With the Gold Cup starting in Seattle on Saturday, the US team is using Starfire to train what is mainly younger players, and mainly players with MLS connections. So today, as I showed up for Sounders practice, I had the pleasant surprise of seeing the men that will represent my nation on Independence Day on one field and the Sounders on the next one over at the facility.

With Sounders mainly in the recovery mode after last night’s match it freed Kasey Keller to greet the players who are going to try and take their place besides him in the pantheon of US greats. Read the rest of this entry »

Just in my email box as I return home from practice

Sounders FC Signs Costa Rica International Gonzalez

RENTON, WASH. – The Seattle Sounders FC have signed Costa Rican defender Leonardo Gonzalez, it was announced today. Per Major League Soccer and club policy, terms were not disclosed. Gonzalez’s signing will be finalized upon receipt of his P-1 work permit and International Clearance.

Gonzalez, 28, will join Sounders FC after completing his call in to the national team for the CONCACAF Gold Cup. He has been capped 59 times by Costa Rica, including three starts during the 2006 World Cup.

“It’s nice to have to have a naturally left-footed player. He can play left back, play center back in a pinch, and he can also play wide and run the whole line for us,” said Sigi Schmid, Sounders FC coach. “He is an attacking left fullback with good size and athleticism. He’s very willing to get forward out of a defensive position and does a good job defensively.”

This isn’t the player news I was expecting, but now the Sounders have only one slot available until an IR/DL player gets healthy.

UPDATED!!!
To put that in league perspective
KC, NY and TFC all have three slots open at this time (1 of KCs is for a developmental).
LA, DC and SJ have two slots (1 of LAs is a developmental)
Chicago, NE, C-Bus, RSL and SSFC have 1 slot open (Chi and NE with it as a Developmental)
Houston, Colorado, Dallas and Chivas are all Full with 24.

This is all with rosters current as of TODAY (Seattle includes the announcement of Leo, but not Dragovan). The “Open Slots” remove DL players from their team’s active rosters. Yes, in some cases this would mean that a slot is only temporarily available, but for teams competing in multiple tournaments that have fans complaining about depth, it might be a good idea to take a 6 week loan of a guy or two, or three (KC).

The most important match of the season for the Portland Timbers, and one of three open paths to the CCL for the Sounders.

Gamesmanship concerning uniforms

Roster gamesmanship from the Sounders

NextSeasonSports caught up with me for some video thoughts on the match. Read the rest of this entry »

On Saturday I was on KJR-AM Seattle with Dick Fain talking the Rapids and Timbers matches and a bit about Montero as well.

Direct Link for Media Player and for those that Podcast.

One thing I would like to do is crowd source my coaching. It has been a LOOOOOnnnnngg time since I was in Comm class. What did you like, what needs to improve from the listener perspective? I listened today and I know about the “umms,” it will be gone.

Bonus points for whoever gets the musical reference in the threadline.

Having stayed at Qwest in order to watch the USA v Brasil I noticed one of those things that clearly declares that the team one supports is proper and just.

Sebastien Le Toux spent at least 30 minutes signing autographs and posing for pictures, often times even climbing into the stands so that more fans could be in the image. He did this along the Brougham End with several dozen people, staying later than a handler seemed to desire.

I asked Le Toux via email if he could tell me why he feels such a strong connection with the people of Seattle? His response follows

I just stay [to] sign autograph for the fan because since i [came to] Seattle, people are great with the team and me, so it’s to thank them for all their support at each game.

And when i was young i wanted to be a professional soccer player and i was a fan too when i was young and wanted have autograph from the professional soccer player in France but it was hard because they just signed a few a left.

So because of that i told myself that if one day i will be a soccer professional soccer player i will take the time to sign the most people i can because i love to do it and see the face of everybody happier after.
Sometimes i have lots of times to do and sometimes its more difficult to stay longer but i try to do my best all the time… and it’s the best recovery after the game for me.

When people ask me why I think that soccer has connected in this community so strongly, it is because of people like Seb Le Toux. People who are approachable, who love us and the city, people who remind you every day that though they play a game professional they were once fans too.

On a bright Sunday afternoon, while our National team rediscovered how powerful Brasil is, Seattle Sounders FC put forward their wills, their force and declared that this is a summer of soccer indeed. In front of the record setting crowd (thanks you last three people) Seattle showed that the new Dragon Army was in Green-Blue-Green, acted with discipline and the facets of the game that have been the focus of this blog are not just being addressed, but being solved.

Sanna Nyassi started for the first time since March in place of Steve Zakuani, but not in the simple manner of one man taking another’s spot. Sigi used Zakuani’s health as another tool in addressing the issue of the Freddyain. Fredy Montero started as the Left Winger, rather than Zakuani and Ljungberg played the forward, and foil for Colorado.

From the starting moments of the match, Sigi’s Game was on display. If you don’t think that wasn’t a dominant performance, read what Rapids Coach Gary Smith said

I thought we deserved to get beat three to nil. In the first half we played as good as football as we have had in some time. The big differences in the game were the big plays, the goals … Full credit to Seattle and what they are is workmen like and solid team. In [Freddie] Ljungberg, [Fredy] Montero, and [Nate] Jaqua, you have individuals who can change the game and today they did just that.

What did Seattle do to dominate?

Rapid Transition – Freddyain – Set Plays Read the rest of this entry »

Colorado have games in hand versus the Sounders, including more matches at home than any other team. This game has more value in the standings than any other this month. It reminds the league that home is where the Sounders feast, and forces the Rapids to pause in their attempt to pass Seattle.

One could think that the Sounders are lucky to have baby Arsenal (Rapids owner also owns the Gunners) after a midweek match and on a day when their best player is in South Africa attempting to play the greatest match in US soccer history.

One would be wrong. Read the rest of this entry »

Fifteen of thirty matches played. 22 of 45 points won.

A new standard for expansion in the league, and yet no where near the goals that the organization has put forward. What have we learned from the first half of the Sounders season?

1 – Like in hockey a great keeper can carry a club. Kasey Keller has provided leadership on the pitch and with the press, but most importantly he was able to save several mistakes in coverage that enabled the point total to this point. Read the rest of this entry »

While KJR-AM and 710 ESPN continue to fight for supremacy in Seattle sports talk there is one battle about which my readers will pay the most attention.

Who talks more soccer, with more respect for the game both locally and nationally?

The most soccer talk I have heard on “the official station for Sounders FC talk” according to stadium signage has a rare segment during Colin Cowherd’s 7-11A, and even more rare talk from Kevin Calabro about why draws suck, and the need for video replay. Once I have heard a Sounder (Sigi) on the Air.

That other station? The one that couldn’t be bribed to talk soccer in the late90s and early 21st? Mitch’s producer puts in highlights consistently on Mondays. Softy has Romero on regularly. Gas talks to a player every Tuesday. Groz with Gas talk to Gaschk in interview every Friday. Even their occasional Saturday host Dick Fain is willing to talk the game on occasion (including tomorrow with me in the Noon hour).

One local sports station understands that Major League has been proven in Seattle, the other is stuck in the 90s. It amazes me which one made the mistake of thinking like the old timer.

Demand that your local sports stations treat Sounders like a major sport. The TV ratings and attendance are proving that it is the case.

In celebration of the USA’s performance against Spain, one Rivers Coumo penned the following.

Video follows Read the rest of this entry »

As I update the statistics I track I will ask you to tell me who the MVP is through the first 15 matches of this 30 game season. Of note, this is the best expansion team at the half way point in MLS 2.0 (post contraction) and while the team has bean a mid-table road club (1.00 points average on the road, it is still a solid top table club at home). Read the rest of this entry »