Here's my game story, a secondary piece on Federal Way's Lamar Neagle and the other two guys who made their Sounders' debuts against Chelsea, and a photo gallery from the TNT's Janet Jensen.

The postgame bottom line seemed to be that it was a learning experience for the Sounders, a good training test for Chelsea, and a lot of fun for everyone.

“I think it was just tremendous from the standpoint of our fan support,” Sounders coach Sigi Schmid said. “… The hoopla, the atmosphere, the crowd support; that was brilliant. Obviously, the result is something that we would have liked to turned out a little better, but I was proud of the way we played and proud of the support we got.”

“I think the game was pretty even really except for the two goals that we scored, which is maybe the slight difference in quality from the Premier League to here,” said Chelsea midfielder Frank Lampard, who scored the second goal. “But … Seattle played good football, created a few chances, and was unlucky not to score, really.”

“Chelsea finishes their goals,” said Sounders midfielder Freddie Ljungberg, an 11-year veteran of the EPL. “They go 110 percent, and they really concentrate in finishing. … Apart from that, I think we showed we play well. Even some of the Chelsea boys told us after the game that we played good football, and they were impressed how we played.”

“The game was not easy,” Chelsea coach Carlo Ancelotti said. “The game is difficult, but we put ourselves in good position.”

What clearly impressed Chelsea most was the crowd – its size, knowledge and enthusiasm.

“It was probably the best preseason atmosphere I’ve played in for sure,” Lampard said. “Every year we come (to the United States) the support we get and other teams get bigger and bigger. And today was the best atmosphere I’ve played in here, for sure. Not only a full crowd but the way they reacted, the atmosphere they created before the game and during the game made it very enjoyable to play in.”

I thought the most telling reaction might have come from Steve Zakuani, who grew up in London and therefore should know plenty about the English Premier League.

“Their defenders: their recovery was ridiculous,” Zakuani said. “Their speed and that kind of thing: their movement, their touch. There are no mistakes in the back. That’s the biggest difference. They’re all very good at what they do, and that’s just the next level.”

Attendance: Today's crowd is 65,289: the largest ever to see the Sounders and third-largest ever to see a soccer match in the Northwest.

Transfer rumors: The English press continued to hound Chelsea manager Carlo Ancelotti about the possible transfer of Blues defender John Terry to Manchester City.

However, they paused Saturday to also ask Schmid about rumors that Sounders forward Fredy Montero has caught the attention of Fulham of the EPL.

“You read things in the paper and you’re not quite sure how (the reports) get there,” Schmid said. “Fredy Montero is with us right now. There have been no official inquiries that we are aware at this stage. He’s a very important player to our team. He’s the second-leading scorer in our league, and he has a bright future. I’m sure one day that opportunity, whether it’s a day soon or later, will present itself, but right now he has a very important game to prepare for.”

That would come at 7: p.m. Saturday, when the Sounders meet Houston in the U.S. Open Cup semifinal at Starfire. That game is sold out.

=> Read more!