The Sounders practiced in a few coolish rain showers today at Starfire. They made a rare move over to the grass field -- even though Toronto's BMO Field has an artificial surface -- mostly just to give a break to the player's bodies. Turf -- even FieldTurf -- is more wearing on the legs and joints, almost every player in every sport agrees.

A few other notes:

* Sounders goalkeeper Kasey Keller said he takes his selection as MLS player of the week as an honor for the entire defense, which has now gone 180 minutes without allowing a goal. “This is more I think a team-shared honor from the first game, the second game, just being the only team that hasn’t conceded a goal yet,” he said. “We take a lot of pride in that as a team. It’s a responsibility of everyone and I’m basically accepting the award for everybody.”

* Freddy Ljungberg and Nate Sturgis, who made their Sounders’ debuts Saturday after missing the opener with injuries, both apparently came through the game fine and if that continues each could see their minutes extended in Toronto.

"We’ll see how this week progresses in training," coach Sigi Schmid said. "I’ll see how Freddie feels. He’s played today and see how he feels. Obviously we want to up his minutes. … Sturgis played a good role for us and made sense. Nate we tried to be a little bit cautious with today, but he said he felt good."

* Schmid said he was more pleased with his team’s 2-0 win over Salt Lake after watching on tape than he had been watching it live. You might remember from my Sunday game story that Schmid didn't think his team played well with the lead. By Tuesday he was more pleased, although not quite a pure 180.

"It’s just that we gave the ball away at times when we shouldn’t have given it away so we forced ourselves to defend a whole lot more than we needed to," he said. "We need to hold on to the ball a little bit better. We need to know is now the time to go forward or is now the time to keep it for a little bit. I thought when Freddie came on and when Nate Sturgis came on we did a little better job of holding onto the ball the last 20 minutes of the game especially."

* The highlight of that game might have been the opening goal, in which Steve Zakuani juked his defender and then sent a pass across the goal mouth to teammate Nate Jaqua, who redirected the ball into the net. Zakuani said that assist he found that assist more satisfying than actually putting the ball into the net himself.

"When you can put the ball in someone’s path where they can just tap it in the goal, I think it can be more satisfying at times," he said. "It’s a team game at the end of the day, and when we score we celebrate as a team. You win as a team, so for me, I think I prefer assists to goals."

The roaring marketing success of the "Sounders" brand's move from NASL to A-League to USL to MLS makes it hard to imagine anything other than Vancouver being the Whitecaps and Portland being the Timbers.

However, the expansion annoucement made no mention of the Whitecaps name -- the B.C. Republic, anyone? -- so speculation continues.

Here's a quick overview.

Meanwhile, an odd little Twilight Zone question we'll never really know the answer to: If you changed nothing but the name, would Seattle Alliance FC have drawn two equal sellout, scarf-waving crowds to Qwest Field by now? Or was the goodwill associated with the Sounders name a key part of Seattle's success story?

Two games, two wins, two shutouts, two sellouts ... and now two players of the week.

After Fredy Montero won the MLS's first player of the week award for his play in the win over New York, Sounders keeper Kasey Keller won it this week for his play in the win over Salt Lake.

Here's the Sounders' release:

Goalkeeper Kasey Keller turned in another clean sheet in Week 2, making five saves, including a stop at the feet of RSL striker Yura Movsisyan in the 49th minute to preserve a 1-0 lead. His performance earned him MLS Player of the Week. Keller becomes just the third keeper in MLS history and the first since 1996 to post shutouts in his first two starts. He joins Mark Dodd of Dallas and Tom Liner of San Jose who both did so in 1996.

Keller has yet to allow a goal in five games played in Seattle during his professional career. Prior to this season his only previous Seattle appearances were as keeper for the U.S. National Team and all were shutout victories: Honduras (4-0, Safeco Field, 2002), Venezuela (2-0, Seahawks Stadium, 2003) and Canada (2-0, Qwest Field, 2005).

Coach Sigi Schmid, general manager Adrian Hanauer and forward Nate Jaqua will be at Kells Irish Restaurant & Pub in downtown Seattle from 5-8 p.m. Tuesday.

They will answer questions and help raise money for Seattle SCORES!

Seattle SCORES is a non-profit organization focused on empowering children to change their world through writing, soccer and community service. The program teaches skills children need to become life long learners, to be leaders in their communities and to succeed in life through an intensive, five-day per week after-school program. Currently, SCORES works with 6 public elementary schools to teach writing, teamwork, sportsmanship and leadership skills to more than 200 children ages 8-12. Vital life skills learned on the soccer field are translated into the classroom, and then carried on into the community.

Sounders FC announced today that the team’s kickoff time for the June 17 home match against D.C. United has been moved forward a half hour to 7:30 p.m.

The game will be aired live on ESPN2.

Two games, two wins. Or more accurately, two home games, two wins.

The Sounders get their first taste of life on someone else's pitch this week when they cross three time zones and an international border to meet Toronto FC.

And Toronto isn't just any road game. If Puget Sound fans have any rival in MLS for sheer gameday enthusiasm, it's Toronto. And maybe especially this week, which is their home opener.

And if last week's conference call with MLS commissioner Don Garber was any indication, Toronto media is very aware that Toronto's status as the MLS city with the most enthusiastic fans has been threatened. So, a double-wild atmosphere should be expected.

“I’m looking forward to it; I’m excited by it," coach Sigi Schmid said after the Sounders' win Saturday night over Salt Lake. "Now, it’s a matter of how we’re going to do. Obviously there’s tremendous home support. We’ve talked about (Qwest Field) becoming a fortress for us. Obviously we’re the only team—I think—in the league right now that’s played two games at home. We’re the only team that’s undefeated at home after two games. That’s something I’m really proud of. It’s a tribute to the fans and the support. Now we’re going to go into probably the next most difficult place to play: Toronto. So we have to be prepared. We have to be sharp. Obviously, it’ll be a team that did well with their two games on the road, and then wants to establish themselves at home. They were a very good home team last year. I feel good about it. I feel excited about it.”

Fredy Montero's twisting sizzler from about 30 yards out that capped Seattle's 2-0 win over Salt Lake on Saturday is a candidate for Major League Soccer's goal of the week.

You can vote here.

That may seem a fairly arrogant headline, considering MLS has been around for 14 years and Sounders FC has been around for two games.

And no, I don't have any illusions that the Sounders will keep picking up three points every time they take the pitch. After two games it seems like the Sounders on the field are competitive in a way few MLS expansion teams have been, but they're not going to run the table. Lumps will come.

Where MLS needs to step up to the Sounders standards is off the field. Mostly meaning in the stands. Look at these pictures taken last night by News Tribune photographer Janet Jensen. That wasn't just a sellout crowd, that was a sellout crowd having fun. The night was colder than ideal, so that crowd provided its own heat. It was something to see, something to hear, something to be part of. It was something the NBA, NHL and even a number of MLB teams would be envious of. Enough to make you think that maybe professional soccer is going to make it in the United States this time.

But then I pull out my Sunday morning TNT and scan the box scores from around MLS: 14,686 fans in a 22,500-seat stadium for defending champion Columbus, 12,462 in a 25,576-seat stadium in New York/Jersey; 11,885 in a beautiful new 18,086-seat stadium in Colorado; and 9,177 in San Jose's 10,500-seat temporary home.

(Update: Now an honestly pathetic 6,500 at Dallas has been added.)

No wonder commissioner Don Garber said he was moved to tears by the opening-night crowd in Seattle. No wonder the league is trying to recreate its success by planting new teams in Vancouver and Portland.

However, MLS' ambitions are as a real national league, not a Northwest novelty. And there's no other league for Sounders to be promoted into. This is it. The Sounders' long-term success is tied to the long-term success or failure of MLS. And staring at those attendance figures was a sobering end to last night's Sounders celebration.

In last night's Sounders 2-0 win over Salt Lake, RSL sent Tacoma native Rafael Cox -- formerly of the University of Washington -- into the game in the 84th minute.

I got a few of his thoughts after the game.

"It felt really good to come back home and be able to play," he said. "I haven't seen everyone for like two months now since we've been in preseason. It's really good to get out there. It's too bad the ball didn't bounce our way tonight and we lost, but it was nice to be back home."

I also asked him what he thought of his home area's reception to Major League Soccer.

"I'm glad MLS is getting bigger all around the U.S.," he said. "It's going to get bigger in Salt Lake. We just got a brand-new stadium and we can't wait to get back next week so we can play in front of our home fans."

Here's my game story. And here's how it looked to the Salt Lake Tribune.

Coach Sigi Schmid was happy with the three points in the standings, but he wasn't giving any extra style points tonight. He clearly wasn't pleased with the way the Sounders played with their lead.

It was certainly not a scintilating second half for us," he said. "They pretty much kept us pinned in in our end of the field. They did a good job in terms of their work rate and their effort was tremendous."

That said, his team is 2-0-0 after two games and hasn't given up a goal yet, so he didn't go overboard on that kind of stuff.

"Three points is three points," he said. "You need to win games in different ways throughout the course of the season. Sometimes you win them solidly like we did last week. Sometimes you have to work a little bit. Kasey Keller comes up with big saves at key moments, and that's what we got to do. Overall, we were pleased.

Schmid also was pleased with the way that Fredy Montero handled the rough play Salt Lake threw at him, with the play of Steve Zakuani who had a brilliant assist of the first goal, and of Freddie Ljungberg's first 29 minutes of action as a Sounder.

"I thought he looked good," Schmid said. "It's his first competitive minutes in a long time. It's his first competitive minutes since June in 2008 -- so, when someone's out for nine months, he's going to get better. He was able to hold the ball for us at times. He's going to help us connect passes. ... Freddie's minutes, I thought, were very good. It'll only get better."

Ljungberg said he came through healthy and also seemed happy with his introduction to MLS.

"I felt great," he said. "It was nice to be back on the pitch. I got some nice touches on the ball. And we won the game. It was great."

Ljungberg also seemed impressed by Montero's sizzling dipping swerving second-half goal from about 30 yards out, which iced the game.

"That's a great goal," Ljungberg said. "It was from far out, which we're not complaining about at all. It was a great shot. Killed the game. Happy days.

Happy days, indeed.

Final: Sounders 2, Real Salt Lake 0.

Seattle moves to 2-0-0 on the season, and still hasn't allowed a goal.

Tonight's crowd, a (more than) sellout of 28,548

The Sounders go on the road for the first time next week, visiting Toronto on Saturday afternoon.

I'll be back with notes and quotes.

77th minute: Fredy Montero just whistled one in from about 28 yards a sizzling shot that would have impressed in any league.

Sounders ahead, 2-0.

61st minute: Freddie Ljungberg just reported into the Seattle lineup replacing Steve Zakuani, who assisted the game's only goal. Very nice hand from the sellout crowd.

46th minute: No substitutions on either side to start the second half. However, Freddie Ljungberg is warming up, taking a few sprints behind the RSL goal.

Halftime: Sounders took the lead on a Nate Jaqua finish from point-blank range after a brilliant run into the penalty area by Stave Zakuani.

It was Jaqua's sixth goal over his last six games against Salt Lake.

Sounders controlled the early going. Real had a strong period around the 30-minutes mark where they started getting into the box, and had some chances.

Real has been knocking Fredy Montero around. He's been dropped at least four times, twice on hits that drew yellow cards.

No Freddie Ljungberg yet, but that's still expected about midway through the second half.

Kickoff: Game 2 has begun. Sounders in green; Real in red.

The pregame gold scarf was awarded to Jimmy Gabriel, coach of the original Sounders from 1977-79.

A trend: Three MLS finals tonight. All 1-1.

Lineup: For Seattle, Keller, Riley, Hurtado, Marshall, Scott, Le Toux, Alonso, Evans, Zakuani, Montero, Jaqua.

For Real, Rimando, Wingert, Norchers, Olave, Beltran, Mathis, Beckerman, Morales, Johnson, Findley, Movsisyan.

I just took a little walk around the stadium to pick up some local color. Once again, the main local color is rave green. I bumped into the band performing. The souvenir stands remained swamped. Lots of fans seeming to have fun despite a pretty cold and drizzly night.

At the pitch: Judging from the drive to the match, this week's March to the Match from Pioneer Square is going to be a wet one.

However, I'm here early. The gates aren't open yet. On the field, the Sounders' flag folks are practicing their pregame duties.

Up on the big screen, they are showing the Revolution-Red Bulls game, although I can't see a score. (However, I do notice that the Qwest Field folks have done a much better job of removing the Seahawks football lines from this pitch than the Giants Stadium folks have done of removing the NFL lines from their field.)

A reminder that tonight's game will be on KONG 6/16, 97.3 FM and 710 AM. And, of course, on this blog. Please feel free to tell me what kind of game-day blogging serves your needs. My plan is to mimic what I've done for UW football and basketball: pregame news if it happens, in-game updates, a halftime update, and then back here with postgame notes and quotes.

Gameday: Were any of you guys at that USL Sounders-Timbers match where the Portland supporters taunted Seattle with the chant of "Salt Lake City ... Salt Lake City" because Salt Lake was chosen over Seattle for MLS expansion?

Well, as things turned out, Seattle got the last laugh on Portland, as MLS arrived here two seasons before it will appear there.

And the Sounders get their shot at Salt Lake tonight when RAY-al shows up at Qwest Field at 7:30.

Anyway, that's the focus of my preview story in today's paper.

And here are a few leftover preview quotes from coach Sigi Schmid:

On turning that 1-0-0 start into a 2-0-0 start: “It’s a matter of making sure that we take the same energy into the game that we brought into the first game. And that’s our responsibility as a team and as players to make sure that we come in with the same enthusiasm and the same commitment to work hard for each other.”

On Freddie Ljungberg's expected debut: “Ljungberg will be on the 18. We’ll see how the game goes. But my anticipation would be that he’s going to appear for us in the second half. How many minutes? We’ll see how the game dictates that.”

On Qwest Field crowd support: “It’s tremendous. That’s a great motivating factor. The players are always motivated to play in front of fans. When the fans are as g’ed up and reved up for the auction that makes it easier to get out there and perform.”

Greg Howes vows to bring: “Structure, passion, youth, and professionalism [to] develop relationships in the community that will help the development of [soccer] in Tacoma.”

The Tacoma Tide FC has a new head coach to lead them in an exciting North West soccer scene. It is not an exaggeration to say that Greg Howes, the Tacoma Tide FC’s new head coach for 2009 is a world class soccer presence. Howes’ experience in competing for the United States National Team and numerous indoor soccer accolades is only equaled by his representation of our National Futsal team in the World Championships. Howes brings a number of things to the Tide with his appointment of Head Coach. One of the biggest factors is his understanding of the current soccer climate in the NW.

General Manager & Owner of the Tide - Mike Jennings - “The Tacoma Tide Sports Club is proud to introduce Greg Howes as our new head coach of the Tacoma Football Club. Tacoma and Pierce County have a rich tradition of quality soccer and I am pleased that the Tide will have the services of one of its own outstanding soccer products to guide our team this season. Greg is a wonderful player and a strong, up and coming coach. I am looking forward to working with him in the 2009 campaign and toward another division crown.”

With the Sounders FC gracing much of the area’s media, and with Vancouver and Portland to join the excitement for 2011, it is important for the Tide to find where they fall into this NW soccer landscape. Greg Howes understands right where the future for Tacoma soccer can be because he’s taken part in its history:

“I’ve played in the PDL back in the late 90’s back, when I was at Oregon State.” Howes said. “That’s how I ended up getting drafted by the sounders (USL-1). They saw me playing against their PDL team. I played there, and then I was picked up in the old MISL, then the A league, and got called up to play with the US National Team when Bruce Arena was there.” - Greg Howes.

For more quotes, and the rest of the story, check out TacomaFC.com

I'll have a preview story in the Saturday paper, looking back to 2004, when Salt Lake City beat out Seattle for an MLS expansion team.

But for now, an early look at the first one-field meeting of the two sides:

REAL SALT LAKE
AT SEATTLE SOUNDERS FC (1-0-0; 3 pts.)
7:30 p.m. Saturday, Qwest Field.
TV: KONG 6/16.
Radio: 710 AM, 97.3 FM, and in Spanish on 1210 AM.

Other meetings: Seattle makes its regular-season return visit to Salt Lake on Aug. 8. The sides also will meet April 28 at Tukwila in a play-in match for the U.S. Open Cup.

Coach Sigi Schmid’s scouting report: “You pretty much know (RSL) is going to be a 4-4-2. … They got a great playmaker in (Javier) Morales, who can be very, very dangerous. They have good speed up front in (Yura) Movsisyan and (Robbie) Findley. They have a couple other midfielders who have an eye for a game in Clint Mathis and Will Johnson, people like that. (Kyle) Beckerman’s as good a defensive midfielder. (RSL has) made some good moves, but I think that trade for Beckerman was one of the best they’ve ever made. They’ve got some experience in the back with (Jamison) Olave and (Nat) Borchers. It’s definitely a quality team. Nick Rimando is one of my favorite people -- it’s always fun playing against him in goal.”

Notes: It’s pronounced RAY-al. “Internationally, the ‘Real’ brand signifies soccer at its highest level,” owner David Checketts said. … On the Salt Lake roster is midfielder Raphael Cox, who was raised in Tacoma and played for the University of Washington. … For the second time, Sounders FC has called up goalkeeper Ben Dragavon using the “extreme hardship” rule to provide a second keeper while Chris Eylander remains unavailable due to knee injury. … Defender Jeff Parke is no longer with the Sounders. He worked out during the week, but the sides did not agree on a contract. Schmid said a trade of his MLS rights will be considered. … Sounders forward Nate Jaqua has scored five goals in his last five games against RSL. … The game is sold out. … Fans again are invited to “March to the Match” starting 90 minutes before kickoff at Occidental Park near Pioneer Square. … Fans also are encouraged to donate to the “Nothing but Net” anti-malaria campaign. Donations can be made at the stadium gates or at the Pro Shop.

Next: 1 p.m. April 4; at Toronto, BMO Field; FSN.

The long and winding road that will take Jeff Parke to parts unknown has gotten longer still. Parke informed Sounders FC on Wednesday that he will no longer train with the team.

Parke had been the Sounders' selection in the expansion draft. However, he wasn't under contract and chose to investigate career opportunities in Belgium. However, those didn't work out and he arrived in Seattle last week. However, apparently that didn't work out either, and now he's off to parts unknown.

After practice today at Starfire, coach Sigi Schmid said that Parke's bridge back to Seattle isn't necessarily burned. However, he also said that all concerned should probably assess their own best interests, including the Sounders considering trading Parke's MLS rights.

Meanwhile, the Sounders also announced that their 7:30 p.m. Saturday game against Real Salt Lake is a sellout. The game will be shown live on KONG/Channel 6.

Some tickets remain for the Sounders' next home game, April 11 against Kansas City.

The Sounders have just concluding their training session at Qwest Field. After we got some time with Freddie Ljungberg and Sigi Schmid, and both seem pretty settled on Ljunberg making his MLS playing debut Saturday against Real Salt Lake.

"I've been feeling good, so it shouldn't be a problem," Ljungberg said. "I'll probably play a part of the game at least, so we don't overdo it the first game. I'll be there and I'll play part of the game for sure."

Bringing Ljungberg off the bench also suits coach Sigi Schmid.

For one thing, Schmid sounded uncomfortable about benching anyone who contributed to that 3-0 start over New York last week. And then, there's also the matter of simply easing Ljungberg back in after this hip surgery, recovery and return to fitness.

“I think at this stage for us it makes more sense for him to come off the bench in this game," Schmid said. "We’ll see how the game goes, because the one thing we don’t want to do at this stage is push too early and push too hard and then suffer a setback, things have gone very well. His recovery has been phenomenal from that kind of surgery. He’s been back quicker than anybody expected, even Freddie himself I think and for right now it’s a matter of being smart, knowing that we’re in game two of a 30 game season and we want to make sure that he’s around for the other 28.”

Sounders FC is inviting fans to help with a bed net fund-raising campaign at the Sounders-Real Salt Lake match Saturday at Qwest Field. Fans can contribute at ticket gates, the Pro Shop or through soundersfc.com.

Here's part of the Sounders' news release:

Donations go directly toward the purchase, distribution and education about the proper use of a bed net, which can prevent malaria. The month-long campaign will culminate on World Malaria Day on April 25.

“Every 30 seconds a child dies from malaria,” said Sounders FC majority owner Joe Roth. “The Nothing
But Nets drive provides our organization an opportunity to build awareness and raise money for a
preventable disease that impacts our world. We challenge our fans and supporters to join us in the
campaign.”

Fans that make a donation during the campaign are automatically entered into a drawing to win a trip for two to the 2009 MLS All-Star Game in Salt Lake City in July.

Malaria infects more than 500 million people a year and kills more than a million — one person dies about every 30 seconds. Malaria is particularly devastating in Africa, where it is a leading killer of children. Over 3,000 Sub-Saharan African children die each day from malaria.

Major League Soccer commissioner Don Garber gave something of a state-of-the-league conference call today, and clearly he was in a Northwest frame of mind.

Garber called last week “one of the more exciting weeks in league history,” and all of the excitement was in the Northwest: awarding an expansion to Vancouver on Wednesday (see video above), the Sounders' opener on Thursday, and awarding an expansion team to Portland on Wednesday.

“That’s going to create a rivalry that we think is going to change the landscape of soccer in the United States and Canada,” Garber said. “It’s going to provide for us a very, very concentrated competitive environment both on and off the field that we think drives the sport in other parts of the world. .... We can’t wait to get all three of those teams on the field.”

Garber’s enthusiasm for the coming Northwest rivalries echoed that of Sounders general manager Adrian Hanauer.

“Absolutely thrilled,” Hanauer said Monday. “I was talking to (Vancouver and Portland owners) all weekend about their ticket sales. … Deposits are brisk. They’ve sold a lot of season tickets for the USL team as well, as part of the ability to get first in line for MLS season tickets. It’s off to a racing start in those cities. I think they’ll sell out all of their games in those two markets.”

Garber said Vancouver sold 5,000 season ticket deposits in its first 48 hours, an MLS record.

The 2011 expansion will bring MLS up to 18 franchises. Garber said it isn’t yet decided whether the league will continue with a balanced schedule, which would mean 34 games if each team played each other team home and away. However, the league also could go to an unbalanced schedule, which would increase the number of geographic rivalry games.

Garber also suggested MLS could split into three six-team divisions. That scenario could create a very appealing Western Division: Seattle, Portland, Vancouver, San Jose and the two Los Angeles teams: the Galaxy and Chivas USA.

Philadelphia joins the league next season as a 16th member. Garber said the league will eventually expand to at least 20 teams, perhaps as early as 2012.

Ottawa and St. Louis, which failed to land teams in the most recent round of expansion while respectively trying to settle stadium and ownership issues, remain contenders. Garber also said the league is interested in adding a second franchise in the New York area. Atlanta, Montreal, Miami and Tampa Bay also have been considered in past expansion studies.

Garber also said MLS will consider a variety of methods to increase both home-grown and international talent to help ensure that the league’s level of play keeps pace with the addition of the new teams.

A few other highlights from Garber's hour-long question-and-answer session:

*MLS averaged 3.14 goals per game over the opening week. That's a record, but Garber said he doesn’t expect to continue.

* Business is secure and the foundation if laid for the long term. So the league is turning increased attention to quality of play.

* Garber refuted the belief that MLS' best players invariably leave for better leagues. He said 53 over the last season's 56 all-stars or award winners are back this season. And, he also mentioned the infusion of talent coming into the league, including Seattle's Kasey Keller, Freddy Ljungberg and Fredy Montero. He especially cited Montero as an example of the league's solid scouting in Central and South America.

* Finally, said the league kicked off its season on the same day that the NCAA tournament tipped off because there is simply "no good time when you’re the last kid of the block." He said the date wasn't chosen by accident, and they didn't like the conflict, but they couldn't come up with anything better.

The Seattle Sounders FC today announced the signing of former University of Washington forward Kevin Forrest as a senior developmental player.

Here's the release from the Sounders:

Drafted with the third pick by Colorado in the 2008 MLS Supplemental Draft, Forrest, 24, appeared in one reserve division match for the Rapids. He played nine regular season games while on loan to the USL-1 Sounders.

The Rapids waived their rights to Forrest last week and Sounders FC acquired the player via the waiver rankings.

“Kevin Forrest is a versatile player who can play up front and also play wide,” said Coach Sigi Schmid. “He has a history of scoring goals at the collegiate level and we suspect he’ll continue in the pros.”

Forrest, a University of Washington graduate, is a three-time All-Pac-10 selection, including first team in 2004 and 2006, and second team in 2007. As a junior in 2006, he scored a league-leading 16 goals and was voted Pac-10 Player of the Year. He ranks eighth in school history with 34 goals.

An Edmonds native, Forrest led Edmonds-Woodway High School to a pair of WesCo championships during his final two seasons.


KEVIN FORREST
Position: Forward
Height: 5-11
Weight 175
Birthdate: 11/3/1984
Hometown: Edmonds, Wash. (USA)
Previous Clubs: Colorado (MLS, 2008), Seattle Sounders (USL-1, 2008)
College: Washington (2003-07)

Designated player and former Arsenal star Freddie Ljungberg is now listed as probable to make his Sounders debut Saturday when Real Salt Lake visits Qwest Field.

Ljungberg underwent hip surgery in December, joined full training last week, played 35 minutes in a reserve game over the weekend, was upgraded from questionable in this week’s injury report and practiced well Monday at Starfire Sports Complex. He even sent one goal past starting goalkeeper Kasey Keller, and celebrated notably.

“Every day he’s able to participate in full practices is better: his timing is better, wiggling out of situations,” Sounders coach Sigi Schmid said. “What happens is out there you start becoming more aware of the players around you and where to go with the ball on your first touch. So, he’s progressing pretty well. He’s still not 90 minutes fit, so we’ll see how this week goes. We’ll talk, and we’ll figure out what’s best for him long-term as well as short-term.”

In other personnel news, forward Jarrod Smith left Seattle to join the New Zealand National Team for a friendly with Thailand on Saturday in Bangkok. Smith is on the Sounders’ injured reserve list while recovering from a hip-flexor strain.

Meanwhile, goalkeeper Chris Eylander (knee sprain) and midfielders Sanna Nyassi (hamstring) and Peter Vagenas (knee) were limited to partial training. Defender Taylor Graham (foot) is out indefinitely.

Seattle Sounders foward Fredy Montero was rewarded today for his memorable MLS debut last week, earning the league's MLS Player of the Week award.

Montero scored two goals and recorded an assist in the Sounders' 3-0 win over New York on Thursday.

That was the MLS debut for the 21-year-old Colombian.

His first goal also was one of eight nominees for Sierra Mist Goal of the Week award.

Sounders expansion pick Jeff Parke worked out with the Sounders this morning at Starfire after a delayed arrival that included working out with three teams in Belgium.

Parke said he could have signed overseas -- and that playing overseas remains a career goal -- but that he finally decided Sounders might be the best next step for his career.

"For me, I’m familiar with MLS," Parke said. "I had a decision to make when I was in Europe whether I wanted to stay or go, and I made a decision to come back. Sometimes the grass isn’t always greener on the other side, as they say. The situations that I was in were difficult. I didn’t want to put myself in a situation where it was unpleasant every day. SO I made the decision to come back and be part of this league and this team. If it works out here, that’s great, but we’ll see."

That last part refers to the fact that Parke hasn't signed yet. He's in to do some work and is still negotiating with the club -- although it sounds like both sides expect a deal to be made.

However, during Parke's free-agent tour, the Sounders protected themselves by stocking up on other defenders, so the role they may have once envisioned for him may have changed.

"We have some players out there who are playing well," coach Sigi Schmid said. "He’s definitely an MLS-quality player. He’s a player with a lot of experience in this league. He’s been a quality defender. He gives us great depth, and we’re never going to turn depth away."

Parke said he has kept in shape during his globe-trotting. However, even if he signed immediately he wouldn't be eligible to play for the Sounders until their April 18 game at Chivas USA as he still has three games remaining on his suspension from last season for violation of the MLS substance-abuse policy.

Seattle Sounders FC and its fans must have been thrilled with the recent round of expansion that will being MLS teams to Vancouver and Portland in 2011.

However, for every expansion winner there are expansion losers, and the sting must have been especially strong in St. Louis, which seemed an early favorite and was disappointed yet again.

However, commissioner Don Garber makes the case that MLS is now pretty well represented on the coasts and the future expansion -- perhaps as early as 2012 -- will be looking to fill in other areas of the country, including the Midwest, which could mean St. Louis finally gets its turn.

And it seems to me if this is going to be a real national league, they're going to have to try again to make something work in the Southeast: Atlanta? Tampa Bay? Miami?

Real Salt Lake sat out the MLS opening weekend, playing a USL friendly instead.

However, they followed last season's run to the Western finals with a dazzling preseason: 7-1-1 record while outscoring their opponents 25-5.

They'll open the MLS regular season against the Sounders at 7:30 p.m. Saturday at Qwest Field.

The I-5 rivalries will return in 2011.

Just days after awarding a 2011 expansion franchise to Vancouver, MLS announced this morning that Portland will come in the same season.

The Nortwest cities beat out St. Louis and Ottawa.

“A city with such a storied soccer tradition deserves an MLS team, and we are proud to have Portland join the top level of professional soccer in our region,” MLS commissioner Don Garber said. “Merritt Paulson and his family provide a vibrant and innovative ownership group that truly loves the world’s game and we believe PGE Park will provide a world-class soccer environment for soccer fans.”

And this now means that four consecutive MLS expansion franchises are all clustered from northern California to southern B.C.: San Jose, Seattle, Vancouver and Portland.

Could the Puget Sound soccer fan have imagined a better last 24 hours?

... and I missed it.

Not only did I miss it, but I got back to my Portland hotel last light, clicked around the ESPN channels for a couple of hours and NEVER got a single highlight or even a mention.

Also pretty ominously, the sports reports on Portland's 11 o'clock news shows also mentioned nothing of the start of the MLS season. Granted, the NCAA tournament at the Rose Garden is the big news here; but still, Portland sees itself as a soccer town, and it's expecting to get an MLS expansion franchise today, so you might think some mention of that expansion team's first kick up I-5.

Fortunately, however, there was John McGrath's great column in today's News Tribune ... the next-best thing to being there.

Here's The News Tribune's coverage.

And here's the report from the Sounders' site.

Here' are the basics from the Associated Press report:

It didn't take long for the newest Major League Soccer franchise to make the pregame fireworks and red-carpet arrivals an afterthought with their play on the field.

Young Colombian Fredy Montero had a two goals and an assist, and the expansion Seattle Sounders FC looked like a seasoned juggernaut in their inaugural game with a convincing 3-0 win over the New York Red Bulls on Thursday night to begin the 14th season of MLS.

Brad Evans scored later in the first half on a spinning left-footed shot that split the legs of New York goalkeeper Danny Cepero, and the 32,523 fans that turned Qwest Field into a sea neon green excitement went away impressed and satisfied with SeattleÕs first result.

Wish I could have been there.

With Vancouver now officially in MLS, word here in Portland is that the Rose City will be awarded its own expansion team on Friday.

This is turning into a triple-great day for soccer in the Northwest: Sounders debut, Vancouver in, Portland apparently about to be in.

The I-5 rivalries are reborn.

After a roller-coaster round of rumors, Vancouver has officially been welcomed into Major League Soccer.

This is, of course, very good news for our soccer-loving neighbors to the north. But it's also very good news for fans of Seattle Sounders FC, who now have a rival far more worthy of the title than, say, San Jose.

Actually, the Earthquakes will have to do for a couple of seasons. But it's already good to look foward to road trips past the Peace Arch and a recreation of one of the NASL's great rivalries.

Now on to the next important issue: They've gotta keep the Whitecaps name, right?

It's gameday. How's that sound, soccer fans?

Here's my preview from this morning's paper on the first game of Seattle Sounders FC.

Here's a link to all of The News Tribune's soccer coverage leading to tonight's 6 o'clock kickoff.

Sounders fans could get a treat -- a short treat, but maybe a nice surprise -- Thursday, as coach Sigi Schmid implies that designated player Freddie Ljungberg could be available in a reserve role in the opener against New York.

“It’s something that we’re continuing to talk about and debate," Schmid said. "We’ll see. Freddie could be on the bench, coming off the bench. He won’t start. I’ll guarantee you that. He won’t start. But what his role is, is he off the bench? Are we not going to have him on the bench in game one? That’s something that we know. And that’s something you’ll find out on Thursday.”

He gave this update on other injuries heading into the opener against New York: “We wanted to see how they came through practice.(Steve) Zakuani, Freddie and Jarrod Smith all came through practice (Tuesday) OK. We’re trying to be careful with Nate (Sturgis) right now. We didn’t want to do anything this week in training that was going to aggravate it at all. He hasn’t missed hardly any training. So we felt okay that if he sat back these two, three days that wasn’t going to effect him that much for the game. Jarrod has to miss the first six games. He’s missed all of preseason, so with us, with him it’s a matter of continuing to regen and then trying to get him fit over the next three weeks as well.”

Yes, in one way, the Seattle P-I was a News Tribune competitor. But as newspapers and a journalists, we also felt like members of the same family.

So, yes, it's depressing to wake up today and realize there is no print version of the P-I hitting doorsteps all across the region. I believe the region is less well-served because of it.

On a personal level, I was just getting to know P-I Sounders reporter Gary Washburn, and I'm disappointed he won't be part of my workday anymore. To him -- all the former P-I employees -- all the best.

Seattle Sounders FC worked out for the first time today on their new field at the Starfire Sports Complex in Tukwila.

The place itself is a beautiful facility, as least from what we could tell between the raindrops -- a few of which were suspiciously fluffy and white.

“It was a little cold today," coach Sigi Schmid said. "It feels good to be in our home place and for the guys to get settled into the locker room. There are still little things that need to get finished up. Sort of like a house too, you want to live in it for a couple weeks then you realize that we still need to do this or do that. The field was good. I thought the training session today was good. We got a lot of work done. We were able to look at some video as well before practice from our last game. All those were positive.”

Until now, the Sounder had trained at the Seahawks facility in Renton or Qwest Field in downtown Seattle. Starfire will be their long-term home, and the players seemed impressed.

“Everybody’s excited," midfielder Brad Evans said. "To see these facilities, it keeps getting better. Try to continue that on Thursday.”

Thursday, of course, is gameday: the Sounders inaugural game against New York Red Bulls before a sellout crowd at Qwest and a national television audience.

“There are all kinds of things left to do," Schmid said. "That’s what we did this morning as a coaching staff; we really prioritized what we want to get accomplished still this week. We knew it was going to be a short week. So today we worked a little bit on 3 v 2 in front of goal. We worked a little bit on our back four working together. We wanted to get those things accomplished. We wanted to get some shooting in, so play goals in tight. Tomorrow we’ll do some 11 v 11. It’s really just our organization getting ourselves prepared to play against New York as we expect them to play.”

More from Schmid:

Injury update: “(Taylor) Graham and (Peter) Vagenas won’t be. The two of them won’t be ready for the opener. Nate Sturgis is touch-and-go, whether he’s going to be ready for the opener or not. Freddie (Ljungberg) and Jarrod Smith and (Steve) Zakuani were full into training today, so we’re going to see how they feel tomorrow and that’ll make a determination on their position.”

On his starting 11: “Probably nine out of the 11 are definitely in my mind. Those other two, we’re going to see which works best. A little bit of that is dependent upon the opponent, and a little bit of that is dependent upon our own fitness level and where we think about ourselves in terms of what helps us accomplish our goals.”

The Sounders also announced the signings of a couple of players:

The Seattle Sounders FC has signed defender Zach Scott and forward Roger Levesque to Major League Soccer contracts, the team announced today.

Drafted 23rd overall by San Jose in the 2003 MLS SuperDraft, Levesque, 28, appeared in three games for the MLS Cup champions before being loaned to the USL-1 Sounders that same season.

Levesque became a mainstay with the Sounders from 2004 through 2008. He scored eight goals in 2004 and led the team with 10 goals in its championship season of 2005. In 2007, he was named All-USL second team, as the Sounders again won the title. He ranks fifth in franchise history with 27 goals, and seventh in assists (16) and games played (130).

Levesque, a graduate of Stanford University, is a two-time All-American (2001-02) and led the Cardinal to the NCAA semifinals as a junior and championship game as a senior. He played alongside Sounders FC defender Taylor Graham at Stanford and for the USL-1 Sounders.

“Roger is a player who has been committed to the Seattle area,” said Coach Sigi Schmid. “He is very active and has a very good work rate.”

Scott, 28, joins Sounders FC after playing the past seven seasons with the USL-1 Sounders, where he was a member of two championship teams in 2005 and 2007. He totaled 139 games, eight goals (two game-winners) and three assists in league play for Seattle. He finished sixth in total league appearances for the franchise (139) and fifth in minutes (11,171).

“Zach is a very hard-nosed consistent defender, who takes a lot of pride in his defending play,” said Schmid. “He helps solidify our defense and make us stronger.”

Scott, a Hawaii native, graduated from Gonzaga University in 2002.

Both Levesque and Scott have been training with the club since the beginning of training camp in January.

You might want to rush out and by a copy of The News Tribune today ... six or seven really. We're starting what will be a series of stories counting down to the Sounders' kickoff of the MLS season Thursday night.

Today's paper has my overview on Seattle's graduation from USL to MLS. We also have a quick-read team-by-team overview of the MLS season to come, along with the Sounders' schedule -- all packaged together on one page that you might want to keep and consult all season long.

On Monday, Dave Boling will offer an excellent profile on coach Sigi Schmid.

On Tuesday, we'll take a look at the Sounders No. 1 keeper, No. 2 keeper and goalkeeper coach -- who all have South Sound connections.

On Wednesday, John McGrath will take a look at the area's soccer history.

And on Thursday -- game day, at last -- we'll take a player-by-player look at this Sounders team and their chances at being the first MLS expansion team in more than a decade to make the playoffs.

I had a little email interview today with MLS president Mark Abbott for a story I'm doing to kick off game week in our Sunday paper.

Here's a part where he talks about the coming season, with Sounders FC joining the league.

“We’re excited about the upcoming season with the addition of Seattle to the league and many exciting players,” Abbott said. “Like Toronto and other new MLS markets such as Houston and Salt Lake, we see a loyal following developing in Seattle. Each of these passionate new markets individually raises the collective energy level of our national fan base.

“While we have many talented new international players coming into MLS in 2009 such as (Seattle's) Freddie Ljungberg and Fredy Montero, MLS remains a league built on American players,” he continued. “I grew up watching the Minnesota Kicks in the NASL and my heroes were international stars such as Ace Ntsoelengoe and Alan Merrick. Now, many of the best players in MLS - - top scorers like Landon Donovan and Taylor Twellman - - are American. We’ve also seen many significant U.S. national team players return to MLS in the last year after playing in Europe, including 2006 World Cup team members Brian McBride, Josh Wolff, Eddie Lewis, Kasey Keller and Bobby Convey.”

I'm covering the Pac-10 men's basketball tournament at Staples Center in LA.

Yesterday one of the fans in the UW section was wearing a rave green Sounders jersey. He's back today in a sort of dark-and-rave long-sleeve top.

One of the things that this means, btw, is that I've seen more Sounders gear on this trip than Galaxy and Chivas combined.

Seattle Sounders FC announced today that Fredy Montero and Jhon Kennedy Hurtado are each now under contact, have officially been added to the roster and are eligible to play the Sounders FC season opener March 19 against the New York Red Bulls.

Montero had returned to South America this week to clear up some contractual issues there. However, the Sounders report that he arrived back in Seattle this afternoon.

The Sounders finished their preseason schedule tonight with a 1-0 loss to the Colorado Rapids. The lone goal came on a Conor Casey penalty kick in the 38th minute.

A few quotes from coach Sigi Schmid:
On the game: “It’s good because we are able to push guys. The majority of the team went 90 minutes with the exception of (Nathan) Sturgis and (Brad) Evans. That was a positive. I thought we carried the game for most of the time. We gave up a bad goal. It was a bad foul in the box, one that we didn’t need to give away. And outside of that, I don’t think we gave up a whole lot of chances. I felt we were around their goal. I thought we had a lot of good opportunities. I thought Sebastien (Le Toux) was very dangerous for us on his free kicks that he put in from the flanks. I thought those were good opportunities. We were close. Nate (Jaqua) just missed Sanna’s (Nyassi)cross on a diving header in the box. I think we were right around there. They cleared Tyrone’s (Marshall) header back up the line. From that standpoint, I was pleased. I felt we held on to possession for the majority of the game.”
(On first time players pushed to 90 minutes)“I was pretty happy with the fitness. We’ll see how they feel tomorrow. They’ll probably be pretty sore tomorrow, but that was one of the objectives of this week was to make sure that first 90 wasn’t next week. We wanted to make sure the first 90 was now if we could. We had to make some adjustments without (Fredy) Montero here today. Stephen King played a position that he played for the first time all preseason. I thought he looked rather well in that position. I thought Nate Sturgis was very good in the first half, and he had to come out with a quad. So we want to be careful with that.”

On if starting lineup is set: “We got to wait until tomorrow, and wait until the reserve guys play. There are guys that are going to get that opportunity to show what they can do tomorrow. I thought the defensive pairing in the middle was okay. I thought they played fairly well together. The central midfielder pairing we kept together pretty much the whole preseason, so I think their understanding continues to grow. There is still the odd man that can play himself into the position.”

On the backline vs. the Rapids: “I thought Tyrone got better as the game went on. And for Jhon Kennedy Hurtado this was really first test against MLS forwards. Obviously Conor Casey has been a good forward, not only here in MLS, but also overseas, and is a national team guy. He’s been on the national team and the olympic team. You have Omar Cummings, who is one of the fastest forwards in the league. I don’t think you saw Omar’s speed was a problem for us all night. I thought we did a pretty good job of battling Conor. It was good for Hurtado to get that test this week, so it gives him a better idea. He knows who Juan Pablo Angel is, so I’m sure he’ll be ready for that next week.”
(On having a rehearsal for the home opener)“It was good for logistics and the organization because it’s our first game. For me, I’m watching the game and I’m making my mental notes of what’s going on in the game, but I’m also making mental notes of, ‘wait a second, we can’t do this next week. This has got to change. People can’t be standing here.’ Things like that."

Kurt Schmid -- son of head coach Sigi Schmid -- has been named to the Seattle Sounders FC staff as a scout and assistant coach.

“We are very excited to have Kurt join our staff,” FC technical director Chris Henderson said through a news release. “He will be working with the full team on down through the youth and assisting with scouting. Coming from a soccer family and with coaching experience at many levels, he has good knowledge of young players and he will be a big asset for our club.”

Here's the rest of the release:

Schmid will scout players from the youth to international level and coordinate the Match Analysis scouting system. In addition, he will serve as a first team assistant coach to Sigi Schmid, his father and Seattle head coach.

Kurt Schmid was in Trinidad earlier this month, scouting players at the CONCACAF U-20 World Cup qualifying tournament.

For the past three seasons Kurt Schmid has been an assistant coach at the collegiate level, first at Saint Mary’s College, then the past two years at UC Irvine. In 2008, UC Irvine won both the Big West Conference regular season and tournament championship, and the Anteaters earned an NCAA tournament berth. All three were first-time achievements for the UCI program.

Schmid was a member of the Region IV ODP boys coaching staff the past two years and also coached at West Coast FC. Previously he was a coach for South Bay Soccer Club. His coaching career began at South High School in Torrance, Calif.

Schmid, 26 (DOB 3/24/1982), played at Wake Forest and UCLA and was a member of the Bruins’ 2002 NCAA Championship team. He is a graduate of UCLA with a degree in Business-Economics.

Seattle Sounders FC will play MLS Western rival Colorado Rapids behind closed doors tonight at Qwest Field.

“It’ll be a little bit game like, but we won’t put our whole lineup out there," coach Sigi Schmid said. "Obviously we’re trying to go through it from a standpoint of timing; of getting to the stadium at a certain time, of what we go through in the locker room being similar to what we’re going to go through next week."

The Sounders opens MLS regular season play one week from today against the New York Red Bulls. The game is sold out, but will be broadcast on ESPN2 and ESPN Deportes.

This will be the team's 11th preseason game, and they are 7-2-1 so far, including 2-1-1 in Argentina, and 1-1 versus MLS opposition. (They beat the L.A. Galaxy 3-2 and lost to San Jose, 3-2.)

The rumors had been floating, and now it's official.

“I think that’s great," Sounders coach Sigi Schmid said. "We’d love to be in it. It shows that Seattle has jumped ahead of a lot of people just because of the response of the fans. I think MLS Cup coming here is really a tribute to the interest that the city has shown and what the fans have done by getting behind this team and supporting it. It’s almost like a thank you to the fans to be able to witness and watch a showcase game. Our objective, even though we’re an expansion team, is to find our way into that game if at all possible.”

Here's the release from MLS:

Seattle Sounders FC and the passionate soccer fans in the Pacific Northwest will host Major League Soccer’s premier event, MLS Cup 2009, at Qwest Field on Sunday, Nov. 22 at 5:30 p.m. PT (live on ESPN).

Even before their debut match in Major League Soccer, Seattle Sounders FC already have attracted a large fan base. The club has sold more than 20,000 season ticket packages, which now include a ticket to MLS Cup 2009, the League’s 14th annual championship game. Seattle kicks off its inaugural season on March 19 in the opening game of the 2009 Regular Season.

“The city of Seattle and Qwest Field will be a tremendous setting for our country’s marquee soccer event of the year,” MLS Commissioner Don Garber said. “The stadium was designed with soccer in mind and we believe the buzz surrounding Sounders FC will add to the electricity at our championship game. We hope to see supporters clubs from all around the League join us in the Emerald City in November, regardless of which two teams advance to the final.”

Qwest Field will become the eighth stadium to host Major League Soccer’s championship game. Qwest Field is quickly becoming one of the nation’s premier soccer venues as the stadium has hosted numerous large-scale soccer events including exhibition matches for the national teams of Brazil, China, Mexico, Canada, and Venezuela, as well as exhibitions for some of the world’s top clubs including Manchester United, Real Madrid, Celtic and Chelsea FC. Qwest Field also was a host venue for the 2005 CONCACAF Gold Cup and will serve as a host venue for the 2009 CONCACAF Gold Cup.

"This is a tremendous honor and reward for our season ticket holders and an added incentive for our coaches and players," said majority owner Joe Roth.

MLS Cup is the pinnacle of professional soccer in the United States, as a nearly eight-month long journey ends with one team being crowned the champions of Major League Soccer. In 2008, the Columbus Crew captured their first MLS Cup championship at The Home Depot Center in Carson, Calif., by defeating the New York Red Bulls 3-1.

For more information about MLS Cup tickets, fans should call Seattle Sounders FC for details at 877-MLS-GOAL or visit www.soundersfc.com.

MLS CUP SITES

MLS Cup 2009 – Qwest Field (Seattle, Wash.)
MLS Cup 2008 – The Home Depot Center (Carson, Calif.)
MLS Cup 2007 – RFK Stadium (Washington, D.C.)
MLS Cup 2006 – Pizza Hut Park (Frisco, Texas)
MLS Cup 2005 – Pizza Hut Park (Frisco, Texas)
MLS Cup 2004 – The Home Depot Center (Carson, Calif.)
MLS Cup 2003 – The Home Depot Center (Carson, Calif.)
MLS Cup 2002 – Gillette Stadium (Foxboro, Mass.)
MLS Cup 2001 – Columbus Crew Stadium (Columbus, Ohio)
MLS Cup 2000 – RFK Stadium (Washington, D.C.)
MLS Cup 1999 – Foxboro Stadium (Foxboro, Mass.)
MLS Cup 1998 – Rose Bowl (Pasadena, Calif.)
MLS Cup 1997 – RFK Stadium (Washington, D.C.)
MLS Cup 1996 – Foxboro Stadium (Foxboro, Mass.)

Seattle Sounders FC trained at Qwest Field again this morning. But this time the media wasn't allowed to watch. The new secrecy is increasing as the Sounders' begin getting more specific in their preparations for their opener: March 19 against the New York Red Bulls.

Here's is coach Sigi Schmid's explanation:

"We want to make sure that we’re able to work on things – our free kicks and our play getting maybe a little more specific obviously as we move toward our game with New York, talking about our tactics for the game, certain things that we want to do or don’t want to do at this stage. Once you get to be two, three games into the season, everybody can fill out everybody else’s lineup card pretty much, but at this part of the season it’s a little more uncertain and people really don’t know what the lineup is, so we’d rather have New York guess a little and New York would rather have us guess a little bit."

The Sounders will work in private again Wednesday and then again Thursday, when a training game will be held.

The entire training sessions will open to the media again Friday and Saturday.

Here's that video I promised yesterday of the new tarp covering the seats of Qwest Field's upper deck and part of the south end zone.

(And while the tarp gets the job done in terms of obscuring the acres of unused seats, it also has apparently become a bit of a controversy because the goalkeeper shown isn't some generic goalkeeper: He's living breathing Pat Onstad of the Houston Dynamo. I've asked for some background on that decision from Sounders management soon.)

Freddie Ljungberg worked with the Sounders for the first time today, although he was held out of 11-v.-11 work. (Here's my story from the Tuesday paper.)

He also met with the media after -- my first time meeting him -- and he seems like a really good guy.

A few highlights:

FREDDIE LJUNGBERG
on the cold temperatures: Sweden is colder. But I was hoping it would be warmer.

On today's training: It felt great. It’s nice to see the boys. They've been out traveling a bit so it’s nice that at last they’re here and we can start training. Personally I probably can do everything in training. We just want to be careful in the beginning here, so I didn’t play the 11-against-11, but I did everything else and it felt great.

I’m going to double-up. When the boys are off in the afternoon, I’m going to have fitness sessions in the afternoon. That’s how I’m going to do it normally probably: I’ll join in the full session then I will do some more training afterwards and then I’ll have one in the afternoons.

On when he'll play in a game: We don’t want to put pressure on exactly what date it is, but it feels great and there’s nothing that I can’t do, so it’s all good.

I’m so much ahead of schedule, that it looks – not scared, but it looks a bit almost too good to be true. We’re scared if I do too much I’ll have a setback, but I can’t get any pain in anything I do, which is great. That’s why they want to take it step by step all the time. But what I got from London and Sweden the restriction is I can do whatever I want on the pitch, but they want me still to correctly build it up. But what I want to do maybe the next two weeks is train really really hard. I’ve already been training and running for three weeks, so I’ve been doing quite a bit of physical work. But to do two weeks more really hard – almost like a bit of a preseason thing – and then I can ease off a bit and just do the technical stuff on the pitch.

On getting to know his teammates: It doesn’t take that long. Normally, you play in England and stuff they have a rotation system on the big clubs so you can get people in and out if they’re tired. That is not a big issue. To be perfect, like we say in England, you want to play with the same team the whole year, and then you will know each other. But there are injuries and stuff, so you can never be perfect.

On his first-impressions from today: They were very concentrated, I must say that. The warm-up I joined to begin was the most concentrated warm-up I’ve ever been in. In Europe they joke and have a laugh and stuff. They seem to be focused, and I think that’s a very good thing.

The full release from the Sounders appears below.

One thing to keep in mind, is that I'm picking up every indictation that the Sounders are going to treat this tournament seriously. As those who followed the USL Sounders know, not every MLS team really wanted to win these games. But it sounds like the Sounders see this as a cup they could actually win in their first season. And they like the idea.

The Seattle Sounders FC will host Real Salt Lake in a Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup play-in match on Tuesday, April 28 at Starfire Sports Complex in Tukwila. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m.

Pre-sale tickets will be offered to season ticket holders before being made available to the general public on March 30th at 10:00 a.m. All tickets are general admission and priced at $15. There will be limited seating capacity.

The top six Major League Soccer teams from 2008 qualified for the Open Cup, while Sounders FC and the other seven MLS teams must qualify to reach the tournament.

If Seattle defeats Salt Lake, it will play the winner of the Colorado Rapids vs. Los Angeles Galaxy for the opportunity to reach the Round of 16. The other play-in bracket features New York Red Bulls at San Jose Earthquakes and FC Dallas at D.C. United.

In 2008, the United Soccer League Seattle Sounders en route to the semifinals shut out two MLS teams, Chivas USA and Kansas City Wizards. Current Sounders FC goalkeeper Chris Eylander was named player of the tournament after 420 consecutive minutes without conceding a goal. Sounders FC forward Sebastien Le Toux and defender Taylor Graham also played in last year’s run.

The Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, the U.S. Soccer Federation’s National Championship, is an annual competition open to all amateur and professional soccer teams affiliated with U.S. Soccer. It is the oldest annual team tournament in U.S. sports history and among the oldest soccer tournaments of its type in the world.

The 2009 CONCACAF Gold Cup will be played in a record 13 different U.S. cities, opening at The Home Depot Center in Los Angeles on Friday, 3 July; concluding with the championship match Sunday, 26 July at Giants Stadium outside New York, and including a July 4 match at Qwest Field.

Here's the release from CONCACAF:

The 13 cities are more than twice than the number previously used for the continental championship and shy of only the 1982 FIFA World Cup™ in Spain and the 2002 FIFA World Cup™, which used 10 venues each in Japan and Korea Republic. The 1994 FIFA World Cup™ in the USA was played in nine different venues.

“By expanding the Gold Cup to 13 venues, it will give fans more opportunity to experience the championship in person,” said CONCACAF President Jack Warner.

The Gold Cup will make its first appearance in four cities: Columbus, Ohio; Phoenix; Philadelphia and Washington. A Gold Cup quarterfinal will be the first sporting event to be played at the Dallas Cowboys New Stadium.

Each venue will host one doubleheader except for the final at Giants Stadium, with the quarterfinals set for Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia (Saturday, 18 July) and Dallas (Sunday, 19 July), and the semifinals at Soldier Field in Chicago (Thursday, 23 July).

Besides Columbus Crew Stadium in Columbus (7 July), RFK Stadium in Washington (8 July) and the University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Arizona (12 July), other first-round venues include: Qwest Field in Seattle (4 July), Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum in Oakland, California (5 July), Reliant Stadium in Houston (9 July), FIU Stadium in Miami (10 July), and Gillette Stadium in the Boston suburb of Foxborough, Massachusetts (11 July).

“While 13 cities create logistical challenges, we think the benefits of reaching out to more venues are clearly worthwhile,” CONCACAF General Secretary Chuck Blazer said. “The ability of so many people to see national teams play we feel is well worth the effort.”

The tournament will use the same format as in 2005 and 2007, with the 12-team field divided into three, four-team groups. The top two teams from each group will advance to the quarterfinals along with the two best third-place teams.

The three first-round groups for the qualifiers: Canada, Mexico and the USA from the North Zone; Panama, Costa Rica, Honduras, El Salvador and Nicaragua from Central America; and Jamaica, Grenada, Guadeloupe and Haiti from the Caribbean, and schedule will be announced at a later time.

The Gold Cup was played in six different cities in its two most recent editions, including two stadia in Los Angeles in 2005 (the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum and The Home Depot Center).

This will be the second time Giants Stadium has staged the final and first since 2005. Miami will see the Gold Cup for the seventh straight time, although it will be the first time at FIU Stadium, while the Los Angeles area will stage matches for the eighth time in 10 tournaments.

Games will be played on modern synthetic surfaces in four stadiums: Qwest Field, FIU Stadium, Gillette Stadium and the New Dallas Cowboys Stadium. Grass will be laid over the existing surface for the final in Giants Stadium.

Groups and a full schedule as well as ticket information will be available in the coming weeks.

SCHEDULE
First Round
3 July – The Home Depot Center (Los Angeles)
4 July – Qwest Field (Seattle)
5 July – Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum (San Francisco)
7 July – Crew Stadium (Columbus, Ohio)
8 July – Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium (Washington)
9 July – Reliant Stadium (Houston)
10 July – Florida International University Stadium (Miami)
11 July – Gillette Stadium (Boston)
12 July – University of Phoenix Stadium (Phoenix)

Quarterfinals
18 July – Lincoln Financial Field (Philadelphia)
19 July – Dallas Cowboys New Stadium (Dallas)

Semifinals
23 July – Soldier Field (Chicago)

Final
26 July – Giants Stadium (New York)

I'm at cold but not snowy Qwest Field, where the Sounders are out on the pitch training.

However, what's caught my eye are the tarps that are now stretched across the upper deck and end zones. The upper deck tarps -- which you can actually see a bit from I-5 -- are sort of a deep blue with huge lighter-blue soccer images, most notably a keeper playing a ball above his head. The end zone tarps are rave green and feature Sounders logos. The tarp that will go over the Hawks Nest end zone side aren't on yet. However, that part of the seating are is now lines with international flags along the outside railings.

Add about 27,000 fans and the place should look pretty good.

(Update, I've added video now, as well as a new post above.)

Seattle Sounders' first Northwest rival will be Vancouver, not Portland, unless something dramatic happens to alter the current course of both cities' hopes for MLS expansion.

The Globe and Mail reports current indications that before this month is out, Vancouver will be awarded an MLS expanstion team -- to be called the Whitecaps -- that will begin play in 2011.

Meanwhile, The Oregonian reports that negotiations over stadium funding in Portland have broken down -- or at least are wobbling -- over the issue of potential cost overruns.

Here's the team's news release:

The Seattle Sounders FC and Bustos Media announced today that KeBuena 1210 AM (KTBK) will be the exclusive Spanish language radio broadcast partner of the team.

KeBuena will broadcast 26 of 30 regular season Sounders FC games during the 2009 MLS season, including 15-minute pre and postgame shows. KeBuena will also broadcast live from Soccer Celebration in the Qwest Field Plaza during the pregame show.

“Our partnership with KeBuena 1210 AM will further strengthen our relationship and commitment to the growing Hispanic market, an integral part of the Sounders FC fan base,” said Vulcan Sports and Entertainment CEO Tod Leiweke.

KeBuena will also produce a weekly Sounders FC radio show to air Thursday nights from
6:30-7 p.m. during the season. The first broadcast will be March 12.

“Soccer is by far the most popular sport among Hispanics and our community is going to embrace the Sounders FC,” said Amador Bustos President and CEO of Bustos Media. “Bustos Media is very proud to join Seattle sports fans in the excitement and we welcome the Sounders FC to our stations in what promises to be a great inaugural season.”

KTBK will partner with Sounders FC in several community outreach events throughout the season including soccer clinics and player appearances.

For more information visit www.soundersfc.com.

This update from USA Today gives a quick update on the four remaining candidates for 2011 MLS expansion: St. Louis, Ottawa, Portland and Vancouver.

I see no way that it will be St. Louis and Ottawa, so it strikes me the Sounders are looking in very good shape for a Northwest rival in what will be their third season.

Here's the release from the club:

The Seattle Sounders FC announced today forward Jarrod Smith has been placed on injured reserve due to a hip flexor injury.

As a result, Smith is required to miss the first six games of the season. He is eligible to return to league play for the May 2 game at Chicago.

Smith could train with the team and play in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup play-in scheduled for April 28.

Smith, a second-year forward from New Zealand, was selected by Seattle in the MLS Expansion Draft. He played 20 games during his rookie season with Toronto, starting six.

The Sounders ended their trip to Argentina today with a 1-0 loss to River Plate. That was their best opponent so far, and the game marked not only the Sounder's only loss on their trip but also their first shutout loss ever.

The Sounders went 2-1-1 in Argentina. Their return flight is scheduled to arrive at SeaTac mid-morning Friday. (General manager Adrian Hanauer and defender Taylor Graham left Wednesday night.) The team will resume training at 10 a.m. Monday at Qwest Field.

Here's a game report from the Sounders:

Facing the most formidable opposition during its four-match tour of Argentina, the Seattle Sounders FC was held scoreless for the first time in 10 preseason games, and fell 1-0 on a goal in the final six minutes on Thursday in Buenos Aires.

Seattle’s starters battled the River reserves to a scoreless first half before coach Sigi Schmid inserted a second unit for the final 45 minutes. The loss ended a five-game unbeaten run (4-0-1) and the team went 2-1-1 in Argentina.

Sounders FC returns home with a preseason mark of 7-2-1 and hosts the Colorado Rapids in a closed door training game on March 12 at Xbox Pitch at Qwest Field.

Seattle’s best scoring chances came from central defenders coming forward on corner kicks in the first half and again in the final five minutes. Tyrone Marshall hit a powerful header off Sebastien Le Toux’s corner in the 5th minute but keeper Gonzalo Marinelli leaped to turn it around the right post.

Searching for the equalizer in the 87th minute, Patrick Ianni headed a corner from Ely Allen, only to have the keeper Marinelli again save with a tip over the bar.

Eylander made an outstretched dive to stop a River shot in the 62nd minute.

The River Plate goal came in the 84th minute after Argentine guest player Sebastian Brunet was beaten down the right flank. Damien Lizio hit the cross into Chris Eylander’s upper right corner from 10 yards.

During the first half, Schmid paired Marshall with recently-signed Jhon Kennedy Hurtado for the first time in central defense.

Due to heavy rains Wednesday, the game was played on artificial turf just outside the River Plate stadium, site of the 1978 World Cup final.

Scoring Summary
RIV-Lizio (Lossano) 84’
Seattle Sounders FC Lineups (4-4-2):
First Half: Kasey Keller; Zach Scott, Tyrone Marshall, Jhon Kennedy Hurtado, James Riley; Sebastien Le Toux, Brad Evans, Osvaldo Alonso, Sanna Nyassi; Nate Jaqua, Fredy Montero
Second Half: Chris Eylander; Sebastian Brunet, Tyson Wahl, Patrick Ianni, Evan Brown; Ely Allen, Ryan Caugherty, Stephen King, Jeff Clark; Michael Fucito, Roger Levesque

Sigi Schmid said:
On playing River Plate: “It’s good for us to get a game. It wasn’t ideal the way everything came down the last few days with the rain. Yesterday we went to the gym and did weight training. You wouldn’t normally weight train before you play a game in the morning. So what ended up happening for us, I think we’re a little bit slow because of that. Still, I think it was a good game, I think it was the best opponent that we played on the trip here. You know you learn more sometimes by losing a game than winning it.”

On what was learned from the River Plate game: “Obviously we took out of this the fact that we’ve got to play the ball a bit quicker to people, give the ball to our teammates when they need it rather than when we’re through playing with it. We have to be better at our passing and we have to be a bit stronger physically at the right moments and do a better job with our hold-up play up front. That being said, and being fair to the guys too, it was a fast surface. They (River Plate) played on the same surface, but it was also a situation that weight training just robbed you of a little bit of quickness and sharpness that you need on a surface like this.”

Assessing the whole trip: “It’s been a positive trip. I think we’ve learned things about ourselves. We’ve gotten more minutes for guys together on the field, so the understanding is better. You learn from doing things successful, you also learn from things that don’t work. You learn a lot that way. I think we accomplished that. It allowed us to continue to work on our fitness and allowed us to push that in the right direction. It’s been a good trip for all those factors.”

Seattle Sounders FC has added a training game for Wednesday as their time in Argentina winds down.

Sounders FC will make the 1-hour drive back out to La Plata for a morning game (4:15 our time) scheduled kick with Gimnasia La Plata, currently co-leader in the Argentine first division.

The game against River Plate remains on the schedule Thursday before the Sounders head home.

The list of MLS expansion candidates just dropped by one, according to this release I just received from MLS:

Major League Soccer, FC Barcelona, and Marcelo Claure have jointly agreed that Miami is no longer a candidate to be one of the next two MLS expansion teams. After extensive discussions and collaborative evaluation a decision was made that at this time because it was determined that it was not feasible to launch a Major League Soccer team in South Florida in 2010 due to adverse market conditions.

Notwithstanding, FC Barcelona remains committed to Major League Soccer and the U.S. market and will continue to work with MLS and Marcelo Claure on other soccer-related projects.

“I want to thank both FC Barcelona and Marcelo Claure for the tremendous effort to bring an MLS expansion team to Miami,” said MLS Commissioner Don Garber. “FC Barcelona is one of the best managed and strategically operated sporting clubs in any sport in the World and I appreciate the opportunity that we have had to work with them and Marcelo Claure over the last few months.”

“The U.S market continues to be a priority for FC Barcelona,” said FC Barcelona CEO Joan Oliver. “We will continue our comprehensive game promotion and marketing agreement with Soccer United Marketing and will look for additional ways to strengthen our relationship with MLS and America’s soccer fans.”

“I remain a believer in MLS and the future of professional soccer in America… particularly in South Florida,” said Marcelo Claure. “Although we have not been able to move forward at this time for a wide variety of reasons, I will work with FC Barcelona on other soccer projects in South Florida.”

There's no way this can be viewed as bad news for those of us rooting for more Northwest expansion as quickly as possible. However, while it might increase Vancouver's chances, I don't see it really having much impact on Portland.

I think Portland's chances rise and fall with Portland's own decision regarding renovation of PGE Park. No renovated stadium, no expansion team; regardless of how many other expansion candidates drop out.

Rory Agu will return to the Tide this season.

Rory Agu, #10, Forward

The Premier Development Leauge and the Tacoma Tide FC have a number of goals and objectives. For the Tide, the #1 focus is developing young players to help them achieve their dreams of taking a higher step in the soccer world. Rory Agu embodies this process. Rory did not go straight into college like some of the other Tide players, past and present. Instead, it was through excellent showings for the Tacoma Tide, that he was discovered to take that college jump.

On TacomaFC.com you can read his interview about returning to Tacoma. Rory speaks about his decision to play for the Tide rather than his new local team, the Fresno Fuego. Agu also talks in this recent interview about his loyalty to the Tide. CLICK HERE FOR THE ARTICLE

A reported deal that would allow David Beckman to remain with Milan before joining the LA Galaxy in July, would mean no Seattle appearance for the biggest draw in MLS.

The Galaxy will make its only scheduled Seattle appearance on May 10. The Sounders would be likely to face Beckman, however, when they visit LA on Aug. 15.

All MLS teams met the league’s roster compliance rules by the Monday deadline.

No moves were necessary to make Seattle’s roster compliant. SSFC has 26 players, both signed and invitees, training in Argentina:

Goalkeepers (3): Evan Bush, Chris Eylander, Kasey Keller;

Defenders (10): Evan Brown, Taylor Graham, Jhon Kennedy Hurtado, Patrick Ianni, Jared Karkas, Tyrone Marshall, James Riley, Zach Scott, Nathan Sturgis, Tyson Wahl;

Midfielders (8): Ely Allen, Osvaldo Alonso, Ryan Caugherty, Brad Evans, Michael Fucito, Stephen King, Sebastien Le Toux, Sanna Nyassi;

Forwards (5): Jeff Clark, Nate Jaqua, Roger Levesque, Fredy Montero, Steve Zakuani.

Midfielders Freddie Ljungberg and Peter Vagenas will join the team upon its return to Seattle. Clubs are permitted to keep 20 senior players and four developmental players under contract.

MLS teams can still make changes to their rosters, but from this point forward must remain compliant with the following rules:

*No more than 20 players on the Senior Roster and no more than four players on the Developmental Roster
teams must be compliant with International player limits

*Team salary budget must be equal to or less than the amount approved by the MLS Board of Governors

For an overview of the 2009 MLS Rules and Regulations, which pertain to rosters and competition format you may log on to www.mlsnet.com and go to the About MLS section at the bottom of the home page, and then click on the Regulations tab. Official rosters are kept by the League and updated to the League and teams’ web sites as signings and transactions are processed.

Seattle Sounders FC erupted for three goals in a 10-minute span Tuesday, routing Tristán Suárez 5-0 in La Plata, Argentina.

Here's the Sounders report:

Sebastien Le Toux factored in three goals before scoring one of his own in the dying minutes. Michael Fucito, Fredy Montero, Brad Evans and Zach Scott also scored for Seattle against the second division opponents from Buenos Aires.

Seattle has won two and tied once during its stay in Argentina. During the unbeaten run it is 4-0-1 and it is 7-1-1 overall.

The training game was split into three 30-minute periods, with many of the projected starters comprising a unit which played the final hour. Fucito, starting up front, opened the scoring in the 25th minute. He intercepted a ball just inside the halfway line, fed Roger Levesque and took the return pass to beat the onrushing keeper from 18 yards.

After Fucito’s goal late in the first period put Seattle on top, Le Toux assisted on two quick strikes to begin the second stanza. In the 33rd minute he cut the ball back for a clinical 10-yard finish by Montero, his 10th goal of the preseason. Five minutes later, Le Toux found Evans open at the top of the box for a drive into the right corner for 3-0.

Corner kicks set-up the final two Sounders FC goals. In the 43rd minute a Le Toux corner was weakly punched by the Tristán Suárez keeper. Patrick Ianni headed it back into Scott, whose header found the net from a sharp angle to the left. Le Toux flashed near post to nod home Montero’s corner from short range shortly before the final whistle. It was the first goal of the preseason for Le Toux.

None of the three Seattle keepers was seriously tested by the Tristán Suárez attack.

Sounders FC completes the tour on Thursday morning at 9:30 A.M. local (3:30 A.M. PT) at River Plate, before heading for home later that night.

Scoring Summary
SEA-Fucito (Levesque) 25’
SEA-Montero (Le Toux, Jaqua) 33’
SEA-Evans (Le Toux, Nyassi) 38’
SEA-Scott (Ianni) 43’
SEA-Le Toux (Montero) 89’

Seattle Sounders FC Lineups (4-4-2):
First 30-Minute Period: Chris Eylander; Zach Scott, Tyson Wahl, Jhon Kennedy Hurtado, Evan Brown; Jared Karkas, Nathan Sturgis, Stephen King, Ely Allen; Michael Fucito, Roger Levesque

Second 30-Minute Period: Kasey Keller; Zach Scott, Tyrone Marshall, Patrick Ianni, James Riley; Sebastien Le Toux, Brad Evans, Osvaldo Alonso, Sanna Nyassi; Nate Jaqua, Fredy Montero

Third 30-Minute Period: Evan Bush; Tyson Wahl, Tyrone Marshall, Patrick Ianni, James Riley; Sebastien Le Toux, Brad Evans, Osvaldo Alonso, Sanna Nyassi; Nate Jaqua, Fredy Montero

Notes: Although Tristan Suarez is based in Buenos Aires, where Sounders FC is staying, the game was played an hour away due to the lack of available fields…After Monday’s game was canceled, the only available practice site was an artificial turf surface in downtown Buenos Aires…Evan Bush made his debut in goal, playing the final 30 minutes, but he was not required to make a save. ..A total of 11 players played 60 minutes.

SIGI SCHMID SAID:
On the changes made to the schedule: “Obviously you have to be flexible and with the weather situation and schedule adjustment, the game was not the opponent we were expecting to play today. So we wanted to get some fitness work out of it and get some guys to at least play 60 minutes. I thought when the second group, they played fairly clean the first 30 minutes and then it’s tough sometimes when the game becomes easier to maintain your motivation as a player and I thought the first group played well too.”

On the unit that played the second two periods: “You try to talk to them about maintaining good habits and doing things the way they should be done, but I know as a player, when you’re out there on the field, you say it’s a little bit easier and you tend to drop. But you still learn things from it. For us to be able to learn to play the ball into the space sooner , which we did today and played some guys in. To see Seba (Sebastien) score a goal on header, which he doesn’t do very often , so that that was a good thing to see.”

On the unit that played the first period: “It was good to see Fucito play because he’s had the hamstring injury. To see him play up front and get a goal is good, because I’m sure that helps his confidence. It was really the first time Karkas has been able to play. He showed he could get up and down the line a little bit. He got in a couple of times and because he’s only been able to train 3-4 full days with us, that was encouraging to see. It was good to see Nate Sturgis play in the middle so that we know that is an option, if we need that option. It was good to see Jhon Kennedy Hurtado. You could see he was a lot more comfortable today playing than he was the first game.”

MICHAEL FUCITO on his goal:
“We were pressuring up at about midfield. I was able pick-pocket the guy with the ball to Roger. Roger played a nice ball through to me and finished it with my right foot.”

Just hours after putting single-game tickets on sale this morning, Seattle Sounders FC announced that its inaugural home opener on March 19 against the New York Red Bulls had sold out.

It sold out despite the Sounders' decision to expand the Quest Field seating configuration even beyond what was previously announced to 32,400.

“When we started this process 15 months ago, our goal was to successfully bring the world’s game to the people of Seattle,” Sounders FC Owner Joe Roth said through an FC press release. “Because of this region’s passion and the overwhelming support for the Sounders FC, we wanted even more fans to experience our historic opening match in March.”

The seating configuration for regular season matches will be increased from the previously announced 24,500 to 27,700 seats, making it one of the larger venues in Major League Soccer.

The Sounders have sold more than 20,000 season tickets and have announced they will cap season tickets at 22,000.

“This community once again showed why Seattle has the best fans in the country,” Vulcan Sports and Entertainment CEO Tod Leiweke said through the press release. “The demand for tickets has exceeded our expectations, and the seating expansion to 27,700 will allow more fans to join us without jeopardizing the intimacy of the stadium.”

Additional information is available at the SoundersFC.com Web site.

Single-game tickets for Seattle Sounders FC's inaugural MLS season went on sale at 10 a.m. Monday.

About 4,500 tickets remain for each game, because the Sounders already have cracked the 20,000 mark on season-ticket sales. (A few extra sections will be used for opening day, creating a capacity of around 27,000 for that game, 24,500 for the rest.)

As this story in the Puget Sound Business Journal notes, those totals put the Sounders ahead of the Mariners in terms of season ticket sales. Well ahead.

Tickets are available at www.SoundersFC.com, by calling 877-MLS-GOAL, all Ticketmaster outlets and the Qwest Field box office. Game tickets are priced at $20, $25, $30, $39 and $45; and Club Wells Fargo tickets priced at $49 and $85 per. The Sounders also are offering seven-game packages, starting at $126 per pack.

Naturally, most Sounders FC fans are thrilled to have proven MLS coach Sigi Schmid on board.

However, the team he left -- the Columbus Crew -- is trying to be upbeat about their replacement coach, the younger, warmer, fuzzier Robert Warzycha.

Here's a report from the Columbus Dispatch, taking a look at the Crew under their new coach.

Here's a key portion:

Schmid's success with UCLA and the U.S. national team gives him credibility among MLS players. Warzycha has never been a head coach, but his impressive playing career might count for more among his players.

"I don't have anything on my resume as a coach," said Warzycha, who will lead the Crew against the Everton reserves today in an exhibition game in Liverpool, England. "But the players remember me from the field and that helps a lot."

So he is a so-called players' coach more than Schmid ever was. Or is he?

"The players are comfortable with Robert, but that's probably the biggest obstacle Robert has to get past," Lapper said. "You don't want them too comfortable.

"Sigi accomplished a lot of things in his career with the national team and things like that. That earns automatic respect. But you don't want a player thinking, 'OK, this is just Robert.' It's not 'just Robert.' He is your head coach."

To a man, Crew players approved Warzycha's elevation, goalkeeper William Hesmer said. They were relieved they didn't have to prove themselves to an outsider, but they were also pleased because they believe Warzycha is a good coach.

The Crew and Sounders will meet May 30 in Seattle and Oct. 3 in Columbus.