I don't miss anything too important.

Ness: How do you think you would best fit into the pro game? What position, what style of play are you best suited for?
GJ: To be honest I don't really care where I play in the pro game. Just so long as I get picked up by a team and am given a chance to show myself, that's all I ask for.

Ness: You're almost a lock to be invited to the MLS combine in January. Excited for that? Nervous? (At the time of his response, he had officially been invited to the combine.)
GJ: The MLS combine is definitely a great opportunity to show teams in the MLS that I have the ability to play professionally. I am very excited to get back out on the field, being injured has shown me how much I love to play soccer.

Ness: Your thoughts on the Sounders FC so far?
GJ: Sounders FC are led by a great staff and I'm sure they will succeed early on in their history. Everything they have been doing seems to be first rate and I was impressed with their pick up of Ljungberg.

Ness: Lastly, what (if any) European teams do you support? Any answer other than Man U/Chelski will earn my approval.
GJ: I like Inter-Milan, they play attractive soccer and Zlatan Ibrahimovic is one of my favorite players to watch.

As always, big ups to George for his time, and best of luck to him in the upcoming combine.

***********************

New to the blog? Check out our past interviews: National team member and KC Wizards star Jimmy Conrad, and Colorado Rapids midfielder/local lad Ciaran O'Brien.

Meet the Sounders new coach

2008-12-09T19:42:00.000-08:00

Sigi Schmidt is one of the best coaches in MLS history. He led the Columbus Crew through the regular season with the top record in the league, and finished the year off with a victory in MLS Cup 2008. It was the first ever for the massive bananas of Columbus. With his contract expiring after the season, Sigi was always a candidate for the Sounders job, and those rumors were fueled even more with the news that Schmidt was in talks with Sounders brass. Sigi wants to be on the west coast. Sigi wants money. We can provide both.

Now today comes the announcement that Schmidt will not be returning to the Columbus Crew next season.

I wonder where he could possibly be heading.

A guide to understanding front office-speak

2008-11-30T23:21:00.000-08:00

The expansion draft is over and done with, and if you've been living under a rock for the past 5 days, here's a link to all our new players. Not surprisingly, following the draft, Adrian Hanauer and Chris Henderson took the opportunity to talk up each of their choices. But what did they really mean? Here's a rough translation.

Quote: "Without getting in to too much detail, Nate (Jaqua) definitely, from the Northwest, liked the idea of coming to the Northwest. Nothing was certain until it was certain in terms of the expansion draft."
Translation: Yeah, there was a pre-arranged deal for Jaqua to come to Seattle.

Quote: "We felt this group would blend well with the players already under contract, and those players we have in our crosshairs for the future, and guys who we’re pulling the wagons on as we speak."
Translation: We wanted to draft a supporting cast for Ljungberg and Sigi Schmidt.

Quote: "Whether all ten of them will be there or not, I guess that’s certainly a question. We will have more players vying for a roster spot than roster spots available. So I hope they’re all there, but at the same time, we are going to try to bring in as much quality to fight for roster spots as possible."
Translation: I am not going to tell you guys anything about how this team is going to be constructed. You can torture me like Westley in The Princess Bride, but I still won't tell whether or not we trade Sturgis.

Quote: (On Peter Vagenas) "He’s been a winner at every level. To have Pete come up to Seattle, I think his veteran leadership is going to be very important for us."
Translation: Sigi wanted him. Get off my back, okay?

Quote: "When you compare Gaven and Evans, first, they’re both very good players. We’ll start with Evans. He’s an exciting central player. I think he was a very big part of Columbus’ championship run. He can score. He’s a competitor. He has a great desire to improve as a player. He’s not afraid to shoot from distance, and that was an important piece for us as well."
Translation: We took Evans over Gaven because getting a young quality starter for 33k a year is totally ballin'.

The Expansion Draft Pre-Func

2008-11-24T20:44:00.000-08:00

At long last, the list of players exposed for Seattle to steal from has been finalized. There are some surprises, both of players protected and unprotected. And now the two masterminds in the Sounders front office are going to be putting in some serious analyzation, because in under 48 hours they must make their picks. And while nobody can say for sure what their strategy is, I think I'm pretty well qualified to take a stab at it.

Near-Locks

Houston left Nate Jaqua (F, 160k) unprotected. So there's one player. A pleasant surprise was New York casting out Jeff Parke (D, 60k), apparently wanting to distance themselves from his suspension for performance-enhancing drugs. But Parke said all the right things, and thanks to NYRB's playoff run, has just 4 games left on his suspension. The positives? New York's best, most solid defender, one who can anchor a backline, at just 60 thousand a year. Yes, please.

Too Much Good Stuff

When a team is as stacked as the champions Columbus (congrats, by the way), they're gonna lose a good player. I'm going to change my mind on this one - yesterday I was sold on Brad Evans, but I'm going to have to go with Eddie Gaven (M, 165k). His only downside is his contract size, and he's good enough (and the rest of these players are inexpensive enough) that picking him makes sense. But if you prefer Evans, Pat Noonan or even Adam Moffat, I wouldn't argue.

The Question Marks

- Is Marco Pappa (M, 35k) able and willing to move to Seattle? He's currently on loan to Chicago, and that might the Guatemalan international from being picked. If not, he's the best bargain in the draft.
-Is Ian Joy (D, 120k) on his way to Europe? If not, he's a left-back starter for sure.

The Only Ones From Their Teams That Are Worth It

Johann Smith (M, 48k) of Toronto and Aaron Pitchkolan (D, 33) from Dallas fall into this category. The latter is a solid defender who can slot in anywhere, probably deserves a chance to start and might just get it. The former, Smith, I really believe is poised to have a breakout season. But if not, he'd at least provide a jolt of speed off the bench.

The International Defenders

Most of you will probably disagree with me right here. But allow me to state my case. I'd absolutely love to take Kosuke Kimura (D, 33k) from Colorado. He (mostly) started at right back for them this year and performed admirably on a team that was in various stages of chaos during the season. He was a player I identified early on this year (along with Ryan Johnson of San Jose), and I'm rather shocked he wasn't protected, as are many Colorado fans. Apparently he counts as an international player, but at age 24 he's still worth it. The other one is Gabriel Badilla (D, 120k) of New England which honestly is a bit of a gamble, but if it pays off he's a center-back starter to pair with Parke. He's been capped for Costa Rica, so he's no slouch.

Last And Possibly Least...

Kansas City exposed their starting keeper, Kevin Hartman, for reasons unbeknownst to me. It seems to make a lot of sense for the Sounders to take him, trade him to LA (his old club) in exchange for money/allocation, as the Galaxy have a gaping hole at the goalkeeper position. But if that doesn't happen, then it's probably a toss-up between 2 DC players. Defensive mid Joe Vide is tempting, but I'd prefer Francis Doe (F, 40k). I love his potential, and even if it doesn't develop this year, 40k for a semi-productive reserve forward is a steal.

--------------------------------------------------------

So in summary here are my picks. I'd take 2 strikers (Doe, Jaqua), 3 midfielders (Pappa, Smith, Evans), and 5 defenders (Parke, Badilla, Kimura, Pitchkolan, Joy). The only 'hole' at this point is in defensive midfield, and that's because Kenji Treschuk of the USL Sounders will probably get a deserved crack at the starting lineup in that spot. These guys are all capable starters, save Doe, who would come off the bench with Pitchkolan and Smith. On talent and potential alone, it'd be hard to beat this group. But the best part? They make a combined $814,000. And with the salary cap around $2.3 millin, there'd be tons of money left for whatever international players we wanted. Hell, we could trade for another DP slot if we wanted! (Which I do not endorse.)

Of course, there's no way that this is how Wednesday's draft will turn out. But if it does, you Sounders fans should be pretty pleased.

March 21

2008-11-21T17:10:00.000-08:00

According to league commissioner and grand poobah Don Garber, this is the date that should be circled, highlighted and exclamation-pointed on all of your calenders, ladies and gentlemen. And not just because it's the first day of spring. Or because it's exactly 4 months away.

Because it's opening day of the MLS season, and consequently the first game for the Sounders FC.

(Of course, some other stuff as well from the mouth of the commish. There's going to be no reserve league next year, so you south Sound folks around Tukwila are going to miss out on games that would have been played at Starfire. Montreal's giving up on their expansion bid... will that make Vancouver more likely? And Seattle officially has over 18,000 season tickets sold. Well done, us!)

Youth versus Experience

2008-11-19T21:49:00.000-08:00

One of the most interesting choices in the expansion draft is going to be who the Sounders take from Chicago. And I say 'who' because the Fire are so deep, they are guaranteed to lose a player to us. While they have a number of quality players who have faint possibilities of being unprotected, I'm going to focus on the choice between 3 of the likely candidates.

Brandon Prideaux is the definition of veteran. At 32, he obviously has the age, and having played for 4 different clubs in MLS over 10 years, he has a wealth of experience. The fact that he is a Seattle native, UW alum and former USL Sounder will surely not go unnoticed by fans and front office alike. He is steady if a bit slow for an outside defender, and was a reliable presence in the league-leading Chicago Fire defense this year. He is apparently allergic to the net - he holds the MLS record for most matches played without having scored - but that's not too important for a defender. A definite starter for Seattle, if chosen, and will definitely be unprotected by Chicago.

That's the safe choice. That's the choice most Sounders fans anticipate and hope for. But I want to look very closely at the idea of taking a young, cheap player with upside.

Chicago has a few of those. In particular, Mike Banner and Dasan Robinson. The former is a short speedy winger, the latter (pictured) a speedy defender. Both have unquestionable talent and upside, both are 24 years old, both are relatively unproven but could probably get major playing time for most teams in the league. And the best part? Both have ridiculously cheap contracts, and would count little against the Scroogelike salary cap. (Well, to them that might not be so great, but hey, that's for the players union to quibble about.)

Personally, I think Robinson would better fit the Sounders attack-heavy scheme than the scoring-averse Prideaux. I think many people are overvaluing Prideaux because he's a local boy - that philosophy's been killing the Mariners for years. So assuming he is unprotected, which he should be, I endorse picking Robinson. And Dasan, I know you only make 45k a year, so come to Seattle and I'll buy you a steak dinner.

***MONDAY EDIT*** Interestingly, Robinson was protected by Chicago. Maybe they read this article and got scared...? And maybe I'm Messi in disguise. The point still stands - the Sounders should focus on youth, talent and economic value in Wednesdays draft.

The mystery of the missing coach

2008-11-13T19:06:00.000-08:00

November 26 - MLS Expansion Draft

January 18 - MLS Draft

January 28 - Sounders FC Training camp begins

2nd or 3rd week of March - Inaugural Sounders FC home match
??????? - Head Coach is announced

As you can see by the above timeline, the expansion draft is fast approaching. In under 2 weeks the Sounders will add 10 players and finally have enough to construct a full side. The question, however, remains - who will be doing the construction? Logic suggests that it might be a good idea to have the coach in place prior to the draft, so an announcement should be coming soon. Like we haven't heard that before.

Adrian Hanauer is notorious for playing events close to the chest and not wanting information to leak ahead of time, so who knows how far along in the process the Sounders are. They may not have had the chance to interview one candidate, current Columbus head coach Sigi Schmidt, who has been linked with the job by multiple online sources. But since his side is heading to MLS Cup next Sunday, he'd presumably be unable to interview for a new team in between. And reportedly the Sounders were denied permission to speak with him. I've never thought Sigi ever had a chance of happening, anyways. He's about to have a bunch of money thrown at him by Columbus ownership, and he's crafted the Crew into the best team in the league over the last few years. I think he stays put.

The other major candidates are currently part of teams who already are out of the playoffs - Brian Schmetzer (Seattle) Preki (Chivas), John Spencer and Dom Kinnear (Houston), Paul Mariner (New England). All crashed out last week, save for the USL Sounders who went out in the first round of their playoffs. I would not be in the least bit surprised if some or all of those names are going through the interview process this week. With that timeframe in mind, the new coach very well could be announced as soon as next Monday, or in the days following.

Oh, you want a prediction? At the risk of sacrificing my stellar prognostication reputation, I think Preki gets the nod.

The most efficient players in MLS

2008-11-05T23:35:00.000-08:00

Major League Soccer has a dearth of statistical information. Certainly less than the other major sports in America. So here is the start of my effort to change that.

What I have done is taken all the attacking players (strikers and midfielders) and calculated how often they either score or get an assist. It's a way of looking at the raw numbers to try and account for factors like injuries or national team callups. Without further ado, Adu or Edu, here are the 10 most efficient players in MLS for the 2008 season. The number is in minutes per point scored (assists or goals).

73.66 Donovan LAG
85.23 Barros Schelotto CLB
93.05 J. Moreno DCU
93.71 Eskandarian CHV
101.00 Casey COL
109.50 Gordon LAG
112.63 Jaqua HOU
114.33 Ralston NE
115.00 Angel NY
116.44 Ching HOU

Quick thoughts - You would obviously expect strikers to score higher on these totals, as they are most involved with the offensive attack. So a guy like Schelotto totaling a point every 85 minutes is amazing. That's more than a goal or assist a game! So with that in mind, Steve Ralston of New England had a brilliant and underrated season as well. Alecko Eskandarian didn't play as much as some of these guys, but he was damn efficient when he did. And what's Alan Gordon doing on this list?

It's way late so I'll have more numbers in the morning. Want the whole list, email me.

Breaking down the new Sounders star

2008-10-29T18:56:00.001-07:00

So it's been official for a few days now - Swedish soccer star Freddy Ljungberg has been signed to the Sounders FC for two years, and will be the attacking midfielder in what should be an attack-minded formation. To Freddy, should you read this (hah), I welcome you to our fine city, hope you enjoy your time here and with the Sounders and look forward to watching you play in April.

Alright, enough pleasantries. His signing is a very high-risk, high-reward one. So how's he gonna do? Hard to say, obviously, but I think his acquisition is reminiscent of 3 major signings in MLS over the last year and half. Those would be Darren Huckerby, Marcello Gallardo and David Beckham. Take a little bit from each of those guys and you have a good approximation of what Ljungberg should be like in his time with the Sounders. Huckerby for his ability to light up an expansion team and be a tough team leader, Gallardo for his skill in central midfield - and also his liability to injury, and Beckham obviously for the star power and sexiness.

Now, there has been much discussion of Ljungberg's health, after being cut from his last employer, West Ham, while he was injured. That wasn't the only reason he was let go, however. Although it hasn't been widely reported, or indeed reported at all, this past summer Freddy was dealing with some very serious issues in his family back in Sweden, and reportedly he asked for his release. Out of respect for him I don't want to talk about those details, but the point is he shouldn't be as banged-up as most people think he is. He believes, anyway, that he is still not far removed from his peak as a player, and I have no reason to doubt him.

Should he go out due to injury, he will need a capable backup so the Sounders attack doesn't implode like Iceland's banking system. Ciaran O'Brien, who was loaned to the USL Sounders from Colorado (where he never plays), would seem to be a perfect fit. Go get him, Adrian!

The Freddy and Freddie show

2008-10-23T22:13:00.000-07:00

By now, news that former Arsenal and Sweden star Freddie Ljungberg has been seen in Seattle is going around the internet. Reportedly, the winger slash model will be returning to town next week (October 30?) to announce his signing. Presumably he would be the Sounders Designated Player, as he'd probably command over the MLS maximum of 400k. Whether this would be a good signing, economically speaking, is still highly up for debate. Read: I'm not sure. His health has been an issue, so that's a huge wild card. If and when that signing does officially occur, we'll know much more about his current quality and form.

There are no questions, however, about the talent of Freddy Montero. According to a Spanish website, the Columbian youngster's rights have officially been bought by Seattle - in a transaction nearly 2 weeks ago! In fact, they are reporting that Deportivo Cali has already recieved the 2 million dollars transfer fee from the Sounders. Leaving aside the unlikely possibility that the entire thing is completely made up, the next question is this - why hasn't it been more widely reported? Well, there are multiple other teams from more respected leagues (Argentina and Europe) still looking to sign Montero. My best guess is that Seattle is strongly considering selling him on to one of those clubs, and as such don't want his signing announced in case he never puts on a Sounders uniform.

Your chance to ask Nate Jaqua

2008-10-14T18:11:00.000-07:00

Have a question you'd like to ask a top striker in MLS? I'll be talking with Houston Dynamo forward Nate Jaqua, who has featured for the national team, is also an Oregon boy and is a very possible Sounder in 2009. So if you have something you'd like to ask, let me know. Post in the comments or send me an email by Friday morning.

It's Columbus Day!

2008-10-13T20:34:00.000-07:00

It seems appropriate to celebrate the best team in Major League Soccer on Columbus Day. So let's give it up for the Crew, the Supporters Shield winners of 2008 and the unquestionable top squad in the league. Columbus tends to not get a lot of respect (admittedly, I think I picked them to miss the playoffs at the start of the season) so their storybook season is all the sweeter.The obvious question arises: how did they do it? What caused their transformation, in just one offseason without many changes, from a bottom-of-the-league side into a yellow and black wrecking ball? The obvious answer seems to be having Guillermo Barros Schelotto, who is more like a magician than a soccer player, for a full season. Their midfield maestro has racked up almost 20 assists in just over 20 games, and is one of two serious candidates for MVP honors. (The other, obviously, is LA's Landon Donovan.) But although GBS is an essential part of their team and a real delight to watch, it's not all on his Argentinian shoulders. The Crew have won with and without him. No, the answer isn't just one or two players - it's all of them.

No side has more top-to-bottom talent than the Crew, save maybe Houston, the top club in the West. Columbus has very capable defenders, with starter-quality players going 5 or 6 deep and led by veteran fan-favorite Frankie Hejduk. They have more than capable goalkeeping, with Will Hesmer having the season of his life. The midfield is led by Schelotto, but there's quality from him to wings Robbie Rogers and Emmanuel Ekpo to CDM Brian Carroll. They're so stacked for talent that the excellent Pat Noonan, recently back from Europe, is largely superfluous. Their substitutes are by far the best in MLS. And the fans have responded with greatly improved crowds and invigorated supporters groups, proving that the Buckeyes aren't the only game in town.

The teams with the biggest stars have been the biggest flops this year, with DC United and the LA Galaxy having hugely dissappointing seasons. So hat's off to the Columbus Crew, showing the league that the key to winning in Major League Soccer is to assemble an all-around talented squad, even if the names are a little less flashy. But you'd better win the Cup this year, Columbus. I sure won't be cheering for you in 2009!

Sounders sign South American striker?

2008-10-05T13:05:00.000-07:00

Adrian Hanauer's scouting trips are already paying dividends, if the growing buzz is to believed. If so, then the Sounders are about to sign Freddy Montero, a 5 ' 8", 21 year old Columbian striker (who also features at attacking midfield) who has played for Columbia's national team. The speedy, extremely talented Montero had been linked with a move to a powerhouse club in Romania, but apparently is on his way to Seattle for a huge transfer fee of 2 million dollars. (I am fairly certain that the transfer fee would NOT count against the salary cap, meaning Montero would not necessarily be a Designated Player.) Montero also shares an agent with Jamison Olave of Real Salt Lake, who came to MLS from Montero's current club this year.

The deal has not been finalized or confirmed by either the Sounders or Montero's current team, Deportivo de Cali. There is the possibility that the Sounders may just be buying his contract in order to send him on to Europe. The story is all over the internet, and while I do speak/understand Spanish, I don't know how reputable the apparent original source (enlajugada.com) is. *****UPDATE***** All the Sounders will say is that he is a 'player of interest' at the moment, but leaks suggest otherwise. Montero is currently off with his national team for two games - so perhaps the deal won't be confirmed until after that, late next week.

The Sounders FC roster breakdown

2008-10-01T23:50:00.000-07:00

18 spots on the senior roster
3 players signed: Kasey Keller (GK), Sebastien Le Toux (F/M), Sanna Nyassi (M)
10 picks incoming from the expansion draft
3-4 USL Sounders being called up
3-4 international signings (roughly)
1-2 college players from MLS SuperDraft

As you can see, there are probably going to be more players incoming than there are spots. So some trades are going to have to happen. In reality, probably only about 7 of the expansion draft picks will actually be Sounders - the others will traded elsewhere for future draft picks, allocation money, or something like that. So take 7 players from there and add the 3 signed already. For the USL players, Chris Eylander (GK) and Taylor Graham (D) are almost locks, and probably either Kenji Treschuk (M) or Josh Gardner (M) gets called up as well. So that's a total of 13. Add the top draft pick for 14, and there's 4 spots left for international signings to create the worldly team the Sounders want so much. Over the next 6 months, the roster dealings should turn out pretty close to this.

Speed and the international game

2008-09-24T22:31:00.000-07:00

Seattle MLS has huge ambitions, including becoming well known and successful both domestically and internationally. And with the CONCACAF Champions League in full swing, that got me thinking about how we can accomplish some of those goals.

And so here’s something that I’m just beginning to realize about MLS. We are not a fast league. We have a distinct lack of players with great pace. It has only just become apparent to me from watching some of these international games, where Chivas, New England and others are simply being outrun. Just this evening, Maraton of Honduras clearly outplayed DC primarily because of their speed, and this just shouldn’t be happening. I’m beginning to think this is why random little speedsters can come into MLS and be major players for their clubs. Take just this year, for example – Danleigh Borman* of New York was a supplemental draft pick, and Boise (er, Boyzee) Khumalo came up to DC from a USL2 club. Both of them have been sparkplugs, and Khumalo’s been the best player on the pitch for DC in the CONCACAF games I’ve seen them play.

Anyways, the point is that if Seattle is going to be a competitive club in international play**, we’ll have to be able to deal with speedy little guys better than these other teams have. I don’t want to see the Sounders lose 4-0 to Joe Public FC. Ever. And I don’t think Mr. Hanauer, Mr. Roth or Mr. Carey would, either. Having a few burners, as well as outside defenders capable of dealing with pacey players, is something I think’ll be necessary to prevent that.

*Speaking of which, he should be available in the expansion draft. He’d be a great guy to bring off the bench in the 75th minute…

**Speaking of which, I'm digging the idea of the Sounders entered the Pan-Pacific Championship. It’s meaningless, but if we entered next year I think it’d be a great way for Seattle to get media attention right away, as well as a first test against international competition and a chance for the new team to gel prior to the MLS season starting. I mentioned this to Adrian Hanauer, who replied "...Pan Pacific is out of our hands. This is a tournament run by Soccer United Marketing. Actually, it is not yet clear which teams will be participating in the next tournament." So while the Sounders can't actively pursue a spot, they could still be invited. We'll have to wait and see.

The coaching candidates

2008-09-17T01:25:00.000-07:00

Within a month or two, the first-ever Sounders FC coach will have been anointed. The Sounders front office has a list of potential candidates, but they won't tell anyone who is on it, save the one blindingly obvious possibility. It might not be current Sounders coach Brian Schmetzer, however, because they 'want someone with MLS experience.' If he doesn't get the head job, I fully expect Schmetzer to be named as assistant coach. With that in mind, here are my top 5 most-likely coaching candidates for the Sounders.

Preki
Current job: Head coach, Chivas USA
Northwest connection: 1 year with Tacoma Stars, good friend of Brian Schmetzer
Positives: Knows MLS extremely well and would have great insight on current players in the league, would work well with Schmetzer as an assistant coach, is relatively young, could coach an attacking style.
Negatives: Controversial among Chivas fans – has been criticized for tactical decisions and a perceived inability to motivate. His squad has underperformed this year.
Random fact: Is the only 2-time MLS MVP (’97. ’03) and the all-time MLS leader in points.

Brian Schmetzer
Current job: Head coach, Seattle Sounders (USL)
Northwest connection: Born here, grew up here, played here (1980-83, 85), coached here (1988-present)
Positives: Knows the city of Seattle and many Sounders players, already works well with GM Adrian Hanauer, has proven USL track record of success, is loved by USL Sounders fans.
Negatives: Reportedly the Sounders FC want someone with MLS experience, and Schmetzer has none. Might not be able to deal with the egos of big-money star players.
Random fact: Before coaching the Sounders, he simply ran his construction business and coached his son’s youth team.

Fernando Clavijo
Current job: nope
Most recent job: Head coach, Colorado Rapids
Northwest connection: Coached Seattle Seadogs (1995-97)
Positives: Has coached with Schmetzer before, is good at developing young players.
Negatives: Was not very good in his time with Colorado, little team success, perennial underachievers. Not a good tactician. Hated by Rapids fans.
Random fact: Once coached an indoor team called the Florida ThunderCats. I kid you not.

Peter Nowak
Current job: Assistant coach, U.S. National Team
Northwest connection: none
Positives: Great all-around coach, knows MLS and US players extremely well, won an MLS Cup in 3 years as D.C. United head coach.
Negatives: Underperformed as coach of USA Olympic team this summer. Probably isn’t interested in Sounders job.
Random fact: Captained the Polish national team for 3 years in his playing days.

Paul Mariner
Current job: Assistant coach, New England Revolution
Northwest connection: none
Positives: Regarded as the top assistant in MLS, works very well with players, has stated his desire for the Sounders job, would provide an opportunity for countless ‘Seattle Mariner’ puns.
Negatives: Has not been a head coach at a level higher than youth soccer, might not be able to coach the attacking style of soccer Seattle wants.
Random fact: Scored the winning goal for England in a do-or-die match that sent them to the 1982 World Cup.

Other possible candidates include Crew coach Sigi Schmidt and Houston assistant John Spencer, but I don’t think either of them will take the job. Sigi is probably happy with league-leading Columbus, and Spencer probably would prefer the Colorado job, as he was a fan favorite there in his playing days.

The verdict? I'd prefer Preki or Nowak, but I expect Mariner to be named the head coach eventually. And that's not a bad thing, he's a very strong candidate. But, as always, we will have to wait and see.

The future: Marcus Tracy

2008-09-09T13:41:00.000-07:00

"A game-changer with speed and skill... Very dominant in the air..."

Among the many things Seattle's MLS franchise has going for it - the Sounders will have the number 1 pick in the MLS College draft. They will have the ability to add to their team any 1 player, at any position, from any college team in the country. Some might mock this draft as being outdated or an ineffective way to add quality players, but the #1 pick is different. This is where the Freddy Adu's and Marvell Wynne's join MLS. And Seattle will have a chance to add the next one.

"Capable of scoring with head and feet... A threat at any moment..."

These are some of the words that Wake Forest's website uses to describe Marcus Tracy, their star senior striker who just might be the best college player in the country. At 6'1", 170, he possesses enough size to go up against any defender, as well as the speed to blow past them. He is a prototypical striker, one who led his team to the college championship last year and has kicked off his final Wake Forest season by scoring 4 goals (3 of them game-winners) in 4 games. Even with his 31 points racked up last year, he might not have the sexiest statistical resume in the country, but he almost indisputably has the best skill set among college players. Tracy's upside is tremendous.

"Continues to flourish and improve with experience and physical maturity... "

The only knock anybody has on Marcus Tracy is his health - he was hurt for most of 2005 and some of 2006. If he stays healthy through this year, then those questions can probably be put to bed. With those aside, what you have in Tracy is a ridiculous athlete, a good teammate and a very smart young man - he passed on turning pro last year in favor of completing his economics degree at Wake Forest. By all accounts he is a fantastic college prospect - one who the Sounders should be considering very, very strongly with their first pick in the draft come January of 2009.
See the future in action here and here.

Say hello to Sanna

2008-09-05T18:00:00.001-07:00

The Sounders have signed their third player for the 2009 season, and it's the first one you've probably never heard of. 19 year old midfielder Sanna Nyassi, from Ghana, is their newest addition.

Sanna, just 5'8", is the twin brother of Sainey Nyassi, a midfielder for league power New England who has 2 goals in 14 starts/18 games. Sanna is a similar player to his brother, as he has pretty good technical skills, an okay shot and ridiculously quick pace. Sainey is an extremely talented young player, and Sanna hopefully will prove to be the same. He'll play out the rest of the year on the USL Sounders before joining the big club in 2009, and I'd expect that to be on a full senior contract instead of a developmental one. (Translation - he'll make around 35k next year.) I'd say he projects to be a wing player in MLS, but that's just my opinion. In all regards, this is a good signing - a low risk, high reward young player. Welcome aboard, Sanna.

Official team announcement

(Oh man am I going to mix up their names so many times you have no idea)

What to learn from San Jose

2008-09-01T23:14:00.000-07:00

The USL incarnation of the Sounders is preparing for a friendly against the San Jose Earthquakes tomorrow, and many storylines are evident. It is the last road game until the playoffs, the first in 3 years against their former NASL brethren, and a compelling match against the hottest team in MLS.

Yes, expansion club San Jose is on fire right now, and in the wild Western Conference, they have as good a shot as anyone (except for the team in orange) to make the playoffs. Led by mid-season pickups of Arturo Alvarez and Darren Huckerby, the Quakes have gone unbeaten in their last 7 games. It's likely that neither of these two players will see the field in their match against the Sounders - which will be more interesting for the stories off the pitch than the action on it. But that doesn't change the fact that the Quakes have been doing something right recently. And if they can do it this year, so can Seattle next year.

The question, obviously, is what that is. During their current run of good form, the Quakes have been statistically most impressive on the defensive end, with just 6 goals given up in the last 10 games. But none of the changes San Jose has made recently have been on defense! They're basically sticking with the same back 4, led by Nick Garcia. So let's look to the keeper, the reliable Joe Cannon. He has performed admirably this year, with just a 1.18 Goals Against Average (3rd best in MLS) and with 8 shutouts (2nd best). But over his last 9 games (he didn't play in 1 of the last 10) he's been nothing short of amazing. He's faced 40 shots on frame, and has allowed but 6 goals. Over this stretch, 85% of the time when a shot is put on the Earthquakes goal, Joe Cannon has been on hand to keep it out.

In a fiercely competitive league, having a consistent (Cannon's played in every MLS match) and quality (1.18 GAA!) keeper can make the difference between being in the playoffs or watching them from the couch. The Sounders have theirs for next year in Kasey Keller, and they hopefully have theirs for the future in Chris Eylander, whose cat-quick reflexes are reminiscent of a certain MLS goalie. Eylander will hope to come from the USL into MLS as a backup before getting his chance at starting a couple years later... just like Cannon did.

If the Sounders FC wish to succeed in MLS, they will need a quality man between the pipes. Although Eylander has all the tools to be great, that often doesn't translate into MLS success (see Wells, Zach and Cronin, Steve). Tomorrow night, in an otherwise meaningless game for both sides, Chris Eylander will face off against the goalie he should aspire to be, and that Sounders fans hope he can become.

My expansion draft wishlist

2008-08-26T19:47:00.000-07:00

Looking for players in MLS to keep your eye on? Here are 10 players I think will be available in the expansion draft for the Sounders that would be worth picking up.

Brandon Prideaux – Chicago, Defender
Brian Carroll - Columbus, D-Midfielder
Nate Jaqua- Houston, Striker
Justin (NOT Ryan) Braun – Chivas USA, Striker
Julius James – Toronto, Defender
Khano Smith – New England, Wing Midfielder
Santino Quaranta – DC United, Striker
Ian Joy – Real Salt Lake, Defender
Omar Cummings– Colorado, Midfielder
Aaron Hohlbein – KC, D-Midfielder

Of these 10, Prideaux and Carroll are the established and savvy veterans, and Cummings and James the high-upside rookies. The rest fall somewhere in between. All would look good in a Sounders kit next year.

The effect of a designated player

2008-08-19T23:56:00.000-07:00

The cloud constantly hovering around the Sounders FC is whether they will sign a designated player, and if so, who it will be. 5 teams in MLS currently have DP's on their roster; DC United has two. How are those teams doing?

Chicago Fire. DP: Cuahtemoc Blanco. Points: 32. Rank: 3rd (of 14).
DC United. DP: Luciano Emilio, Marcelo Gallardo. Points: 28. Rank: T5th.
Kansas City Wizards. DP: Claudio Lopez. Points: 25. Rank: T8th.
LA Galaxy. DP: That Beckham guy. Points: 24. Rank: T11th.
NY Red Bulls. DP: Juan Pablo Angel. Points: 25. Rank: T8th.

Honestly, there's not a lot to be made here because there's so much parity in MLS this year. Just 13 points separate the best team from the worst. But clearly, having a designated player does not immediately translate to wins. Just look at the MLS Cup finalists of last year, New England and Houston, and the top teams in each conference this year, which are... uh, New England and Houston.

Obviously, the purpose of a DP is not just to win, but also to 'sell' the team, locally and nationally. And in this case, the rule (and those players added under it) has been working quite well. Los Angeles leads the league in attendance by a wide margin, with DC and Chicago in 3rd and 4th respectively. If you're watching SportsCenter for some unfathomable reason and you see an MLS highlight, chances are it's a Marcello Gallardo wonder strike or a Blanco bomb. And if you by chance see someone wearing an MLS jersey, there's a 75% chance of a Los Angeles kit, number 23. Roth and Hanauer know this, and will surely be looking for someone to rival the appeal of the aforementioned three players.

Appeal, obviously, isn't everything. Remember Denilson, the aging Brazilian star FC Dallas picked up last summer? If you don't, here's a recap: he was out to make a quick buck, was out of form, and his team crashed out of the first round of the playoffs before he was sent out of Dallas altogether. If used improperly, the DP can have huge negative effects, like tying up a ton of money in one player and possibly unbalancing team chemistry. So when the Sounders front office men tell us that they are in no hurry to add their one superstar player, and are waiting for the perfect player to come along, believe them and be thankful. It's the biggest decision this franchise has left to make for 2009.

(But Adrian, if you want to go ahead and ink Thierry Henry, just go ahead and do it.)

Kasey's a Sounder!

2008-08-14T16:05:00.000-07:00

Today at Qwest Field, Kasey Keller became the second player signed by Seattle Sounders FC.

Keller passed up at least one offer in Europe to return home to the Sounders, and signed a two-year deal for an undisclosed amount of money. Rest assured, he won't take up the designated player slot. Unfortunately, Seattle had to use an allocation to sign him, meaning that they drop to last in the order of being able to sign US National team players returning to MLS. Or something like that. MLS rules are still somewhat murky to me. In any case, he'll probably make around 200 to 250k a year, so he won't break the bank.

At the press conference, GM Adrian Hanauer spoke highly of Keller's experience and leadership abilities. Could Kasey be the first Sounders captain? Either way, his addition is a big step forward, will generate plenty of good PR, and will provide keeper-of-the-future Chris Eylander (As soon as they sign him - get on that, Sounders!) with a great mentor. Welcome home, Kasey.

A huge three days ahead [Edit: KELLER OFFICIAL!]

2008-08-12T12:21:00.000-07:00

To summarize briefly, here's what you should be excited about from now until Thursday in Seattle Soccer-land...

The Sounders take on Charleston on the road for a spot in the US Open Cup final today at 4:30. No USL team has made the final in the last 9 years, and one of these two sides will advance to play either New England or DC United. And should the Sounders win, they will host the final in the biggest soccer game in franchise history. Don't miss this one - it's on live right here.

Then on Thursday, head on down to Qwest Field for a major announcement - the signing of the second player in Sounders FC. With this event coming right before the European transfer window closes for the summer, the player is probably from a team overseas... oh, who are we kidding. It's Kasey Keller. In any event, the signing is at 2:00 and if you aren't stuck working like I am, you should check it out. [LATE EDIT: the PI confirms what we already knew, Kasey Keller will be signed Thursday!!!]

If that's not enough, early tomorrow morning the USA men take on Nigeria, needing but a tie to advance to the knockout stages of the Olympics. Set your DVR's.

Kicking it with Ciaran O'Brien

2008-08-08T13:41:00.000-07:00

This coming Tuesday the Sounders will face the Charleston Battery on the road in a US Open Cup semifinal. A win, and the final will be played against either New England or DC United - in Seattle. Ciaran O'Brien, on loan to Seattle from the Colorado Rapids, will be a key player in this matchup. I talked with him today about MLS and his temporary return to the Sounders, his hometown team - as well as the team of his brother, Leighton.

Ness: I know you played in the US Open cup qualifiying rounds with Colorado… does that mean you’re cup-tied for Tuesday’s US Open Cup game?
Ciaran: No, because the game I played in with Colorado was a play-in game, so that doesn’t count.

N: Have you had a chance to pick up anything from (Colorado teammate and perennial MLS all-star) Christian Gomez?
C: I definitely have, his creativity and what he does on the ball is unlike anyone in MLS, so he’s a guy you can learn from. You try and watch and imitate what he does because he’s so good on the ball.

N: In your brief time as a pro, what’s the difference you've seen between MLS and USL, in talent?
C: There’s not a big difference at all. The biggest is obviously signing players like Beckham and Blanco. Apart from the big-name players there’s not really a drop. I think for Seattle there’ll be a good transition from USL into MLS, they won’t have a tough time adjusting because they’ve had the open cup matches.

N: Say you have the designated player slot for Seattle or Colorado, doesn’t matter. Who’s the one player in the world you’d want to play alongside?
C: Ooh. Tough question. Any player in the world?
N: Any player, regardless of contract.
C: I’m going to have to come back to that one.

N: I don’t know if you can answer this honestly but right now, at full health, who’s better, you or Leighton?
C: Leighton. He’s got more experience, he’s sharper on the ball so right now, he’s better.

N: I’m sure you’ve watched the Sounders a lot in the past… what’s it like to play for your hometown team?
C: It’s unbelievable. I grew up with Leighton and the Sounders from 2002, 2001 season is when I kinda started hanging around, and then 2002 they had that great year. From then on, I was at the games, warming up with the subs... It didn’t hit me in the Puerto Rico game, but it did at Portland that I was playing and not just sitting on the bench and watching. It was a great feeling, and it’s a great fit for me and the team. Against Portland the last game down there, it was great, playing against them in front of 12 thousand people. It fires you up as much as it fires them up.

N: Last one. It’s a softball question, or a spot-kick I guess, to be sport-appropriate. Best part about playing in Seattle?
C: Being in my hometown around all the guys, and just playing for the team, combination of those two, is great.

N: Any thoughts on the question we skipped over?
C: I’m going to go with Gerrard because I don’t want to say Ronaldo.

Big ups to Ciaran for chatting with me, and the best of luck to him and the Sounders in the Cup.

The case for Kasey

2008-08-06T16:17:00.000-07:00

Let's put the puzzle pieces together.

First, Kasey Keller has repeatedly said he'd like to finish his career in Seattle. Second, Sounders FC front office man Chris Henderson recently said that "...some very exciting things are about to happen. In the next month we will sign one or more players for the 2009 team. I am not at liberty to tell you their names but watch for some press releases in the next few weeks." (from Soccer Seattle Style) Now, I certainly mean no offense to the current Sounders players, but I don't think the inking of a couple of them to MLS contracts would qualify as "very exciting." Besides, those who will make the MLS club probably won't be signed until the USL season ends.

So it's been a week since Henderson's comments, and no players have been signed. Meanwhile, Kasey Keller remains mysteriously out of contract.

It's beginning to seem like a given that the northwest native will end up a Sounder. I would guess that the deal hasn't been completed yet because Keller will be loaned to a European team, probably in Germany, until December or January. So as Henderson said, look for an announcement in the upcoming weeks.

The massive 2009 roster post

2008-08-01T16:42:00.000-07:00

Most people would think that building an expansion team that could contend from day one would be an impossible task. But in the case of the next expansion team to enter MLS, this may not be the case. Here's my first attempt at creating a possible, realistic and strong roster for Seattle Sounders FC in 2009.

Current Sounders players: (F) Sebastien Le Toux is already signed, and (G) Chris Eylander will surely soon follow suit. There are a number of players who could follow them, but at this point I'd take (D) Zach Scott, (D) Taylor Graham, (M) Kenji Treschuk and (M) Josh Gardner.

Expansion draft: Some of the better teams in MLS are going to have good players available due to the deepness of their squads. (M) Khano Smith from New England and (M) Brian Carroll from Columbus should be available. (D, Chicago) Wilman Conde could probably be had, as long as he doesn't try and go to Europe in the offseason. (D, Toronto) Julius James is inexperienced and somewhat shaky, but his ridiculous athleticism means he has upside as well as an ability to finish on set-pieces. Local boy (D) Craig Waibel could be had from Houston. Injury-prone (F) Maykel Galindo, the former Sounder, might be available from Chivas USA. If not, we could just make a deal, trading them a bit of allocation money or something.

International signings: this is where the good stuff happens. First off, the rumors are swirling about this guy.I think there's an above 50% chance that the man pictured, legendary American and Washingtonian (G) Kasey Keller is a Sounder next year. He wants to be here and the team wants him. As is the case so often in MLS, something will be worked out, as it was recently to grant Brian McBride's wishes of playing for his hometown Chicago side. And the Sounders might be first in line to acquire him, anyways. The land of MLS rules and regulations is a murky, treacherous place, but with the guidance of Adrian Hanauer, we should be able to bring Keller safely to Seattle.

Some other players will be picked up internationally as well. I'll stick with my hunch that someone like (M) Zinha will be picked up to do great things for the Sounders attack. If not, there are a bunch of other players that could also fill this role (the previously mentioned Eliseo Quintanilla, Benny Feilhaber, Shinji Ono...) Another forward, like former Sounder Cam Weaver, will probably be added, and if not him it could be Preston Zimmerman. And the defense might need some extra bolstering as well. Hanauer could use his Costa Rican contacts to help add someone like the experienced (D) Carlos Castro.

College draft: The Sounders will get a bunch of young talent here, but probably only their #1 draft pick will make an major impact. And if it's (F) Marcus Tracy from Wake Forest, that could happen right away. He's good.

So after all that, we're left with 18 players for the senior roster (and a few more for the developmental, but I'm not going to go into that). Here's how those positions are filled in my proposed roster, as well as a possible starting 11.

Forwards: Nate Jaqua, Maykel Galindo, Cam Weaver, Marcus Tracy
Midfielders: Zinha, Brian Carroll, Sebastien Le Toux, Khano Smith, Josh Gardner, Kenji Treschuk
Defenders: Carlos Castro, Taylor Graham, Wilman Conde, Craig Waibel, Zach Scott, Julius James
Goalkeepers: Kasey Keller, Chris Eylander

----------Jaqua----------Galindo-----------
-----------------Zinha-----------------------
Smith--------Carroll-------------Le Toux
Castro---Graham---Conde---Waibel
---------------Keller--------------------

Now... how good would this lineup be? Smith and Le Toux both have fabulous pace, and should fit quite well into the attacking style the Sounders say they want to play. The defense is savvy and experienced, and the combination of Keller and Eylander would be the best 1-2 keeper duo in the league, hands down. There's good depth at forward, and if Tracy produces this year like I believe he can, he'll be a force. The only weakness could be if Zinha (or whatever international CAM we end up with) is injured for a lengthy period of time. I guess I'd trade Colorado for Ciaran O'Brien and stash him in the reserve league/call him up as soon as someone got injured. Other than that, this side looks - to me - like one that could compete in MLS next year. But I'd love to hear what you think.

(And if you're curious, yes, this would fit under the MLS salary cap.)

Sounders add players for 2008, maybe 2009

2008-07-29T22:52:00.000-07:00

Forward Kevin Forrest, in an interview with this blog in January:
"I love Seattle and playing here would be amazing. For now I have to keep my options open and take opportunities as they come, but if I end up playing here I couldn't be happier."

Well, Kevin Forrest has now achieved maximum happiness. The local UW product has just signed with the USL Seattle Sounders for the remainder of the 2008 season to aid the injury-depleted roster, and perhaps take a crack at making the MLS team in 2009. In addition, the Sounders have acquired Federal Way native Ciaran O'Brien on loan from the Colorado Rapids. O'Brien is an attacking midfielder who was picked 5th overall in the MLS draft this year.

Could either of them realistically end up in Seattle in 2009? If so, then the Sounders will have to do some dealing with Colorado (they also own Forrest's MLS rights for next year). The Rapids will be hard-pressed to deal O'Brien, as they probably won't want to give away their top draft pick after just 1 year and very little playing time for the main club. They'll value him higher than the price the Sounders would be willing to pay. Forrest is a different matter; they would probably trade his rights for next to nothing. If he impresses, he will likely end up in Sounders blue and green next year.

Freddy Adu is not good enough for the Seattle Sounders

2008-07-23T18:06:00.000-07:00

According to this article out of the New York Times, prior to Freddy Adu's loan to AS Monaco, he was offered to three teams in MLS. One of them was Seattle Sounders FC. All three teams turned the player down.

Now, this isn't as ridiculous as it seems on the surface. The 19 year old Adu, one of the stars of the US National team heading to the Olympics, would have cost so much that he would have required a designated player slot. The Sounders, of course, will only have one such slot. So the front office must have designs on either a player more talented and famous than Adu, and probablyone who will be a quality player for the club for more than one year. Given that the franchise has made all the right moves up to this point, I'm willing to give the benefit of the doubt.

This brings about the obvious question that I can't entirely answer - what player could the Sounders be targeting that would be better, on and off the pitch, than Freddy Adu?

Calabro to be the voice of the Sounders

2008-07-21T14:54:00.000-07:00

Another stroke of genius and luck has come to Seattle's 2009 entry into MLS, as Kevin Calabro will be the first announcer for Seattle Sounders FC. King 5 and KONG (channel 6) will be the local broadcast team, and around 5 games will be on King 5, broadcast throughout the Pacific Northwest.

Calabro is obviously a legend, having called games for the late Seattle Supersonics for seemingly ever, greatly endearing him to his listeners. Don't be worried about the transition between sports for Calabro. He made light of it, saying "A lot of commonalities between the MLS and NBA - New York is dead last in the NBA, and dead last in the MLS." He seems genuinely excited for his new job, and he sounds like he knows more about soccer than I honestly would expected. (Although he certainly has a lot to learn.) I can almost guarantee that he will be a great spokesman and face of the franchise in 2009 and the years to follow.

(Calabro will be on King 5 at 5:45, so tune in then if you want to hear him talk some more.)

The attacking midfielder post

2008-07-17T19:16:00.000-07:00

Almost indisputably, the most important position that the Sounders FC will have to fill is that of the offensive midfielder. Goalkeeper (Chris Eylander as soon as he's signed, possibly Kasey Keller) and striker (Sebastien Le Toux and Nate Jaqua) are more or less spoken for, and that's a good thing. But a quality player to lead the Sounders attack in 2009 may be a hard commodity to come by.

Make no mistake, a key player at the attacking midfield spot can make all the difference in MLS. Exhibit A: Recently acquired Amado Guevara, who has played a big role in Toronto FC's 1 year transformation from piddling expansion team to serious title contender. Exhibit B: Guillermo Barros Schelloto (whom my soccer loving, MLS neophite father refers to as "Skeletor"). He is the heart of the Columbus Crew, scoring a goal and assisting on 2 more today. MLS powers Houston and Chicago have international stars running their attack as well. On the other hand, expansion San Jose have a converted holding midfielder running their attack. Needless to say, they are bad.

So how will Seattle avoid that bad-ness? They don't have an MLS quality player to slot in on the USL Sounders. Current AM Leighton O'Brien has a good work rate, but he's old and just doesn't have the quality to cut it against better opponents for a full season. And such a player won't come from the expansion draft, either. The best player I can project being available would be Andy Williams of Real Salt Lake, who is really not your prototypical AM and is aging anyways. No, barring some bizarre trade, the leader of our attack will have to come from outside the country.

If money is no object, the ideal player to bring in to Seattle would be the Mexican international Antonio Naelson, better known as Zinha. Although he's on the wrong side of 30 and is just 5'5", he has shown no signs of weakening as a player. And what a player he is. Zinha possesses excellent touch, fantastic vision for a little guy and is more than capable of blasting in the occasional long-range goal. He has 40 appearances for the Mexican national team, even scoring against the USA a couple of years ago. Best of all, he's been strongly rumored to be interested in coming to America at some point in his career. As long as the Sounders ownership is willing to loosen the drawstrings, Zinha would be the perfect designated player and attacking midfielder.

If you're looking for a more 'attainable' name who could fill this position, Eliseo Quintanilla might be your guy. The 25 year old Salvadorian has been on a tear for his national team (22 games, 12 goals) as of late, which has brought about murmurs of his interest in returning to MLS. (He had a brief, injury-plagued spell at DC United a few years back.) Quintanilla is also small in stature but tall in talent, with his standout ability being his set-piece mastery. For whatever it's worth, and it may be nothing, he's been linked to both FC Dallas and San Jose. He could have a tie to Seattle, as well - he plays for the Costa Rican powerhouse club Alajuelense, from whom the Sounders recently signed defender Michael Rodriguez. Make no mistake, he's at least vaguely on the radar of the Sounders brass.

Which Sounders will make the cut?

2008-07-10T19:51:00.000-07:00

Sebastien Le Toux is the lone USL Sounder who is going up to the MLS club next year. So far. A few more will be signed at the least, and maybe as many as 8 to 10 will make the jump. So since we're more than halfway through the USL season, and the Sounders are coming off of 2 games against MLS clubs, lets take a look at those who might earn 'promotion' next year.

Lock
Chris Eylander, GK: He's just way too good not to sign. Last year's league leader in saves and wins, Eylander has shown that 2007 was no fluke, as he turned in a sparkling performance against Kansas City in the Open Cup quarterfinals and has not given up a goal in the tournament. Also, he's 24. Backup keeper at worst, upper-tier starter at best. In fact, I'd bet good money that he's the next signing SSFC will make.

Good Chance
Kenji Treschuk, MF: Kenji has become an integral part of the Sounders midfield and almost certainly deserves a chance to earn a starting role in MLS. At 25, he's relatively young as well.

Zach Scott, DF: My friend made an interesting comment after Tuesday's game. "I was watching (Scott) all game... he didn't lose a single challenge and only got beaten once." A bit of hyperbole, perhaps, but Scott's impressive play against Chivas and KC as well as his solid USL performance probably has earned him a contract with the Sounders in MLS.

It's possible
Taylor Graham, DF
Kevin Sakuda, MF
Josh Gardner, MF
Roger Levesque, F
Michael Rodriguez, DF

Hard to get a read on the rest, as I don't really know what the target number for call-ups is. At this point, I'd say Graham and Gardner are in, Levesque sadly probably doesn't get called up due to his age, and Rodriguez and Sakuda are on the bubble. Rodriguez, in particular, is an interesting case because he hasn't spent much time with the Sounders in USL. His play over the next 2 months will determine his future in MLS with Seattle. Think he'll be motivated?

Kicking it with Jimmy Conrad

2008-07-05T15:29:00.000-07:00

Since the US Open Cup Quarterfinal match between Seattle and the Kansas City Wizards is coming up on Tuesday, I checked in with Jimmy Conrad, Wizards captain and defender for the US National team. Below, take a look at his commentary on Seattle, the Cup, and how good looking Jimmy Conrad is.

Ness: The Wizards go to the Emerald City on Tuesday. Predictions? A tornado, perhaps?

Jimmy Conrad: I will only offer that I've always considered Seattle as the pre-eminent team in USL, their inclusion into MLS next year will be a welcome addition, and after their systematic dismantling of Chivas USA in the last round of the Open Cup, I would expect a very tough game from a very tough team. I would like to add that I should be a politician with that answer. Thank you.

Ness: You made your first appearance for the national team here at Qwest in 2005… on a scale of 1 to incredibly awesome, how awesome was that first game in a USA kit?

JC: It was incredibly awesome because it was an opportunity I had been patiently waiting for since I had been in the league for a few years. Not too many players get their first cap at age 28, like myself, but I wasn't going to let age be an issue or excuse. I just wanted to prove that I could play on the national team and that I deserved to be there. I'd like to think I've done that.

Ness: Two-part question – what do you think of Seattle entering MLS next year, and of the rapid expansion in MLS in general?

JC: Like I said above, I believe the inclusion of Seattle into MLS is a great coup. It's clear they have the fan base, creative and forward-thinking owners, and a talented group of players who have already proven that they can play at the MLS level. In terms of expansion in general, I think it would be a great thing to be 12 years old and playing soccer right now. The opportunities expansion provides to our young American players is very, very exciting.

Ness: You played with Sounders defender Taylor Graham for a couple of years. Any good things to say about him?

JC: (Laughs) Well, "good" is a relative term but I will say this: I know he's got the cajones to step up and take the last kick in penalties to win a championship only to miss and let his goalkeeper make the save, win the championship, and be the hero. I believe that proves he's got courage AND compassion. Oh yeah, he's got freckles, he doesn't tan well, and he's tall. Wait, what was your question again?

Ness: Regarding the US Open Cup… Chivas boss Preki recently said “clubs in our league do not take this tournament seriously.” Do you think that’s a common belief among MLS clubs?

JC: Preki is one of a kind but he's not alone in the thought that if MLS clubs can get into the later rounds of the Open Cup without using their regulars they will do it. Of course, if somehow the team finds itself in the Open Cup finals they would DEFINITELY start singing a different tune about the competition. Like, "It's clear we have the depth to compete at the highest level and attaining the Open Cup trophy, which is a goal for us every year, is something we are very, very focused on." It's part of the song and dance. You get knocked out early by a lower division team, you don't take it seriously and if you find yourself in the finals, it's been your goal all along. Coaching Manual Volume 1, Chapter 12, page 236.

Ness: If (Wizards teammate) Claudio Lopez is nicknamed The Louse, what do we call Jimmy Conrad? The Gnat? The Stag Beetle?

JC: The ant. Because the ant's success has been attributed to their social skills, their ability to adapt to changing environments, their ability to solve complex problems, and their undeniable charm and rugged good looks. Okay, I'll be honest, I threw that last part in there but I'm only speaking the truth!

Big ups to Jimmy for chatting with me. I wish him the best of luck in the rest of the MLS season, but I hope the Sounders can beat his side on Tuesday!

Jaqua to Sounders FC?

2008-07-02T21:31:00.000-07:00

Here's some relatively breaking news - according to an article out of Houston, Nate Jaqua has been offered a contract by the Houston Dynamo that would put him in Seattle when the Sounders FC begin play in 2009.

The article quotes Dynamo team president Oliver Luck. Here's the most relevant bit: "The offer would have Jaqua in Dynamo uniform as early as mid July. The forward would then be traded to Seattle FC for the 2009 season under an agreement with the expansion franchise, Luck said."

The whole article can be viewed here. More updates as I get them...

Game preview: Chivas USA at Seattle Sounders

2008-07-01T10:03:00.000-07:00

Tonight the USL Sounders get what may be their only chance at playing MLS competition this season, as they go up against Chivas USA in the US Open Cup. The Sounders seem like they're on a mission to improbably win the whole thing after their 6-0 demolishing of Hollywood United last week, so this game should be close. In addition, Sounders players such as Josh Gardener, Zach Scott and Kenji Treschuk will be trying to show that they can match up against a good MLS team, and prove that they're worthy of being brought up to the Sounders FC next year.

Chivas USA is a different story. They are entering a span of at least 5 competitive games in 16 days, so they may not be compelled to play all of their top players. In last year's match between these two sides, won 3-1 by the Sounders, Chivas left star keeper Brad Guzan on the bench, and they may do the same tonight. The Los Angeles team doesn't have a great history of success in the Cup either - the year before the aforementioned loss to the Sounders, Chivas was famously and embarrassingly beaten by an amateur team. Chivas are still the better team, but things could be aligning favorably for the Sounders tonight.

Keep an eye on.... Sebastien Le Toux, F. He ripped Hollywood United for 4 goals last week, but this game should provide a greater challenge for the Frenchman, already signed to the Sounders FC. See if he can still be productive against an MLS defense.

From the other side... Justin Braun, F. The guy I'd really love the Sounders FC to pick up from Chivas is midfielder Raphael Wicky. Since he's out injured, keep an eye on this young forward. Braun hasn't been hugely productive this year, but is just 21 and has potential.

7:00, Starfire Sports Complex, Tukwila

http:/usl.playonsports.tv/ (watch for free!)

The other draft

2008-06-27T12:59:00.000-07:00

The NBA draft was yesterday, and many of the top college basketball players in the country have been snapped up by new teams. In that spirit, let's take a quick look at some of the top players available in the 2009 MLS college draft, in which the Sounders FC have the first pick:

Bruno Guarda, attacking midfielder

Marcus Tracy, striker

Chris Clements, central defender

O'Brien White, striker

Alejandro Bedoya, midfielder

Zach Simmons, keeper

In the coming week I'll hopefully learn a lot more about these players, and see if anyone else is worthy of being added to this list. At this point, Tracy is my favorite of the bunch. As the year goes on and the draft (in January) draws closer, I'll bring some interviews of these college superstars and prospective Sounders.

Watch the Sounders tonight FOR FREE

2008-06-24T18:35:00.000-07:00

Holy good deals, Batman! If you haven't had a chance to see the USL Seattle Sounders this year, the game is available for your viewing pleasure at:

http://usl.playonsports.tv/

The game starts at 8:00 Pacific and features the hometown and home-team Sounders taking on amateur side Hollywood United. The Sounders will face Chivas USA next week in Tukwila, but only if they win tonight. Check it out.

The futility of expansion teams: A brief history

2008-06-22T23:09:00.000-07:00

2008 - San Jose, on pace for 25 points in 30 games.

Last place in MLS.

2007 - Toronto FC, 25 points in 30 games.

Last place in MLS.

2005 - Chivas USA, 18 points in 32 games.

Last place in MLS.

2005 - Real Salt Lake, 20 points in 32 games.

2nd to last place in MLS.

Assuming San Jose doesn't improve a huge amount in a short time period, each of the last 4 expansion teams to enter MLS will have gone on to have hilariously pathetic seasons. The only one not to be last place in the league was Real Salt Lake, only because the other expansion team was even worse. The good folks running Seattle Sounders FC have said that they want to be competitive immediately, but based on recent history, this seems quite unlikely to happen. Just having a team in MLS should be enough for the 2009 season, Sounders fans. Lets keep our expectations in check.

Signs of Sounders FC sponsor

2008-06-19T21:44:00.000-07:00

It's still a year until Seattle Sounders FC will make its impact on MLS, but the main sponsor - Xbox 360 - is already doing so. Signboard advertisements with the Xbox 360 logo have been at the majority of, if not all, recent MLS games. I saw them on tonight's Primetime Thursday game on ESPN, as well as last Saturday's Kansas City - Columbus clash.

Nate Jaqua - How to get him?

2008-06-12T23:20:00.000-07:00

Meet Nate Jaqua.He's the ideal player for Seattle Sounders FC. He is a relatively young striker and is talented enough to be an occasional US National team player. He recently had a good run playing in Europe (OK, Austria, but it's still Europe) yet has MLS experience - he won the cup last year with Houston. And now he's out of contract, hanging out in Oregon - yes, he's a native Pacific Northwesterner. The icing on the cake is the fact that he has expressed interest in playing in MLS, and reportedly wants to come to the Sounders FC. Brilliant!

One tiny problem though - his rights are still owned by Houston. Which means if he returns to MLS, they have first dibs. Now, the astute reader might think, "couldn't we just sign him to the Sounders in USL and bring him up to MLS next year?" While the rules about the 'promotion' of the Sounders are pretty hazy, since this is an unprecedented situation in American soccer... I don't think they could work this. A month or so ago, the Sounders passed on signing a defender who had been let go by New York Red Bulls, mainly because NYRB would still have owned his rights in MLS. This would probably be the same case regarding Jaqua. And yes, MLS rules are somewhat ridiculous and should be clarified. Like that'll ever happen.

There could be ways around this, of course. The Sounders FC - NOT the Sounders in USL - could trade for his rights and sign him, possibly loaning him back to Houston for the remainder of this season as part of the deal. The Sounders FC are free to sign players already if they want, as they already have locked up USL Sounder Sebastien Le Toux. What could they trade, since they only have one signed player? Possibly a draft pick, a slot for an international player or an allocation allowing for some amount of salary to go over the salary cap.

Complicated enough? In a nutshell, we could get Jaqua, and I'd give pretty good odds that the signing happens eventually. There's just a ton of formalities to go through first.
(Photo courtesy American Soccer News)

A brief look at MLS

2008-06-09T18:58:00.000-07:00

With nothing major of note on the horizon for Seattle MLS, let's take a quick look at the league they will be entering. (I'm not going to revisit my preseason predictions, because they would probably look wildly different than the actual state of the league.) There are a couple of things that stand out.

First, this wild season has thus far proven that any team can beat any other team on any given day. This was most clearly shown this past weekend, when San Jose beat Columbus and DC United edged Chicago - both victories coming on the road. Yes, the two worst teams in MLS beat two of the best, away from home.

The second, and most interesting thing for Sounders FC fans, is the power imbalance between the two conferences. The current three best teams (New England, along with the aforementioned Columbus and Chicago) are all in the East. If the 4th place team in the East (Toronto FC) were in the West, they would be tied for first. In addition, only one Eastern Conference team has more than 4 losses, and there are currently 5 such teams in the West. Any way you spin it, the East is clearly the superior conference. If this continues to hold true into next year, the Sounders, who will obviously be joining the Western Conference, will have a bit of an advantage to their hopes of making the playoffs.

Dream big, Sounders fans

2008-06-04T22:08:00.000-07:00

So maybe Thierry Henry won't be pulled in by Seattle Sounders FC. Given that that was an absolute best-case scenario, Seattle fans probably won't be too let down. But there is serious reason to hope for a similar caliber of player in both skill and fame.

There's the annual international tour that has been announced. Any team intending to send their team on tour to other countries for exhibitions - months before playing a single game - clearly has some big plans in store. These plans were again alluded to by owner Joe Roth after the Brazil game, when he talked about the possible signing of a designated player: "I think it's the next really big decision," Roth said. "It's a decision that can help make the team. Conversely, there are very few decisions that could really kill us and set us back, and I think getting the wrong designated player, getting somebody who's past his prime, getting somebody who is not a good member of the community, really has to take a lot of considered thought."

Now, the way he talks about it makes it seem pretty clear that the team intends to bring in a designated player for 2009. (Which fits with everything I've heard so far.) And they want someone who still is a quality player, as well as someone 'big' enough to merit being the centerpiece of an international tour. Teams with stars go on world tours. Teams like San Jose or Real Salt Lake do not. So the door is open for virtually any player in the world to be brought in to Seattle. Remember Mr. Roth's comments, way back in November when the team was announced, about wanting to bring in Ronaldinho? Might not be as unlikely as you think...

Oh, Canada...

2008-06-01T17:14:00.000-07:00

...you came so close to a remarkable result, but it was just not to be.

Like every other soccer fan in Seattle with half a brain and 40 dollars, I was at Qwest Field Saturday night to watch the respective national teams of Canada and Brazil clash. The result was an incredibly entertaining game that ended in a 3-2 victory for the samba-loving South American side. One interesting thing was seeing aging star keeper Kasey Keller alongside Drew Carey at the match. Draw your own conclusions from that if you so choose. Aside from that, the action was fantastic, with Brazil trading attacks with a surprisingly competent Canada throughout the match. The atmosphere was even better, with almost 50,000 filling the stands and constant noise provided by the Brazilian drummers. Simply put, if you weren't there, you should've been.

Row W of the 300 level in Qwest doesn't provide one with the best of game action views, but here's a few shots from the match anyways.

Sounders FC sponsored by XBOX 360!

2008-05-28T14:58:00.001-07:00

So I was sitting in section 121 at Qwest Field, listening to Joe Roth talk about how he (quite impressively) had woken up at 5 AM in Los Angeles this morning and had gotten to Seattle for the jersey unveiling at 11:30. I reached into my bag to pull out my camera and turned it on. The words "change batteries" showed up on the screen. I stared at it in sadness for about 15 seconds and put it away. So, no pictures from the event. Instead, here's an image of our new jersey!

Can't complain. It's unique (no other team in MLS has a green jersey) and doesn't look too busy or too boring. With over 16,000 season deposits being made, you can bet that these jerseys will be flying off of the shelves just as soon as they're on them in the first place. Which could be as soon as this Saturday. Some sort of merchandise will be available at the Qwest Field team shop by this Saturday, but it's unlikely (not impossible) that this jersey is among stuff available to purchase. We'll find out...

Another announcement... tomorrow

2008-05-27T18:59:00.000-07:00

First there was the official team announcement back in November. Then there was the naming a couple of months ago. Now the next step in the short but glorious history of Seattle Sounders FC is about to occur, and this one is open to all fans. The team jersey is about to be unveiled and everyone is invited to to witness it at Qwest Field tomorrow at 11:30 AM. And as usual, there's a leak. I'm not going to link to the supposed photo of the kit simply because I'd probably be asked to take it down anyways. In any case, the real thing will be available to be seen soon enough. In addition, I'll be going and taking plenty of pictures. If you want to say hi and tell me how awesome/awful/other adjective this blog is, I'll be the tall skinny guy in the blue pinstriped USA jersey. Come on down - it's free and hopefully fun!

The curious case of Ryan Johnson

2008-05-23T14:04:00.000-07:00

Last night against Houston, San Jose had arguably their best game of the season, a gritty 2-1 win over their new rivals. I've written about their lack of forward production, but they got two goals yesterday and created many dangerous chances. This is mostly because of one key lineup change - 23 year old Jamaican utilityman Ryan Johnson started at forward and proceeded to use his size and speed to bother the Houston defense all night. Although he had been quite effective as a reserve in previous games this season, this was his breakout game and it probably won him a place in the starting 11 until further notice. His stock appears to be rising rapidly.

So why is this relevant up here in Seattle? Well, what most people may not know is just how close Johnson came to being a Sounder this year in USL. According to Adrian Hanauer about a month ago, "Ryan Johnson was on his way to Seattle for a trial... literally itinerary arranged... and Frank Yallop called him and got him to SJ. Unfortunately, the MLS clubs have more pull when it comes to a young talented player like that. He was definitely on our radar though." With Seattle currently needing help at forward as well, this becomes even more of an unfortunate missed opportunity. It also shows just how great of a difference there is between the USL and MLS, at least in the perception of most players - Johnson was happy to ditch the USL champs at the drop of a hat to go to an MLS expansion team.

Ryan Johnson is a player that I (and probably Hanauer) have been hoping to pick up in next years expansion draft. So while his breakout game is a good sign of the natural talent we saw in him, it obviously may make him that much more valuable to San Jose, and maybe valuable enough to protect him and not allow him to be drafted by Seattle after this season. Even if we can't pick him up, he's the type of player we should be targeting for 2009 - young, talented (if somewhat raw) and with lots of upside.

See the jersey! And - stuff is on sale!

2008-05-22T00:15:00.000-07:00

10 months ahead of Seattle's first game in MLS, the team is prepared to unveil their jerseys. Will a kit sponsor for the front be already on, or will that come later in fall or winter? Either way, it should be a good time if you happen to be within range of downtown Seattle next Wednesday. The announcement will take place at Qwest Field on May 28 and officially starts at 11:30. I would expect (and hope!) that they have some Sounders FC gear of some type to give away at the event...

(Thursday night edit) Also things are now on sale at the MLS store online! It's not much, but you can now purchase official Sounders FC items such as flags and license plate frames. Ch-check it out here.

The membership scheme revealed

2008-05-18T22:53:00.000-07:00

"I order the club sandwich all the time and I'm not even a member, man. I don't know how I get away with it." (Mitch Hedberg)

Drew Carey was in town Friday to talk to fans at Kells Irish Pub downtown. He said that the process of the Sounders ownership group coming together to get their place in MLS took "less time than the R. Kelly trial." Aside from being a funnyman, he was there to reveal details about the increasingly famous membership system that he and the Sounders FC are implementing.

The best part is that it's all free to season-ticket holders! Of course, anyone else can pay $125 a year to join. Every 4 years there will be a vote among all members whether or not to keep the current GM. More than 50% of votes are needed to vote the GM out. (The club will still pick the new GM.) Also, members can call a vote in any given year with at least 20% of members signing. And there was mention of a 'membership council.' Any member with 25 others backing him or her gets to be on the council, which meets a couple times a year to hear directly from the suits and give their input.

The team is definitely taking some big steps to involve the fans, as they have so often promised. Drew was very clear in pointing out to the fans in attendance that "it'll be your team, for sure." Words like that from the team's owner are great, but the actual system being implemented and measures being taken to involve the fans are even better.

Seattle won't host World Cup qualifiers this fall

2008-05-14T20:39:00.000-07:00

Bleh.

This is extremely disappointing. Seattle had been one of 6 cities vying to host one of 3 games, but were not chosen. Hard to understand why, really - with SSFC coming next year the timing was perfect, Seattle is a long ways from each of the potential opponent countries, and Qwest hasn't been used much by the USMNT. Of course, there's still the chance of getting a game in Qwest Field for the final round of WC qualification, which goes on during the better part of 2009. So there's still hope for a meaningful Mens National team game in the moderately near future.

Marcus Hahnemann and the goalkeeper puzzle

2008-05-11T17:11:00.000-07:00

As a Seattle native, Marcus Hahnemann has been targeted as a potential Sounder in MLS almost since the team was announced. As somewhat of a response, three-ish weeks ago he wrote, "...let me shout it loud and clear. Playing for the Sounders again is an attractive proposition but there are only two things on my mind right now. No 1: keeping Reading in the Premier League. No 2: having a better campaign in the top flight next season." This was, of course, absolutely the right thing to say.

However, thanks to a Fulham away win, Reading were relegated from the Premier league today. So who knows what is on Hahnemann's mind now. With Reading going down and probably choosing to offload some of their pricier players, SSFC might have just been given a very good opportunity to sign the 36 year old keeper.

The USL Sounders already have a very strong goalkeeper in Chris Eylander, who was one of USL's best last year (and just held league-leading Portland to a scoreless draw last night). So keeper is not necessarily a position of need. But Eylander has publicly said that he would love to play understudy to either Hahnemann or local boy/Fulham keeper Kasey Keller (who almost certainly will be staying at his club next year). If Hahnemann is ready to come home in the summer of 2009 when his contract runs out, the Sounders will find a way to make it happen. It all depends on him at this point, and the rest of us will have to wait and see.

Le Toux official and other related things

2008-05-08T23:15:00.000-07:00

Thanks to David at Goal Seattle we learned that Sebastien Le Toux is the first Sounders FC signee sometime last month. Well, apparently word just got around to the newspapers, because it wasn't officially announced until yesterday. (No idea on the contract information, but we'd guess 80k to 100k a year for 3 or 4 years). While that is no new information, there are a few things to be learned from this announcement.

- The internet is your friend, as far as breaking news goes. We had the official team name figured out ahead of time and Goal Seattle had the Le Toux thing way ahead of time. And it's not just us. As we get further into the internet age, bloggers are being able to get information about any number of subjects much faster than newspapers and get it online immediately, while a print paper may take a week or more to get a story printed. It is and will continue to be a big shift in the way the public gets their information.

-To complete this signing, SSFC signed Le Toux, then immediately loaned him to the USL Sounders for the remainder of this season. Huh.

- Here's USL Sounders coach Brian Schmetzer, via the Indirect Kick blog. "We’ve developed him on the USL level. Now he’s made the jump to Seattle Sounders FC. We hope to do that with six, eight, 10 of (the USL Sounders) and hopefully we can have a good nucleus of the team for ’09." All we're going to say about that is if they seriously think 8 or 10 guys can go from the USL to MLS, the 2009 season is going to be a very painful one to watch. For some perspective: Le Toux, last seasons USL MVP, only wound up on the Sounders after he was cut from FC Dallas. Let's hope this quote from Schmetzer is just motivational and not an insight into the strategy of SSFC.

San Jose's forward problem, and how Seattle can avoid one of their own

2008-05-05T17:29:00.000-07:00

A little more than a month into the MLS season might be a bit early to declare the season lost for the San Jose Earthquakes. From their 5 matches they have garnered a win and a draw, and have looked well ahead of where last year's expansion team, Toronto FC, were at this point last year. They focused on building from the back, and thus they have an average-MLS-caliber defense and a very good keeper in Joe Cannon. But they made a sacrifice to do so, and that sacrifice is on the offensive end.

San Jose's forward corps is basically made up of bench players. Kei Kamara and Gavin Glinton, the two normal starters, are nothing special at all. Glinton in particular has been wildly unproductive thus far, putting just 2 shots on goal even though he's been given 4 starts. Newly acquired Peguero Jean Phillippe is sort of an unknown quantity, though his skill level probably lies somewhere in between 'meh' and 'decent.' They've even resorted to trying rookie winger Shea Salinas up front. Needless to say, the production has been less than spectacular. They have just 2 goals in 5 games, and what we've seen of their attack has not impressed us at all.

What San Jose has shown us is this. For 2009, the Sounders cannot afford to try and build their striker corps through the expansion draft and with the best of their USL side. Of the two main current Sounders forwards, Sebastien Le Toux probably projects to be a midfielder or winger in MLS, and Roger Levesque is aging and definitely not MLS starter quality. So they will need to look abroad for at least one and probably two good strikers. We can optimistically assume that some young forward will be signed out of Africa or South America due to Adrian Hanauer's travels. So let's look to Europe.

Three obvious names are out there. Cam Weaver, former Sounder and current striker in Sweden. Preston Zimmerman, a local 19 year old playing for Hamburg SV. And of course Thierry Henry, who has recently said that the only EPL team he would transfer to would be Arsenal, somewhat of an unrealistic proposition given that club's tight financial drawstrings. Yet Mr. Henry is probably going to be shown the door at Barcelona this summer. Don't get your hopes up, but that possibility remains out there. That would be the best way to avoid having a boring, unproductive San Jose-esque offense come 2009.

Tickets, please

2008-05-01T20:52:00.000-07:00

You can buy tickets for the Brazil-Canada match May 31 as of now. Technically, only season-ticket holders are able to do so, but even if you're not one, go to the Ticketmaster website, find the match and enter the code of SOUNDERSFC. We won't tell if you won't.

Also, for the clever fans who already have their season tickets locked up, seat selection is now available. (That information's been emailed to you, of course.) The link here lets you see the view in Qwest from each section, as well as price and stuff. We'll probably be in section 139 or 140, and the supporters groups will be chanting, cheering and getting their drink on in sections 121-123. Ticket prices are actually quite reasonable, starting with under $300 for the 18-game season package, so we'll play advertiser and tell you to sign up if you haven't already. Really, if you're a soccer fan, why wouldn't you?

(Tried to link a picture of the seating map, but it's taking like 20 minutes to upload for some reason, so instead you can view it here.)

O Brasil vem a Seattle!

2008-04-29T21:21:00.000-07:00

The match is booked - Brazil will play Canada in Qwest Field at 7:30 on Saturday, May 31! With World Cup Qualifying coming up for both countries, they should be fielding something very close to their full sides. This is obviously most exciting for the Brazilians that may be playing in the Emerald City, as this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for most Seattleites to see Ronaldinho, Robinho and a host of other superstars.

We aren't thrilled about the ticket prices - the cheapest are going to run 35 dollars - but that's a minor negative to a fantastic situation. Besides, the match shouldn't have any problem selling out the entirety of Qwest. The Mariners have a daygame that day, so parking won't be ridiculous. And hopefully in a month's time, the Sounders will have some gear adorned with their new logo for the 67,000 soccer fans to get their hands on. Now all that's left is to get our hands on some tickets - available Monday for all you commoners not already signed up for Sounders 09 season tickets. Probably Saturday for those that are.

Cuban connection?

2008-04-28T00:38:00.000-07:00

We've got word that three defectors from the Cuban U-23 national team - keeper Jose Manuel Miranda, midfielder Yordany Alvarez and defender and former captain Yenier Bermudez - are probably on their way to Seattle to try out. Sounders fans may remember a similar situation, as three years ago Cuban striker Maykel Galindo defected, joined the Sounders and scored a few goals while battling injuries. He has since gone on to start for Chivas USA and has scored 13 goals over the last 2 years in MLS. Are Miranda, Alvarez and Bermudez potential MLS players? Hard to say.

We're still trying to get more details on the situation of these three players, but here's the jist of it. The three Cubans tried out for the LA Galaxy and Chivas USA over the last week or so, but were unable to sign contracts basically since they don't currently have identification. Quite possibly, when they get said identification in the coming months, Seattle will be fighting with the two Los Angeles clubs to sign these promising players. Someone should introduce them to the Mariners' Cuban shortstop Yuniesky Betancourt when they arrive. Or maybe buy them a sandwich from Paseo.

And from the LA Times, here's the back story on Miranda, Alvarez and Bermudez. It's really a fascinating one.

(MONDAY NIGHT EDIT: Still no word on whether or not the three are in Seattle yet, but the Sounders have definitely been talking with them.)

Leaders of the attack

2008-04-26T14:46:00.000-07:00

Going into the 2008 MLS season, the Colorado Rapids were expected to be a mediocre team just contending for a playoff spot. The Columbus Crew were supposed to be on the outside looking in at the playoffs and Toronto, well, Toronto FC were widely predicted to be in a battle with San Jose for the label of 'worst team in MLS'.

Of course, all three teams have started off very brightly, and the common factor can easily be found. Each has a dynamic central attacking midfielder pulling the strings: Columbus has Guillermo Barros Schelotto (shown here), Colorado is led by their prize offseason acquisition Christian Gomez, and Toronto just recently picked up the mercurial but extremely talented Amado Guevara (who just turned in a 2 goal performance, leading the Canadian club to their third straight win). Each of those players is definitely in the All-Star running, and all are very exciting to watch.

Which brings us to Seattle. For 2009, the Sounders will be bringing up a few players from the USL side, and sprinkling in several more from the expansion draft. But neither of these routes of player acquisition is going to bring in a dangerous attacking midfielder, and if the Sounders run a diamond midfield (which the most likely coaching candidate, current Seattle coach Brian Schmetzer, does), the importance of this position will be magnified even more. In their worldwide search for a Designated Player and other international talent, Adrian Hanauer and co. would be wise to make filling this position their number one priority.

Ticket prices on the way!

2008-04-24T01:53:00.000-07:00

A seating and season ticket pricing guide should be released within a week. Probably next Monday, but don't quote us on that. The cheapest seats (those on the endline) will be about 18 to 20 bucks per game for season ticket holders, and the other seats will be.... more than that. Anything other details we'd just be guessing at. If you can't wait, hit up this link to check out the views from all the different Qwest Field sections.

Apologies for the short and detail-less update, but... well, it's 2 in the bloody morning.

There is a team in the city already...

2008-04-21T22:24:00.000-07:00

Somewhat lost in the announcement of the team name and badge, as well as the various superstar rumors, is the fact that the current iteration of the Seattle Sounders have just begun their season and their attempt to defend their USL title. Not surprising, really, since the first game (played last Saturday afternoon) was in relative obscurity, across the country in Charleston, SC. Compare that to the season opener for this year's MLS expansion club - the San Jose Earthquakes opened in LA in a primetime Thursday night game!

The Sounders managed to get a point in a 1-1 draw thanks to a late goal from Kenji Treschuk, one of many hopefuls to make the big club in 2009. But the focus this year will undoubtedly not be on results, but on developing for next year. Pretty much every regular starter has a chance of playing for Seattle Sounders FC, with some more likely than others (and with striker Sebastien Le Toux basically a lock already.) Names to keep tabs on (in our humble opinion) are midfielders Treschuk and Kevin Sakuda, defenders Zack Scott and Taylor Graham, keeper Chris Eylander, and a handful of others. We'll be watching them closely, and you should too.

New targets needed

2008-04-20T16:24:00.000-07:00

It appears that both Thierry Henry and Juan Roman Riquelme can be crossed off the list of superstars with a chance of joining the Sounders. Riquelme has recently said that he wants to stay with his current club, Boca Juniors of Argentina, for the remainder of his career. And just yesterday this article came out which says Henry wishes to leave Barcelona and go back to play in England so he can see his daughter more often. Playing across the globe in Seattle wouldn't exactly fit for him, then.

In the meantime, Adrian Hanauer will continue traveling around the world, as he recently got back from Argentina (ostensibly just to scout, not to try and convince Riquelme) and will soon head to Africa. For now, it seems, attempts at coaxing a big-name player to the Pacific Northwest for 2009 will be put on hold.

Mexico-China a success, Brazil-Canada up next

2008-04-16T23:12:00.000-07:00

Does one good turnout deserve another?

That may be the case in Seattle soccer. The national teams of Brazil and Canada are reportedly close to an agreement to play a friendly match sometime this summer at Qwest Field. This comes on the heels of the smashing success of the Mexico-China friendly at the same stadium, which Mexico won 1-0. Originally sales for this match were limited to the lower bowl of 24,000, but the match ended up selling more than DOUBLE that amount of tickets - over 56,000 were in attendance!

The Brazil-Canada match isn't finalized and no date has been set, but it will surely draw a comparable crowd. Brazil is always a big draw wherever they play, and the fact that the match should take place in the summer means that many Brazilian stars in European leagues (dare we say Ronaldinho?) will be available. They'll face an almost certainly outmatched Canadian side that could feature Houston Dynamo catalyst Dwayne Derosario (our fave MLS player). We'll have more details as we get them.

Here's a video featuring goals from both Ronaldinho and Derosario.
And here's the Seattle PI blurb.

The keeper conundrum

2008-04-15T19:13:00.000-07:00

We're still half a year away from the serious roster building stuff, and already a potential roster conflict is emerging. But it's a good kind of conflict. Seattle Sounders FC will likely be able to choose between Kasey Keller and Marcus Hahnemann, both world-class keepers with local ties: Keller is from Lacey, Hahnemann is an SPU graduate and former Sounder from Seattle. And both have recently expressed serious interest in playing in Seattle.

Keller: "It’s an extremely attractive proposition. Hopefully at some stage it becomes a viable option, and coming from that area, it’s obviously something I’d find extremely interesting... there is a relationship (with the owners), and if it becomes something, then I’m all for it. If it doesn’t, I’ll still be a fan of the new franchise."

Hahnemann: "They (SSFC) are doing everything right and eventually when Reading don’t want me any more and I get sick of driving on the wrong side of the road and buying petrol instead of gas then I might leave... I know a lot of people are really excited to be getting a team in the MLS in Seattle and I am sure that those same people are, like myself, very pleased with what we saw. This may make coming home much easier."

Obviously, having either one of these players, both veterans selected for the 2006 World Cup, would be incredible both from a playing and a marketing standpoint. The first thought would probably be to take whichever one we can get. Both of their teams, especially Keller's Fulham, are in danger of being relegated from the lucrative English Premier League, so that could be a factor as well. We'll be watching closely to see whether Fulham and Hahnemann's Reading are sent down here in the last few weeks of the EPL season.

Take a look at this

2008-04-12T17:53:00.001-07:00

As much as we would love to take credit for this, we can't - it was emailed to us, but we don't know who created the thing. If you know where it came from originally let us know and we'll give them props.

Also, what do you think? Too 'out there,' or groovy and unique?

More 'superstar to Seattle' speculation

2008-04-09T21:41:00.000-07:00

Talks about Thierry Henry have cooled off, for now, due in part to the enormous fee it would cost and the fact that clubs like Chelsea are potentially in the running to acquire his services. But the Sounders (we can call them that now, yay!) are still clearly going to be looking for a player of international quality to lead their team in 2009. With that said, here's a guy they may be looking at.... Juan Roman Riquelme.

Here's why. According to Telam, Argentina's official news agency, MLS has just recently offered 15 million dollars for the Argentine superstar (currently playing for Boca Juniors in his home country). Combine that information with Seattle's deep pockets, the recent comments about going after a big name if available, and the fact that Adrian Hanauer IS on his way to Argentina today or tomorrow, and this possibility seems like it has a chance.

Obviously, this has a long shot of actually happening. If it did, though... wow. Riquelme, unlike Henry, is in his prime, and is one of the best attacking midfielders in the world. We'll be keeping tabs on this as it (hopefully) develops.

To the haters

2008-04-08T21:16:00.001-07:00

Ok, obviously not everyone is going to be thrilled with the new name and colors, although a large majority of Seattleites seem to be. We have no problem with that - everyone's opinion is valid. However, we do have a problem with those threatening to quit the club, saying that you dislike the name so much that you won't support the team.

Look, the name was decided by a vote. Almost half the people voting chose some variation of 'Sounders' as the preferred name. It was clearly the most popular choice. To make an analogy, if a political leader like the president is decided by popular vote, and someone you don't like is elected, there's really nothing you can do about it. You can gripe, sure, but at the end of the day the leader was chosen by the will of the people. The people threatening to abandon Seattle MLS are like the people who threaten to move to Canada if their choice for president isn't elected.

And hey, the club's sold over 14000 deposits for season tickets, and in all likelihood is going to sell out their entire first season. There's no shortage of fans who WILL support Sounders FC, so we probably won't miss any of you who refuse to support our new club.

Here it is, in all its glory

2008-04-07T12:40:00.001-07:00

SEATTLE SOUNDERS FC

2008-04-06T22:34:00.000-07:00

We're not afraid to call it now - Seattle Sounders FC will enter MLS in 2009.

How do we know? Well, we've suspected it for around a month now, as we referenced in an earlier post. When the names to be voted upon were announced, we were confused - no mention of anything Sounders! At the time, the only available options to vote upon were Seattle Alliance, Seattle Republic and Seattle FC. They were registered trademarks and were also registered as websites by MLS Seattle. It seemed we were way off... but then the option to write in names was announced. And on March 31, last Monday, SeattleSoundersFC.net was registered by First and Goal (the operators of Qwest Field).

As of tonight, SeattleRepublic.net, SeattleAlliance.net and SeattleFC.net are all simply parked domain names. But SeattleSoundersFC.net gives us this message- "Coming Soon!
This site is under construction." Bingo.

Seattle Sounders FC. A combination of what were probably the two most popular choices. A combination of worldly and local tradition. We're pretty happy with the name. But don't let this stop you from watching the announcement at noon tomorrow (April 7), because we've yet to see our (undoubtedly splendid) new logo!