Revs and Sounders play to a draw Goalkeeper Bobby Shuttleworth was credited with three saves and the New England Revolution's league-leading defense kept its third clean sheet of the season as the Revs battled to a 0-0 draw with Seattle Sounders FC on Saturday afternoon at CenturyLink Field. The Revs (1-2-2, 5 pts.) have now conceded just two goals through the first five games, including just one in three road matches. Scoring remains elusive, however, as the Revs have been held scoreless for a club record 388 consecutive minutes dating back to the season opener against the Chicago Fire. Seattle (0-3-2, 2 pts.) snapped a brief two-game losing streak with the draw, but remains Major League Soccer's only winless club through five games. Chris Tierney filled the left back vacancy created by Kevin Alston's absence, while Kalifa Cisse returned to the Revolution's starting lineup for the first time since the season opener. Saer Sene made a 16-minute appearance off the bench to mark his return from the torn ACL he suffered last August. Shuttleworth retained his starting spot despite Matt Reis (L knee irritation) making the bench and made a fantastic fingertip save on Osvaldo Alonso's 20-yard drive in the 15th minute. Just moments earlier, Jose Goncalves made a critical late intervention to block Steve Zakuani's close-range effort. Zakuani had another golden opportunity in the 43rd minute when he broke free down the left wing and cut inside onto his right foot, but Shuttleworth was again up to the task as he made a huge stop to keep the game scoreless heading into halftime. Seattle's attack continued to filter through Zakuani as the second half began and the Sounders forward found himself in another promising position in the 55th minute only for his shot to whistle wide. Sene replaced Juan Toja in the 74th minute and the Revolution threatened shortly thereafter. Tierney's free kick from the left channel found Andy Dorman - another second-half substitute - but he flicked the ball over the crossbar from a difficult spot. Both teams had chances in the final 10 minutes - Seattle's Lamar Neagle scuffed a shot straight at Shuttleworth in the 82nd minute and New England's Jerry Bengtson nearly latched onto a long clearance in stoppage time - but ultimately the sides remained scoreless and shared the points. The Revs will be on the road once again next weekend when they visit the New York Red Bulls on Saturday, April 20. Kickoff from Red Bull Arena is set for 7 p.m.
Sounders FC Signs Forward Will Bates Seattle Sounders FC has signed forward Will Bates, the club announced today. Per Major League Soccer and club policy, terms were not disclosed. Bates, 22, was selected by Sounders FC with the fifth overall selection in the 2013 MLS Supplemental Draft on January 22. The former University of Virginia forward joined Sounders FC training in early February. "Will is dangerous in the box and always plays hard," said Sounders FC Sporting Director Chris Henderson. "He can score with both feet and with his head. He provides us with depth at forward and we are excited to have him in Seattle." Bates appeared in 77 matches over four seasons at Virginia, tallying 46 goals with 10 assists. He finished his collegiate career as the seventh leading goal scorer in school history, tied for third with 15 game-winning goals and finished ninth in career points (102). Bates was a member of the U.S. U-20 National Team and he was named to the 2012 MAC Hermann Trophy Watch List. Additionally, the club has waived defender Andrew Duran. Selected by Seattle with the 15th overall pick in the 2012 MLS SuperDraft, Duran did not make an appearance for Sounders FC and spent part of last season on loan to the Atlanta Silverbacks of the North American Soccer League. Sounders FC visits the Colorado Rapids on Saturday. Kickoff is set for 3 p.m. PT from Dick's Sporting Goods Park and will be televised locally on KONG 6/16.
Sounders FC End with 2-2 Tie at Philadelphia Mauro Rosales scored a goal and an assist as Sounders FC (1-3-3, 6 points) drew, 2-2, with the Philadelphia Union (3-3-3, 12 points) Saturday afternoon at PPL Park. Eddie Johnson scored his second goal of the season and Philadelphia's Danny Cruz netted a brace as Sounders FC extended its unbeaten streak to three games. In the 10th minute, Rosales' found Johnson in traffic with a corner kick for a 10-yarder header goal. It was the second goal of the season for Johnson and the second assist for Rosales, who connected for the first time in 2013 after combining for six goals in 2012. It also marked the first header goal of the season for Johnson, who set a league-record with nine goals with his head last season (since league began keeping track in 2003). With 57 career MLS goals, he is now tied with Diego Serna for 24th on the all-time list. The Union would take a 2-1 lead thanks to two Cruz goals just one minute apart early in the second half. After Conor Casey's header hit the post, Cruz buried the rebound, then scored just a minute later when be blasted another rebound into the net, this time from the edge of the box. The two goals one minute apart broke the Sounders FC franchise record for least amount of time between goals allowed. The Rave Green equalized in the 64th minute when Mario Martinez played Leo Gonzalez all the way down to the end line on the left side for a cross that found Rosales for a left-footed volley to even the score 2-2. It marked the first goal of the season for Rosales and the first assist for both Gonzalez and Martinez, who came into the game just two minutes earlier. The Union pressed hard throughout the game, out-shooting Seattle 22-10 and holding 55.7% of the possession. Djimi Traore made two big defensive plays in the 24th minute, first clearing a cross deep in the box, then moments later sliding to block Michael Farfan's close-range shot. Jack McInerney nearly scored in the 32nd when his header skimmed over the crossbar, and Farfan hit the post with a header six minutes later. Rosales and Johnson nearly connected again in first half stoppage time on another corner kick, but this time Philadelphia keeper Zac MacMath slapped away Johnson's header. Towards the end, the game was reduced to 10-v-9 after red cards were issued to Seattle's Lamar Neagle and DeAndre Yedlin, as well as Philadelphia's Sheanon Williams. Seattle is unbeaten in its last 34 games (26-0-8) when scoring first, the longest active streak in MLS. Sounders FC returns to action Wednesday with a mid-week matchup at Sporting Kansas City. Kickoff is at 5:30 p.m. PT at Sporting Park in Kansas City, Kansas.
Seattle Sounders FC Tip Sporting Kansas City Late 1-0 Djimi Traore scored the latest goal in franchise history as Sounders FC (2-3-3, 9 points) defeated Sporting Kansas City (5-4-2, 17 points), 1-0, Wednesday night at Sporting Park. The 94th minute winner extended Seattle's unbeaten streak to four games (2-0-2) after the club picked up seven points during a three-match road trip. After a long-throw in the fourth minute of second half stoppage time, Traore gathered the ball inside the box after a Sporting mis-clearance and fired it into the back of the net. It marked the first career MLS goal for Traore and his second across all competitions in 2013. It's also the latest goal in franchise history, breaking Jeff Parke's 93rd minute goal against Kansas City on May 21, 2011. Traore has scored the game-winning goal in two of Sounders FC's three wins across all competitions in 2013 after his deciding goal in the second leg of the CONCACAF Champions League Quarterfinals against Tigres UANL. Seattle also extended its league unbeaten streak against Kansas City to seven games (6-0-1), including a 2-0-0 record at Sporting Park in MLS play. The Rave Green have bested Sporting four times with a stoppage time goal. Michael Gspurning made three saves en route to his third shutout of the season, all during the four-match unbeaten run. The Austian came up with big save in the first minute after Jacob Peterson got into the box, then saved a Graham Zusi shot in the 25th minute and a half-volley from Chance Myers in the 43nd. Before Traore's goal, Seattle's best chance came in the 28th minute when Mario Martinez bent a free kick around the wall that forced Sporting goalkeeper Jimmy Nielsen into a diving save. David Estrada started at forward alongside Eddie Johnson, his second start of the season and first since March 23 at San Jose. Sounders FC backup goalkeeper Marcus Hahnemann was issued a red card and sent off from the bench in the 24th minute. Kansas City forward Kei Kamara made his 2013 MLS debut when he came on for Peterson in the 73rd minute. Kamara returned this week from a loan spell with Norwich City of the English Premier League. Sounders FC returns to action this Saturday with their first home match in almost a month against the San Jose Earthquakes. Kickoff is at 1 p.m. PT on the Xbox Pitch at CenturyLink Field.
Neagle, Sounders FC Pound San Jose 4-0 Lamar Neagle scored a brace as Sounders FC (3-3-3, 12 points) defeated the San Jose Earthquakes 3-4-5, 14 points), 4-0, Saturday on the Xbox Pitch at CenturyLink Field. Mauro Rosales added a goal and an assist as Seattle extended its unbeaten streak to five games (3-0-2). It was the first victory over San Jose in MLS play since a 2-1 home win on October 15, 2011. The game marked the first time this season and the seventh time in club history the team has scored at least four goals in game. The four-goal margin matched the club record. Seattle got on the board in the 28th mimute when Eddie Johnson found Rosales in the box with a cross, and the Argentine laid it off to Neagle who blasted it past the keeper. Neagle's last MLS goal came against San Jose on August 18, 2012, while with Montreal.It was the third assist of the season for Rosales and first for Johnson. Rosales doubled the lead in first-half stoppage time when he bent a 20-yard free kick around the wall and inside the near post, beating keeper Jon Busch. It was the first goal scored directly from a free kick for Sounders FC since July 10, 2011 at Portland. Rosales has now recorded a goal and an assist in each of his last two starts and his seven points (two goals, three assists) in 2013 is tied with Johnson (three goals, one assist) for the team lead. Neagle made it 3-0 in the 54th minute when he dribbled along the top of the box, held off multiple San Jose defenders, and slotted a left-footed shot that ricocheted off the near post and into the goal. It marked the first multi-goal game for Sounders FC since Brad Evans' brace last season against Dallas on October 21. Today was also Neagle's first multi-goal game since recording a hat trick for Sounders FC on August 27, 2011. The Federal Way-native is now tied with Eddie Johnson for the 2013 team lead with three goals across all competitions. Obafemi Martins, a 55th minute substitute, made it 4-0 in the third minute of second-half stoppage time. After Johnson slipped him into the box, the Nigerian striker momentarily lost possession and after a mis-clearance by San Jose, collected the ball and fired it past Busch. It was the second goal of the season for Martins in just his fourth appearance. Goalkeeper Michael Gspurning made three saves and recorded his fourth shutout of the season, all in his last five games. The Austrian keeper came up with a couple big saves towards the end of the first half, first on a Chris Wondolowski toe-poke and then on an Alan Gordon shot inside the six-yard box. Sounders FC is currently riding a 219-minute shutout streak with the last goal conceded in the 51st minute of the May 4 matchup at Philadelphia. Servando Carrasco made his third consecutive start in the central midfield, the last two paired with Osvaldo Alonso. The third-year pro recorded his first career point when he assisted on Neagle's second goal, while he and Alonso led all field players by each gaining possession nine times. Sounders FC returns to action next Saturday with a home match against FC Dallas. Kickoff is at 7:30 p.m. PT on the Xbox Pitch at CenturyLink Field.
Sounders FC Continue Hot Play by Toppling Dallas 4-2 Eddie Johnson scored a brace and Lamar Neagle recorded a goal and an assist as Seattle Sounders FC (4-3-3, 15 points) defeated FC Dallas (7-2-3, 24 points), 4-2, Saturday night at CenturyLink Field. Michel added a goal and an assist for Dallas as Seattle extended its unbeaten streak to six games (4-0-2). Seattle has now scored four goals in back-to-back games for the first time in club history, and the eight-goal output over a two-game span matches the franchise record. Sounders FC scored in the 16th minute when Osvaldo Alonso headed a goal kick to Johnson behind the Dallas defense. Johnson held off two defenders and slotted a right-footed shot inside the far post. Seattle doubled its lead in the 31st minute when Brad Evans played a through-ball between the defense to a streaking Neagle, who dribbled around the keeper and slotted it into the back of the empty net. It was the third goal of the season for Neagle-all in the last two games. Seattle's 2-0 lead marked the first time this season that Dallas trailed at halftime. However, the Western Conference leaders responded with two set-piece goals early in the second half to level the match. In the 54th minute, Michel took a free kick outside the top right corner of the box that found Kenny Cooper for a flick header inside the far post. The goal ended a 272-minute shutout streak for Michael Gspurning, the fifth-longest in MLS this season. Michel tied the game at 2-2 in the 61st minute when he bent a corner kick over the defense and into the far top corner of the net, just out of the reach of Gspurning. Sounders FC responded just a minute later when Neagle slipped Johnson into the box, and the striker juked Raul Fernandez to created space, and pounded his shot into the top of the net. It marked the ninth-career multi-goal game for Johnson, and his first since September 8, 2012, against Chivas USA. Johnson leads the team with four league goals and five goals across all competitions. With 59 career MLS goals, he is now 24th on the all-time list. Seattle made it 4-2 in the 83rd minute following a Fernandez save on a powerful Johnson header. The rebound rolled to Evans, who found Obafemi Martins in the box who slipped it into the net for his third goal of the season. It marked the first assist of the season for both Alonso and Evans, who have 12 and 18 in their careers, respectively. With two assists in the match, it was the first time in Evans' career that he recorded multiple assists in one game. Sounders FC is unbeaten in its last 36 matches (29-0-8) when scoring first, the longest active streak in MLS. Seattle has outscored their opponents 12-4 in the last five games. Midfielder Servando Carrasco was included in the starting lineup for the fourth straight game, the longest streak of consecutive starts in his career. Sounders FC was forced to use two of their subs on injuries. First, Osvaldo Alonso suffered a left groin injury and was replaced by Shalrie Joseph 31st minute, then Leo Gonzalez was bloodied by a Blas Perez elbow to the face and was replaced by Zach Scott in the 78th minute. Perez was issued a red card on the play. Seattle's 11 shots on goal set the club single-game record, breaking the previous high of 10 on June 16, 2009, against D.C. United. Sounders FC returns to action next Sunday, May 26, with a road matchup with the LA Galaxy. Kickoff is at 8 p.m. PT at the Home Depot Center.
Sounders FC blank Chivas USA Obafemi Martins scored his fourth goal of the season as Sounders FC (5-4-3, 18 points) defeated Chivas USA (3-8-2, 11 points) Saturday night at the Home Depot Center. Seattle has now won four of its past five MLS matches and is off to its second best start through 12 games in franchise history. In the 22nd minute, Mario Martinez and Lamar Neagle combined to play Martins behind the defense into the box. As Chivas keeper Dan Kennedy came off his line, Martins chipped a shot over him and into the net for his fourth goal of the season. Martins ties Eddie Johnson for the team-lead with four goals. With 366 minutes this season, his 0.98 goals per 90 minutes leads MLS. Martins' goal came with 317 career minutes, making him the fastest to score four goals in franchise history, 265 minutes faster than Blaise Nkufo (582 minutes in 2011). A Chivas USA own goal made the score 2-0 in the 33rd minute when Servando Carrasco's cross was headed by Mario de Luna into his own net. It is the first own-goal received for Seattle this season. Michael Gspurning made four saves en route to his fifth shutout of the season. In the 16th minute, he stopped a Jose Correa shot in the box and in the 89th, the Austrian made a diving save at the far post on a strong shot from Tristan Bowen. With 18 points, Sounders FC is off to its second best start through 12 games in team history, trailing only the 2012 season (23 points). The win extends the Rave Green's unbeaten streak against Chivas USA to nine games (5-0-4). Martins almost added another in the 41st minute when Mauro Rosales found him for a strong header in the box that was saved by Kennedy, then the striker nearly knocked in the follow-up but was well defended by the Chivas defense. Martins was issued a red card in the 71st minute after a foul on Gabriel Farfan, forcing Seattle to finish the game a man down. Osvaldo Alonso, who missed last weekend's match against LA Galaxy, suffered a thigh muscle injury in the first half and came off for Andy Rose in the 21st minute. Sounders FC returns home next weekend for a matchup with Vancouver Whitecaps FC in the second Cascadia fixture of the season. Kickoff is at 7:30 p.m. PT on the Xbox Pitch at CenturyLink Field and will be broadcast nationally on NBC Sports Network.
Seattle Sounders win 3-2 Sounders FC (6-4-3, 18 points) scored two second-half goals in a 3-2 come from behind win over Cascadia-rival Vancouver Whitecaps FC (4-5-4, 16 points) in front of 53,679 on the Xbox Pitch at CenturyLink Field. Lamar Neagle and Andy Rose each scored a goal and an assist as the Rave Green jumped into first place in the Cascadia Cup standings with four points (1-0-1). Sounders FC currently sits fourth in the West with five wins in the past six games, and the comeback win was Seattle's first of the season. Seattle got on the board first in the 9th minute when Neagle played Rose behind the defense for a one-on-one with the keeper, and the second-year pro slotted a 14-yard shot into the far netting. It marked the first goal of the season across all-competitions for Rose, and just his second-career MLS goal. It was the second-straight game with an assist for Neagle. Vancouver equalized just a minute later when Russell Teibert dribbled all the way to the end line and chipped a cross to Camilo in the six-yard box for the equalizer. In the 26th, Whitecaps FC took a 2-1 when Teibert's free kick found Camilo in the box for a diving header in traffic that rolled inside the far post. The Brazilian is now first among Vancouver players with four career goals against Seattle. Seattle was awarded a penalty in the 69th minute after Neagle was taken down in the box. Servando Carrasco converted the penalty kick to tie the game at 2-2, marking his first-career MLS goal in his 29th career game. Sounders FC netted the winner in the 81st when Rose played Obafemi Martins into the box and, after dummying a Vancouver defender and taking down to the end line, sent a short cross that Neagle tapped into the back of the net. Neagle is tied for the team lead with four goals this season and holds the team lead with 11 points, 10 (four goals, two assists) of which have come in his last three starts. It was the first MLS assist for Martins. Seattle now jumps into first place in the 2013 Cascadia Cup standings with four points, two points ahead of Portland (0-0-2). The next Cascadia match will be on July 6 when Sounders FC plays Whitecaps FC in Vancouver. Tonight's attendance of 53,679 marked the largest in MLS this season, and fifth-largest for a Sounders FC home MLS match. Seattle improves to 5-0-0 all-time in MLS games with over 50,000 in attendance, outscoring opponents 14-3. Goalkeeper Michael Gspurning made back-to-back crucial stops in the 53rd minute, first on a 25-yard free kick by Camilo, then immediately jumping up to stop Nigel Reo-Coker's rebound attempt point-blank. Seattle nearly responded a minute after Vancouver went up when Neagle got all the way to the end line and chipped a cross that Martins couldn't quite get to. In the 23rd, Neagle let loose a 25-yard shot that was blocked by a Vancouver defender and rolled just wide of the post. In the 64th minute, Mauro Rosales found Martins, who weaved through the defense in the box and chipped a shot past Vancouver keeper Brad Knighton, but it was just wide. Sounders FC returns to action in two weeks with a road matchup with Real Salt Lake on June 22. Kickoff is at 6:30 p.m. PT at Rio Tinto Stadium. CenturyLink Field will host the U.S. Men's National Team on Tuesday as they take on Panama in the 2014 FIFA World Cup Qualifier.
Seattle Sounders fall 2-0 Kyle Beckerman and Robbie Findley each scored as Sounders FC (6-5-3, 21 points) fell to Real Salt Lake (9-5-3, 30 points), 2-0, Saturday night at Rio Tinto Stadium. It marked just the second loss (6-2-2) in the last 10 games for Seattle, who had won five of their previous six. After 40 minutes of scoreless play, Beckerman put Salt Lake on the board in the 41st minute. Javier Morales' free kick was blocked by the Seattle wall, but the ball bounced right to Beckerman deep in the box for a volley into the top of the net. Findley made it 2-0 in the 46th minute with his second goal against Seattle this season. After Michael Gspurning saved Findley's initial attempt, he collected a ball from Alvaro Saborio and slotted a low shot into the net. Salt Lake out-shot Seattle 17-2, including 6-1 on goal, and held a 8-3 advantage on corner kicks. The two shots for the Rave Green matched the franchise's single-game low, set against the LA Galaxy on May 26 this season. In the 74th minute, Seattle saw its first shot when Mario Martinez struck a left-footed shot from the right side that was saved by Nick Rimando. In the 83rd, Obafemi Martins chased down a long ball into the box and fired a left-footed shot from a sharp angle just wide of the near post. Gspurning finished with four saves, including an alert stop when Beckerman blasted a 20-yard volley on frame in the 14th minute. In the 61st, the Austrian saved a close shot by Ned Grabavoy after a long run. The match marked the 16th meeting between Seattle and Salt Lake across all competitions since 2009, matching the club record for most competitive games against one opponent (LA Galaxy). Tonight's result gave Salt Lake the overall advantage at 6-5-5. Sounders FC returns to action on July 3 with a home match against D.C. United. Kickoff is at 7 p.m. PT on the Xbox Pitch at CenturyLink Field.
Martins Brace Lifts Sounders FC over D.C. 2-0 Obafemi Martins scored twice as Seattle Sounders FC (7-5-3, 24 points) defeated D.C. United (2-13-3, 9 points), 2-0, Wednesday night on the Xbox Pitch at CenturyLink Field. Michael Gspurning recorded his sixth shutout of the season as Seattle won their fourth-straight home game. In the 19th minute, Brad Evans played Martins into the box with a through-ball for a one-on-one with the keeper, and the Nigerian striker slotted it past Joe Willis to make it 1-0. Evans recorded his third assist of the season, tied for the team-lead. Martins doubled the lead in second-half stoppage time when he chased down a loose ball in the box, held off multiple defenders, and finished into the back of the net. It was the first multi-goal game for Martins and he now leads the team with six goals, which ranks seventh in MLS. Gspurning made four saves, including three in the second half. First in the 64th minute, he parried a deep shot from Chris Pontius over the crossbar. Four minutes later, he leapt to snatch a dangerous free kick at the far post, and in the 86th minute he saved a low shot from Perry Kitchen inside the box. Despite managing just eight shots, Seattle was dangerous on a number of chances. In the 17th minute, Evans headed a Zach Scott cross that forced Willis into a leaping save. Mauro Rosales found Scott for an open header in the 51st that was blocked by a D.C. defender, and in the 63rd Johnson and Martins played a nice nice one-two to open up Johnson in the box, but Willis came out to make a point-blank save. The result marks the fourth straight home win for Seattle, matching the club record set last season. The 39,180 in attendance was the third largest crowd of the season. Sounders FC returns to action on Saturday when they travel up to Vancouver to take on Cascadia-rival Whitecaps FC. Kickoff is at 8 p.m. PT at B.C. Place. Sounders FC vs. D.C. United - Postgame Notes * Seattle's four straight home wins matches a club record set from July 7 to September 8, 2012. The four consecutive home wins is tied for the second-longest home winning streak in MLS this season. FC Dallas set the record this season with five straight home wins from March 2 to April 20. * Sounders FC is now unbeaten over the past six home games (4-0-2), which is tied for fifth-longest streak in MLS this season. FC Dallas is yet to lose at home in 2013, posting a nine-match home unbeaten streak. Seattle's record home unbeaten streak is eight games (4-0-4) from April 25 to July 25, 2009. * Sounders FC broke its club record for most goals (13) over a four-game home span. * Seattle improved to 32-0-8 when scoring first, the longest active streak in MLS and second-longest in league history. New York holds the all-time record at 58 games. * Obafemi Martins scored his team-high fifth and sixth goals of the MLS Regular Season. Martins' six goals in 636 minutes is a club record, making him the 11th player in club history to score six or more league goals. * Sounders FC improved to 6-0-0 when Obafemi Martins scores or assists. He leads the team with three game-winning goals. * Seattle improved to 4-2-2 all-time against D.C. United in MLS play, and has posted 308 shutout minutes against D.C. United. The shutout was Michael Gspurning's sixth this season, tied for the fourth-most in MLS. * Brad Evans recorded his third assist of the MLS regular season, matching Lamar Neagle and Mauro Rosales for the team lead. * Eddie Johnson is now one game away from receiving the good behavior incentive. He is currently the only Sounders FC player with four yellow card cautions. * Head Coach Sigi Schmid is now one game away from becoming the first to coach 400 MLS regular season matches. * Tonight's attendance of 39,180 was the third-largest Seattle crowd this season, ranking behind Portland (40,150) and Vancouver (53,679). It was the 75th consecutive home sellout.
Sounders FC fall Walter Martinez scored the lone goal as Sounders FC (7-7-3, 24 points) fell, 1-0, to the San Jose Earthquakes (6-9-6, 24 points) Saturday night at Buck Shaw Stadium. Seattle was forced to use all three substitutions due to injuries as they finished the season series with San Jose 1-2-0. After a scoreless first half, San Jose found the goal in the 48th minute when Martinez received a ball from Steven Lenhart in the box, created some space, and finished into the top far corner of the net. The goal came not long after Sounders FC was forced to make a halftime change at goalkeeper. Michael Gspurning suffered a left forearm injury and was replaced by Andrew Weber, who was signed on July 11. Gspurning was strong in the first half, making a diving save on a strong overhead shot by Martinez in the 14th minute and a sprawling save on an Alan Gordon header in the 18th. Brad Evans, playing in his 100th career game for Sounders FC, was the first Seattle player to leave in the 33rd minute due to a rib contusion. He is the just the third player in club history to hit the century mark in games played. In the 52nd minute, Djimi Traore suffered a right hamstring injury strain and was replaced by Jhon Kennedy Hurtado. Sounders FC had a number of chances despite managing just one shot on goal. In the 41st minute, Marc Burch's free kick deflected to Traore in the box, but the defender's volley skied over the crossbar. In the 74th minute, Mauro Rosales found Servando Carrasco at the near post for a header but it rolled wide. Seattle created their best chance in the 83rd when Burch's corner found Eddie Johnson for an open header, but Earthquakes keeper Jon Busch made the save. Midfielder Osvaldo Alonso made his return to the lineup tonight after missing the previous four matches with a quad injury and was issued a red card in stoppage time. Burch started at left midfield, marking his first start at the position for Sounders FC. Sounders FC returns to action next Saturday at home against the Colorado Rapids. Kickoff is at 1 p.m. PT on the Xbox Pitch at CenturyLink Field.
Back At It The Sounders FC was able to top Chivas USA 2-1 on Sunday night at CenturyLink Field thanks to goals from Brad Evans and Lamar Neagle. SEATTLE – It was a night of milestones at CenturyLink Field as Sounders FC topped Chivas USA 2-1 to get back in the win column after three straight matches without a victory. The win was the 180th in the MLS career of Seattle Head Coach Sigi Schmid. His first half goal was the 20th in the MLS career of Brad Evans and Mauro Rosales tallied his 30th MLS assist. It also ran Seattle’s home unbeaten streak to a club record eight matches and pushed it to 6-0-4 in its last 10 matches against Chivas USA. http://www.soundersfc.com/news/articles/2013/07-july/sounders-back-to-winning-ways.aspx
Tottenham Hotspur announce transfer of USMNT captain Clint Dempsey to MLS Clint Dempsey is indeed returning to Major League Soccer. Following two days of Twitter buzz and speculation, Tottenham Hotspur announced on Saturday that the US national team captain has finalized a move back to the league where he played for three seasons, from 2004 to 2006. "We wish Clint every success for the future," the statement on the club's website reads. Spurs' announcement does not specify which club he is joining, but according to various reports on Friday, he appears destined for Seattle. http://www.mlssoccer.com/news/artic...unce-transfer-usmnt-captain-clint-dempsey-mls
Seattle Sounders announce USMNT captain Clint Dempsey as newest Designated Player Two days after he was optimistically linked to a potential MLS move via a chance meeting with a fan at San Francisco International Airport, US national team captain Clint Dempsey has finally landed back in Major League Soccer. And yes, as rumored and reported, he is a member of the Seattle Sounders. Dempsey was unveiled as the newest member of the Sounders on Saturday night during a pregame ceremony at CenturyLink Field ahead of the team’s matchup against FC Dallas. His former club, the Premier League's Tottenham Hotspur, had announced earlier on Saturday that Dempsey had signed with MLS, ending his six-and-a-half year career in Europe, Dempsey, 30, is expected to join the Sounders’ workouts on Monday and will make his official debut with the club on Aug. 10 in Toronto, when the Sounders take on Toronto FC at BMO Field. His first home game will be Aug. 25, when the Sounders host the rival Portland Timbers. http://www.mlssoccer.com/news/artic...usmnts-clint-dempsey-newest-designated-player
Seattle Sounders FC blanks FC Dallas Obafemi Martins and Eddie Johnson scored first-half goals as Seattle Sounders FC (9-7-4, 31 points) defeated FC Dallas (8-6-8, 32 points), 3-0, on a historic night on the Xbox Pitch at CenturyLink Field. Prior to the match, Sounders FC announced the signing of U.S. National Team captain Clint Dempsey as the club's third Designated Player. Seattle is now unbeaten in its past three MLS matches, including two straight wins. Brad Evans recorded a goal and an assist and Marcus Hahnemann recorded a shutout in his first MLS appearance for Sounders FC. Seattle scored its first goal in the eighth minute when Mauro Rosales' free kick found Martins for a glancing header in the box for his team-high seventh goal of the season. Johnson doubled the lead in the 22nd minute when he got behind the defense on a long ball from Evans. Johnson, in his first game back from national team duty, calmly slotted it past Raul Fernandez for his fifth goal of the season. Seattle was issued a penalty kick in the third minute of second-half stoppage time when David Ferreira was whistled for a foul on Lamar Neagle in the box. Evans converted the penalty kick past Fernandez for his third goal of the season and stayed a perfect from the penalty spot, scoring all six career attempts. Hahnemann earned a clean sheet in his first ever MLS appearance for Sounders FC. It was the first shutout for Seattle since July 3 against D.C. United. Seattle returns to action next Saturday with the season's lone match against Toronto FC. Kickoff is at 4 p.m. PT at BMO Field.
Seattle Sounders FC win over Toronto FC Mauro Rosales scored his third goal of the season and Clint Dempsey made his return to MLS as Sounders FC (10-7-4, 34 points) defeated Toronto FC (4-11-9, 20 points), 2-1, Saturday at BMO Field. Brad Evans and Eddie Johnson each recorded an assist as Seattle won its third straight game. Seattle got on the board first in the 16th minute when Evans lofted a cross at the far post to Johnson, who headed it back across the goal to Rosales for a left-footed volley into the net. It was the third goal of the season for Rosales, who has recorded a point in three straight games. With the assist, Evans now has two goals and two assists during Seattle's three-game winning streak. A Toronto own goal made it 2-0 in the 40th minute. Lamar Neagle maintained possession with the ball all the way to the end line and sent a low cross that Toronto defender Doneil Henry re-directed inside the far post. Toronto pulled one back right after halftime when Jonathan Osorio's point-blank shot was deflected by the foot of Marcus Hahnemann and breached the line just before being cleared by Leo Gonzalez. Clint Dempsey made his Sounders FC debut when he came on in the 34th minute for Obafemi Martins, who suffered a left ankle injury. Seattle's newest Designated Player finished with a team-high five shots in his first league action since the 2006 MLS Cup Final. Dempsey's first touch came on a counter-attack in the 36th minute when Eddie Johnson fed him deep into the box, but the chance was thwarted by the Toronto defense. After drawing a foul just outside the box in the 44th minute, the U.S. National Team captain sent a dangerous free kick that just barely clipped the top of the wall and went over for a corner. Marcus Hahnemann made two saves-including a crucial stop in stoppage time to prevent an equalizer-en route to his second straight win in his first two MLS starts for Seattle. Tonight marked the first time Sounders FC has started the same lineup in back to back games since the final two regular season matches of 2012 (10/21 vs. DAL and 10/28 at LA). Sounders FC returns to action next Saturday with a road match against the Houston Dynamo. Kickoff is at 6 p.m. PT at BBVA Compass Stadium.
Seattle Sounders FC lose 3-1 Shalrie Joseph scored his first goal for Seattle Sounders FC (10-8-4, 34 points) but a first-half brace from Dynamo striker Giles Barnes led Houston (10-7-6, 36 points) to a 3-1 win in front of a sellout crowd of 22,289 at BBVA Compass Stadium on Saturday night. Clint Dempsey made his first start for Sounders FC, playing 90 minutes with a team-high four shots. Barnes struck twice in four minutes to give the Dynamo the early lead. In the 17th minute, Will Bruin got behind the Seattle defense and passed back to Barnes, who cut inside and blasted a shot inside the far corner. Four minutes later, Barnes added a second tally when he collected a ball from Brad Davis, turned and rocketed a 30-yard shot to the upper corner. Seattle pulled one goal back in the 65th minute when Marc Burch's free kick found Joseph in the box. Joseph hammered a header that bounced over Tally Hall and into the open net. Houston added a third tally in the 74th minute when Davis headed a rebound to Bruin, who turned and fired a low shot for the final 3-1 score line. Sounders FC had several chances to equalize in the second half. In the 53rd minute, Dempsey found Burch with a back-heel pass but his shot was pushed over the crossbar. Second-half substitute Brad Evans sent a low cross into the box in the 81st minute but Neagle's flick bounced off the post to Hall. Both sides were active in the attack throughout the opening 45 minutes, combining for 15 total shots. Houston nearly scored in the 31st minute when Barnes' shot was blocked by the Seattle defense and Davis' rebound attempt was parried wide by a diving Michael Gspurning. Neagle's header from a Mauro Rosales corner in the 24th minute bounced wide. Seattle had a pair of chances 10 minutes later when Dempsey's shot was saved by Hall and Rosales' diving header landed wide. Djimi Traore left the match in the 82nd minute and was replaced by Zach Scott. Houston's Ricardo Clark was replaced by Warren Creavalle in the 39th minute. Sounders FC hosts Cascadia Cup rivals Portland Timbers on Sunday, August 25. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. PT on the Xbox Pitch at CenturyLink Field.
Sounders FC Signs Midfielder Blair Gavin Seattle Sounders FC has signed midfielder Blair Gavin, the club announced today. Per Major League Soccer and club policy, terms were not disclosed. Gavin, 24, has spent three years in MLS after being selected by Chivas USA with the 10th overall pick of the 2010 MLS SuperDraft. He has 45 career appearances for Chivas USA and the New England Revolution. "Blair has been training with us for a few weeks and we are very happy to add him to our group," said Sporting Director Chris Henderson. "He is a thinker on the field and has good technical ability. He has enough MLS experience to help us down the stretch." Gavin began his professional career with Chivas USA where he made 31 starts in 43 appearances, recording three goals and five assists. He joined New England midway through the 2012 season, making two appearances. A native of Arizona, Gavin played three years at the University of Akron, finishing runner-up in the 2009 NCAA National Championship. He scored seven goals with six assists in his collegiate career, and was named to the All-Mid-American Conference First Team in his junior season. Sounders FC hosts the Portland Timbers on Sunday. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. PT on the Xbox Pitch at CenturyLink Field and will be nationally televised on ESPN2. Transaction: Seattle Sounders FC (MLS) - Signed MID Blair Gavin BLAIR GAVIN Position: Midfielder Jersey Number: 15 Height: 6-0 Weight: 165 Birthdate: January 8, 1989 Hometown (Citizenship): Scottsdale, Ariz. (USA) College: University of Akron
A 60th minute goal from Eddie Johnson was enough to power the Sounders past the rival Timbers in front of 67,385 Rave Green faithful on Sunday night at CenturyLink Field http://www.soundersfc.com/news/articles/2013/08-august/sounders-top-timbers.aspx
Sounders FC wins 1-0 Despite playing a man down, Sounders FC (12-8-4, 40 points) earned three points on the road with a 1-0 result over the Columbus Crew (8-13-5, 29 points) Saturday night at Crew Stadium. Eddie Johnson and Mauro Rosales connected for the second consecutive game, giving Seattle five wins in the past six games. In the 15th minute, Rosales found Johnson in the box with a free kick and the striker headed inside the far post to put Seattle up 1-0. Rosales and Johnson have connected for a goal in two consecutive games, giving Rosales a team-leading seven assists and Johnson a share for the team-lead with seven goals. Before the goal, Leo Gonzalez was issued a red card in the seventh minute, forcing Seattle to play 83 minutes with 10 men. Sounders FC is now second in the Western Conference with 1.67 points per match after losing just once (5-1-1) in the past seven games. Michael Gspurning made three saves en route to his second consecutive clean sheet, giving him eight on the season. In the 80th minute, the Austrian came off his line to challenge Dominic Oduro on a breakaway, deflecting the shot wide of the post. Columbus nearly scored four minutes earlier when Chad Marshall's header from a free kick hit the crossbar before being cleared away. Jhon Kennedy Hurtado came up with a couple of crucial first-half stops. First in the 33rd minute when he slid in to cut off a dangerous Odurco cross in the six-yard box, then broke up another Oduro run deep in the box in first-half stoppage time. Sounders FC held on to win despite being out-shot 24-7, including 14-2 in the first half, and keeping just 42.4% of the possession. Brad Evans suffered an injury and was replaced by Servando Carrasco in the 19th minute. Sounders FC returns to action on Wednesday for a mid-week matchup with Chivas USA. Kickoff is at 7 p.m. PT on the Xbox Pitch at CenturyLink Field.
