My soccer double-header: The Tide and Brazil

After much planning and finger-crossing it turns out that I am going to both the Tacoma Tide match against the Spokane Spiders at 2:05 PM today, and some other match scheduled for later tonight at Qwest Field.

Call me a crazy homer as at one point I was willing to go to the TFC match instead of Brazil-Canada at Qwest.

The Tide play at home eight times a year. Brazil comes to Seattle, what, once in a lifetime? The boys in yellow from Tacoma still rank as more important to me that the other boys in yellow.

TFC made the overlap moot when they rescheduled their match to the afternoon so they, some of the players and their fans could have a chance to see both matches.

So I'll be helping the Tide 'close' Curtis High School Field and then riding up with some of the team right after to take in the next big match at Qwest.

I am most looking forward to seeing Pato. He's the inventive sprite little young forward that had some dazzling goals for AC Milan last season. A real star in the making.

However, I'd really be just as happy if Rory Agu or Spencer Schomaker or any one of the other Tacoma Tide boys found the back of the net this afternoon and led TFC over Spokane.

Sorry Canada, but yellow is the color of the day.

Media previews Brazil-Canada:
Seattle Times
Seattle P-I
News Tribune

Graham's late goal gives Seattle a road point

From www.puertoricoislandersfc.com

Bayamón, PR – Pumped up by their entry to the CONCACAF Champions League after defeating the San Juan Jabloteh of Trinidad Tobago last week, the Puerto Rico Islanders returned home, ready to avenge the nail-biting loss suffered against the Sounders during the USL semi-finals last year. The result however, was acceptable, but hardly the best expected.

The game seemed to favor the locals. Puerto Rico began finding their game early on, while the Sounders held on. A quick scramble in front of Seattle’s goal produced the first threat to Eylander’s defense in minute 9. Then in minute 21, Noah Delgado centered a free kick to Cristian Arrieta, but a clash with the goalkeeper erased the chance to score. Delgado came forth a few minutes later with a hard shot to goal that went wide to the right.

The goal Puerto Rico was working so hard for finally came in minute 34 with an outstanding blast by Taiwo Atieno from 30 yards out that gave the Islanders the early lead.

The Sounders were not about to remain quiet and answered back in minutes 39 and 40, forcing Gaudette to scramble for the two saves. Another threatening shot by John Fishbaugher in stoppage time that flew over the crossbars almost evened the score before half-time.

Seattle kept pressing on during the second half, but Puerto Rico kept holding them back. It was clear from the evened-out offense and physical play that both squads were looking to take home the 3 points.

But it was finally a late goal in minute 80 by Taylor Graham – with an assist from Hugo Alcaraz Cuellar - that sealed the fate of the game. The Islanders, after getting a goal called back in the 85th minute because of a foul, had to accept the final 1-1 score.

Seattle heads to Miami to face the Blues on Sunday, while Puerto Rico flies to Atlanta during the week to meet the Silverbacks on Friday, June 6. They return to the Juan Ramón Lobriel on June 14 to host the Carolina Railhawks.

Match stats

Fans feel SSFC's 'Momentum'

In an article over at www.SoundersFC.com Frank MacDonald talks with fans just after the jersey and sponsor debut.

Although they had guessed correctly on the jersey color, some of the fans attending the announcement seemed to hold their breath.

“I do like it, but I had been nervous about the color,” says Dave, who came to Qwest with his toddler son, Ian. “It looks pretty good and I like Xbox 360 a lot.”

Interjects Ian: “That’s the only kind we have,” and “Those are my two favorite colors.” In fact, Ian came dressed to kill, wearing a kiwi-colored T-shirt, navy pants and shoes bearing both colors.

Back to Dad. “I’m hoping for blue or white shorts,” Dave says. “I’m a big fan of the older Sounders, so it means a lot that they’re going to be green and blue. Different shades, but still green and blue.”

The Sounders FC may not have won, much less played, a game. However, there’s no denying the club’s momentum.

“I love the statements they are making and the fact that they’re listening to the fans,” Dave says. “The traditions that matter to us, matter to them. They are doing things in a first-class way, and everything the ownership group is saying has got me excited.”

Read all of the fan comments here.

Read a fellow blogger's appreciation of SSFC's goals.

Sounders FC Kit & Halo Wallpaper

We've got a desktop wallpaper for your computer. It's the new 2009 Seattle Sounders FC kit as it was revealed in grand style on May 28th. I'm pretty sure the jersey size will be big enough for any of us.

Get yer paper:
1600 x 1200
1024 x 768
800 x 600

I'm not a gamer, but these wallpapers almost make me want to become one:

SSFC Halo Wallpapers

Here's the ever-growing index of www.GOALSeattle.com Sounders FC wallpapers.
Browse around and see what we've got.

Tacoma Tide Video Highlights

Tacoma Tide FC have uploaded video highlights from their two home matches last weekend. The club scored six goals in a win and a draw.

TFC host the Spokane Spiders this Saturday May 31st at 2:00 PM at Curtis High School

Nightmare night for Sounders in Carolina

This didn't start or end well.

Seattle lost 2-1 at Carolina Railhawks last night, giving up an own-goal as the winner. Before then Carolina had taken an early 1-0 lead. Then Sebastien Le Toux converted a pk chance in the 14th. In the 16th minute defender Zach Scott made a reckless challenge that resulted in a red card (and likely more than one missed match).

Scott's replacement Noah Merl was the culprit on the own-goal just before the half that put the Railhawks back up 2-1.

Seattle had chances to equalize but couldn't get the job done.

See video (what, you really want to?) of the match here.
Club match report here.

Jersey day photos uploaded to YouTube

Seattle Sounders FC jersey and sponsor day photos are now uploaded to YouTube in this gallery slide show...

Release the complainbots!

It's the day after Sounders FC scored a $20 million dollar sponsor. It's also the day after a bunch of dudes climbed up the Hawk's nest and unfurled a gigantic replica of the first-ever Sounders FC jersey.

Cue the 'complainbots.'

Coming from far and wide, and even amongst some who profess to be the most ardent supporters, are a stream of negative responses to the latest news about our club.

Some think Microsoft represents 'all that is evil' about corporate America, and are upset with the sponsor choice.

Others are reacting to the rave green in the kit.

True enough that many are also happy with what happened yesterday. Color me among them.

It was great to be at Qwest for this big moment, and great to once again hear Joe Roth talk about setting the standards for Sounders FC impossibly high and continually finding out that the impossible isn't.

It was great to see the new kit up close. The rave green is a chameleon-like color, and in person and on the kit it looks quite good. Photos have a hard time capturing the exact shade the eye sees. Lighting plays a part, too.

I like the design of the kit and I also like the sponsor. Beyond the money that comes our way it also will mean that literally hundreds of thousands of SSFC kits will be sold around the world to gamers. It's a big-time move by a club that continues to make the right moves in an effort to be big-time themselves.

I took the ferry home and dove into uploading videos, photos, and links. Now I have had a chance to read some of what locals, nationals and even internationals are saying about SSFC's latest big moment.

Luckily "Rave Green" is acting like a 'force field' for me. The complainbots are bouncing off it quite nicely.

PS: Love the band, too.

Photos & Video from Jersey / Sponsor Day

Here's our complete gallery from Jersey & Sponsor unveiling day!

Seattle Sounders Football Club have a first jersey, and a sponsor!

As you can see XBOX 360 Live is indeed the sponsor, and the first kit features Rave Green with Sounders Blue side panels and piping.

It got a standing ovation among the fans and media on hand.

It was an overcast day that came with much anticipation. In the end fans seemed pleased with the look of the kit and many talked about looking forward to seeing the whole thing (shorts, socks) as well as the alternate / away. We've been told that jersey will feature blue with green accents.

Fans got a souvenir pennant marking the event as the left Qwest Field.

You've arrived...in the kit column...Sounders FC.

The 5-year, $20 million dollar deal with Microsoft won't hurt the bottom line, either.

Club website coverage
Seattle Times
Seattle P-I
News Tribune
MLSnet.com
Club photo galleries

Video of the unveiling, featuring majority owner Joe Roth:

Playing the 'guess the kit sponsor' game

'Danimal' on the GS boards tries to unlock the sponsor riddle.

That's what it's all about right now in the GOALSeattle.com forums.

Will it be the favorite XBOX 360, or the dark horse Jones Soda Co.?

Perhaps something 'out of the blue' will go on to the green?

Both of the above have a certain street appeal to them, and hit a nice target demographic age 16-50ish.

You've got to wonder if Jones Soda can afford to be on Seattle's kit, after reading this Seattle Times story from a week or so ago.

Certainly XBOX could pay the going rate.

Speaking of that...what is the going rate to be on Seattle's chest?

Chicago got around $1 million per season. LA got $4-5 million per year. RSL got $1 million per season.

I would think Seattle would come in ahead of RSL and Chicago, and behind LA, unless a certain Frenchman is headed our way.

What say 2 million or so per year?

Local bands CD "Sound of Soccer" now online

Novatone have 2 songs on the CD.

"The Sound of Soccer Volume One" is now online exclusively at www.GOALSeattle.com. You can see some band videos and download the CD here.

The CD is a mix of Seattle sounds, from rock to pop to modern rock and even some lo-fi and light industrial. The idea is a 'mash-up' of the sounds coming off the streets of Seattle mixing it up with the wave of soccer madness that flows around us all year long.

Thanks to all of the bands!


Say Hi to Your Mom performs "Zero to Love."

1997 Champion Seattle U soccer team honored

The 1997 NAIA National Champion Seattle University Men's Soccer club were recently honored by the school at their annual Hall of Fame induction ceremonies.

Another collection of Seattle U players, now called Redhawks, later won the NCAA II title in 2002.

Watch the video honoring the 1997 team below.

Sounders FC kit photo leaked

Image removed at the request of the photographer.

The club has seen the leaked photo, and the photographer's blog has been removed.

We've got a sneak peek of the first-ever SSFC kit thanks to fans in our forums.

Now all that is left is to find out who this sponsor is that those in the know are labeling 'cool' and likely to be 'very popular.'

Wednesday, 11:30 AM Qwest Field.

Tide Tied, 1-1

Raphael Cox' goal sequence.

(Jenni Conner)

GOALTacoma match gallery by Jenni Conner

Tacoma Tide FC drew 1-1 with the BYU Cougars May 24th at Curtis High School. The result kept the Tide's long home unbeaten string going but knocked both clubs out of the race for a US Open Cup play-in spot.

Yakima Reds beat Ogden 2-1 to grab the lone division spot to the USOC.

BYU led 1-0 at the half before TFC began an onslaught that finally brought them even on a goal by Raphael Cox (see end of goal and celebration in video above.)

The Tide had several good chances to net a winner but it just wasn't meant to be.

The draw means the Tide's home streak without a loss moves to twelve matches over two seasons. The last time Tacoma fell at home was back in 2006 when on July 14 Tacoma FC lost 2-1 to Abottsford.

GOALTacoma.com match gallery from David Falk


The May 31 match against Spokane has been moved up to 2:05 PM so as to not conflict with the visit of Brazil and Canada the night before.

"Sound of Soccer" CD online next week

"The Sound of Soccer Volume One" will be posted for download next week at www.GOALSeattle.com.

The compilation disc contains 21 songs from local Seattle-area bands.

Sounders win 2-0 in Vancouver; Tide romp 5-0

TFC had five post-goal celebrations last night against Ogden.
(David Falk)

The local FC's did just fine last night, thank you very much.

Seattle Sounders were up in Vancouver beating the Whitecaps 2-0 on Fox Soccer Channel while Tacoma Tide FC were running it up 5-0 against the Ogden Outlaws in the City of Destiny.

Sebastien Le Toux and Josh Gardner continue to step up their game, and both had tallied goals by the 8 minute mark for Seattle.

The Sounders move to W-3 D-3 L-1 on the season with 12 points, good enough for 3rd in the table.

Rory Agu already has 5 goals for TFC (he got 2 of those 5 last night), who kept their slim US Open Cup qualification round hopes alive. TFC must beat BYU Cougars tonight in Tacoma and hope Ogden can rebound from their drubbing and get a result---win or draw---at Yakima Reds. If the Reds win, they get the spot.

Tacoma is now W-2 D-0 L-2 on the season and stands in a 3-way tie for second place in the PDL Northwest Division.

Friday Factoids

*Hey, Happy Birthday today Mr. Drew Carey! You don't look it, but you are 50!

*The Sounders are in Vancouver tonight to play the Whitecaps for the 82nd time in just the most-recent era. The Vancouver Province details the current and future (?) rivalry and The Sun has a brief look, too. USLsoccer.com has a nice write-up. The match starts at 8:00 PM on Fox Soccer Channel.

*Tacoma Tide FC begin a 5-match homestand tonight with a tilt against the Ogden Outlaws. The Tide remain with a glimmer of hope to become the US Open Cup representative from the division, but they must win tonight and tomorrow night against powerhouse BYU. Kids in jerseys get in for $1 both nights. Here's a look from www.GOALTacoma.com.

*Former Sounders goalkeeper Preston Burpo looks to be in line to return as an MLS starter for Colorado as their top guy heads out to National Team duty.

*No Ronaldinho, now no Kaka? Looks like the Brazilian striker is having surgery that will mean he'll miss the Brazil-Canada match at Qwest May 31st.

*Here's Episode 53 of MLS Extra Time:

MLSgear.com posts Sounders FC stuff

MLSgear.com has posted the Sounders FC gear that we blogged about recently. This time the gear has prices with it. Click the left column to see the stuff under two categories.

The 3 x 5 flag shown above has my name written all over it, at $29.99. A little something to wave in the north end with the Flying Monkeys.

Report says Henry wants to stay with Barca

Full article here.

Excerpt:

Less likely is a move to the MLS with both LA Galaxy and the Seattle Sounders being linked with a potential transfer. The Galaxy have already succeeded in prising one European star to the MLS in the shape of David Beckham, whilst the Sounders are a new franchise, who would love the coup of signing Henry. However, the chances of Henry electing to move to the States, a potential death knell of his international career, seem minimal.

However, in the interview with Le Parisien Henry insists he has no intention of moving, quashing any transfer rumours in the process stating that "I don't want to leave, I still have three years of my contract left and I will continue here next year"

If there are to be any changes for Henry they will happen after Euro 2008. After spending most of the season playing from the left wing, Henry assured French fans, expecting him to fulfil centre forward duties at the tournament: "Don't worry! With Les Bleus (the French national team) we'll have a bit of time before the start of the Euros. I will work on re-finding my form in the centre but it should be fine.”

Talk with other fans about Henry in the GOALSeattle Forums.

Hanauer feartured in June "Seattle" magazine

The June "Seattle" magazine has an extensive feature on Sounders FC owner / GM Adrian Hanauer. Read it online here.

Hanauer talks frankly (at the very end) about his ultimate soccer 'prize,' getting into MLS, and how that goal meant his business sense said he shouldn't pour lots of money into advertising the current USL version of the club.

He's also a 'foodie,' and doesn't shop for his own clothes.

Who knew?

Talk about the Hanauer story in the GOALSeattle forums.

Sounders FC jersey unveiling May 28th!

This in the mail from Sounders FC:

Please join us for the unveiling of your
Seattle Sounders FC Jersey

Date: Wednesday, May 28th
Time: 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Location: South Endzone at Qwest Field

PARKING/ENTRANCE:

Please park in the
Qwest Field Parking Garage.

Enter the stadium through
Qwest Field Event Center via the 2nd floor entrance
and proceed to the main concourse level.

Open seating for the event will be
located in sections 121, 122 & 123
and additional guests are welcome.

Tide host Utah clubs this weekend, $1 tix for youth

Daniel Scott, right, now plays for TFC.

Tacoma Tide FC hosts the Utah clubs this weekend, and it is $1 night for youth players wearing jerseys.

Friday at 7:00 PM at Curtis High School TFC will face the Ogden Outlaws. Fans will get a free megaphone as part of the festivities.

Saturday night at 7:00 PM the Tide will host the top team in the division, the BYU Cougars. Fans coming that night will get a free pennant.

More details here (pdf file).

Come see the new Tide center back Daniel Scott, from Gonzaga. He's the brother of Sounders player Zach Scott. Daniel will be playing his first home matches with the Tide this weekend as Tacoma tries to continue its home winning streak which dates back to 2006.

P-I: Will Henry be Seattle's 10 Million Dollar Man?

Scan courtesy of www.GoSounders.com

The story is not online yet, I guess, but there is a poll to vote about whether the Sounders should spend the money on Henry.


Update:
The Seattle P-I 'story' was much ado about nothing, really. The headline just leads to a sidebar about Henry and the latest rumors are rehashed. There are a few quick quotes from Sounders GM Adrian Hanauer about "not being able to comment because of tampering rules" and "there have been rumors about Sounders FC and other players before, and this won't be the last of them." That's about it. The rest leads to a preview of today's Champions League final.

Two more songs from "The Sound of Soccer" CD

New Sounders John Fishbaugher (#13) and Jason Cascio (#14) appear in Seattle University Redhawks kits in the first video.





Download coming soon.

Local music CD for summer soccer days

Seattle. Soccer. Music. Summer.

It all comes together in "The Sound of Soccer, Volume One" as www.GOALSeattle.com puts together over 20 songs from local bands that you can download and burn for trips to Sounders matches and to make the time between matches stay in the groove.

Local soccer is booming in the Emerald City, and the local music scene is still full of life as literally thousands of bands play in garages and small stages across the state. Some of those bands have put their music for free download on the internet, and we've collected some of those offerings into one CD for soccer lovers to enjoy.



The album is a mix of band styles and sounds. A little something for everyone, perhaps?

Watch for music video previews in the coming weeks as we count down to the CD going online for you to download and burn!

(Promo video above feature's the song "Hand Me Downs," by Novatone.)

Here's another song on the compilation CD: "How It Goes" by Hometown Zeros.

Champions League Final: Who do you like?

The soccer bars around Seattle will be packed at lunchtime tomorrow as Chelsea faces off against Manchester United in the first-ever all-England UEFA Champions League Final.

Tell us who who'll be pulling for by voting here or dropping a note in the comments section of the blog.

Google has thousands of links to news stories on the big match.

Of special note is all the hand-wringing over the pitch, which everyone already admits will not be up to par. The guess is it will be about the quality of a well-used Second-division English ground.

Meanwhile, Rio Ferdinand suggests only winning the cup will do if he and his mates want to be 'real' Red Devils.

The match will be shown live on ESPN2 with pre-game starting at 11:30 AM Wednesday.

Sounders will host Juventus 'Primavera' June 12

SOUNDERS TO PLAY JUVENTUS PRIMAVERA AT STARFIRE,

GREAT CHANCE TO SEE FUTURE SERIE A STARS

(Seattle, WA) – The Seattle Sounders will face Juventus Primavera on June 12 at the Starfire Sports Complex at 7 p.m., it was announced today. Seattle is one of three stops for Juventus Primavera on a preseason tour of the United States.

“The Sounders organization is excited to bring another international friendly to Seattle this summer,” said Sounders general manager Bart Wiley. “Juventus Primavera will give our fans a chance to see the up and coming superstars of Serie A.”

Tickets for the Sounders’ exhibition match against Juventus Primavera, go on sale Thursday, May 22, at 10 a.m. Tickets are $15 in advance through Ticketmaster at www.ticketmaster.com or by calling 206-628-0888. Tickets are $20 at the gate.

Group tickets (15 or more) are available by calling 206 381-7908. Group tickets are $13.00.

A squad of up-and-coming players for Juventus, its Primavera squad features four youth international players. Goalkeeper Carlo Pinsoglio and midfielders Fausto Rossi and Simone Esposito are all members of Italian Youth National Teams, while defender Yobie Bassaoule is a member of Burkina Faso's (Africa) U-21 National Team.

Visit the Juventus Youth website.

Several members of the Primavera team have suited up for Juventus' first team, which competes in the Serie A – the top tier of Italian professional soccer. Among those called up were defender Salvatore D'Elia, midfielder Luca Castiglia and forward Donato Bottone, who scored a goal in a friendly against Biellese earlier this season.

Juventus Primavera competes in Italy’s Campionato Primavera, a 42-team league comprised of top feeder teams from each of Italy’s Serie A and B clubs. Juventus Primavera finished in first place in the league’s Group A standings, and have moved on to the Youth League Finals.

In its 46-year history, Juventus' Primavera team has captured several titles in both league and nationwide competitions. Including the inaugural Primavera league title in 1962-63, Juventus has won four Primavera league championships (1962-63; 1971-72; 1993-94; 2005-06), three Primavera Italian Cups (1994-95; 2003-04; 2006-07) and back-to-back Primavera Super Cup titles in 2006 and 2007.

The Sounders next match is against the Vancouver Whitecaps, 7:00 pm Friday, May 23 at Swangard Stadium. The match can be seen on Fox Soccer Channel.

ABOUT JUVENTUS

Juventus was founded in 1897 by several students from a local school as Sport Club Juventus. It first joined the Italian Football Championship in 1900, and at the time, was known for its pink and black uniforms. In 1905, Juventus captured its first league title and since has become one of the most successful clubs in Italian soccer history and arguably throughout Europe. Recognized now by its trademark black-and-white striped jerseys, Juventus has won a total of 40 league championships – more than any other Italian club – and 11 European championships, including two UEFA Champions League titles.

2008 Sounders photo collection grows

Youssouf Kante (#10) battles with Atlanta's Macoumba Kandji.
(Dr. Lawrence Maurer.)

As the season's results stack up, so do the photos collected in the www.GOALSeattle.com photo archives.

Need to catch up? Here's the index of galleries for 2008.

We've been fortunate to have Jenni Conner as our resident photographer, and she always comes up with great shots of the players, fans and the match experience.

I (David Falk) have also snapped a few candid moments already this year.

We have also been making connections with some of the photographers along the sidelines. Those giant lenses capture great shots and also caught our attention.

Richard S. Morrison and Dr. Lawrence Maurer have been kind enough to share photos with Sounders fans through our website.

We hope to have more from them as the season kicks along.

GOALSeattle.com loves to host Sounders photos and share them with the Seattle soccer community and the world.

Thanks to our resident and guest picture-snappers!

Sounders score four to beat Atlanta

Moment of impact

Photographer Dr. Larry Maurer catches Zack Kirby's elbow to the face of Le Toux.

Sebastien Le Toux stays down after an elbow to the head resulted in a red card against Atlanta and a penalty kick call for Seattle. Leighton O'Brien scored the pk and Le Toux eventually returned to the match.
(David Falk photo)

Match photos from Dr. Larry Maurer HERE.
Get a flavor for the night in David's gallery HERE.
Jenni's action shots now online HERE!

The Seattle Sounders found the back of the net four times on Sunday night at Starfire to whip Atlanta Silverbacks 4-2 in a reprise of the 2007 USL-1 Championship Final also held in Tukwila.

Sebastien Le Toux started brightly for Seattle, scoring after 68 seconds had passed. It was 2-2 at the half after Atlanta drew level twice. Josh Gardner's follow-up had given the Sounders a 2-1 advantage only to have the 'Backs even it up less than a minute later.



Le Toux was elbowed in the box in in the 50th minute, resulting in a pk call against Atlanta and a red card ejection for Zack Kirby. The play was one of those in the box headers where elbows are flying. A pk? Yes. A red card? I don't think it was warranted. Leighton O'Brien finished the chance to regain the lead for Seattle, 3-2.

Josh Gardner headed home the final Seattle goal after another scramble in front of the Atlanta net. While Levesque was in the box grabbing his head Josh kept on playing and the Silverbacks defense watched as the ball floated into the goal and the referee signaled towards the center circle in the 70th.

Le Toux's second-minute stunner is celebrated.
(Jenni Conner)

Youssouf Kante played well for Seattle, providing a real spark on the attack and assisting on Le Toux's goal. He came out early after a knock, but reports to be OK.

The Sounders were better offensively on the night, scoring four goals in one match after they had only scored four in their previous five matches combined. Seattle now moves to W-2 D-3 L-1 on the season with 9 points. The Sounders travel to Vancouver to play the Whitecaps on Friday in a match televised on Fox Soccer Channel at 8:00 PM.

Match reports:
Here's the Sounders club match report.
The Seattle Pitch
Seattle Times
Seattle P-I
Atlanta Silverbacks

SCORE! Our Museum completes FC Seattle era

Thanks to Frank MacDonald, whose current gig is writer at SoundersFC.com, the www.GOALSeattle.com Soccer Museum pages for FC Seattle Storm have been updated with scores and Seattle goal scorers for that club's 8-year history.

It is a set of missing links to our soccer heritage that have now been restored.

As I typed in the tables the names, matches, faces and plays came back to life for me.

That 10-2 win over Arizona in 1990. The Championship of 1988. The stupid tie-breaker (tb) that didn't allow for a draw. The times FC Seattle played the world. No, really: Santos, Dundee, Dnepr, Middlesbrough, Guadalajara, more.

Those were good years for soccer in Seattle, and the scores go a certain way towards pointing out how offensively-gifted the Storm were with players like Chance Fry, Scott Benedetti, Eddie Henderson, Brent Goulet, Peter Hattrup...

Please look back at these updated pages at your leisure. We are steamrolling to 2009 and Seattle's biggest soccer moments seem destined to arrive soon after.

Let's not forget where we came from as we get psyched about where we are going.

Start your "Storming" the past HERE.

Carey gives more details of Membership Assoc.

Read the AP News Story HERE.
Audio report from MyNorthwest.com.
Seattle Times coverage.
Citizen Rain Blog.
SoundersFC.com

Drew Carey was at Kells mere minutes ago and introduced more details of the Sounders FC Members Association. Here's a bulleted list of what went down.

*Drew presents Patrick from Kells with a signed Sounders FC flag.

*Comments that he'd like a t-shirt if himself in the stands that looks like the Che Rivera shirts.

*Began to love membership idea on trip to Spain when Barca were in the midst of elections.

*Joke from Carey: "Getting the Sounders FC Membership Association details worked out took less time than the R. Kelly trial."

*Season ticket holders are automatically members, non-holders pay $125 a year.

* Members will get discounts at pubs and team shops, plus they are working on more with Fox Sports Northwest for fans.

*Every four years the General Manager is up for election, unless a movement happens sooner.

*Petitions can be presented by fans to the club when 20% of members sign them.

*4 times a year there will be various meetings between club execs. and members.

*To go you'll need 25 people to recommend you to be on the 'council.'

*Drew talks of his dream of doing this kind of thing in MLS, thanks Hanauer & Roth.

*Says Hanauer is completely in control of the soccer side of things.

*Fans can vote OUT a GM, but they can't vote the next one in. ("We hire, you fire.")

*Members will get a monthly e-newsletter

*Drew hopes that one day voting for GM is bigger than voting for Mayor.

*Drew is against cheerleaders and a mascot, but if the fans want them, they can make a petition to get them in.

*Merchandise will be available by November for Christmas sales.

*ECS shouts out, and Drew answers: "It is your band, so they will learn your songs."

*"Emerald City Greens was never a name option."

*Brazil-Canada will be played on the new Field Turf. "It's 100 times better than that crap at Rice Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake," jokes Carey.

Second Sounder: Nate Jaqua?

Nate Jaqua was recently briefly with LA Galaxy.
(Lindy McD. photo)

Are Sounders FC going to be both smart *and* lucky? Has a US Nats Player Pool striker just been gift-wrapped for the 2009 MLS expansion club?

Nate Jaqua just got out of his most-recent contract with SCR Altach of the Austrian Bundesliga and is living in his native state of Oregon awaiting his next pro soccer move. This is the same Jaqua who starred for the Chicago Fire (and then briefly with LA Galaxy and Houston Dynamo), who recently scored 5 goals in 10 matches for SCRA, and who today was named to the US Nats Player Pool.

Seattle Sounders FC General Manager Adrian Hanauer has acknowledged that he "is aware" of Jaqua's status, but says he can't comment any further.

What a chance this could be for Seattle, without even having to give anything (possibly, see below) to any other club in return. Question is, why did Toronto, LA and Houston play hot potato with the guy? Does he still have game? His Austrian form says he does.

The Sounders may be in the mood to get him on the 2008 USL-1 roster so they can find out if he's 2009 material.

Houston Dynamo currently hold the first refusal MLS rights to Jaqua as he was last with that side when he was in Major League Soccer.

Wolves' PCSL Home Opener Saturday

from SeattleWolvesFC.com

This weekend while one Wolves squad is in Arizona playing for a USASA Region IV title, and a chance to compete for the National Championship, another will be at home versus the PCSL defending champion Victoria United. The Wolves' PCSL home opener kicks off at 7:00pm on Saturday in the Starfire Stadium.

Victoria won easily, 2-0, over the Vancouver Whitecaps Prospects on Saturday while missing 7 starters who were playing in the Provincial Cup. Those players will be back in action in Seattle this week, and with the Wolves missing key players due to the USASA Nationals in Arizona, this match should prove a very tough challenge for the Wolves in only their 2nd PCSL match.

The Wolves will be led by the potent offensive attack of ex-Seattle Sounder, Santa Maria Rivera, and Brazilian Thiago Silva, as well as local star, Moise Nistrian, who scored twice in the Wolves tie in Bellingham last weekend. Captain, Dave O'Neill and fullback, Kurt Ness, will lead a strong Wolves' defense, who will have their hands full with Victoria's well-organized offense, which returns many of their players from last season's championship squad.

Special ticket prices will be available for the home opener: Children under 12 are free, and all other tickets for the match are only $5. Save $2 by signing up to receive the Wolves' Weekly Fan Email. Season's passes can be purchased for $40, and the first 50 season's passes sold at the gate will be accompanied by a Seattle Wolves t-shirt.

See YOU at Starfire! Saturday May 17th, 7:00pm, Starfire Stadium , Pacific Coast Soccer League match v. Victoria United.

Sounders FC fan gear hits the internet

WinCraft now has a Seattle Sounders FC fan gear page online.

It looks like the club and the league are really going to push the "Seattle" angle, as the designs have the cityscape on them, along with a partial 'soccer moon.'

Nice.

WinCraft looks to be the supplier that will send this gear to Sounders FC so they can stock the club store. I don't see any links for retail ordering...

Now to just get the stuff in the hands of the fans!

*also be on the lookout for Mod Jewelry and an eventual page at MLSGear.com

Will Sounders FC be rated X (BOX)?

Fans have been putting XBOX on kit designs since last winter.
Now buzz is growing that they might be right.

Fans are speculating about the company that will pay to have their name or logo on the 2009 Sounders FC jerseys.

We've been told that the announcement will come fairly soon, and that the choice will likely be well-received. Other than that, we don't know squat!

The GOALSeattle forum buzz is that XBOX will get the gig. Hey, the X even looks like it's "rave green," no? Of course the Paul Allen / Microsoft connection would make it a natural.

(Not that they need to advertise.)

What co. are you hoping for?

No forward momentum for Sounders

Le Toux, the Rhinos, Starfire, and around 900 fans.

GOALSeattle match photo gallery now online here.

The Seattle Sounders moved to their permanent home at Starfire on Wednesday night. They didn't discover their missing offense and only a scattering of fans followed them to Tukwila as they drew 1-1 with the Rochester Rhinos.

It's just not clicking up front for the Sounders. Roger Levesque returned from an injury and still the forward attack remains mute.

Sebastien Le Toux was terrible on the ball last night, muffing 3 or 4 clear scoring chances with poorly kicked shots.

It was left to a defender to put the Sounders ahead and Zach Scott obliged with a nice header in the 75th minute. Alas, the feeble Rhinos attack, which had not tallied a goal in almost 5 matches, managed to get one past the Sounders in stoppage time.

---

"It's like getting poked in the eye with a sharp stick," Sounders coach Brian Schmetzer said. "What was disappointing was that we created so many chances and could only get one. That game could have been over and done with before that guy scored."
---Seattle P-I

---

Thus ended another frustrating night for the Sounders and their fans.

Is Le Toux trying too hard? Is he just not as skilled as you'd want a forward of MLS quality to be? Is he all about the breakaway goal and not the finishing on shorter chances?

The Sounders have now scored 4 goals in 5 matches: Treschuk, O'Brien, Le Toux (should have been credited to Danny Jackson) and Scott.

1/6th of the way through the USL-1 season the Sounders have no forwards who can finish, and no forward momentum.

Seattle hosts Atlanta on Sunday night at Starfire. The Sounders have outscored the Silverbacks 9-0 in their last three meetings. Here's hoping.



* The new set-up at Starfire is pretty nice. A solid set of portable bleachers is now in place opposite the main stand. Porta-potties have been brought in, too. Fans are literally right on top of the player benches on that side.

* The Sounders announced the crowd at 1,800, but actual in-house was closer to 800-900.

* The Sounders are now 7-2-1 (W-D-L) in league and playoff matches at Starfire.

* The Rhinos started their season with 5 straight road matches, and hadn't scored a goal until stoppage time last night.

* The match reminded some fans of the Seattle-Rochester battle of 2006 at Qwest Field. That night Greg Howes scored in stoppage time to beat the Sounders 2-1.

Match Reports:
SeattleSounders.net
Seattle P-I
Seattle Times

Video and photos coming soon.

Drew Carey in Seattle Friday May 16

From Sounders FC:

Attention Seattle Sounders FC Members!

Owner Drew Carey will be in town Friday, May 16 for a Member’s Association event taking place at Kells Irish Pub. The event will begin at 4:00 PM.

As a Member, you are invited to Kells at 4:00 PM on May 16. Due to the limited space at Kells, Sounders FC will also give you a chance to watch the event live on soundersfc.com.

Kells Irish Pub

1916 Post Alley, Pike Place Market
Seattle, Washington, 98101
Located between Stewart & Virginia Streets

Drew, who also serves as Chairman of the Members Association, will discuss Member benefits, voting procedures, and introduce the Members Association Council which will give Members an opportunity to get more involved in club affairs.

Now with over 15,500 Members, Sounders FC is well on the way to having the most season ticket holders in Major League Soccer.

Sounders FC, truly Democracy in Sports.

Echoes of a missed opportunity

Ray Burse shuts out Seattle. CrushN Sports photo.

It's the new week, and tonight comes an new match against a new opponent in the Sounders' new 2008 home venue, but you'll forgive Brian Schmetzer for looking back at what could have been over the weekend.

“It was a shame that with 10,000 people in the stands the second half wasn’t a little more entertaining,” he says. “The first half was good, from the home team’s standpoint.

In the first 20 to 25 minutes, we were able to get in behind them and be dangerous. We were energized, we had the home crowd, it was our home opener, the atmosphere was good. Guys were excited to play after having three road games, and we had a little bit of revenge on our minds.

“Then Gavin made some adjustments and backed the lines up a little, and we ran out of some steam.

“The second half ended up with Portland hitting back and my guys not having enough creativity to break what I call a very organized defensive team. We couldn’t find a way to break them down.”

Way to cover the Sounders, Portland Tribune!

MLS "Extra Time" Episodes 51 & 52

We are catching up with the 2008 Major League Soccer season with two episodes of "MLS Extra Time" this week.

Sounders FC continue season ticket drive

Today's new article at SoundersFC.com has very good information about how the club is going about turning its huge season ticket deposit base into actual season ticket payers.

Turns out that so far it is going better than even their wildest hopes. The club set a target of converting 90% of the deposits over to full tickets. Right now, with new buyers and depositors adding additional seats, the conversion rate is running at a staggering 102%. If that trend were to continue then it is possible the club could sell at least 16,000 season tickets.

Read the whole story here.

Sounders host Rhinos Wednesday at Starfire

Seattle Sounders Press Release:
(Tukwila, WA)- The Seattle Sounders (1-1-2) square off against the Rochester Rhinos, Wednesday, May 14 at 7:00 pm at the Starfire Sports Complex in Tukwila, WA.

The Rhinos are finishing off a west coast swing that included a 0-0 draw in Portland last Thursday and a 0-1 loss in Vancouver on Saturday night. Through five games, the Rhinos are bottom of the table with one point but have put together some good performances in Portland and Vancouver during the past week.

Coach Schmetzer is more then aware of the threat that a team searching for their first win possesses.

“It’s difficult to play against a team that has yet to win their first game. Those teams are dangerous because they’re desperate; they work extra hard, and are more intense trying to get that win”, Schmetzer said. “I’m preparing my players for a battle.”

Tickets are still available, ticket prices are $13 in advance and $15 at the gate. Extra bleachers have been set up on the Southside of the complex to seat an additional 1,000 people. Fans are encouraged to show up early for all matches at Starfire to avoid traffic congestion.

Seattle’s next home game is Sunday, May 18 at Starfire against the Atlanta Silverbacks.

Game Notes:

· Saturday night’s opener drew over 10,000 people to Qwest Field. At 10,184, the game was the third largest attendance for a Sounders game at Qwest Field.

· Zach Scott was named to the USL team of the week after leading the Sounders backline to a shutout of Portland.

· Roger Levesque has been cleared to play after sitting out the last two games with an ankle sprain.

· Andre Schmid received a possible broken nose in training on Monday. He will be available for Wednesday’s match.

· Tomorrow night’s game is Rochester’s last of five away games to start the season. Their home opener is Saturday night against Charleston.

· The Rhinos are still searching for their first goal of the season having drawn blanks in Charleston, Minnesota, Portland, and Vancouver.

· Rochester goalkeeper Scott Vallow was named to the USL team of the week for allowing only one goal in the last two matches on the road.

Tacoma a stop on "Ruffneck Nation" tour

A Tide fan wears a new scarf, next to "Surf Dude," the splashy TFC mascot.

RuffneckWear.com is visiting many of their friends around the country on a "Ruffneck Nation" tour. The scarfmakers stopped in Tacoma on May 11th to watch the Tide unplug the Surge of Cascade 4-0.

You can get your Yellow and Blue Tacoma Tide FC scarf at the next home match May 23rd. They are $20 each or you can get one for free when you buy a Tide season ticket. There are still 8 matches left to play at home in the 2009 Premier Development League season. Father's Day is just around the corner. Why not scarf your "Dad?"

Soccer fans around the world know that the scarf is the trademark way to support your club and show other sports fans how much you love the game. Now South Sound has their own club and you should get on board with them and hold your Yellow high!

Follow the Ruffneck Nation tour from their blog as they hold'em high around the country.

Going, going...Ghana

By Kofi Owusu Aduonums -
Ghanaian Chronicle
Mon, 12 May 2008


RAMPG, a FIFA licensed agent based in Canada is in town for a scouting exercise as part of its activities to identify and shape talents of young footballers.

And as part of its efforts to realize that dream, RAMPG’s Regional Manager, Ghana Addul-Hayye Yartey, arranged a friendly game involving Division Two campaigners, Cheetah FC and Perrank FC at Winneba in the Central Region.

The friendly game, which churned out much excitement saw the two sides demonstrating high profile footwork and technical prowess.

At the end of the day, the three scouts: Graham Heydron, Director RAMPMG, Chris Henderson, technical director Seatlle FC and Adrian Hanauer expressed satisfaction for the level of professionalism and good play from both sides.

The scouts, who expected to leave the country soon penciled down players who performed above average and pledged of their future transfers to European clubs.

CrushN Sports Photos

Thanks to CrushN Sports and photographer Richard Morrison for sharing four stellar photos with us from last Saturday's Sounders home opener at Qwest Field.

See all four photos here.

Tide rout Surge for first win

Ruben Orozco puts Tacoma ahead with a 37th minute penalty kick despite the diving efforts of Cascade's goalkeeper.
(Jenni Conner with the great photo.)

Rory Agu is about to score his second goal of the match for TFC.

(Jenni Conner, full match galleries linked here soon.)

Jenni's photo gallery now online!

(David's gallery is up too.)

Tacoma Tide FC rebounded from their 5-2 loss Friday in Spokane to pound the Cascade Surge from Salem Oregon 4-0 on Mother's Day at Curtis High School in University Place, Tacoma.

The Tide got goals from Ruben Orozco, Spencer Schomaker and a pair from Rory Agu to build the rout.

The score was 0-0 near the end of the first half when Cascade was called for a hand ball in the penalty area. Ruben Orozco of St. Martin's College converted the kick.

Spencer Schomaker (Syracuse University) made it 2-0 with a rebound in the 62nd minute. Rory Agu of Tacoma scored the goal of the match on a breakaway in the 79th. It was the only goal I didn't catch on the video. Agu powered the ball home on a line from about 5 yards away. Agu completed his brace later with a persistent tap in during a goal-mouth scramble in the 86th.

Sunny and windy for the home opener as Tide fans show off their new TFC scarves.
(David Falk)

The Tide had moved their home opener to Mother's Day at 1:00 PM so as to not conflict with the Seattle Sounders home opener. The switch made the crowd size quite small. Fans who did attend received magnet schedules and got to meet "Surf Dude," the new Tacoma mascot, in person. Season ticket holders picked up their scarves, which are also now available to all Tide fans.

Tacoma moves to 1-1 on the new season. The Tide next play Saturday May 17th at Yakima. The next Tide home match is Friday May 23rd against the Ogden Outlaws. Match Stats

Unfinished business leads to 0-0 draw

Le Toux, where are Le Goals? Seattle striker eyes the ball last night.
(David Falk)

The Seattle Sounders and Portland Timbers played to a 0-0 draw before 10,184 fans last night at Qwest Field. View our photo gallery.


My view from the sidelines was probably much like your view from the stands. You saw a Sounders team dominate in possession and chances, but unable to finish business against their rivals.

The match was a letdown for Seattle supporters and a let-off for Portland, who should have been tagged with their first loss of 2008. Alas, Andre Schmid somehow managed to miss in the first half when it would have been easier to score, and Josh Gardner's 25-yard blast nicked the top of the crossbar a few minutes later.

Other than a few tussles and a couple more half-chances, that was pretty much it. I was left to look at the crowd of 10,184 and admire the passion and noise that traveling Portland fans and an ever-growing Emerald City Supporters section were adding to the night.



They both deserved better, as did the rest. It was the biggest opening night crowd in USL-1 Sounders history. Qwest Field was alive. If only the players had matched the pageantry.

Jason Cascio impressed as a forward sub late on, doing all of the things Schmid is struggling with. Cascio is strong, possesses the ball well and has good speed for a 'big' guy. We'll be seeing more of him as Seattle struggles to find the key to unlocking the scoring cupboard.

Ray Burse was good in goal for the Timbers, but otherwise they were unremarkable. The last scheduled match in the Emerald City between the I-5 rivals came and went with what amounts to a group 'whimper' by both rosters.

Portland now leads the Cascadia Cup standings with 4 points. Seattle has 1, and Vancouver have yet to play a CC match.

The Sounders host Rochester Wednesday night at Starfire.

Match reports:
SeattleSounders.net
The Seattle Pitch
Seattle Times
Tacoma News Tribune
Timbers Offside Blog
Shotgun Prose
ESPN SoccerNet