Three Training Games, Warmer Temperatures This Week in Arizona
With five weeks remaining until MLS First Kick 2011, the players and staff of Seattle Sounders FC look forward to more seasonable conditions and a steady diet of competition in Casa Grande, Ariz. Temperatures are expected to be back in the 60s and 70s when the Rave Green plays three training games this week. Following the final fixture on Saturday, Sounders FC will break camp and head home.
Seattle meets Real Salt Lake on Tuesday morning, travels to Phoenix to face the Columbus Crew on Thursday and plays Chivas USA on Saturday. Between the contests are two-a-day training sessions at Grande Sports World on Wednesday and Friday. Sounders FC opened its slate of training games by defeating the Vancouver Whitecaps FC, 1-0, last Friday.
Sounders FC has training sessions schedule for the Starfire Sports Complex next week. The team departs on February 18 for Bradenton, Fla., and another round of training and games.
The regular season opens on March 15 with MLS First Kick 2011. Sounders FC hosts the L.A. Galaxy, holders of the Supporters' Shield, on the Xbox Pitch at Qwest Field in a match televised nationally by ESPN. Kickoff is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. PT. MLS First Kick 2011 is presented by Dick's Sporting Goods.
On Thursday the complete MLS schedule will be released. Each team will play 34 matches, four more than last season.
Upcoming Training Schedule, February 8-14 (times are local & subject to change):
Tuesday, February 8 - Sounders FC vs. Real Salt Lake, Grande Sports World, Casa Grande, Ariz., 12 p.m.
Wednesday, February 9 - Training at Grande Sports World, Casa Grande, Ariz., 10 a.m. & 4 p.m.
Thursday, February 10 - Sounders FC at Columbus Crew, Westside Complex, Phoenix, Ariz., 11 a.m.
Friday, February 11 - Training at Grande Sports World, Casa Grande, Ariz., 10 a.m. & 4 p.m.
Saturday, February 12 - Sounders FC vs. Chivas USA, Grande Sports World, Casa Grande, Ariz., 10:30 a.m.
Sunday, February 13 - No Training
Monday, February 14 - No Training
· Evans Goal the Difference in First Training Game
· Tickets On Sale for Community Shield Match
· Seating Still Available for Kickoff Luncheon
· Sounders FC Matches at Cascadia Summit Sell-Out Quickly
· Academy: Four Straight Wins for U16s; U18s Split at Home
· Ten Academy Players Make College Commitments
· Academy Open House Set for February 16
· Throw-ins: Two More Cuts, Zakuani turns 23 and Friberg Turns 25
Sounders FC Edges Vancouver in First Training Game
In its first training game Sounders FC earned a 1-nil win over Vancouver Whitecaps FC last Friday. Brad Evans scored the lone goal in the 28th minute of the second period. The scoring sequence began with O'Brian White sending a low cross into the box that found David Estrada at the far post. Estrada backheeled the ball back in front of goal where Evans finished it into the upper corner.
Sounders FC earned clean sheets in all three 35-minute periods behind strong team defense and goalkeeping. Kasey Keller made three stops in the first period and midfielder Miguel Montaño was involved in several scoring opportunities.
White was dangerous throughout the second period. Aside from his assist, he nearly got on the end of an Erik Friberg through ball in the 17th minute of period two but Vancouver keeper Jay Nolly sprinted off his line to smother the ball.
Vancouver started the third period with a close-range shot by Long Tan that hit the crossbar in the 6th minute. Michael Tetteh, Seattle's top pick in the 2011 MLS SuperDraft, drove a low shot on frame in the 31st minute of the third period but Brian Sylvestre was able to make the stop.
Tickets on Sale for Community Shield
Tickets are now on sale for the club's second annual Community Shield match on Wednesday, March 9 at 7 p.m. on the Xbox Pitch at Qwest Field. The reigning U.S. Open Cup champion Sounders FC will face the MLS Cup champion Colorado Rapids for the preseason match.
General Admission tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for youth (6-17). Children under the age of six are free. Tickets are available at www.SoundersFC.com, by calling 877-MLS-GOAL, all Ticketmaster outlets and the Qwest Field Box office.
Proceeds from the match will benefit the team's community outreach programs. Sounders FC fans helped raise over $80,000 from the 2010 Community Shield match which was allocated to the team's charity partners.
Sounders FC Invites Fans to Attend a Training Session and Lunch
The Sounders FC announced today limited seating is available for the team's second annual Kickoff Luncheon to be held at Qwest Field on Monday, March 7 from 12:30-1:45 p.m. Guests will sit side-by-side and interact with Sounders FC players, coaches, and team executives.
Fans attending the lunch are also invited to attend the Sounders FC training session that begins at 11 a.m.
Tables of 10 include eight guests, plus two Sounders FC personnel (players, coaches, or team executives). Each table costs $800 and individual tickets are available for $100. To purchase a table please register online at www.SoundersFC.com or contact Megan West at meganw@seahawkssoundersfc.com or 425.203.8102. Proceeds from the luncheon ticket sales and silent auction will benefit the five Sounders FC charity partners.
Sounders FC Matches at Cascadia Summit Sell-Out Quickly
Shortly after going on sale, each of the two Sounders FC preseason matches at the Cascadia Summit were sold out.
The March 4 game between Sounders FC and the Portland Timbers and the March 6 match between Seattle and Vancouver Whitecaps FC sold out less than two hours after going on sale on February 1. Both games will be played at the Starfire Sports Complex in Tukwila, Wash.
The majority of tickets for March 5 Cascadia Summit game between Portland and Vancouver is being distributed by the Timbers and Whitecaps FC. NOTE: That match time has now been moved to 4 p.m. at Starfire.
Academy: Four Straight Wins for U16s; U18s Split at Home
Getting five goals from five different players, the Sounders FC Academy U16s have now won a season-best four consecutive matches following their home sweep over the weekend. Seattle (11-2-3) is unbeaten in nine games (9-0-2) after beating Arsenal, 3-1, and Real Salt Lake, 2-1. Meanwhile, the U18s split their pair, edging Arsenal, 2-1, and losing for the first time at home, 1-0, to RSL.
The Academy teams are off this weekend and then return to action February 19 and 20, visiting the Irvine Strikers and Pateadores in Orange County, Calif.
The U16s were off and running when Miles Rodriguez-Nilsen scored in the second minute against Arsenal. Michael Steele struck on the half-hour and Austin Sweeney's fifth of the year made it 3-nil early in the second half. Against Real Salt Lake, Jordan Thompson got the late winner on a through ball from Jesse Klug after Jordan Schweitzer had opened the scoring in the 55th minute. Shortly after RSL tied it, Keen Townsend came up with a key save.
Second-half goals by Drew White and Darwin Jones sent the U18s (11-3-4) past Arsenal. It was the fourth goal in three games for Jones, who now has nine altogether. Unbeaten (9-0-3) SoCal Division leader Real Salt Lake scored on the stroke of halftime and silenced Sounders FC for the first time in seven matches. Seattle slammed one shot off the crossbar and got a strong performance from Ryan Herman in goal.
Jamael Cox was named the U.S. Soccer Development Academy U17/18 performer of Week 8 after setting-up two goals as Seattle split a pair of matches on the road on January 29 and 30.
Ten Academy Players Make College Commitments
Ten members of the Sounders FC Academy Under-18 team have committed their futures to collegiate soccer programs. Along with developing talent for the senior team, the Sounders FC Academy also strives to develop young men to maximize their educational options.
The National Letter of Intent signing period began on February 2.
Among those that have signed an NLI, Nick Palodichuk of Battleground, Wash., has already enrolled at Duke University. Palodichuk was the 2010 Gatorade Washington State Player of the Year and Sean Okoli of Federal Way, Wash., represented the U.S. U-18 National Team in Israel for a four-nation tournament in December.
Nathaniel Boatright (Defender, Olympia, Wash./Capital HS): Concordia University
Rodney Greiling (Goalkeeper, Kent, Wash./Kentwood): Florida International University
Ryan Herman (Goalkeeper, Fall City, Wash./Mount Si HS): Santa Clara University
Sean Okoli (Forward, Federal Way, Wash./Todd Beamer HS): Wake Forest University
Glenn Paden (Forward, Lake Forest Park, Wash./Shorecrest HS): Oregon State University
Nick Palodichuk (Defender, Battleground, Wash./Camas HS): Duke University
Troy Peterson (Midfielder, Federal Way, Wash./Todd Beamer HS): College of Charleston
Evan Robicheau (Defender, Puyallup, Wash./Puyallup HS): Seattle Pacific University
Drew White (Defender, Camas, Wash./Camas HS): University of Washington
DeAndre Yedlin (Midfielder, Lake Forest Park, Wash./O'Dea HS): Akron University
Academy Open House Set for February 16
The Sounders FC Academy will host an Open House on Wednesday night, February 16, from 7:30 to 9:00 p.m. at the Foster High School Performing Arts Center in Tukwila, Wash. It provides an opportunity to learn more about the Sounders FC Academy U15/16 and U17/18 teams as well as other programs offered to enhance the 2011-2012 Youth System for Sounders FC.
Upcoming Key Dates (times are Pacific & subject to change)
Tuesday, February 8, 11 a.m. - Sounders FC vs. Real Salt Lake, Casa Grande, Arizona
Thursday, February 10, 10 a.m. - Sounders FC at Columbus Crew, Phoenix, Arizona
Saturday, February 12, 9:30 a.m. - Sounders FC vs. Chivas USA, Casa Grande, Arizona
Tuesday, February 15 - Thursday, February 17 - Preseason Training, Starfire Sports Complex, Tukwila, Wash.
Saturday, February 19-Saturday, February 26 - Preseason Training, IMG Soccer Academy, Bradenton, Florida
Tuesday, March 15, 6:30 p.m. - MLS First Kick 2011, Sounders FC vs. L.A. Galaxy, Xbox Pitch at Qwest Field
Saturday, March 19, 4:30 p.m. - Sounders FC at New York Red Bulls, Red Bull Arena, Harrison, NJ
Throw-ins
Fredy Montero scored the intrasquad goal of the week last Thursday, a bicycle kick from Kasey Keller's outlet in a 9v9 game...Supplemental draft choice Corey Attaway and invitee Kerry Baptiste are no longer training with the club...Major League Soccer announced last week that Red Bull Arena, home of the New York Red Bulls, will host the 2011 AT&T MLS All-Star Game on July 27 at 8:30 pm ET. The MLS All-Stars will face a high-profile international club to be announced at a later date...Sounders FC midfielder Steve Zakuani turns 23 on Wednesday, February 9 and newcomer Erik Friberg turns 25 on Thursday, February 10.
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