Seattle Soccer Show Episode 2

Seattle Soccer Show Episode 2
Featuring Seattle Wolves FC Technical Director Alex Weaver and the Music of Common Market

The Seattle Soccer Show released its second episode today. Click here to listen. Seattle Wolves Technical Director Alex Weaver was in studio to talk about the Wolves season to date and what prompted him to leave Manchester United Soccer Schools in South Africa to return to the Seattle Wolves. Also in this episode: Seattle Sounders Tacoma Tide Sounders Women Euro 2008 The Seattle Soccer Show is a weekly online audio program distributed by 950kjr.com and hosted by Matt Gaschk and Mati Bishop. Click here to visit SeattleSoccerShow.com

Join the Seattle Soccer Show at Spitfire in BellTown on June 29th for the Euro 2008 Championship match. There will be drink specials, prizes, special guests and more.

Le Toux Profiled

The Seattle Offside Blog has published a profile of the first Sounder FC player, Sebastien Le Toux.

Any guesses as to when they'll need to do another profile?

I'd say within a month.

I'd also say the name they'll need to add is Michael Rodriguez.

Sounders teach Juve's kids a 3-0 lesson

Craig Tomlinson gets a Juve foot greeting.
(Rick Morrison photo)

Juve coach talks with his troops at halftime.
(David Falk)

Jenni Conner's match gallery is now online.
Here are some HQ shots from Rick Morrison.
My gallery can be viewed here.
Ron Moran's photos are here.
Photos from SPMSportsPage.com
Flickr.com photo gallery from Andrea

The Sounders used a mish-mash line-up of starters and guests to easily defeat the young guns from Juventus Primavera 3-0 at Starfire. Goals came from Le Toux (2) and Tomlinson.

Most memorable appearance of the night? The sun.

It was a fun night to be out at Starfire watching some soccer, but little was learned about how good the Juventus youth players might be. I suppose we learned something about a few trialists that got match time for Seattle.

Costa Rican defender Michael Rodriguez is back in Seattle, and it appears just a matter of paperwork before he is announced as the next Seattle Sounders FC (MLS) player. Rodriguez played well wherever he was moved on the pitch last night. He has a genuine ease on the ball.



Kenny Cunningham was up top for the Sounders. He had flashy moments and could easily have scored late on if not for a brilliant save by Juve's Carlo Pinsoclio. Cunningham relied on playing too close to offside for my liking. Is he fast, or does he just lazily lurk hoping for the right call? Last night I'd say it was the latter.

Sebastien Le Toux converted a penalty kick (see video) after an iffy foul call. Le Toux then chipped the keeper a few minutes later and it was all but over.

In goal for the Sounders Frenchman Romain Salin was a compelling, stern-eyed competitor. Near the end of the first half Juve had a great scoring chance denied when Salin went horizontal to stab a ball off the line. The clearance rose high in the air and was redirected on goal. With Salin not yet to his feet Kenji Treschuk headed the ball off the line. A final header sailed over the bar.

Nik Besagno played well for the Sounders in his home debut. The Maple Valley product is trying to restart his career out of the shadows of the curse of being a number one draft choice at age 16.

Read these reports:
The Seattle Pitch
Seattle Sounders
Eric's post from USLlive broadcast
Seattle Times
Seattle P-I

SOUNDERS FACE HOLLYWOOD UNITED AT STARFIRE IN SECOND ROUND OF OPEN CUP

From the Sounders...

(Seattle, WA)- The Seattle Sounders (USL-1) play Hollywood United (USASA) Tuesday, June 24 at the Starfire Sports Complex in second round action of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup. Kickoff is set for 8:00 pm.

Tickets go on sale tomorrow morning (June 13) at 10:00 am. Tickets are $13 in advance through Ticketmaster at www.ticketmaster.com or by calling 206-628-0888. Tickets are $15 at the gate. $13 group tickets are available by calling 206-381-7908.

Hollywood United of the United States Amateur Soccer Association and the Coast Soccer League in Los Angeles, stunned the Portland Timbers of USL-1 in first round play winning 3-2 behind two Matt Taylor penalty kick’s and an Earl Alexander winner in stoppage time. 2008 is Hollywood United’s first appearance in the U.S. Open Cup.

Though an amateur side, Hollywood United is made up of several former professionals including eight-year MLS veteran, Brian Dunseth and former Sounders Jason Boyce and Alex Bengard. Boyce played for Seattle in 2002 appearing in 15 games notching one goal and three assists and Bengard played for Seattle in 2003 appearing in 23 games scoring three goals and two assists. Also on the roster is Raul Palomaires who was on trial with the Sounders early this season and appeared in the Sounders exhibition match against Seattle Pacific University.

The Sounders survived a grueling extra time first round match against the Arizona Sahuaros that Kenji Treschuk won in the 118th minute; Seattle won 1-0. Seattle will be hoping to have a healthy Danny Jackson (plantir fascia), Jason Cascio (ankle), and Noah Merl (groin) back in action.

A Sounders win on June 24 would see them face an MLS side in 3rd round action scheduled for July 1. The Sounders have submitted bids to U.S. Soccer in an effort to host both the 3rd and quarterfinal rounds. The July 1 match would see the Sounders in action at the Starfire Sports Complex. The July 8 quarterfinal round would see the Sounders back at Qwest Field.

The Sounders had success in the 2007 Open Cup against MLS teams, defeating Chivas USA and the Colorado Rapids in route to a birth in the semi-finals where they lost 2-1 to Dallas FC in extra time.

Sounders FC bring Zidane film back 13-15th

SEATTLE, WASH. - The Seattle Sounders FC and the Northwest Film Forum present an encore screening of the film ZIDANE: A 21st CENTURY PORTRAIT. The experimental documentary depicting French soccer superstar Zinédine Zidane will be screened June 13-15 at the Northwest Film Forum.

Tracking Zinédine Zidane exclusively for the duration of a single soccer match, Douglas Gordon and Philippe Parreno’s aesthetic film is a portrait of one player, in one game, on one day. Accompanied by a score from the Scottish band Mogwai, the film is an exploration of the psychology of the sport and a profile of a man in his element. Director Douglas Gordon describes the film as “an exercise in solitude.”

During the entire 92 minutes of a Real Madrid vs. Villarreal match, seventeen super-35mm Scope format synchronized cameras were set around the Burnabeu Stadium, each focusing exclusively on Zidane in real time. Two of the cameras were equipped with high definition zoom used by the US Army prior to production of the film. The team behind the seventeen cameras includes operators who have worked with the likes of Martin Scorsese and Oliver Stone, as well as NFL Films and Major League Baseball.



ZIDANE: A 21st CENTURY PORTRAIT will screen Friday, June 13 through Sunday, June 15 at 7:00pm and 9:15pm.

Individual tickets are $8.50 general, $6.00 children/seniors, and $5.00 for NWFF members. Northwest Film Forum is located on Capitol Hill at 1515 12th Ave (between Pike and Pine). More information is available at http://www.nwfilmforum.org.

Sounders tackle Juve Juniors Tonight

The Seattle Sounders host Juventus Primavera tonight at 7:00 PM at Starfire Sports Complex in Tukwila.

Matt Massey reports in the Seattle Times.

"You'll probably see at least one of these players go on to play for our big club," said Juventus Primavera team manager Riccardo Cavallari, the only fluid English-speaking member of the club. "We like the fact that we've been invited to the U.S. We like to measure ourselves with American soccer."

Matt Gaschk reports in the Seattle P-I.

Juventus Primavera is the primary reserve team of Italian club Juventus, which plays in Serie A. Three players on the roster, which is made up of players under 21, play for their respective national teams. The team has won two consecutive Primavera Super Cup championships to add to its long list of league and national titles. The parent club has won 40 titles and 11 European club championships.

Last week in MLS (Extra Time #57)

Here's what went down and who left (Altidore) last week in Major League Soccer...

Sounders beat Arizona 1-0 in overtime in cup play

Photos from Peter C. Click for full sized images.
A few photos from fans and from around the internet are here.

It was hot (105 degrees at kick off!), and it was close...very close.

We can report that the Sounders edged the Arizona Sahuaros 1-0 in the US Open Cup and will advance to play Hollywood United in the next round on June 24th at Starfire.

Seattle's Kenji Treschuk scored the lone goal of the match in the 119th minute. Penalty kicks loomed less than a minute away when the midfielder struck the winner.

Hollywood United advanced to face Seattle by upsetting the Portland Timbers 3-2 in Portland last night.

Seattle fans were following the match via updates from www.USOpenCup.com.

The tension rose on the forums as fans awaited slow-coming updates. It was back to the days of telegrams for 'play-by-play.' Then after 10:15 PM Seattle Time the update came that the Sounders had scored in the second overtime. Just a flash later the best update of all: Treschuk's goal had held up and Seattle would be advancing by the narrowest of margins.

The dramatic night was made all the sweeter for Sounders fans when they learned, with the Seattle match still in progress, that the rival Portland Timbers had been upset 3-2 by Hollywood United, a well-stocked amateur side. There would thus be no rematch of last year's Seattle-Portland USOC match that saw the Sounders edge the Timbers 2-1 at Starfire.

If the Sounders can avoid the Timbers fate and beat HUFC, they'll play a Major League Soccer Club in the following round.

Sounders fans can scout Hollywood United by watching their win over PDX (for free) at www.USLlive.com.

Match reports:
www.SeattleSounders.net
www.AZcentral.com (with 4 photos)
Photos from Kenn.com

Nik Besagno loaned to Sounders

SOUNDERS RECEIVE FORMER #1 PICK NIKOLAS BESAGNO ON LOAN

(Seattle, WA)- The Seattle Sounders have received midfielder, Nikolas Besagno, the former number one pick in the 2005 MLS Superdraft, on loan from Real Salt Lake of Major League Soccer, the team announced today. The loan deal starts immediately and runs through September 8, 2008.

A native of Maple Valley, WA, Besagno is in his fourth year as a professional after being signed by Real Salt Lake when he was 16. At the time, he was the second youngest player to be drafted by a Major League Soccer team, only Freddie Adu was younger at age 14.

“It’s a bonus for us to add a local young man with quality and potential to the roster in these times where, through injury, the roster is extremely thin,” Coach Schmetzer said. “Nik will be a welcome addition and I hope that he will be able to have some impact in the time he’s on loan from Real Salt Lake.”

A product of Generation Adidas, Besagno is a former U.S. U-20 and U-17 Men’s National player. From 2004-2005, Besagno earned 22 caps (19 starts) and scored two goals for the U.S. U-17’s. He also played in two of four matches in the 2005 U-17 World Cup held in Peru.

Besagno has appeared in 8 games for Real Salt Lake and started four. His older brother, Jake, was a Sounder in 2006 and 2007 playing 2180 minutes and scoring one goal.

The Sounders host Juventus Primavera, the primary reserve team of Italian giant, Juventus, Thursday at the Starfire Sports Complex. Kick-off is set for 7:00 pm. Tickets are going fast, go to www.ticketmaster.com or call 206-628-0888 to see the world stars of tomorrow!

Donate to GOALSeattle yearly drive

Once a year (about the time the internet bills arrive) I put a hand out and ask for help in keeping www.GOALSeattle.com online.

It takes a lot of effort, time and yes...cash, to run this website and its various pages. The Soccer Museum is a must-see archive area that takes a huge amount of 'bandwidth' to maintain.

Are you a Paypal member?

You can donate by going to our home page and clicking the 'Make a Donation' button.

Not a member but what to contribute? Email us at goalseattle@gmail.com for details.

So, if you can help the cause please consider doing so. Your donation not only helps me with the bills, but shows that you appreciate what www.GOALSeattle.com adds to our Seattle soccer community.