Weekly News & Notes from Seattle Sounders FC Media Dept.

July 5, 10:57 PMSeattle Soccer ExaminerDavid Falk

Previous Next

2 comments Print Email RSS Subscribe

Subscribe

Get alerts when there is a new article from the Seattle Soccer Examiner. Read Examiner.com's terms of use.

Email Address   Include other special offers from Examiner.com Terms of Use

Here it is! The latest media release from Seattle Sounders FC! Get three cups of coffee and dig in!

by Seattle Sounders FC Media Dept.

Two big games await the Seattle Sounders FC this week as the run to the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup continues and MLS play resumes against the two-time champion Houston Dynamo.
 
Sounders FC (6-3-7, 25 points, 9-3-7 overall) faces the Kansas City Wizards (5-6-4, 19; 5-7-7 overall) in the quarterfinal round of the Open Cup on Tuesday night at Starfire Sports Stadium. Kickoff is 7 p.m. PT.
 
On Saturday, Seattle hosts Western Conference leader Houston (9-3-4, 31 points) in the first of three consecutive league games on Xbox Pitch at Qwest Field. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. PT and the game is sold out.
 
Sounders FC owns the third-best percentage record and its 25 points is tied for third in the league. The Dynamo remains the MLS overall point leader and is coming off a 1-0 road win over Kansas City.
 
The winner of Tuesday’s Seattle-Kansas City game advances to the semifinal round of the Open Cup on July 21. If Sounders FC prevails, it will host either Houston or the Charleston Battery of USL-1 at Starfire. The Wizards are the only team to defeat Sounders FC at home. They edged a shorthanded Seattle squad, 1-0, on April 11.
 
To reach the third round of the Open Cup, Sounders FC defeated the USL-1 Portland Timbers, 2-1, on the road July 1. Kansas City advanced by virtue of a tiebreak win over the USL-1 Minnesota Thunder after the game ended 3-3 after extra time.
 
Tuesday’s Open Cup match can be heard live via an audiocast on SoundersFC.com. Thom Beuning will call the action with analysis from Peter Fewing.
 
The Seattle-Houston match will be aired by KONG 6/16 and News Talk 97.3 KIRO FM. Calling the action will be Arlo White and Greg Vanney. The match is available in Spanish on 1210 AM Ke Buena with Rene Aleman, Noe Menendez and Victor Hernandez.
Seattle will meet Chelsea FC of the English Premier League in a friendly on July 18 on Xbox Pitch and return to league play on July 25, hosting the Chicago Fire. Both games will begin at 12 p.m. PT.
 
To purchase tickets to future home games, call 1-877-MLS-GOAL or visit www.SoundersFC.com.                
Upcoming Competition Schedule (All times Pacific)
Wednesday, July 7, 7 p.m. — Kansas City Wizards; Starfire Sports Stadium, Tukwila, Wash.
Saturday, July 11, 1:00 p.m. — Houston Dynamo; Xbox Pitch at Qwest Field
Saturday, July 18, 12 p.m. — Chelsea FC; Xbox Pitch at Qwest Field
Saturday, July 25, 12 p.m. — Chicago Fire; Xbox Pitch at Qwest Field
Sunday, August 2, 12:00 p.m. — at San Jose Earthquakes; Buck Shaw Stadium, Santa Clara, Calif.
 
Upcoming Training Schedule, July 6-14 (subject to change):
Monday, July 6 – Training at Starfire Sports Stadium, 10 a.m.
Wednesday, July 8 – Training at Starfire Sports Complex, 10 a.m.
Thursday, July 9 – Training at Xbox Pitch at Qwest Field, 10 a.m.
Friday, July 10 – Training at Starfire Sports Complex, 10 a.m.
Sunday, July 12 – No Training
Monday, July 13 – Training at Starfire Sports Complex, 10 a.m.
Tuesday, July 14 – Training at Starfire Sports Complex, 10 a.m.
 
Reserves Schedule (subject to change)
Monday, July 13, 10:30 a.m. – Kitsap Pumas; Starfire Sports Complex
Note: All reserve team games are closed to the public
 
Cup Quarterfinal Tickets on Sale
A limited number of $10 bleacher seats are still available for Tuesday’s game. Covered grandstand seating has sold out. There will be limited seating capacity. Tickets are general admission and fans are encouraged to arrive early to get the best possible seats. For information on Open Cup tickets please visit www.SoundersFC.com and www.Ticketmaster.com.
 
Chelsea Tickets on SaleFewer than 2,000 tickets remain for the Sounders FC-Chelsea match on July 18. The match will be the only one featuring MLS opposition for the Blues during their American preseason tour. It will be nationally televised by ESPN and starts at 12 noon PT. To purchase, call 1-800-745-3000, all Ticketmaster outlets or the Qwest Field Box office, or visit www.SoundersFC.com.
 
Barcelona Tickets on Sale
Tickets for the Sounders FC match with reigning European champion FC Barcelona are also on sale with less than 2,000 remaining. Barca will play Sounders FC on the Xbox Pitch at Qwest Field on Wednesday, August 5. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. PT. FC Barcelona secured its third UEFA Champions League crown on May 27 against Manchester United in Rome, Italy.
 
Sounders FC season ticket holders have received tickets to the game as part of their 18-match package, which also includes Chelsea and the MLS Cup. Tickets will be available at www.SoundersFC.com or by calling 1-800-745-3000.
 

Rebooting the Season
To open the second half of the MLS season, Seattle replicated its start with a 3-0 home win over Colorado on June 28. Sounders FC started its inaugural campaign with three straight wins but has not managed consecutive league victories since. Seattle is undefeated (2-0-2) in its last four MLS games. Last week’s sole fixture was a 2-1 Open Cup road win over USL-1 Portland.
 
Fredy’s En Fuego
Forward Fredy Montero finished the first half of the season just as hot as he started it. Montero has scored in four straight games—the longest such streak in the league this season—and he has totaled five goals and five assists in the last seven. He is now tied for second in MLS scoring with eight goals and six assists. He shares the lead in game-winning goals with three. Montero earned March Player of the Month after scoring three times in the first two matches.
 
KC Comes Again
Kansas City’s return to the Northwest conjures not-so-fond memories. Seattle’s dream 3-0-0 start to the season ended on April 11 when the Wizards won, 1-0, against the 10-man Sounders FC. Goalkeeper Kasey Keller’s red card in the 29th minute left Seattle shorthanded. Davy Arnaud’s long-range blast past substitute keeper Ben Dragavon in the 80th minute proved the difference. Despite playing the final hour with 10 men, Sounders FC finished level on shots, 9-9, and with a 7-5 advantage in corner kicks.
 
After a three-week break for SuperLiga, the Wizards resumed MLS play with the 1-0 home loss to Houston on July 4. Josh Wolff leads Kansas City with six goals. They will be without Arnaud, Jimmy Conrad and Roger Espinoza. Arnaud and Conrad are with the U.S. National Team for the Gold Cup while Espinoza was called in by Honduras.
 
Houston: Leader of the Pack
Houston possesses the top point total and scoring defense in MLS. The Dynamo has allowed only 10 goals and have posted eight shutouts. It reeled off a club-record 11-game unbeaten (8-0-3) streak from April 19 to June 20. The Dynamo started 0-2-2 but rebounded with winning strings of three and five matches to take over first place from Chivas USA in the West on June 20. By virtue of owning the league’s best point total as of June 22, Dominic Kinnear will coach the MLS All-Stars versus Everton on July 29.
 
The Dynamo is missing Brian Ching (USA), Stuart Holden (USA) and Andrew Hainault (Canada) during the Gold Cup. Keeper Pat Onstad’s 0.63 goals-against average and eight shutouts lead the league while Brad Davis leads the MLS in assists (7).
 
June & Jaqua
Nate Jaqua capped another productive June by scoring twice and earning one assist in the 3-0 victory over Colorado on June 28. That also earned Jaqua MLS Player of the Week and his first goal was voted MLS Goal of the Week. It was his fifth career multi-goal game and his first as a Seattle player.
 
June has been Jaqua’s most productive month, with 14 goals in 25 MLS career games. He missed the June 13 game with San Jose as a result of receiving a red card the week prior, but has scored three times in the last three games. He has six goals to date. His best season total was eight with Chicago in 2006.
 
Jaqua becomes the third Sounders FC player to earn the award during the club’s inaugural season. Fredy Montero did so in Week 1 and Kasey Keller followed in Week 2.
 
Freddie’s In-Form
Freddie Ljungberg figured in two of Seattle’s three goals against Colorado. Ljungberg’s corner kick led to Fredy Montero’s opener and his long cross-field ball to Sebastien Le Toux triggered a counterattack which led to Nate Jaqua’s second goal. Ljungberg has totaled three assists and a goal in his last five games.
 
Ex-Dynamo Duo
Two members of the Sounders FC came north from Houston during the offseason. Nate Jaqua played parts of the past two seasons for the Dynamo, scoring 10 goals and six assists in 29 regular season appearances during 2007 and ’08. His goal against Kansas City in the 2007 Western Conference final helped Houston repeat as MLS Cup champion. Jaqua came to Sounders FC via the expansion draft while Patrick Ianni was obtained in a January 26 trade for a conditional pick in the 2010 SuperDraft. Ianni spent his first three pro seasons wearing orange, making 35 league appearances for the Dynamo from 2006-08.
 
July: Sounders FC Stay Home
Sounders FC will play all MLS, Open Cup and friendly matches at home in July. The only other MLS match is July 25 versus Chicago with a friendly on July 18 versus Chelsea. Should Seattle prevail in Tuesday’s Open Cup quarterfinal, the semifinal game against either Houston or Charleston will be played July 21 at Starfire. In August and September the team plays six of nine league games on the road.
 
Costa Rican Defender to be Added
Sounders FC has signed Costa Rican defender Leonardo Gonzalez, pending 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.
 
Costa Rica currently leads the final round of 2010 World Cup qualifying in CONCACAF. There are five qualifiers remaining, beginning August 12 at Honduras.
 
The Ticos opened Gold Cup play on July 3 against El Salvador in Los Angeles. Gonzalez started and played the full 90 minutes of the 2-1 loss. Costa Rica faces Jamaica in Columbus on July 7 and complete group play versus Canada on July 10 in Miami. The Gold Cup runs through July 26, with the final being played in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
 
Gonzalez last played for Liberia Mia, newly crowned champion of the Costa Rican first division. Previously he was with Club Sport Herediano, which was runner-up in 2007.  
Fourth-Round Pick Michael Fucito Signs
Sounders FC signed midfielder Michael Fucito, the club’s fourth-round selection in the 2009 MLS SuperDraft out of Harvard, the club announced today. Per Major League Soccer and club policy, terms were not disclosed.
 
Fucito, who has been diagnosed with sesamoiditis in his right foot, has been placed on the disabled list for all MLS matches through August 15. He will be eligible to play in U.S. Open Cup and friendly matches prior to that date. Fucito has been added to the roster as Senior Development player.
 
Fucito, 23, was taken by Seattle with the 46th pick overall in the draft. He was a second team All-American as a senior, leading the Ivy League in total points and helping Harvard reach the second round of the 2008 NCAA tournament. Fucito finished as the Crimson’s No. 4 career scorer with 32 goals and 24 assists.
 
Due to injuries, Fucito played in only three preseason games for Seattle, scoring one goal. He rejoined the team for training in early June following his graduation.
 
Seattle/Houston Connections
Houston features several personalities with Northwest ties, including two former A-League/USL-1 Sounders. Central defender Craig Waibel played for Seattle from 1999-02 following his collegiate career at Washington. Forward Cam Weaver was the Sounders’ top scorer in 2005 as a rookie out of Seattle University. Weaver had helped the Redhawks win the NCAA Division II championship in 2004. Brian Ching, currently with the U.S. National Team for the CONCACAF Gold Cup, starred at Gonzaga and made the all-league team with the Sounders in 2002. Dominic Kinnear, the Dynamo head coach, played for the Sounders’ 1995 A-League championship team.
 
Mike Chabala also played his collegiate career at Washington, and Chabala assisted on the goal at Kansas City last week. Backup goalkeeper Tally Hall is a native of Gig Harbor. Danny Cruz of the Dynamo was a college teammate of Seattle’s Lamar Neagle at UNLV and Kei Kamara was a teammate of James Riley in San Jose in 2008.
 
When Country Calls
Three Seattle players are representing their respective national teams during the ongoing CONCACAF Gold Cup. Midfielder Brad Evans (United States), central defender Tyrone Marshall (Jamaica) and midfielder/defender Leo Gonzalez (Costa Rica) will be unavailable until their team’s tournament run is completed. Marshall has 66 caps for the Reggae Boyz. Jamaica fell to Canada, 1-0, in its opening group play game in Los Angeles on July 3. Marshall started and played the entire match. Gonzalez went the full 90 in a 2-1 loss to El Salvador. Evans earned his first full international cap, coming on as a substitute in the 61st minute of the 4-0 U.S. win over Grenada on July 4 in Seattle.
MLS All-Star Voting Deadline is July 6
Monday night, July 6, is the deadline for the media and public to vote online for 2009 MLS All-Star First XI. The public can continue to vote at MLSnet.com. Media may place their votes at
http://www.mlsnet.com/mls/events/all_star/2009/ballot/register.jsp.  

The link above will take you to a page asking for your contact information. For media votes to be counted, you must enter your name and the e-mail address to which MLS Communications sent this advisory. Media may submit one online ballot for the All-Star First XI by selecting one goalkeeper, three defenders, five midfielders, and two forwards.
 
Media voting will comprise 25 percent of the total vote for the All-Star First XI, with coaches and general managers, players, and online fan voting each holding 25 percent of the vote to combine for the remaining 75 percent.
 
The 14th annual MLS midsummer showcase will bring together Major League Soccer’s best for a marquee matchup on July 29, 2009, versus 2009 FA Cup finalists Everton FC at Rio Tinto Stadium in Sandy, Utah, the home of Real Salt Lake. The game will be televised on ESPN2 and Galavision at 9:30 p.m. ET.
 
Sounders FC Players Among All-Star First XI Favorites
Seattle Sounders FC players remain among the frontrunners among the public vote for the First XI in the MLS All-Star Game. According to MLSnet.com, goalkeeper Kasey Keller owns a sizeable lead in the overall vote, and midfielder Freddie Ljungberg is No. 2. In all, eight Seattle players are among the leading vote-pullers. That group includes forward Fredy Montero, midfielders Steve Zakuani and Osvaldo Alonso, and defenders Jhon Kennedy Hurtado and Tyrone Marshall. Forward Nate Jaqua, midfielder Brad Evans and defender James Riley are all in close contention.
 
Cup History in Seattle
The Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup is the longest running team tournament championship in the U.S., dating back to 1914. It is open to both amateur and professional clubs who can qualify. The only Seattle club to qualify for an Open Cup final was the amateur Mitre Eagles in 1987. The Eagles fell to Club Espana of Washington, D.C., on penalties following a 0-0 draw.
 
While the NASL Sounders did not participate in the Open Cup, the USL-1 Sounders competed on an annual basis, beginning in 1995. They lost to El Paso in the semifinals that season, and also advanced to the final four in 1996 (FC Dallas), 2007 (FC Dallas) and 2008 (Charleston Battery).
 
Getting Here
Sounders FC reached the Open Cup quarterfinal stage following three victories. It claimed one of eight MLS slots in the Open Cup with two play-in wins. Sebastien Le Toux scored two goals and assisted on scores by Sanna Nyassi and Stephen King in the 4-1 defeat of Real Salt Lake. Kevin Forrest’s header from Roger Levesque and Nyassi assists fueled the 1-0 shutout of Colorado, with Kasey Keller posting the clean sheet. In the tournament proper, Seattle opened with a 2-1 win at Portland of USL-1. Levesque and King connected on first-half goals.
 
Speaking of Open Cup: Le Toux
When it comes to matches related to the U.S. Open Cup, Sebastien Le Toux is prolific. Le Toux sparked Sounders FC with two goals and two assists in a 4-1 U.S. Open Cup Play-In win over Real Salt Lake on April 28. In both 2007 and 2008 while playing for the USL-1 Sounders, Le Toux was the Open Cup goals leader, with five each season.
 

Cup Format Notes
If any U.S. Open Cup play-in game is tied at the end of regulation, a 30-minute extra time period (consisting of two 15-minute halves) shall be played in its entirety. If the score is still tied at the end of the 30-minute extra time period, the game shall be decided by a penalty kick tiebreaker. Teams are limited to five foreign players on the 18-player match roster.
 
The other quarterfinal pairings are a follows: Harrisburg City Islanders (USL-2) at D.C. United; Wilmington Hammerheads (USL-2) at Rochester Rhinos (USL-1); Houston Dynamo at Charleston Battery (USL-1). The semifinals are scheduled for July 21 and the cup final on September 2. D.C. United defeated Charleston, 2-1, for the 2008 Open Cup championship.
 
Sigi & The Cup
Sigi Schmid hasted tasted success in Open Cups past. While with the L.A. Galaxy, Schmid won the 2001 Cup and finished runner-up in 2002. The Galaxy also reached the semifinal stage in 2000 and 2003. Schmid’s career record in Open Cup play is 15-7-1.
 
Last MLS Game Recap: Sounders FC 3, Colorado Rapids 0
Nate Jaqua scored two goals and Fredy Montero scored the game’s first and assisted on the others as the Seattle Sounders FC posted a 3-0 win over the Colorado Rapids at Xbox Pitch at Qwest Field on June 28. Montero scored in his fourth consecutive game as the Sounders FC (6-3-7) extended its unbeaten streak to four games (2-0-2). The match attracted the largest crowd of the season, 32,526, and it was Seattle’s first shutout in 10 MLS games. Colorado (5-3-6) had an eight-game unbeaten run ended. The Rapids trail Seattle by four points in the Western Conference and have two games in hand. Montero opened the scoring in the 23rd minute with his eighth goal of the season. His header on the goal line came after Jaqua had redirected Freddie Ljungberg’s corner kick toward goal. Montero is now tied for 2nd in the league in goals scored. Colorado had an opportunity to equalize in the 35th minute but a penalty kick by Omar Cummings struck the crossbar. Kasey Keller made two saves to earn the shutout.
Jaqua made it 2-0 in the 48th minute. He slipped the ball to Montero and took the return pass for a shot past Rapids keeper Matt Pickens. Jaqua converted his sixth goal of the season in the 68th minute. Montero received a cross from Sebastien Le Toux and laid the ball open for Jaqua’s strike from 15 yards. Three of Jaqua’s goals this season have come against Colorado.
 
Last USOC Game Recap: Sounders FC 2, Portland Timbers 1
Roger Levesque’s diving header in the first minute of play provided a lead the Seattle Sounders FC past the Portland Timbers, 2-1, in the third round of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup on July 1.


Stephen King also scored for Seattle, which snapped a 12-game unbeaten run (7-0-5) by the USL-1 Timbers, playing in front of a franchise record crowd of 16,382 at PGE Park.
 
Levesque finished a driven cross from Sanna Nyassi past Portland keeper Steve Cronin and inside the near post.  It was only the fourth goal allowed by Portland at PGE Park this year. Levesque has scored 10 career goals against Portland.


In the 27th minute, Nate Jaqua controlled the ball in heavy traffic at the top of the box, then left it for King to hit first-time into the left corer from 18 yards. King was also credited with an assist on the first goal.

Portland finally broke through the Seattle defense in the 43rd minute. Mandjou Keita scored his third goal of the Open Cup, firing past Kasey Keller from 10 yards.
 Midweek Magic
Sounders FC is unbeaten (4-0-1) in its five midweek matches to date. Seattle opened its inaugural season by beating New York, 3-0, on Thursday, March 19. Seattle has since won a pair of Tuesday night games in U.S. Open Cup Play-Ins, defeating both Real Salt Lake, 4-1, and Colorado, 1-0. Both were played at Starfire. The sole blemish was a 3-3 draw with D.C. United at home on June 17. Last Wednesday in Portland, Seattle won its third-round U.S. Open Cup game, 2-1, over the USL-1 Timbers.
 
Available for the Cup
Jarrod Smith remains on the MLS injured reserve list but is eligible to play in Tuesday’s Open Cup match. Last week Smith made his second Sounders FC appearance at Portland. Earlier in the week he had returned from his call-up to the New Zealand National Team for the FIFA Confederations Cup in South Africa. While he did not see action in any of the All Whites’ three Confederations Cup games, he did start a friendly at Botswana. Smith, on the disabled list for MLS games since the start of the season, made his first Seattle appearance in an Open Cup Play-In on April 28.
 
Men in the Middle
Sigi Schmid’s midfield and central defense was reconfigured for the bout in Portland. Both central midfield starters Brad Evans (USMNT call in) and Osvaldo Alonso (groin strain) were out, as was center back Tyrone Marshall (Jamaica call in). In midfield Stephen King made his third straight cup start. He was paired with Peter Vagenas. Patrick Ianni started in central defense.
 
Matinee Idols
Seattle’s next three home games, including the Chelsea FC friendly on July 18, will all be played in the afternoon. Five of the final seven home MLS games start at either 12 noon or 1 p.m. To date, Sounders FC has played three day games, winning at Toronto, 2-0, on April 4, and tying Los Angeles at home, 1-1, on May 10, and blanking Colorado, 3-0, on June 28.
 
Attack Is Clicking
Seattle’s attack is beginning to fire on all cylinders, totaling nine goals in the last four MLS games. Eight of those goals were scored at home, where each of the next two league games will be played. Prior to this recent surge, Sounders FC had netted only six goals in the six previous MLS outings.
 
Chasing History
At 6-3-7 through the first 16 league games, Seattle is off to the best start for an MLS expansion franchise since the Chicago Fire (11-5-0) in 1998. Miami and Chicago are the only expansion teams to reach the playoffs, with the Fire winning both the MLS Cup and the U.S. Open Cup in its first season.
 
Previous Expansion Starts          
Team                            16 Games         17 Games         1st Season Notes
Chicago (1998):             11-5-0               12-5-0               Won MLS Cup, U.S. Open Cup
Miami (1998):                6-10-0               6-11-0               1st round playoffs
Salt Lake (2005):           3-9-4                 3-10-4               Finished 5th, West
Chivas USA (2005):        1-12-3               1-13-3               Finished 6th, West
Toronto (2007):              5-7-4                 5-8-4                 Finished 7th, East          
San Jose (2008):            3-9-4                 3-9-5                 Finished 7th, West
Seattle (2009):               6-3-7
 
Crowds Swell
Due to the demand for Sounders FC tickets, stadium capacity has been expanded, beginning with the June 28 match with Colorado. A record crowd of 32,526 watched the win. With the addition of seats in the south end zone of the stadium’s lower bowl, capacity for Xbox Pitch at Qwest Field is listed at 32,400. The team will utilize the full stadium capacity of 67,000 for Chelsea and FC Barcelona.
 
Attendance Record
Sounders FC is the first franchise in MLS history to have 28,000 or more fans at nine consecutive regular season or postseason home games. Each of the first nine games on Xbox Pitch at Qwest Field has sold out. The inaugural March 19 match drew 32,523 fans for the 3-0 defeat of New York. Seattle leads MLS with a nine-game average of 29,715. The MLS record for a season attendance average is 28,916, set by the L.A. Galaxy in 1996.
 
A Clean Sheet at Last
The 3-0 win over Colorado on June 28 marked the first shutout in 10 MLS games for the defense. Kasey Keller made two saves and the Rapids were unable to convert a first-half penalty kick. An unsettled lineup contributed to an inability to earn a clean sheet in the previous nine games. Sounders FC posted shutouts in four of its first six games, and all five clean sheets have occurred in matches when the central core of Tyrone Marshall, Jhon Kennedy Hurtado and Keller played the entire match. Prior to the Rapids match, Seattle’s last shutout was against San Jose (2-0) on April 25.
 
Keller’s Nearly Unbeatable
Seattle is 6-1-7 when goalkeeper Kasey Keller goes the entire 90 minutes, including 5-0-3 at home. Keller set an MLS record for consecutive scoreless minutes to start a season (457), and he is the only goalkeeper in league history to post three complete shutouts to start an MLS career.
 
Back Four Shuffle
In the past nine games due to injuries, suspensions, and the unexpected, coach Sigi Schmid has been forced to shuffle his back four each game. He will make adjustments once again against Houston. Schmid has deployed seven different players and his central defense tandem of Tyrone Marshall and Jhon Kennedy Hurtado, after starting and playing the entire 90 minutes of the first 11 games, played together for the first time in three games against D.C. United on June 17 and once more last Sunday against Colorado. Each of the other absences was due to suspensions. Right back James Riley and left back Tyson Wahl have started each of the last six matches. Patrick Ianni has filled in for Riley, Hurtado and Marshall. With Marshall unavailable, Ianni is likely to be in the first XI again this week.
 
Leaders of the Pack
Kasey Keller is No. 3 among MLS goalkeepers with a GAA of 0.84 and five shutouts. Keller is tied for third in wins (6). Forward Fredy Montero is tied for second in goals (8) and assists (6), and shares the lead in game-winning goals (3). Montero is second in fouls suffered (37) and he is third in shots (49). Nate Jaqua is tied for fifth in goals (6) and seventh in assists (5). He is third in fouls committed (31).
 
Sounders FC ranks second in scoring average (1.50) and third in goals allowed per game (0.94). Seattle is the team with most fouls suffered (217) and eighth in fouls committed (184). The 34 cautions and 86 corner kicks are third and fourth, respectively, in the league.
 
Seeing (and Not Seeing) Yellow
After seeing just one yellow cards in the previous two games, Seattle players were shown two against Colorado. Freddie Ljungberg and Brad Evans were each issued their fourth of the season. Players receive a one-game suspension after accumulating five. Nate Jaqua’s season total has been rolled back from four to three after going three consecutive games without a card.
 
Four Now on IR
With the addition of Michael Fucito last week, Seattle now has four players on the disabled list. Defender Taylor Graham sustained a fractured third metatarsal of his right foot during training on May 27 and was placed on the IR later that week. He is now eligible to return to league play. Graham was in uniform for four league games, and he started and played the full 90 minutes of an April 28 U.S. Open Cup Play-In game. Forward Jarrod Smith and goalkeeper Chris Eylander had been placed on IR earlier. Both are also eligible to be activated.
 
Zach Scott, who has missed the last seven games with a partial tear of an abdominal muscle, is now participating in full training. Of the 26 players on the roster, all but midfielders Lamar Neagle, Michael Fucito and goalkeeper Terry Boss have been used during the MLS and USOC play-in and tournament games played to date.
 
Getting Involved
Eleven players have been involved in the 24 goals scored by Seattle to date, including nine different goal scorers: Fredy Montero (8), Nate Jaqua (6), Steve Zakuani (2), Brad Evans (2), Freddie Ljungberg (2), Tyrone Marshall, Jhon Kennedy Hurtado, Sebastien Le Toux, and Osvaldo Alonso.
 
Trends to Date
Of Seattle’s 24 goals in the first 16 games, 16 have come in the first half and 19 in the first 60 minutes. Only three have come from set pieces, all from corner kicks by Freddie Ljungberg. Of the eight games in which Sounders FC has scored multiple goals, six have been at home.
 
The defense has not allowed more than one goal in eight of nine home games on Xbox Pitch at Qwest Field. Four of the five shutouts have been at home.
 
16 Game Totals
Seattle is off to the second-best start in MLS expansion history, and has done so despite facing its fair share of adversity. Sounders FC has stayed above .500 through the first 16 games despite finishing five games shorthanded, going 0-2-3 in those contests. Resulting suspensions, injuries and the unexpected have allowed Sigi Schmid to pick his starting lineup from his top players on only four occasions to date.
 
Score and Earn
When Sounders FC scores, points in the standings have followed, and when Seattle scores first, so much the better. It is 6-0-3 when striking first and 6-0-7 when scoring at least one goal. Each of Seattle’s three losses has been by shutout.
 
Sigi’s Final Countdown
Schmid is approaching the summit of two MLS coaching categories. Schmid (272) is one match away from surpassing Bob Bradley’s MLS record of 272 career games coached. The league’s active leader in wins (119), Schmid is five wins shy of Bradley’s MLS record 124 victories. New England’s Steve Nicol is No. 2 among active coaches in wins (91) and No. 3 overall.
 
Current Training Squad
The following players begin the week training in Seattle: Goalkeepers (4): Terry Boss, Ben Dragavon*, Chris Eylander, Kasey Keller; Defenders (9): Evan Brown, Taylor Graham, Jhon Kennedy Hurtado, Patrick Ianni, Tyrone Marshall, James Riley, Zach Scott, Nathan Sturgis, Tyson Wahl; Midfielders (9): Osvaldo Alonso, Brad Evans, Michael Fucito, Stephen King, Sebastien Le Toux, Freddie Ljungberg, Lamar Neagle, Sanna Nyassi, Peter Vagenas; Forwards (5): Nate Jaqua, Roger Levesque, Fredy Montero, Jarrod Smith, Steve Zakuani.
 
*invitee