Here's my game story.

Final: Quakes 4, Sounders 0. It was the most goals the Sounders have ever given up, and their biggest loss ever. Add the fact that it came against the last-place team in the West, and you won't be surprised to heard that the Sounders weren't happy.

“We got embarrassed today,” coach Sigi Schmid said. “… When you play 30 games, sometimes you have one of those days. So, we’re going to chalk it up to that; and if we have another one, then we’ll turn some things upside down.”

The loss leaves Seattle (7-4-8) six points behind league-leader Houston and just two points clear of a tie for ninth place in a league where eight teams make the playoffs.

“It’s a wakeup call for a few guys; I hope so,” goalkeeper Kasey Keller said. “This is the point of the season where you figure out where you’re at: Are you going to make a run in the playoffs or are you going to whither and die? Today, it looks like we’re going to wither and die.”

Both Schmid and Keller weren't happy with the red card -- and their unhappyness was directed at James Riley, not the ref.

“We’ve taken too many red cards this year,” Schmid said. “We’ve got to stop taking them. We’ve got to shut up and play. It was preceded by a little go at the referee from James, and we don’t need that.”

Schmid couldn't name anyone that he thought played a good game ... although he admitted he felt a little sorry for Keller.

Schmid seemed particularly displeased with midfielders Brad Evans and Osvaldo Alonso, who he said he didn't think combined with each other all day. Evans admitted he didn't think he played well and that many of Seattle's problems began at midfield.

Several Sounders said they were especially disappointed in their performance because it came in front of approximately 200 rave-green-wearing supporters who had traveled to watch. Schmid, Evans, Ianni, Le Toux and maybe a few others made a point of walking to that end of the pitch after the game to applaud the traveling fans. And Schmid said he was unhappy that more players didn't do the same.

The defeat also cost Seattle the inaugural Heritage Cup, which will be presented annually to the winner of competitions between MLS teams playing under their historic NASL names. For now, that’s only the Sounders and Earthquakes. And this season, only the final two games were counted, which gives the Quakes the cup even though Seattle won two of three meetings.

And that fact allowed Schmid the only light moment in the locker room.

“I don’t know how that works,” Schmid said. “Maybe next year we’ll play the Heritage Cup and whoever scores the most goals between the 54th minute and the 78th minute of the second game wins the Heritage Cup.”

The Sounders return to Qwest Field on Wednesday for a friendly against F.C. Barcelona. They return to league play Saturday at Real Salt Lake.

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I'm not seeing my preview story on line this morning, so here's it is, dealing mostly with personnel additions for today's game.

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