[Mental-Man]

Here is the latest from last Saturdays match here in Seattle, was avery drap and dull affair but it came to life towards the very end of the game.

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Scoreless in Seattle
Posted by: Matt Gaschk

08/29/2009
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“When you have one foot in a hole and one on a banana peel who’s the one who’s going to bring the rope?" says Sigi Schmid after a 0-0 draw with Toronto FC.
SEATTLE -- It was a physical meeting Saturday afternoon at Qwest Field as the Sounders FC met up with Toronto FC in front of 32,679. Seattle was looking to get on track at home, while Toronto was seeking revenge from a 2-0 home loss to the Sounders in April.

Neither got what they were looking for as they battled to a scoreless draw.

“It’s important that we sort it out,” Schmid said. “When you have one foot in a hole and one on a banana peel who’s the one who’s going to bring the rope?”

Freddie Ljungberg and Osvaldo Alonso managed three shots each and Dwayne De Rosario led Toronto with four. But Kasey Keller and Stefan Frei both kept the ball out of the net, earning the eighth shutout of the season for Keller and the fifth for Frei.

“There are some positives that come out of this game,” Keller said. “But, we want to obviously be an attacking team that makes things exciting for our home fans. That just hasn’t happened the last few games.”

Toronto FC set the tone early, as De Rosario got out on the run for a ball from Frei. Jhon Kennedy Hurtado slid to force him to the outside and Keller cut off his angle, leaving De Rosario with a shot outside the near post in the third minute.

Toronto’s string of offense continued throughout the first half as De Rosario found Chad Barrett for a diving header that was just wide of the net in the 22nd minute and Sam Cronin caught the cross-bar with a shot from distance one minute later.

“I thought they dominated the first half. We were lucky to be 0-0 at half,” Sounders FC head coach Sigi Schmid said. “Obviously, I’m not pleased and we could have played better. Some guys had to roll up their sleeves more than we expected. This was not one of our Top 10 performances.”

Seattle came out on fire in the second half, getting three great chances in a four-minute stretch. In the 61st minute, Fredy Montero and Steve Zakuani worked a nifty give-and-go on the left side. Montero dropped the ball back to Osvaldo Alonso for a shot, but it missed wide.

In the 63rd minute, Freddie Ljungberg’s shot was punched over the bar by Frei and two minutes later his shot from distance went just wide of the net and the score remained tied at 0-0.

A physical game turned hairy in the 70th minute when Hurtado tackled De Rosario along the sideline. De Rosario stood up and shoved Hurtado, prompting a melee near the Toronto bench. Ljungberg was among those that charged into the fray and, along with De Rosario, was issued a yellow card on the play. Ljungberg’s yellow means he will miss Seattle’s next league game, a road match with DC United on Sept. 12.

“There had already been a couple occurrences where it appeared they pushed our guys into the boards. That wasn’t dealt with, so it was probably a push from us and De Rosario reacted,” Schmid said.

In the waning moments of the game, Seattle had three more good opportunities, as Alonso spun a bicycle kick wide in the 90th minute. Then Sebastien Le Toux touched a ball to Frei and Alonso missed on another scoring chance in stoppage time.

“Everybody is thinking at this time of the year that you got to get your form right to go into playoffs. Right now, we are not even a playoff team. We don’t have that form to even make the playoffs. It’s something we need to change quickly.”

The draw moves the Sounders to 8-6-10 on the season (34 points), just ahead of Chivas USA (10-8-3, 33 points) for third in the Western Conference standings. Toronto is 8-8-7 (31 points) and is third in the Eastern Conference.

Seattle’s next match is the US Open Cup final at RFK Stadium Wednesday night against DC United. They will return to DC for their next league match against United on Sept. 12.

[Mental-Man]

We finally got our 1st major silverware , great achievement for our 1st year in the MLS.

US Open Cup win means Champions League berth
Posted by: Matt Gaschk

09/4/2009
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The Sounders FC will fill up their slate with international play beginning next July.
With their 2-1 win over DC United in the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup Wednesday, it now appears certain that the Sounders FC will play in the 2010-2011 CONCACAF Champions League.

“With their average attendance this year, the Sounders will be a great addition to the Champions League. We can’t wait to have them," CONCACAF General Secretary Chuck Blazer said.

“For me this is an enormous milestone. This is one of those goals we set for ourselves and allows us to reach our fiver-year goal to play in the World Club Championships,” Sounders FC owner/general manager Adrian Hanauer said. “This is the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow for the Open Cup. We are happy we won the tournament, but the big prize is the Champions League.”

The Sounders fantastic run through the Open Cup, which saw them top two MLS teams in play-in games, a USL club and three more MLS teams to win the tournament, means that next July they will enter the 24-team regional tournament.

Historically, the winners of the MLS Cup, the Supporter’s Shield (for best regular season record) and US Open Cup, along with the runners-up in the MLS Cup have advanced to the CONCACAF Champions League. The rest of the tournament is made of teams from Mexico and Canada, as well as several Central American and Caribbean countries, including Panama, Guatemala, El Salvador and Puerto Rico, among others.

In previous years, the winners of the Supporters Shield and MLS Cup went straight to the group phase and the other two teams entered in the play-in round, which is a home-and-home series with another CONCACAF team with the winner entering the group stage.

This means a likely increase in games on the schedule and, thus, increased revenue for the Sounders FC and an rise in the profile of the team’s brand both locally and internationally. But it also means more strain on the lineup.

“Long-term, we need to find the best way to optimize our roster for league play and the Open Cup and now we are adding Champions League to the fixture list,” Hanauer said. “It makes you think about how to juggle the tournaments because we go into all three trying to win.”

That means the Sounders will need a deep roster, but that is not different than this year, and particularly in the Open Cup final, when Seattle started only seven regular starters because of injuries and suspensions.

This year, the Champions League opened the preliminary round in late July. Group stage will run from August-October, with the quarterfinals in late February and early March, the semifinals in March and April and the finals concluding in May. The winner of the tournament advances to the FIFA Club World Cup, which feature the winners from all six championship confederations and the host country.

[Mental-Man]

Here is the match reports from the Cup final,

Sounders FC tops DC 2-1 to win US Open Cup
Posted by: Matt Gaschk

09/2/2009
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Fredy Montero and Roger Levesque each scored as the Sounders hoisted their first trophy in franchise history.
WASHINGTON, DC – The Sounders FC came into the MLS with promises of colorful play and trophies and a desire to play international soccer.

All three were met on Wednesday night when the Sounders topped DC United 2-1 to capture their first major trophy, earning a trip to CONCACAF Champions League.

“It means an awful lot for this club, for the organization, for the fans – all the support we’ve gotten all season,” Sounders FC head coach Sigi Schmid said. “To win our first trophy in our first year … qualifies us for Champions League, which is another big thing for our fans. I’m really happy about that.”

Fredy Montero and Roger Levesque scored for the Sounders and Kasey Keller finished with six saves to earn the win and hoist the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup.

The Sounders got off to a fast start with several hundred of the 17,329 in attendance at RFK Stadium wearing rave green uniforms and cheering them on.

Montero opened with a shot from 24 yards out that missed wide right, then a minute later had a shot saved by DC United keeper Josh Wicks.

Those efforts continued throughout the first half and Seattle outshot DC 9-6, but the score remained 0-0 at halftime.

In the second half, Seattle again got off to a quick start. But in the 61st minute it looked like the tides may turn. Steve Zakuani chased after a ball against the left sideline, but pulled up with some cramping in his leg. One of Seattle’s consistent threats throughout the game, Zakuani appeared done for the night when he was taken off the field grimacing. But he and Schmid agreed to keep him on the field and the gamble paid off.

In the 67th minute, Zakuani took off up the left side before leading Freddie Ljungberg with a pass just outside the box. Ljungberg took it in and shot, but Wicks knocked the ball away. That left the ball at Montero’s feet and he hammered it into the net for a 1-0 Sounders FC lead.

“It was a good play from Ljungberg. I thought the ball would rebound, so I positioned myself and I got the opportunity and it was a good goal,” Montero said through a translator.

After the play, Wicks was issued a red card for violent conduct and was ejected from the game, leaving DC down a man for the remainder of the match.

With the ball at Ljungberg’s feet, the Sounders continued to put their foot on the gas, pressing the ball forward at every turn.

But in the 86th minute, it was a late-game sub in Levesque that gave Seattle the deciding goal. Sebastien Le Toux, who came to the MLS club from the Seattle Sounders USL club like Levesque, took the ball off the feet of DC United defender Dejan Jakovic and slid it across the box to Levesque at the far post. In an instant, Levesque popped it into the back of the net and celebrated the 2-0 lead.

“(I wanted to) run down on the field and give him a hug,” Sounders FC owner/GM Adrian Hanauer said. “That felt like the nail in the coffin.”

Hanauer was the owner/GM for the USL franchise as well and was clearly excited to see players graduate to the MLS level and have such momentous successes, as was Schmid.

“It’s good to see some of the old Sounders being very involved in the new Sounders winning this cup,” Schmid said.

The win was made a bit more interesting in the 88th minute when a Sounder foul just outside the box gave DC United a free kick. The ball bounced out to Rodney Wallace, who touched it to the right side for Clyde Simms. With an open net in front of him Simms scored the goal to bring the tally to 2-1.

Through five minutes of stoppage time, the Sounders hunkered down against a desperate DC United attack.

“It seemed like those last five minutes took forever,” Levesque said. “When the whistle finally blew, we knew it was our time to celebrate.”

Just a few months into their inaugural season, the Sounders already have their first trophy, though the possibility of early success was one of the reasons he came to Seattle from the MLS Cup champion Columbus Crew in the off-season.

“You always hope and you always dream. You never know how quickly it’s going to come together,” Schmid said. “We felt we had built something that was pretty good and we got off to a good start. It’s probably a little bit of a surprise, but nothing unexpected.”

[Mental-Man]

Sounders beat DC United again in the league, Montero with the winner !!

Sounders FC tops DC United 2-1 on the road
Posted by: Matt Gaschk

09/12/2009
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Steve Zakuani and Fredy Montero score to give the Sounders their third win in their last four road matches.
WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Sounders FC walked into RFK Stadium in our nation’s capital after a 10-day break, but the result was exactly the same as their previous trip to DC, a 2-1 victory over a strong DC United squad.

Seattle got goals from Steve Zakuani and Fredy Montero while Kasey Keller had two saves to push the Sounders to an unbeaten record at 3-0-1 in their last four road matches.

Seattle got off to a fast start when Pete Vagenas sent a long ball to Zakuani up the left side. With no one but Josh Wicks to beat, Zakuani nutmegged the DC keeper for his fourth goal of the season to put the Sounders up 1-0 in the fifth minute.

“When you get a goal that early that helps your team settle,” Sounders FC head coach Sigi Schmid said. “We felt that going into the game the first 15 or 20 minutes were going to be really important. We wanted to make sure we matched whatever they threw out there and that goal helped us.”

The first half saw continued pressure from both sides with great defensive efforts and physical play from both sides keeping the score at 1-0 heading into halftime.

“It’s always going to be physical from the standpoint that teams are fighting for their lives now because everybody wants to get into the playoffs,” Schmid said. “The main thing is that our team believed in itself and that its going to be a physical game and they know that they are on that (playoff) borderline as well.”

DC put some pressure on the Sounders to start the second half and Rodney Wallace capitalized by knocking in a redirected shot for the equalizer in the 54th minute.

United continued to put on the pressure, but Keller put a stop to any DC efforts and the score remained tied going into the late stages.

“Emilio got in and was unlucky not to score and other than that the rest of the shots came from distance,” Seattle defender James Riley said. “I thought we had a lot of quality chances in the first half and could have been up by more than one and their goal comes off a ricochet, it’s not like they went right through us.”

Riley turned that DC pressure into an attack, slipping the ball to Montero on the right side and Montero blistered a bending shot inside the far post to beat Wicks for his 11th goal of the season in the 84th minute.

“Obviously Montero can strike a great ball and when he turns around and gets all of it it’s difficult for keepers to handle it. He hit it well, it beat him near post and it was good because it was a turning point in the game where they certainly had a little more of the game; they were starting to dominate the game or more possession for sure,” Schmid said.

The win improves the Sounders to 9-6-10 (37 points) on the season, moving them ahead of the Colorado Rapids for third in the Western Conference standings and fifth in the MLS playoff picture. DC United drops to 8-6-12 (36 points) with the loss.

“We knew we had a lot of away games coming up at the end of the season and it’s nice to be able to catch that away form,” Keller said. “People enjoy coming to our house to play because of the atmosphere and the crowd. So we have to continue to stamp our authority at home as well. But very happy that we got that road monkey off our back and are now feeling comfortable leaving Seattle.”

Seattle was playing without midfielder Freddie Ljungberg, who was suspended because of yellow card accumulation, and had defender Tyrone Marshall and midfielder Brad Evans both coming off the bench late in the game.

The Sounders will face Chivas USA in their next match, a noon kickoff on Saturday at Qwest Field.

[Mental-Man]

I heard that Mr Ian Doyle is Fredy's biggest fan over in Waterford

Man on Fire
Posted by: Matt Gaschk

09/15/2009
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Fredy Montero turns a hard foul into motivation and runs through DC United.
Fredy Montero had every reason to be angry. After scoring the opening goal in the US Open Cup final against DC United Sept. 3, he looked up to see Josh Wicks stomping down on him, leaving the DC United keeper with a red card ejection and Montero cut and bruised.

Ten days later, Montero looked like a man set on revenge when he chased relentlessly after balls all over the field and battled for possession in the midfield.

One thing Sounders coach Sigi Schmid liked about the play of his top scorer was that, even after suffering three fouls in the game’s first 11 minutes, Montero remained focused on the task at hand.

“He didn’t lose his composure. He didn’t react to any of that. He kept plugging away. I thought it was a very mature performance,” Schmid said.

It was a bellwether game for the Colombian striker, who is third in Major League Soccer with 11 goals and has six assists to boot. Not only was he a force in the midfield, but he scored the game-winning goal in the 84th minute on a hair-trigger shot from inside the box that seemed to go through Wicks’ hands and into the net.

“He’s such a dynamic player, if he’s able to be physical (it sets the tempo),” said defender James Riley, whose brilliantly placed ball assisted Montero’s explosive goal. “I thought he did very well shedding off tackles and getting in on a few.”

Earlier in the game, Riley cut toward the penalty box from the right side and sent a cross into the box, only to have Wicks grab it out of the air. This time around, he played it hard to the feet of Montero going to the right side of the box and Montero converted it for the goal.

“He’s always a threat. That’s what goal-scorers can do,” Riley said. “He happened to get a half-chance and he turned it into a goal.”

It had been a streaky year for Montero, who scored three goals in the first two games of the season and looked like he would run away with the Budweiser Golden Boot. But then he went silent for seven games and it seemed like the league may have caught up to the frequent changes of pace and style of play of the 21-year-old star.

Then he scored in a 2-2 draw with Colorado May 23. Then it was a goal in five straight league games. Now he’s scored in three of the last four Sounders FC road matches, including the Open Cup final. Not coincidentally, the Sounders are 3-0-1 in that stretch away from Qwest Field.

“He’s been very good for the most part. I think he had a couple of phases when he drifted away a little bit in terms of his being able to have success and score goals, but I think also, as the season has gone on, that he has really matured,” Schmid said. “I think as the season’s progressed, he’s become more confident. He’s adjusted to the pace of the game while not losing his specialness and his own pace of playing.”

A big part of that maturation was staying on his feet amidst the punishment against DC United. His five fouls suffered increased his league-leading total to 53 and he even doled out some blows of his own.

“It sets a tone for our team from the standpoint of not losing our composure and keeping the focus on our game,” Schmid said. “When we can do that, it makes us better.”

Montero and the Sounders are set to face Chivas USA Saturday at noon at Qwest Field in a meeting of two teams that are amidst the tight Western Conference playoff race.

[Partizan]

Mental-Man, on 19 September 2009 - 06:51 AM, said:

I heard that Mr Ian Doyle is Fredy's biggest fan over in Waterford

Man on Fire
Posted by: Matt Gaschk

09/15/2009
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Fredy Montero turns a hard foul into motivation and runs through DC United.
Fredy Montero had every reason to be angry. After scoring the opening goal in the US Open Cup final against DC United Sept. 3, he looked up to see Josh Wicks stomping down on him, leaving the DC United keeper with a red card ejection and Montero cut and bruised.

Ten days later, Montero looked like a man set on revenge when he chased relentlessly after balls all over the field and battled for possession in the midfield.

One thing Sounders coach Sigi Schmid liked about the play of his top scorer was that, even after suffering three fouls in the game’s first 11 minutes, Montero remained focused on the task at hand.

“He didn’t lose his composure. He didn’t react to any of that. He kept plugging away. I thought it was a very mature performance,” Schmid said.

It was a bellwether game for the Colombian striker, who is third in Major League Soccer with 11 goals and has six assists to boot. Not only was he a force in the midfield, but he scored the game-winning goal in the 84th minute on a hair-trigger shot from inside the box that seemed to go through Wicks’ hands and into the net.

“He’s such a dynamic player, if he’s able to be physical (it sets the tempo),” said defender James Riley, whose brilliantly placed ball assisted Montero’s explosive goal. “I thought he did very well shedding off tackles and getting in on a few.”

Earlier in the game, Riley cut toward the penalty box from the right side and sent a cross into the box, only to have Wicks grab it out of the air. This time around, he played it hard to the feet of Montero going to the right side of the box and Montero converted it for the goal.

“He’s always a threat. That’s what goal-scorers can do,” Riley said. “He happened to get a half-chance and he turned it into a goal.”

It had been a streaky year for Montero, who scored three goals in the first two games of the season and looked like he would run away with the Budweiser Golden Boot. But then he went silent for seven games and it seemed like the league may have caught up to the frequent changes of pace and style of play of the 21-year-old star.

Then he scored in a 2-2 draw with Colorado May 23. Then it was a goal in five straight league games. Now he’s scored in three of the last four Sounders FC road matches, including the Open Cup final. Not coincidentally, the Sounders are 3-0-1 in that stretch away from Qwest Field.

“He’s been very good for the most part. I think he had a couple of phases when he drifted away a little bit in terms of his being able to have success and score goals, but I think also, as the season has gone on, that he has really matured,” Schmid said. “I think as the season’s progressed, he’s become more confident. He’s adjusted to the pace of the game while not losing his specialness and his own pace of playing.”

A big part of that maturation was staying on his feet amidst the punishment against DC United. His five fouls suffered increased his league-leading total to 53 and he even doled out some blows of his own.

“It sets a tone for our team from the standpoint of not losing our composure and keeping the focus on our game,” Schmid said. “When we can do that, it makes us better.”

Montero and the Sounders are set to face Chivas USA Saturday at noon at Qwest Field in a meeting of two teams that are amidst the tight Western Conference playoff race.

so how are whoop-de-fucking-doo getting on?

[Mental-Man]

Partizan, on 05 November 2009 - 04:39 PM, said:

so how are whoop-de-fucking-doo getting on?

Not bad at all Boots, we're in the play offs for the MLS cup, packe dhouse the other night at Qwest Field over 36000 turned up for a mid week game .

Presented By:
Sounders and Dynamo Scoreless in First Leg
Posted by: Matt Gaschk

10/29/2009
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Frequent foes will meet for a fifth time November 8 in Houston for the return match.
Seattle - If the first three matches between the Sounders FC and Houston Dynamo were any indication, nothing less than a physical battle could have been expected Saturday night when the budding rivals met in the first leg of the MSL Cup Western Conference semifinals at Qwest Field.

There was a physical confrontation between one of Seattle’s smallest players and Houston’s largest and one Sounder was left battered and bloody in the center circle.

And that was all in the first 30 minutes.

In the end, the battle ended in a scoreless stalemate as the teams head to Houston for the return leg Sunday November 8.

“We see a lot of each other so there gets to be some chippy and intense battles,” Sounders FC head coach Sigi Schmid said. “They’ve been the dominant team in the Western Conference and we’re the new kids on the block. We’re trying to have people take notice of us. They don’t want to give away any of their prestige and we’re trying to take it, so that makes it a good rivalry.”

In an up-and-down start, Seattle had likely their best opportunity in the 14th minute when Freddie Ljungberg swung one of his nine corner kicks into the box, finding Patrick Ianni on the far side of the box. Ianni headed the ball past Houston goalkeeper Pat Onstad, but defender Brian Mullan got to the line to knock the ball out before it crossed the line.

Seattle stayed on the attack two minutes later, playing a ball into the box, but Onstad knocked it away for a corner kick. Onstad then charged out of the goal mouth and collided with Fredy Montero after play went dead, drawing yellow cards on both players.

“It was a bowling ball and a bowling pin,” a bewildered Schmid said. “The bowling ball got a yellow and the bowling pin got a yellow for getting knocked over. I couldn’t quite understand that.”

That physicality continued in the 27th minute when Nate Jaqua tried to get his head on a ball in midfield only to take Ricardo Clark’s boot to the head, leaving a small gash above his left eye. He left the field to get a bandage, but it bled through later in the match and he had to have his head wrapped in larger bandage.

But that was not unexpected in what has been a hard fought series between the two sides this season.

“They’ve been good in the playoffs because they’re physical and everyone battles and I think we did that as well,” Jaqua said. “It’s something we’re going to have to do when we’re down there. That’s what the playoffs are all about.”

Ianni, who came to Seattle from Houston in a pre-season trade, looked to be an unexpected game-changer as the match progressed.

A last-minute replacement for starter Tyrone Marshall after Marshall suffered a mild ligament strain in his right knee in training Wednesday, Ianni found himself on the receiving end of service from Ljungberg throughout the match.

In the 43rd minute he connected on a header that again eluded Onstad, but this one found the crossbar and the match remained scoreless.

“We had quite a bit of room on set pieces,” Ianni said. “It was just good balls by Freddie and good movement in front of me. We got good service into the box all night. The last touch to the finish was just a little off.”

As the second half started, the tenor of the game stayed rigorous. Jaqua missed on a 53rd minute header off of a corner kick and re-opened the wound above his eye, prompting a return to the field a couple of minutes later with a full wrap on his head, becoming a symbol of the combative nature of the series.

“I think we were aware of it and I think we stood up to it. I think there were times that we put together good soccer and created some good chances,” Schmid said. “As long as we get those same opportunities there, it won’t matter if the game is physical or not. We’ll be ok.”

Sounders goalkeeper Kasey Keller finished with four saves on nine Houston shots while Onstad had two on 14 Seattle shots. And with a discrepancy of 18 Houston fouls to six for Seattle, the teams still were even with three yellow card cautions each.

The return match is set for noon on Sunday, November 8 from Houston’s Robertson Stadium.

[Mental-Man]

More good news for the Sounders, what a great season so far for 1st time in the MLS

Five Sounders named finalists for year-end awards
Posted by: Sounders FC Public Relations

11/2/2009
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Seattle head coach Sigi Schmid, goalkeeper Kasey Keller, central defender Jhon Kennedy Hurtado, midfielder Freddie Ljungberg and forward Fredy Montero are finalists for MLS 2009 year-end awards.
RENTON , WASH. – Major League Soccer today announced Seattle head coach Sigi Schmid, goalkeeper Kasey Keller, central defender Jhon Kennedy Hurtado, midfielder Freddie Ljungberg and forward Fredy Montero as finalists for its 2009 year-end awards. Winners for each award will be announced in the coming weeks, beginning with the Goalkeeper of the Year and Fair Play winners on Wednesday, Nov. 4.

Schmid, the 2008 Coach of the Year, is a finalist for this year’s award. In his tenth season coaching in MLS, Schmid surpassed Bob Bradley in all-time wins (125), and led the expansion side Sounders FC to the 2009 U.S. Open Cup trophy and MLS Cup playoffs.

Keller is a finalist for three awards: Goalkeeper of the Year, Fair Play, and Newcomer of the Year. Keller finished his first year in MLS second among goalkeepers with a goals-against average of 0.92 and tied for second in shutouts (10) and wins (12). Keller was fourth in minutes (2549) and ninth in saves (78).

Hurtado is a finalist for Visa Defender of the Year after starting 26 of 27 appearances, playing a total of 2,334 minutes with one goal and one assist. Hurtado played the full 90 minutes in 25 games, anchoring a defense that ranked tied for first in goals allowed per game (0.97).

Montero and Ljungberg join Keller as the other two finalists for Newcomer of the Year. Montero finished tied for third in goals (12) and game-winning goals (4), and led MLS in shots (86) and was seventh in attempts on goal (32).

Ljungberg finished his first season in MLS with two goals and nine assists, and was ranked first in game-winning assists (5). Ljungberg had four assists in the final two regular season games, helping secure an MLS Cup playoff birth.

Montero and Hurtado, both Colombians, came to Sounders FC from Deportivo Cali. Keller, an Olympia native, returned to the state of Washington after a 16-year career in top-flight soccer in England, Germany and Spain. Ljungberg joined Seattle following ten years playing in the English Premier League. All four Sounders FC finalists appeared in this year’s MLS All-Star game.

The finalists, listed in alphabetical order below for each award, earned the most votes in polling of MLS players, general managers, coaches, referees and members of the media. The MLS W.O.R.K.S. – U.S. Soccer Foundation Humanitarian of the Year will be determined by representatives from the U.S. Soccer Foundation and MLS W.O.R.K.S., and is scheduled to be announced on Friday, Nov. 6.

This season’s most outstanding individual plays will be honored on Wednesday, Nov. 18 when the Goal of the Year presented by AT&T and the Save of the Year presented by Degree Men are announced. Voting for the Goal and Save of the Year is conducted on the League’s official web site MLSnet.com.

The 2009 awards announcements culminate on Saturday, Nov. 22 with the unveiling of the Commissioner’s Award winner.

[Mental-Man]

Mental-Man, on 07 November 2009 - 08:45 PM, said:

More good news for the Sounders, what a great season so far for 1st time in the MLS

Five Sounders named finalists for year-end awards
Posted by: Sounders FC Public Relations

11/2/2009
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Seattle head coach Sigi Schmid, goalkeeper Kasey Keller, central defender Jhon Kennedy Hurtado, midfielder Freddie Ljungberg and forward Fredy Montero are finalists for MLS 2009 year-end awards.
RENTON , WASH. – Major League Soccer today announced Seattle head coach Sigi Schmid, goalkeeper Kasey Keller, central defender Jhon Kennedy Hurtado, midfielder Freddie Ljungberg and forward Fredy Montero as finalists for its 2009 year-end awards. Winners for each award will be announced in the coming weeks, beginning with the Goalkeeper of the Year and Fair Play winners on Wednesday, Nov. 4.

Schmid, the 2008 Coach of the Year, is a finalist for this year’s award. In his tenth season coaching in MLS, Schmid surpassed Bob Bradley in all-time wins (125), and led the expansion side Sounders FC to the 2009 U.S. Open Cup trophy and MLS Cup playoffs.

Keller is a finalist for three awards: Goalkeeper of the Year, Fair Play, and Newcomer of the Year. Keller finished his first year in MLS second among goalkeepers with a goals-against average of 0.92 and tied for second in shutouts (10) and wins (12). Keller was fourth in minutes (2549) and ninth in saves (78).

Hurtado is a finalist for Visa Defender of the Year after starting 26 of 27 appearances, playing a total of 2,334 minutes with one goal and one assist. Hurtado played the full 90 minutes in 25 games, anchoring a defense that ranked tied for first in goals allowed per game (0.97).

Montero and Ljungberg join Keller as the other two finalists for Newcomer of the Year. Montero finished tied for third in goals (12) and game-winning goals (4), and led MLS in shots (86) and was seventh in attempts on goal (32).

Ljungberg finished his first season in MLS with two goals and nine assists, and was ranked first in game-winning assists (5). Ljungberg had four assists in the final two regular season games, helping secure an MLS Cup playoff birth.

Montero and Hurtado, both Colombians, came to Sounders FC from Deportivo Cali. Keller, an Olympia native, returned to the state of Washington after a 16-year career in top-flight soccer in England, Germany and Spain. Ljungberg joined Seattle following ten years playing in the English Premier League. All four Sounders FC finalists appeared in this year’s MLS All-Star game.

The finalists, listed in alphabetical order below for each award, earned the most votes in polling of MLS players, general managers, coaches, referees and members of the media. The MLS W.O.R.K.S. – U.S. Soccer Foundation Humanitarian of the Year will be determined by representatives from the U.S. Soccer Foundation and MLS W.O.R.K.S., and is scheduled to be announced on Friday, Nov. 6.

This season’s most outstanding individual plays will be honored on Wednesday, Nov. 18 when the Goal of the Year presented by AT&T and the Save of the Year presented by Degree Men are announced. Voting for the Goal and Save of the Year is conducted on the League’s official web site MLSnet.com.

The 2009 awards announcements culminate on Saturday, Nov. 22 with the unveiling of the Commissioner’s Award winner.

Lost in the cup playoffs, but what a great season for an expansion team.

Sounders Fall In Houston
Posted by: Matt Gaschk

11/8/2009
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Seattle's inaugural season came to an abrupt end in a 1-0 loss after extra time to the Houston Dynamo.
A season that came with 13 months of build-up and thrilling moments from the opening match came to an abrupt end Sunday when the Sounders FC fell 1-0 in extra time to the Houston Dynamo in the Western Conference semifinals.

After a 180-minute battle over the two legs of the series, two of the top defensive teams in the MLS held each other scoreless. Then in the 96th minute Sunday, Brian Ching scored the series-winning goal on a spectacular volley.

“It was either going to take a big mistake or a big effort and unfortunately we couldn’t quite make it happen. Not for lack of effort, you can’t fault anybody. They gave everything they had,” said goalkeeper Kasey Keller, who finished with four saves. “We battled and battled and just couldn’t quite make it happen. Maybe another day.”

Houston came out on the attack to start the game, getting early opportunities by Dominic Oduro that were turned away. Then in the 12th minute Seattle got their first big chance when Freddie Ljungberg swung a corner kick into the box. Jhon Kennedy Hurtado headed it toward the farpost for Tyrone Marshall, but Marshall’s header went wide left and the score remained tied.

Oduro was a thorn in Seattle’s side for the first 80 minutes of the game, getting behind Seattle’s defense on several occasions and taking five shots before being subbed off for Luis Angel Landin. But the defense, anchored by Keller, was still able to keep him off the board.

But in the 36th minute it took a great save by Pat Onstad to keep Seattle from taking the lead. Fredy Montero dribbled up the left side, then passed to Steve Zakuani going toward the endline. Zakuani crossed to Nate Jaqua in the box, but Houston defender Geoff Cameron nearly knocked it into his own net. Onstad was able to get his foot on it though, and knocked it clear.

“It’s disappointing. We had a few good opportunities we weren’t able to stick in the back of the net, but it was a battle and there wasn’t a lot that opened up on either side,” Jaqua said.

Later in the 81st minute, second half sub Roger Levesque flipped the ball to Jaqua charging down the box, but he was defended by Cameron and his shot went wide of the net.

The game remained scoreless into the 90th minute and went to extra time. There Ching, who played for the Sounders in the A-League in 2001 and 2002, was the difference-maker.

Houston defender Mike Chabala took the ball up the left side and crossed it into the box for Brian Mullan at the far post. Roger Levesque was there to defend him, but Mullan was able to deflect the ball to Ching for a right-footed, sidewinding volley into the net for a 1-0 lead in the 96th minute.

“They put a good ball into the box. We don’t quite clear it well and the ball bounces tremendous for Brian, but that’s an unbelievable finish for Brian Ching. He won’t score a better goal at a better time,” Keller said. “We battled away, but unfortunately just couldn’t get the goals that we needed.”

That score held up and the Sounders frustrations mounted in the 120th minute when James Riley was ejected from the game for a hard tackle in the midfield.

Not long after the foul and ensuing melee, the final whistle was blown on the Sounders season.

“We couldn’t find a way to win today and that’s the disappointing part,” Jaqua said. “But that’s the way it is. You’re not going to win every game and you’re not going to make it through every time.”

All told, it was a successful opening campaign for the expansion Sounders FC.

“To have won the Open Cup and have a winning record in the season and come two points away from winning the Supporters Shield and to have lost to a team that has been a dominant team in the playoffs is a pretty proud moment for a young expansion team,” head coach Sigi Schmid said. “But we don’t want to accept mediocrity. Our goal is always to win a championship and maybe the sting of today will help us to move forward into next year.”

[Bluebeard]

Great first season in the big time in donkey's years for them. Just as well, they needed something to make up for the meh season in baseball

What are the plans for next season like? Is it looking like much change is likely?

[Mental-Man]

Bluebeard, on 09 November 2009 - 03:31 PM, said:

Great first season in the big time in donkey's years for them. Just as well, they needed something to make up for the meh season in baseball

What are the plans for next season like? Is it looking like much change is likely?

Well the word is out thar Arsenal may be looking for Ljungberg again and Montero may be also on his way to a club in Europe. I really hope we can hang onto both of them because as you said its been a cracking season and the crowds have been amazing even mid-week games sell out.
The manager will have his eye on a few players no doubt to strenghten the team big time. Keller may retire as he is over 40 now but we'll see.
As for baseball, holy jesus you would want to be smoking pot to watch that game, it's sooooo boring !!

[Partizan]

Mental-Man, on 10 November 2009 - 05:22 AM, said:

Well the word is out thar Arsenal may be looking for Ljungberg again and Montero may be also on his way to a club in Europe. I really hope we can hang onto both of them because as you said its been a cracking season and the crowds have been amazing even mid-week games sell out.
The manager will have his eye on a few players no doubt to strenghten the team big time. Keller may retire as he is over 40 now but we'll see.
As for baseball, holy jesus you would want to be smoking pot to watch that game, it's sooooo boring !!

whoop-de-fucking-doo

[Waterfordian2]

Partizan, on 02 March 2010 - 10:22 PM, said:

whoop-de-fucking-doo

You Took your time!

[Bluebeard]

Waterfordian2, on 02 March 2010 - 11:16 PM, said:

You Took your time!

Train delayed at Newbridge.

[Partizan]

Bluebeard, on 03 March 2010 - 12:45 AM, said:

Train delayed at Newbridge.

Yes, we were waiting for Alan to arrive on Matt Keane's scooter.

[Bluebeard]

Partizan, on 03 March 2010 - 01:55 PM, said:

Yes, we were waiting for Alan to arrive on Matt Keane's scooter.

[ConfusedBlue]

Any word on the start of the MLS season?
Is it going to be delayed due to this threatened player strike?
I see Seattle have gone and signed some Swiss has-been as their marquee player this time round,hardly inspires confidence!!!!