The Seattle Times: Sounders FC Blog

Obafemi Martins: 'For me, I'm going to say the MLS league now is one of the best.'

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 14:17:54 PDT

Sounders FC's Obafemi Martins returned to practice Tuesday after an extended break the past couple weeks. The forward got some extra time away to serve as a summer vacation since he has been playing since September (previously with Spain's Levante UD).

Martins, who went to Milan to visit his fiancé, said the time away "was very important for me -- for my body, as well. ... I think it's good to have a break and I'm so excited I'm back. I'm ready to go."

Now that Martins has been with the Sounders for about three months, I wanted to ask the veteran of world soccer how MLS compares to some of the leagues he has played in. The Nigerian's résumé includes storied clubs like Newcastle (England), Inter Milan (Italy), Wolfsburg (Germany), Rubin Kazan (Russia) and Levante.

"I'm going to say a lot of people don't really know about what is going on here in America and the league," Martins said. "When I talk to my friends back home about that, they don't really understand what is going on here. They're looking at the Spanish league, Italy and England, but they have to come and check it out here because the league is growing very, very fast. And they're excited. They want to come. I told them there's a lot going on here and we're enjoying the league. The league is difficult, as well, so they have to come and try. For me, I'm going to say the MLS league now is one of the best. The players who are not here have to come and try it and see how the fans are and how everything is going here."

And what has he thought about Seattle? Well, consider him yet another impressed by the local soccer support.

"I was very, very surprised when I came to Seattle," Martins said, "because I remember when I first came and played like 20 minutes and seeing all the fans cheering. I was so shocked, because I played in Russia, and they don't have enough fans that come and watch the game. But in Seattle, it's totally different. It's just like the same in the Spanish league and England. The important thing is seeing the fans coming to watch a game, and it's the same here. I was very surprised."

U.S. coach calls DeAndre Yedlin "a vital part" of team going into FIFA U-20 World Cup

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 13:51:34 PDT

U.S. U-20 coach Tab Ramos held a conference call with reporters Tuesday afternoon ahead of the FIFA U-20 World Cup, which starts this week in Turkey. The U.S. kicks off group play Friday against Spain, the tournament favorite.

One of the players who came up a few times on the call was Sounders FC defender DeAndre Yedlin, who was brought in for the World Cup after being left out during qualifying in the CONCACAF U-20 championships.

The 19-year-old Seattle native was actually the first player Ramos brought up when asked how the defense has improved. And later the coach expanded on what Yedlin offers.

"I think there are a number of things that he brings to the table," Ramos said. "The number one thing is obviously his experience at this point, having played a bunch of professional games over the past few months and having been able to train in a professional environment, where he has to earn his position every day. It's certainly a great help for us.

"Obviously in terms of what he brings specifically on the field, his speed, his ability to go forward, which is what we like. He has a good ability to get back on defense quickly and play the game with urgency, which is the way we like to play. I think he was one of those pieces that we really have to speak to too much in terms of trying to fit him into our roster."

Ramos brought Yedlin up again when detailing how the team is different now than before. The coach noted how the Sounder was called into an earlier camp, didn't do too well, wasn't a part of the national team for a while, signed a professional contract, got some experience and has now become "a vital part" of the U-20s.

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How interested are you in this tournament, especially with a local connection?

Counting down to USA-Honduras qualifier (Tuesday links)

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 11:16:04 PDT

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=urhdWJj1BbI&feature=player_embedded

Big game tonight. The U.S. men's national team hosts Honduras in a World Cup qualifier at Rio Tinto Stadium in Sandy, Utah, at 6 p.m.

The federation has a preview video above, and here is other preview coverage from ESPN.com, SI.com, ProSoccerTalk, MLSsoccer.com and FOXSoccer.com. Here is another look at the standings in the final round of CONCACAF qualifying, and posted below is the U.S. schedule/results:

Feb. 6 -- Honduras 2-1 USA

March 22 -- USA 1-0 Costa Rico

March 26 -- Mexico 0-0 USA

June 7 -- Jamaica 1-2 USA

June 11 -- USA 2-0 Panama

Tuesday -- USA vs. Honduras (Rio Tinto Stadium; Sandy, Utah)

Sept. 6 -- Costa Rica vs. USA (Saprissa Stadium; San Jose, Costa Rica)

Sept. 10 -- USA vs. Mexico (Crew Stadium; Columbus, Ohio)

Oct. 11 -- USA vs. Jamaica (Sporting Park; Kansas City, Kansas)

Oct. 15 -- Panama vs. USA (Rommel Fernandez Stadium; Panama City, Panama)

Now let's get to some links:

* * *

--- First off, don't miss this extremely fun read on an intern we have visiting from New Zealand who was trying to attend a Mariners game last week but accidentally ended up at the USA-Panama qualifier.

--- Yanks Abroad caught up with Sounders FC's DeAndre Yedlin as the Seattle native gets ready for the start of the FIFA U-20 World Cup this week. The U.S. starts group play against Spain on Friday.

--- The league is pretty excited about a new weekly television show called "MLS Insider" that will debut on the NBC Sport Network on Friday. The show is headed by Emmy Award-winning filmmaker Jonathan Hock, who made three documentaries in ESPN's 30-for-30 series. More info here and here.

--- There has been an arrest made in the death of a Seattle man trying to dribble a ball to Brazil before the 2014 FIFA World Cup.

--- Around the league, here is the latest episode of Instant Replay, Vancouver's Kenny Miller won MLS Player of the Week, and here are the referee assignments for the weekend (where there was some confusion as to whether Ricardo Salazar would be working the Sounders-Real Salt Lake game as a fourth official).

--- How would things like if shots that hit the crossbar/post counted as a goal? The concept might have some flaws, but here is a look.

--- And in some final USMNT links, here is a feature on goalkeeper Tim Howard, here is a Q&A with captain Clint Dempsey, and here is one last look at USA-Panama.

Sigi Schmid said USA-Panama crowd reinforced belief he has the best job in MLS

Mon, 17 Jun 2013 18:46:05 PDT

The Sounders didn't practice for a while after the USA-Panama World Cup qualifier here last week, so coach Sigi Schmid fielded some belated questions about the game following Monday's practice. Here is a quick transcript:

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(Have you talked to USMNT coach Jurgen Klinsmann since the game?) "Yeah, we talked. We met at the hotel a little bit and actually we talked yesterday, as well. He thought it was great. He thought the crowd was super. And you heard the comments from some of the players -- they thought it was the best atmosphere they've played in (front of) in the States. I know Andy Hertzog, the assistant coach, felt the same when I met with him, so I think it was a success. ... The experience, I think, was positive. The field, I thought, played well. And hopefully it will lead to more World Cup qualifiers coming here as we move in the future."

(How satisfying for you was it to see Seattle and the fans shown in that light?) "I think it's tremendous. It just made me appreciate even more and fully understand that, as far as I'm concerned, I have the best job in America in the league, in terms of coaching here, because our fans and their support and how they supported the U.S. that night. And just to be able to sit back and see it, and not be on the field, because on the field you're sort of distracted sometimes -- you're focusing on what's going on in the game and you're not focusing as much on the fans. But just sitting up top and watching the game and seeing everybody standing down below and seeing them into it and seeing the tifo before the game and just seeing their attentiveness to the game, I can say they're a knowledgeable crowd that's cheering at the right times, that's oooing and ahhing at the right times. That's something that doesn't always happen. What were there: 100 Panamanians and 39,000-40,000 American fans there? Whereas when you look at some of the other past big crowds, it was 20,000 Hondurans and 25,000 Americans maybe. So having such a pro-U.S. crowd, I think, was fantastic."

(What was the sense of pride in having two Sounders actually start the game?) "We're happy about that, because part of our thing is about developing players. Obviously Brad came to us and it wasn't like he was a super-young player, but he's continued to grow and improve and put himself into the frame with the national team. Eddie Johnson's national team career was on hiatus when he came here, and we were able to get him back in the national team pool and he's had success. He's scored important goals for them, as well -- as has Brad at this stage -- so it's very satisfying I think for the club to realize that we're not only doing well in the league in terms of our results and what we're offering our fans, but that we're also helping to continue to grow soccer in the States by helping the national team."

(Eddie Johnson has 11 goals in qualifying. Does he get his deserved due on the international level?) "I think it's one of those things because he started off on fire. A lot of those goals came when he was very young, so he started off on fire, then he went through a little bit of that hiatus period where he disappeared from the team, but now he's back in. And I think the guys who carry a little more notoriety are the guys who have been there consistently year in and year out. But I think Eddie is certainly drawing attention to himself again. I think (11 goals in qualifying) is a tremendous stat. It's something when you retire you're going to be very, very proud of. Hopefully there are a few more goals in him in the rest of this qualifying campaign -- there are five more games there -- and hopefully there are some World Cup goals in there."

(Johnson mentioned last week's qualifier as getting some USMNT players to want to play in Seattle. Was the game useful in a recruiting sense, as well?) "Yeah, I think it was good. It's always a good word-of-mouth experience. I think the national team players who have been playing overseas, who haven't had the chance to play in Seattle, like a Clint Dempsey or a Michael Bradley, those guys were saying, 'Hey, that's a pretty awesome sight.' And even some of the foreign players like a Fabian Johnson and Jermaine Jones being able to see that kind of atmosphere when they're talking to people or we're talking to people in their countries, they're like saying, 'Hey, that's a pretty awesome place to play.' ... Everybody what L.A. is and New York and the glamour that are associated with those particular cities, but from a soccer side, those guys are saying, 'Hey, this is a pretty good place to play. The crowd is great. The field is good. The atmosphere is fantastic. The support is super.' I think that certainly doesn't hurt us."

Sounders return to the practice field, though not all of them (Monday notes)

Mon, 17 Jun 2013 18:16:03 PDT

The Sounders returned to practice Monday after a four-day break and a bye weekend, though not everyone was back. Here is a quick rundown and some notes...

* * *

--- U.S. internationals Eddie Johnson and Brad Evans are still away for Tuesday's World Cup qualifier against Honduras, which features another Sounder in Mario Martinez. The trio is expected to return to Seattle on Wednesday instead of staying in Salt Lake City for Saturday's MLS road game against Real Salt Lake. Coach Sigi Schmid explained: "Otherwise they're in Salt Lake all day Wednesday, Thursday, Friday until we get there, and they wouldn't be able to train." The players' minutes played Tuesday could affect their roles Saturday.

--- Obafemi Martins was set to return from his break later in the day Monday. It was an excused absence as Schmid gave him extra time off for what was essentially Martins' summer vacation. You might remember the DP forward had started his season in September with Levante UD of Spain. "This was his offseason break -- right here -- then he's on the schedule that we're on from here on out," the coach said. "I think his last two weeks here, he trained really, really hard. You guys were out at training, he really put in a great effort. Obviously in our last two games, he scored the game winner in Chivas and he set up the game winner against Vancouver. That's what you want from a player of his caliber. I'm confident his head is in it. He's ready. Physically, he'll be ready. The knee hasn't been a bother since we had that work done, so all of those things are good."

--- As a reminder, DeAndre Yedlin is with the U.S. U-20 team for the FIFA U-20 World Cup in Turkey. Their first group game is Friday against Spain.

--- Also, Eriq Zavaleta is still on loan with the San Antonio Scorpions of the NASL. The rookie started in Saturday's 2-1 road win against the Tampa Bay Rowdies -- some measure of Open Cup revenge for Zavaleta perhaps -- and looked to be pretty active according to San Antonio's Twitter account.

--- Steve Zakuani is away after Tuesday's surgery to repair a sports hernia. Schmid said the surgery and recovery having been going as expected. Josh Ford is continuing to recover from knee surgery, as well.

--- There was no clarity available on Osvaldo Alonso's status for Saturday as he recovers from a thigh strain. Schmid said the midfielder is doing better, ramping up his fitness work and currently in a day-by-day situation. Alonso still hasn't returned to full training.

--- Here is Schmid on Alonso: "We know we've got this game here against Salt Lake and then you have another window, a period of time, so we're trying to make sure we make the right decision going into this game -- that we don't try and push him in the Salt Lake game and then lose him again -- and try to take full advantage. ... If he's ready to play, we'll play him, because he's an important member of our team. But right now, certainly what it does is if he's not ready, it definitely in our minds says, 'Let's not push it. Let's not be silly.'"

--- And here was Schmid on the break: "It's good for them to get a break just to get away, spend some time with their family or do whatever they want to do. Maybe they've got some 'honey-do' list to take care of at home with their wives or whatever the case may be. But it was good for them to get away physically and mentally. Then it was good today just to have a training session where we just kept it big -- not a lot of explosive stuff, kept the numbers really big. It was good for them to sweat. You need that first day of sweating in and they'll all feel a lot better tomorrow."

--- The unmistakeable sounds of the beep test, a grueling endurance test, were audible early on. "We had told them be prepared for that," Schmid said when asked if it was a surprise to the players. "It wasn't the full beep test. It was sort of a mini beep test that gives us a chance to look at heart rate and see where they all are and see where they're back at, especially for some of the guys we asked to work a little bit harder."

--- Asked if Martins is adjusting to all the plane travel that sometimes takes a toll on international signings, Schmid said Martins is well-suited for it: "I think a player like himself, an African player who's played in World Cup qualifiers in Africa while he's playing in Europe, he's had to go through some extensive travel. Even from Europe, people think Europe to Africa is not a problem. Well, the flight from Amsterdam to Lagos is eight hours. So it's travel. Having to have played for Nigeria while he was playing at Inter, while he was playing at Newcastle, still involved some travel, so I think he's maybe a little more accustomed to it than a guy who's played in Spain all his life and then for the Spanish national team."

--- The Sounders lineup might be in line for some change once everyone gets back. Schmid brought up a couple notable issues: "Obviously Yedlin is going to be missing, so we have an opening at right back. Do we do that with Brad? Do we do that with Zach Scott? It all depends. Obviously Lamar (Neagle) has been playing well. Oba's been playing well. So those two and Eddie probably all deserve to be on the field. So how does that change things? Who slides out to the flank? All that we'll decide."

Sounders not the most popular so far in MLS All-Star Game fan voting

Mon, 17 Jun 2013 17:31:06 PDT

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Fan voting for the 2013 MLS All-Star Game was been open for a week (online here or by texting 22442), and the league released some of the leaders Monday as seen above.

Sounders FC's DeAndre Yedlin is sixth among defenders and forward Eddie Johnson is seventh among forwards. No other Seattle players were listed with the leaders.

The online and text message voting are open until July 2 and Twitter voting is open Thursday and Friday. The 10 players with the highest combined votes will make of most of the All-Star Fan XI, as Sporting Kansas City coach Peter Vermes will ultimately select a starting lineup for the July 31 exhibition against Italy's AS Roma.

Back in action (Monday links)

Mon, 17 Jun 2013 11:31:05 PDT

The Sounders and I return to action this morning after a few days off for the bye week. Seattle begins preparations for Saturday's road at Real Salt Lake still with a trio away for national team duty -- Eddie Johnson, Brad Evans and Mario Martinez.

All three, in fact, will feature in Tuesday's World Cup qualifier between the U.S. and Honduras at Rio Tinto Stadium in Sandy, Utah.

I'll be back with some news and notes from Monday's practice. Until then, some links:

* * * *

--- First off, here are some highlights from the USA-Panama game from LEVYFilms.

--- Here were all the goals from the last weekend in MLS.

--- Around the league, Colorado has traded Pablo Mastroeni to the Los Angeles Galaxy, Columbus has lost defender Glauber for the year with an ACL injury, and D.C. United has parted ways with Rafael (forcing The Washington Post to look closer at the team's international signings).

--- Also, Chivas USA could be exploring downtown stadium options in L.A. and sending players to Chivas Guadalajara, Vancouver has been linked to a Danish goalkeeper, and did you see these new Galaxy uniforms?

--- Soccer America looks at possible changes to the USMNT's starting lineup (EJ's place could be in limbo). The New York Times looks at the federation being without a national stadium. Also, it appears Jurgen Klinsmann has commissioned an ESPN.com reporter as a spy.

--- In some USMNT player news, local guy Kyle Beckerman was added to camp in Salt Lake City, and it appears DaMarcus Beasley will be staying with his club team in Mexico, Puebla.

--- Goalkeeper Hope Solo returned to action for the USWNT in a friendly against South Korea. The Reign lost once again over the weekend in Portland.

--- The Sounders Women are still undefeated and in first place in the Western Conference with a 3-2 win over the Colorado Rapids Women.

--- In some miscellaneous links, Kaka took in a training session with Orlando City, here is a look at ESPN's coverage plans for the World Cup, and TopDrawerSoccer looks at homegrown prospects leaguewide.

--- Lastly, here's a look into the tifo making in last week's qualifier...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=tXinqO-F77w

Bye week programming note

Fri, 14 Jun 2013 11:31:05 PDT

I just wanted to give a heads-up that print and blog coverage the next few days will be very light. I'm actually headed out of town for a friend's wedding, and the Sounders FC bye week means there won't be much to cover anyway.

Here are a few links in the meantime:

* * *

--- In case you missed it, national media had some nice things to say about Seattle following Tuesday's USA-Panama World Cup qualifier at CenturyLink Field. Here are reports from FOXSoccer.com, ProSoccerTalk and Soccer by Ives.

--- The USA-Panama game had 1.436 million viewers on ESPN, making it the second-most watched qualifier in the network's history. The Seattle-Tacoma market had a 2.5 rating, second best in the country. Another 1.2 million reportedly watched on UniMas.

--- Kasey Keller will be a part of ESPN's Confederations Cup coverage, a tournament Nigeria players haven't reported to yet.

--- MLSsoccer.com folk think some Sounders should be in the starting lineup for the MLS All-Stars. Around the league, Alain Rochat isn't happy about being traded to D.C. United, here is a chart with all the salary information for teams in the league (and around the world), and here was the latest Instant Replay (which included some thoughts on the Seattle-Vancouver game).

--- Here is an in-depth story on the Seattle man killed trying to dribble a soccer ball to Brazil.

--- On the women's scene, here is an interview with Reign FC's Jess Fishlock and also some NWSL power rankings. Sounders Women goalkeeper Erin McNulty won W-League Player of the Week recently.

--- In some miscellaneous links, there was a controversy up in Canada over players wearing turbans, Jimmy Conrad posted a captivating video of his life and career, another report says repetitive heading isn't good for you, and Spanish veteran Marcos Senna has signed with the Cosmos.

--- Who is dumber: The guy who tries to throw a dog off the field or the player who kicks a guy carrying him off the field in a stretcher?

--- Lastly, a great goal from Dutch star Wesley Sneijder...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=qv-L5O7O_ts

Sounders just spectators this weekend

Thu, 13 Jun 2013 17:46:05 PDT

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Sounders FC jumped up to fourth in the Western Conference last weekend with a home win over Vancouver (standings above).

Seattle is also assured of staying in a playoff position at the start of next week, too -- despite a bye -- as Colorado is the only team in action over the weekend that can leapfrog the Sounders in the West.

Here is the schedule for Saturday:

Portland Timbers vs. FC Dallas, 5 p.m. (ESPN)

D.C. United vs. Toronto FC, 7 p.m.

Columbus Crew vs. Montreal Impact, 7:30 p.m.

Colorado Rapids vs. San Jose Earthquakes, 9 p.m.

Vancouver Whitecaps FC vs. New England Revolution, 10 p.m.

Believe it or not, Seattle can match a franchise-best record through 14 games with a win in its next game, on the road at Real Salt Lake on June 22.

What do you make of the Sounders position as we turn out focus back to MLS?

Reign FC will be without four in Portland, learns national TV games

Fri, 14 Jun 2013 17:01:04 PDT

Reign FC, in pursuit of its first NWSL win this season, heads to Portland on Sunday, but Seattle will be without four key players due to national team duty.

Those unavailable are goalkeeper Hope Solo, defender Emily Zurrer, and midfielders Jess Fishlock and Kaylyn Kyle.

Solo will be with the U.S. national team for friendlies against South Korea on Saturday and June 20. Fishlock and Wales head to Slovakia on Monday. Zurrer and Kyle, Canadian internationals, face Germany on Wednesday.

All four are expected back for a June 23 road game against the Western New York Flash.

Also, the NWSL announced its national TV schedule with the FOX Sports Media Group on Thursday. Reign FC will host the first FOX Soccer broadcast, a July 14 home game against the Washington Spirit at Starfire Stadium. Seattle will also be on FSC for an Aug. 10 road game at Washington.

FOX Soccer will televise one game a week over the final six weeks of the season, and each of the league's eight teams will get at least appearance. The FOX Sports Media Group will then air all three playoff games, the two semifinals on Aug. 24 and the championship on Aug. 31 (channels TBD). See the schedule below:

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Date	Game	Time (PT)	TV
Sunday, July 14	Reign FC vs. Washington Spirit	5:30 p.m.	FOX Soccer
Sunday, July 21	Western New York Flash vs. Sky Blue FC	10:30 a.m.	FOX Soccer
Sunday, July 28	Portland Thorns FC vs. Chicago Red Stars	4 p.m.	FOX Soccer
Sunday, Aug. 4	Portland Thorns FC vs. FC Kansas City	5:30 p.m.	FOX Soccer
Saturday, Aug. 10	Washington Spirit vs. Reign FC	4 p.m.	FOX Soccer
Saturday, Aug. 17	Western New York Flash vs. Boston Breakers	5 p.m.	FOX Soccer
Saturday, Aug. 24	NWSL semifinal	11 a.m.	TBD
Saturday, Aug. 24	NWSL semifinal	5 p.m.	TBD
Saturday, Aug. 31	NWSL championship	5 p.m.	TBD

Two MLS teams upset in Open Cup Round of 16

Thu, 13 Jun 2013 14:16:05 PDT

Two more MLS teams dropped out of the U.S. Open Cup against lower-league competition in Round of 16 action Wednesday.

Defending champion Sporting Kansas City lost at home, 1-0, to USL PRO affiliate Orlando City, which wasn't even playing its on-loan MLS players. Chivas USA lost in overtime, 3-1, to the NASL's Carolina RailHawks on the road.

From a U.S. Soccer news release: "As the only Division II and III sides to reach the quarterfinal round, the RailHawks and Orlando City have each earned the $15,000 prize money as the teams advancing the furthest in the competition from their respective divisions."

The Des Moines Menace (PDL) also won a $15,000 bonus awarded to an amateur team that advances furthest, but that came by way of a tiebreaker over FC Tucson, Ocean City Nor'easters and Reading United AC for beating an opponent in a higher league.

One game was postponed to Thursday afternoon, Chicago vs. Columbus, due to inclement weather (this post will be updated upon completion of that game).

* * *

WEDNESDAY'S RESULTS (Round of 16, home team listed first)

D.C. United (MLS) 3-1 Philadelphia Union (MLS)

New England Revolution (MLS) 4-2 New York Red Bulls (MLS)

Carolina RailHawks (NASL) 3-1, (OT) Chivas USA (MLS)

Sporting Kansas City (MLS) 0-1 Orlando City SC (USL PRO)

FC Dallas (MLS) 3-0 Houston Dynamo (MLS)

Real Salt Lake (MLS) 5-2 (OT) Charleston Battery (USL PRO)

Portland Timbers (MLS) 2-0 Tampa Bay Rowdies (NASL)

Chicago Fire (MLS) 2-1 Columbus Crew (MLS), played Thursday after weather postponement

QUARTERFINAL SCHEDULE

New England Revolution (MLS) at D.C. United (MLS)

Maryland SoccerPlex; Boyds, Md., June 26, 4 p.m. PT

Carolina RailHawks (NASL) at Real Salt Lake (MLS)

Rio Tinto Stadium; Sandy, Utah, June 26, 6:30 p.m. PT

Portland Timbers (MLS) at FC Dallas (MLS)

FC Dallas Stadium; Frisco, Texas, June 26, at 6 p.m.

Orlando City SC (USL PRO) at Chicago Fire (MLS)

Toyota Park; Bridgeview, Ill., June 26, 5:30 p.m. PT

My MLS power rankings — Week 15

Wed, 12 Jun 2013 23:16:08 PDT

Other MLS power rankings from ESPN.com, SI.com, MLSsoccer.com and ProSoccerTalk.

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Team (prev. rank)	Comment
1. Montreal (1)	Marco Di Vaio is Dr. Jekyll at home (eight goals) but Mr. Hyde on the road (one goal)
2. Portland (2)	An impressive unbeaten streak has reached 12 games, but most of those have been ties
3. FC Dallas (3)	Heads to Jeld-Wen for a Best in the West clash few might’ve predicted to start the year
4. Real Salt Lake (5)	MLS Player of the Week Olmes Garcia has four goals this season in just 401 minutes
5. N.Y. Red Bulls (4)	One-point deficit to first-place Impact is a lot bigger considering four more games played
6. Sporting K.C. (6)	Things got awkward leading into an Open Cup game (a loss) vs. affiliate Orlando City
7. Colorado (7)	Journeyman Atiba Harris has already matched a personal best for a season with four goals
8. Sounders FC (10)	No team in the league has been better over its past eight games than Seattle’s 6-1-1
9. New England (8)	Unbeaten in five and shutout streak has reached 395 minutes, the longest in club history
10. L.A. Galaxy (9)	Keane and Gonzalez can’t return soon enough after back-to-back losses by a combined 8-1
11. Houston (11)	Winless in four, but could get a boost this week in the return of forward Omar Cummings
12. Philadelphia (14)	Will forward Jack McInerney (10) still have more goals than D.C. (six) at month's end?
13. Columbus (12)	Talk about balance: Have scored/allowed six goals at home, scored/allowed 10 on road
14. Vancouver (13)	Lost a three-game unbeaten streak and defender Andy O’Brien (hamstring) last week
15. Chicago (15)	Came back from a two-goal deficit to the Timbers to salvage a 2-2 tie at home
16. San Jose (16)	The shocking departure of coach Frank Yallop might’ve been the surprise of the year
17. Toronto FC (17)	Hasn’t beaten D.C. since Oct. 23, 2010, and there might not be a better time than Saturday
18. Chivas USA (18)	Might have invested more in the Open Cup due to league struggles, but lost there, too
19. D.C. United (19)	Shut out for the third straight game, ninth time all season, and hasn’t won since March 9

Sounders FC's Steve Zakuani undergoes sports hernia surgery

Thu, 13 Jun 2013 23:09:52 PDT

Sounders FC's Steve Zakuani, as expected, underwent surgery for a sports hernia Tuesday. The team confirmed Wednesday that the procedure, performed by Dr. William Meyers in Philadelphia, was "successful" and went as scheduled.

Coach Sigi Schmid had told us a while back that expected rehabilitation time is six to eight weeks before the midfielder can get back on the field.

Zakuani came into the 2013 season not long after a 15-month recovery from a broken leg and related complications.

Here is some more information from the team:

Zakuani, 25, has started six games in league play this season, recording one assist. His last appearance was on April 20 at Colorado. Zakuani has nine appearances across all competitions in 2013, and assisted on the deciding goal in the CONCACAF Champions League quarterfinals. Overall, he has started 67 of 78 appearances in his five-year MLS career and is the club's third-leading scorer with 17 goals.

The Sounders have a bye this weekend and return to action with a June 22 road game at Real Salt Lake.

USMNT: 'The best crowd I've played in front of in the United States without a doubt.'

Wed, 12 Jun 2013 14:46:04 PDT

Here are some federation-provided quotes and stats from the USMNT's 2-0 home win over Panama in World Cup qualifying. You'll read lots of praise from players and coaches for a Seattle crowd of 40,847 at CenturyLink Field.

* * *

U.S. Men's National Team Head Coach JURGEN KLINSMANN

On the team's performance:

“We were very pleased with our performance. I think throughout the entire game we were in control of it. Every area on the field the guys did their job. We prepared them for doing certain things and they executed it 100 percent. Amazing crowd. It was just, I think, a wonderful atmosphere that the players enjoyed tremendously – we all did. We pushed for a second goal, that’s what we said at halftime. We wanted to add another one to just sort of finish things off and that second goal came, funny enough to Eddie Johnson who plays here, and we are very pleased. But we still have another one to go so we want to get those three points as well against a very strong Honduras side later this week in Salt Lake City."

On if he is seeing what he wants from the team:

“As coaches, we always want to improve things. No matter what stage you take over a team you just want to help the team to get better and you want to give them as much knowledge as possible and as much guidance as possible in order for them to improve, to grow, and to start fine-tuning things and that’s what we said over the last couple of days. We want to fine-tune things. We want to improve the understanding on the field. We want to build partnerships. If it’s on the flanks, if it’s the two centerbacks, if it’s Jozy [Altidore] and Clint [Dempsey] up front, if it’s Michael [Bradley] and usually Jermaine Jones – today it was, in a very, very strong way, Geoff Cameron, we want to just improve that one game at a time. I think that they are growing in that process. When you bring young players along you want to give them that opportunity, too. I think the players, no matter if it’s a more experienced one that comes in like Brad Davis or it’s a young player like a Joe Corona, they understand their roles. They know now that’s what we demand from them. Obviously overall as a team we want to just get better and improve and be able then to compete one day with the best out there.”

On Jozy Altidore:

“He knows he has our full support in his development. Again, we have talked often about Jozy and often we forget how young he still is. You got to give him a bad game or a bad performance as well. But you also got to kick him in his backside when you think he needs it. It’s just normal. He’s playing a position I played my whole career for 18 years for big clubs so I know what’s going through his mind, I know when he struggles and what we demand from him is when you struggle just fight for your way back into the game and do your job for the team. How he is doing that in the last couple of games is absolutely outstanding. Already against Costa Rica, in Mexico, and he continues now to do that. It helped him obviously scoring against Germany because that’s what you need. A striker needs goals for his confidence. I think he is also learning. I had a long chat with Ernie Stewart out there in Washington, his technical director at Alkmaar. He learns to use his body as well. He is such a physical presence and sometimes he doesn’t use it. I think he is just now starting to use it, to shield the ball and to do a lot of work for us. It’s really nice to see that coming along.”

On Geoff Cameron:

“We asked him to win a lot of balls back, cover the two centerbacks and have a strong, strong presence in there. I don’t know how many balls he recovered; he was constantly there. And then we asked him to play it simple, and he did that. We said once you get that ball, then just keep it simple, find Michael Bradley, find Clint [Dempsey], find the players around him and cover our two centerbacks. It was a huge performance by Cameron for us. It’s really important to see that players step in if somebody is injured, if somebody is yellow carded like it happened now, and it gives us even more confidence to go into the next game knowing that whoever steps in now will get his job done.”

On moving forward in the Hexagonal Round:

“We just need to get points after points. Next week is huge. We want to finish these couple weeks now with another win. Again, I said it today and I will say it again before that game, it’s a must-win. You’re at home, you’ve got to win your home games, then it makes it a lot easier going where we need to go. It’s going to be our job next week. If that happens then that would be just a very good position to have going into the fall period with four more games to go. But I think the team realizes now that you have to give everything you have, and you have to also learn to manage a game when you’re a goal up and go for the second one, and not just thinking you’ve got to hold that result. I think that’s what they did today. They were really eager and hungry to add another goal. And we could have added another one or two, but we are fine with that. It’s important that they keep playing, their rhythm, their pace, with their confidence going forward constantly. That’s really what pleased us a lot today.”

On the playing surface:

“I think every time probably when a grass field is put on top of turf it causes a little bit of discussions. The field was totally fine. The players were fine with it. They did a tremendous job with the field. They accommodated every wish we had, water it here, water it there, rolled it again this morning. I can just give the biggest compliments to everyone here for the field.”

On Brad Evans:

“I think Brad Evans is growing into this role. He is making a very strong case for himself in our group to play that role and I think if you go through that entire team today it was really a complete performance from everyone involved.”

On the defense:

“I think they just grow into that role. They fine tune things. More playing time means better understanding has developed. But you don’t know what the next game will bring you. I think question marks will be always there. That’s just normal. What's Important is that on this road towards Brazil we get the job done and get the points and qualify and then we can start another period to plan. It is impressive to see how Omar [Gonzalez] and Matt [Besler] take their roles and how confident they are now and they don’t shy away from anything. Then we have guys in the back like Clarence [Goodson], he can play that play that blindly if there’s need to it. That’s what we want to build a bigger roster for everything.”

On playing against Panama:

“We saw the last couple of games from Panama and I think Julio Valdes is doing a fantastic job with the team. It’s a very strong team dynamic. They can pass through the middle and they can cause you problems at any time. And they caused us a couple of problems still. Even when they were down 2-nil they still pushed it. It was what we expected, but I think that today we were just kind of more dominant. I think we had that confidence to control the game, and they made it very, very difficult for a very good Panamanian side and therefore I think today we really deserved that.”

On Eddie Johnson:

“That’s very simple. Since we try to double our positions and we try to always have somebody behind that is almost as good as the starter. Eddie’s role was if something happens to Graham Zusi or even on the left wing, we can throw him in there even if something up top happens. He has done tremendously and he deserves a huge compliment. Talking about Brad [Evans] before and Eddie, I’m constantly talking to Sigi [Schmid] here about how they are doing and we kind of have a feeling that we can follow him and help him therefore we were very pleased to have him in such strong shape now.”

U.S. MNT Defender OMAR GONZALEZ

“I thought there was a lot of energy from all of us. We were getting around the ball, which was what we wanted to do. We kept them in front of us, and we knew that they had danger out wide and the possibility of getting behind us there, and I thought the whole team did a great job the whole night.”

On his performance:

“They were going after Brad [Evans] quite a bit and I just wanted to make sure he had enough cover there. There were a couple times when that guy got around Brad but I thought me and him both did well to get around the ball and make sure to make the play. Once that kind of slowed down a bit, I thought that we possessed the ball for quite a bit of the game. To get a 2-0 win against Panama who hasn’t lost yet this round is great for us.”

On the atmosphere in Seattle:

“I thought it was absolutely fantastic. The fans were amazing tonight and to hear how loud it got at some points in the game was just really incredible. I’m really happy that we did get to play here in Seattle. For once it’s nice for these fans to be cheering for me.”

U.S. MNT Goalkeeper TIM HOWARD On the backline:

"We were strong in the back, not giving up many chances at all. We kept a really good line, caught them offside a few times."

On the defense:

"We did well. That’s what it takes, kind of get thrown into the frying pan, take your lumps, and get better. If you play enough games and stink you’re off. They’ve done well. They’ve gelled; we’re young and learn together. We’re trying to slowly but surely, each game, be a little bit better. We’re trying our best, it’s not going to always be pretty but we’re striving for perfection.

On Geoff Cameron:

"Awesome performance. He was strong on the ball, he set up one of the goals, really, really, good. I thought he was dialed in there. It was great to see; he deserved it. He’s easy on the eye the way he moves. He has those long, loping strides and he’s very coordinated. He seems like he’s really calm in that position as well which is pretty awesome. His body language is very calm."

On things coming together:

"Two in a row, six points is coming together. It feels good. You talk about a nine point swing, and we’re on the verge of that. So if we can get three we can set us ourselves up for a great fall."

On the crowd:

"Fantastic. I think there was baseball game today, and if there wasn’t there would be even more. I thought it was amazing to have a football stadium, and have the bowl be almost filled. It was really, really cool. It was inspiring for us."

U.S. MNT midfielder MICHAEL BRADLEY

On the win:

“Yeah, big win for sure. Especially when you look around the group right now and the results, three points are big. Every guy who stepped onto the field tonight should be proud of what they did. We talked beforehand about coming out and setting the tone from the start with our reactions when the ball turns over. We wanted to go after them and be aggressive and put them in a game right away where they would be uncomfortable. I think as far as doing all those things it was really good.”

On the crowd:

“Obviously for me you can’t talk about the game without talking about the crowd—unbelievable. The best crowd I’ve played in front of in the United States without a doubt. From all the players, a big thank you to everyone who was here in the city who makes this a special night for us. People should know the difference it makes when you play in an atmosphere like this.”

On players stepping up:

“Geoff [Cameron] and Eddie [Johnson] both came in and had real good nights. We talked yesterday before training how one of the qualities of this team has always been that on big nights when certain guys aren’t there that guys are ready to step in and make sure the team doesn’t miss a beat. I think that’s the biggest compliment you can give those guys—they stepped in in a big situation and gave really big performances.”

On performance of young guys:

“It is important for these guys for who it is the first time through qualifying to understand what it’s all about, to understand what it’s like when you go play on the road and what those games are like, and it’s important for them to understand how quickly then you have to shift gears and know how to take advantage of playing at home.”

U.S. MNT Defender MATT BESLER

On the improved relationship of the defense:

“It’s something that takes time—building a back four, building a partnership between center backs and goalies. It’s something that you gain through experience. We are learning here as we go, but this is a huge stepping stone for us.”

On how the field played:

“The field was fine. Little bumps here and there, a couple times guys slipped, but it wasn’t an issue at all.”

On the atmosphere in the stadium :

“The atmosphere was amazing. It was one of the best atmospheres I’ve played in. It was such a pro-American crowd and they really got behind us. It would have been awesome to give them the third goal—the place would have gone crazy—but at the end of the day a 2-0 win is a great performance by us.”

On the team starting to click :

“The team is really coming together. This group of guys are all on the same page. We are starting to play together and I think that’s showing a lot on the field. Right now we are ready to go to Salt Lake and finish off the trip. We’ve already talked about on wanting to get nine points and that would put us in a very, very good position.”

U.S. MNT defender DaMARCUS BEASLEY

On the team’s performance :

“A more complete game by us. We controlled the game pretty much the whole game. You got to give Panama credit—they battled. They had a couple chances at the end of the game, but at the same time our performance today was pretty good, pretty solid.”

On the team finding its form:

“We are starting to have that confidence and guys are starting to play more together. This is the World Cup qualifier and the guys know that; this is not a friendly game, this is a game that matters. On nights like this you want to have a game like we did today, and I’m very proud to be a part of it.”

On the team’s momentum

“Once you have games like that it’s always fun to play. You can always have bad games, but when it does go right it feels good to get a win. We could have scored a couple more goals, no disrespect to Panama, but we had a good game tonight. We really wanted to win tonight, we needed to win tonight, and now we’re on six points and hoping to get another three-point victory.”

* * *

USA 2, PANAMA 0

Match: U.S. Men's National Team vs. Panama

Date: June 11, 2013

Competition: 2014 FIFA World Cup Qualifying; Final Round

Venue: Century Link Field; Seattle

Kickoff: 7:08 p.m. PT

Attendance: 40,847

Weather: 74 degrees, partly cloudy

Scoring Summary:

USA - Jozy Altidore (Fabian Johnson) 36th minute

USA - Eddie Johnson (Geoff Cameron) 53

Lineups:

USA: 1-Tim Howard; 6-Brad Evans, 3-Omar Gonzalez, 5-Matt Besler, 7-DaMarcus Beasley; 4-Michael Bradley, 20-Geoff Cameron; 18-Eddie Johnson (10-Joe Corona, 87), 8-Clint Dempsey (capt.), 23-Fabian Johnson (14-Brad Davis, 87); 17-Jozy Altidore (11-Stuart Holden, 90+1)

Substitutions Not Used: 12-Brad Guzan, 2-Edgar Castillo, 9-Terrence Boyd, 15-Michael Parkhurst , 16-Sacha Kljestan, 21-Clarence Goodson, 22-Nick Rimando

Head coach: Jurgen Klinsmann

PAN: 1-Jaime Penedo; 2-Leonel Parris, 5-Roman Torres, 23-Felipe Baloy (capt.), 4-Carlos Rodriguez; 8-Marcos Sanchez, 21-Amilcar Henriquez (9-Gabriel Torres, 78), 11-Armando Cooper (10-Nelson Barahona, 60), 19-Alberto Quintero; 20-Anibal Godoy (16-Rolando Blackburn, 59); 18-Luis Tejada

Substitutions Not Used: 12-Luis Mejia, 3-Roberto Chen, 6-Gabriel Gomez, 7-Edwin Aguilar, 13-Jean Carlo Cedeño, 14-Juan de Dios Perez, 15-Kevin Melgar, 17-Luis Henriquez, 22-Rolando Escobar

Head coach: Julio Dely Valdes

Stats Summary: USA / PAN

Shots: 12 / 8

Shots on Goal: 3 / 2

Saves: 2 / 1

Corner Kicks: 2 / 1

Fouls: 20 / 13

Offside: 1 / 2

Misconduct Summary:

USA - Jozy Altidore (caution) 56th minute

PAN - Marcos Sanchez (caution) 69

USA - Geoff Cameron (caution) 69

USA - DaMarcus Beasley (caution) 90+2

USA - Tim Howard (caution) 90+3

Officials:

Referee: Roberto Garcia (MEX)

Assistant Referee 1: Jose Luis Camargo (MEX)

Assistant Referee 2: Alberto Morin (MEX)

Fourth Official: Joseph Ramirez (CRC)

Budweiser Man of the Match: Jozy Altidore

U.S. Soccer president Sunil Gulati: 'Yeah, we would do that again.'

Wed, 12 Jun 2013 13:01:05 PDT

U.S. Soccer president Sunil Gulati was available after Tuesday's big win over Panama, and he spoke to reporters for his thoughts on the Seattle atmosphere and if the national team could be coming back for a important game.

Here is a transcript:

* * *

(On his overall impressions on the game...) "All positive. A couple of things that people were talking about before this game were field conditions and that we didn't have a sellout a month ago. That (the crowd) was 41,000 out of 42 that we made available, we had the most comprehensive win that we've had in qualifying in this Hex, so it's all very positive. The crowd was great, the field held up, and we knew, whenever you do with the field, laying it down on artificial turf, it's not going to play perfectly, like it's a natural grass surface. We knew that. The players knew that, we knew that, the coaches knew that. Knowing all of that, because we've played on it before, we made the decision to come. It held up well."

(On if it's foreseeable that they come to Seattle again for game of this magnitude...) "Well, not foreseeable for the next three or four years, because we don't have a game of this magnitude that that's not already set. But yeah, we would do that again, sure."

(On if there are any negatives at all to identify...) "Well when I went to (Occidental Avenue) before and I asked the crowd for their prediction, and they predicted three-nothing, so that didn't go as well as they or I had hoped. ... No, I mean, everything went well. It's by far the biggest crowd -- well, not by far -- it's the biggest crowd we'll have for qualifying because we generally play in smaller stadiums. The fact that it didn't sell out 20 minutes after... Seattle's a great market. It's a good thing that the Sounders get 35- or 40,000 people and you get 93,000 people over 48 hours come to watch games. That's a good thing. There's a reason that Spain doesn't play a lot of their games in Madrid and Barcelona, because they've got two phenomenal club teams people are so used to seeing. So that's part of what's going on here. It's a great soccer town and the whole experience was positive."

Update: Seattle crowd breaks into USMNT's top 10 for World Cup qualifier

Wed, 12 Jun 2013 12:46:04 PDT

Attendance	Opponent	Score	Stadium	City	Date
57,407	Mexico	T, 2-2	Foxborough Stadium	Foxborough, Mass.	4/20/1997
55,647	Honduras	W, 2-0	Soldier Field	Chicago, Ill.	6/6/2009
54,282	Honduras	L, 2-3	RFK Stadium	Washington, D.C.	9/1/2001
53,193	El Salvador	W, 4-2	Foxborough Stadium	Foxborough, Mass.	11/16/1997
51,996	Guatemala	W, 1-0	RFK Stadium	Washington, D.C.	9/3/2000
51,528	Jamaica	T, 1-1	RFK Stadium	Washington, D.C.	10/3/1997
40,847	Panama	W, 2-0	CenturyLink Field	Seattle, Wash.	6/11/2013
40,586	Costa Rica	W, 3-0	Rice-Eccles Stadium	Salt Lake City, Utah	6/4/2005
40,527	Costa Rica	W, 2-0	Stanford Stadium	Palo, Alto, Calif.	12/14/1996
40,483	Jamaica	W, 2-1	Foxborough Stadium	Foxborough, Mass.	10/7/2001
37,319	Costa Rica	W, 1-0	Arrowhead Stadium	Kansas City, Mo.	4/25/2001

UPDATE 9:31 a.m. -- The chart is now up to date with the 40,847 that attended Tuesday's game at CenturyLink Field, seventh largest for a home qualifier in U.S. Soccer history and second largest in the past three qualifying cycles.

* * *

There has been a lot of talk about ticket sales recently as the U.S. men's national team hosts Panama in a World Cup qualifier here Tuesday.

Last I've seen, sales were approaching 36,000 with a couple days to go. It's a figure that is always going to raise a few eyebrows as soccer-crazy Seattle hasn't hosted a qualifier since 1976 and just drew 53,000 for an MLS game over the weekend.

Even if perceived as lagging, the CenturyLink Field turnout could still break into the top 10 for the largest home crowds in U.S. qualifying history.

Video: USA-Panama takes over Seattle

Wed, 12 Jun 2013 11:31:05 PDT

* * *

Our Theo Lawson was at CenturyLink Field early Tuesday to catch up with fans before the big FIFA World Cup qualifier between the U.S. and Panama.

Watch some U.S. young fans correctly predict the score, Panama fans sing for the camera and much more soccer talk.

USA 2, Panama 0, video highlights plus a bunch of postgame notes

Wed, 12 Jun 2013 04:31:06 PDT

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DbusEx91mXk

* * *

I posted Eddie Johnson's goal earlier, but here are the full highlights from the U.S. national team's 2-0 home win against Panama in World Cup qualifying. And now for some postgame notes from Seattle's first qualifier since 1976...

--- The USMNT is on a 22-0-2 unbeaten run in home qualifiers dating to a 2001 loss.

--- The USMNT is 9-1-2 against Panama all-time (23-6 goal differential), 8-1-1 at home.

--- The USMNT improved to 3-1-1, good for sole possession of first place in the Hex.

--- The USMNT is 7-2-1 in Washington and has won six straight by a 18-1 goal differential.

--- Attendance of 40,847 was seventh largest in federation history for a home qualifier.

--- Attendance was second highest for a U.S. game in Seattle.

--- Sounders have accounted for four of the USMNT's last 11 goals in qualifying.

--- Jozy Altidore has goals in his last three international games and eight total in qualifying.

--- Eddie Johnson is up to 11 goals in qualifying, all alone in third place in federation history behind (Clint Dempsey and Landon Donovan at 12).

--- Eddie Johnson's 15 goals for the U.S. are tied for ninth with Cobi Jones.

--- DaMarcus Beasley will be suspended for next week's qualifier in Honduras due to yellow card accumulation.

--- Nine players will be suspended on their next yellow card: Jozy Altidore, Geoff Cameron, Tim Howard, Michael Bradley, Matt Besler, Brad Davis, Clint Dempsey, Brad Evans, Fabian Johnson.

--- Unavailable for the USMNT was Graham Zusi (suspended), Jermaine Jones (concussion), Herculez Gomez (knee), among others.

--- Panama suffered its first loss in the final round of CONCACAF qualifying.

USMNT in sole possession of first place in CONCACAF World Cup qualifying

Wed, 12 Jun 2013 04:01:05 PDT

Country	Games	W	L	D	GF	GA	GD	Points
USA	5	3	1	1	7	3	+4	10
Costa Rica	5	2	1	2	4	3	+1	8
Mexico	6	1	0	5	3	2	+1	8
Honduras	5	2	2	1	6	6	0	7
Panama	5	1	1	3	5	5	0	6
Jamaica	6	0	4	2	2	8	-6	2

* * *

The U.S. men's national team has hit the midway point in the final round of CONCACAF World Cup qualifying. And after Tuesday's 2-0 home win against Panama at CenturyLink Field, the American are in sole possession of first place.

Here is a look at Tuesday's scores from across the region (home teams listed first):

Mexico 0, Costa Rica 0

Honduras 2, Jamaica 0 (Mario Martinez started and played 74 minutes)

USA 2, Panama 0

And here is a look at the schedule for June 18:

USA vs. Honduras, 6 p.m. (Rio Tinto Stadium, Sandy, Utah)

Costa Rica vs. Panama, 7 p.m.

http://twitter.com/espn/status/344666512042369024

Brad Evans: 'Now that it's here, you better believe that it will be more to come.'

Wed, 12 Jun 2013 04:16:03 PDT

Sounders FC's Brad Evans started his third game in a row for the U.S. national team, and second-straight FIFA World Cup qualifier in Tuesday's 2-0 home against Panama at CenturyLink Field. Coach Jurgen Klinsmann said afterward that Evans is still growing into being a right back but that he's "making a very strong case for himself in our group to play that role."

Here is a transcript of a postgame chat with Seattle's other hometown hero from the night:

* * *

(On playing in that game...) "It was insane. From warm-ups to thanking the crowd after the game, it was absolutely nuts -- but to be expected. It's nothing new. Not surprising at all."

(On the defensive chemistry...) "I think the chemistry is going well. I think we’re playing well as a unit. Most important, we’ve got each other's backs and I think we respect each other enough to know that we’re going to make mistakes, and it’s up to each other to lift each other up and keep going when mistakes happen. I think that lies more in my case having not really played that position much, and that constant feed of information from the guys behind me, to the side, and even Eddie tonight giving me information. So I think it’s going well and I think it gives us confidence going forward that we can still be better."

(On Eddie Johnson's goal...) "Just so happy for him. He put in the work tonight, offensively and defensively. He helped me out so much. We tried to get on the same page before the game, and I think in the Germany game there were times where I should've stayed with my man, he should've stayed with his, so we really tried to concentrate on playing together and really try to lock the side down. They were still looking for the balls over top, and good teams and players are going to find a way someway to break you down. And they did a couple times tonight, but I thought Eddie and myself did well. For him to turn it on in the second half and still have that energy, that pace and that endurance to get in behind and score that goal was something special. To do it in front of your home crowd, he'll remember that one forever."

(On Jozy Altidore's run of form...) "I think any club team, national team, whatever it is, that's who you want scoring is your striker. You want him hot, and he's done extremely well from that Germany game on. He's been an absolute beast up front. For 90 minutes, putting in the work, it's really impressive to see. I'm happy for him. He's really showing his ability. He's still so young, but his talent is just endless. He's an extremely good player."

(On earning a clean sheet...) "Huge. I think everybody was extremely happy getting out of here with a zero in the back, so for us, like I said, it gives us confidence going forward, but we have another really tough test against Honduras."

(On the team's performance...) "I thought that we were extremely strong tonight. I thought on the break and on the counterattack, we were lightning fast in breaking out. And guys, the up-, back- and through passing was quality. Geoff and Michael winning those second balls really cleaned up and made things a lot easier for us on defense. Thinking back on my game, I know there's a couple missed passes, maybe being a little more patient on the ball, but that will come with time. I think the coaches told me, 'Don't over-think the position now. Just try to play your game and bring what you do in the midfield to the defense.' And hopefully I settle in a little bit more and get the ball rolling. But yeah, overall, very happy with the team performance."

(On the passing...) "I thought our passing was awesome tonight. We did a lot of passes in warmups the other day in training -- just to get used to the field. Tonight I thought was the passing was awesome. It was excellent. The most important thing was guys were moving off each other more than maybe we were in the previous games, and that makes things easier and opens things up faster."

(On if his teammates said anything about the atmosphere...) "All of them. Everybody is so impressed. It's really gratifying for them to be outspoken about it and say, 'You guys have something special here.' Why it took so long to get one here, it is what it is. But now that it's here, you better believe that it will be more to come in the future. Hopefully it becomes a venue like Columbus or things like that where it's every World Cup cycle you get a good game here, because the crowd was absolutely insane tonight. The guys had nothing but positive things to say tonight."

(On the field...) "The grass, I thought, was OK today. It was a little bit shorter than yesterday in training, so I think the ball played a little bit better. Yeah, there weren't many complaints about the grass at all. Nothing much about the grass."

Eddie Johnson scores for the U.S. in front of his home crowd: 'It's a dream come true.'

Wed, 12 Jun 2013 01:31:06 PDT

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZAlMmqKayag

Sounders FC's Eddie Johnson was a hometown hero for the U.S. national team Tuesday, as a scored an insurance to a 2-0 World Cup qualifying win against Panama at CenturyLink Field. Here is what Johnson had to say after the game:

* * *

(On scoring for the U.S. in front of his home crowd...) "It's a dream come true. To play in the U.S. jersey, first of all, is an honor, but to play in front of my fans that I play in front of week in and week out, I couldn't have asked for a better feeling after the goal tonight. And getting three points was most important."

(On the atmosphere...) "I've been telling the guys throughout the week, 'Wait until gameday. Watch and see what the fans are like.' They got a taste of it in the Vancouver game. But that's all the boys have been talking about after the game in the dressing room -- the crowd, and I'm not saying any names, but how they'd love to play in Seattle one day. Saying that, 'Eddie you're lucky to play in such great fans. They're very passionate. They all said it's a European atmosphere. That's good to hear, and to play here week in and week out, I'm grateful."

(On what it's like playing on the wing instead of as a forward...) "Tiring. A lot of up and down. Naw... It's a challenge. At the end of the day, you want to improve as a player and better yourself and add to your game. Coach Jurgen, he's been sticking me out there because he sees something in me that the previous coaches for the national team haven't seen. He's a big motivator. When you're out there, he gives you a ton of confidence and tells me and the rest of the guys to just go out there and have fun. Right now, we're all having fun and we're all on the same page. We have the same goal and that's qualifying for the World Cup. One more game to put us in a good position to make that happen."

(On the goal...) "It was a good ball. We talked at halftime about it when we get the ball. I told (Geoff Cameron) he has a lot more time on the ball than he knows, and that I was going to try and come off the back shoulder of the last defender. Omar and Brad tried to find me a couple times in the first half, but it was just a great ball by Geoff. He plays that position quite a bit at Stoke City. He was called upon to play a role tonight, and he did it."

(On the game...) "Tonight, we possessed the ball really well. We talked about it, and Michael Bradley and Clint Dempsey are playing with a lot of confidence. The guys want the ball, and it's just like playing up top if I'm out wide -- you see a play developing and just setting my defender up, waiting for him to take his eye off me, and there's that natural instinct to try and get in behind. I saw Geoff had space and time on the ball, and it was on his strong foot. I knew if it was on his strong foot ... I knew I could make a run in behind. I like my chances running in behind."

(On if he knew it was a goal when he got it...) "I didn't know it was a goal. I knew the ball was good and it was all about my first touch. You're first touch is everything, you set yourself up for your next touch, and I was already across my defender. The most important thing for me was to be relaxed, be composed in the box and the first touch was good. At the end of the day, if I'm a winger, I become a striker in the box if I'm in front of goal."

(On Jozy Altidore overcoming controversy and getting hot....) "I'm just focused on the positive. I'm not going to worry about that. They can criticize him all they want. The guy has scored, I think, 50 goals in two seasons in Holland. He's young, has a lot of potential. He's learning. I'm happy for the kid because at the end of the day it's about confidence in front of goal. The coaches have been given him a lot of confidence when things haven't been going quite well for him in the national team. As a player, at the end of the day, it's about playing for a manager that has a lot of confidence in you when it's not going well. And getting that goal to get that burden off your back, once you get one, they start coming in pairs. Right now, he's on fire and I'm happy for him. But none of those goals (come) without the rest of the work the guys are doing to set him up. Graham Zusi, who was suspended tonight, he and Jozy are finding a good relationship out wide. He'd assisted on last two (by Altidore). But he's on fire. It goes to show the year he's having and I'm happy for him."

USMNT reacts to big win on Twitter

Wed, 12 Jun 2013 16:16:04 PDT

The U.S. men's national team had nothing but glowing words for Seattle fans after 40,847 came out Tuesday night to CenturyLink Field for a 2-0 win against Panama in World Cup qualifying. Here were some tweets from players and coaches immediately after (and I'll update throughout the night):

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https://twitter.com/J_Klinsmann/status/344690114598936576

https://twitter.com/brad_evans3/status/344682816946176000

https://twitter.com/Omar4Gonzalez/status/344688106877902848

https://twitter.com/JozyAltidore/status/344690729236430848

https://twitter.com/SachaKljestan/status/344690209788661761

https://twitter.com/NickRimando/status/344691297405239296

https://twitter.com/herculezg/status/344666041718296577

https://twitter.com/ChrisWondo/status/344666919917473792

https://twitter.com/MauriceEdu/status/344679801749135360

https://twitter.com/JoeCorona15/status/344862379261173760

Final: USA 2, Panama 0, live chat

Wed, 12 Jun 2013 00:46:17 PDT

USA vs. Panama, World Cup qualifier lineups

Tue, 11 Jun 2013 19:46:05 PDT

Welcome back to CenturyLink Field, where we return three days after Saturday's Sounders-Whitecaps game. We'll have another fun one tonight as the U.S. men's national team hosts Panama in a long-awaited World Cup qualifier. (Look! New banners!)

It's only been since 1976.

Kickoff is set for around 7:08 p.m., moved back from a 6:30 p.m. start time to accommodate ESPN's doubleheader -- starting at 5 p.m. with Mexico-Costa Rica.

The big story from a Sounders FC perspective is if Brad Evans and Eddie Johnson will be starting tonight. I'll provide lineups at the bottom of this post when they become available.

Attendance will be another thing to keep an eye on as Seattle's looks to break into the top 10 largest home crowds ever for a U.S. qualifier. That, and how the temporary grass field holds up (it looks fine right now).

I posted the CONCACAF World Cup qualifying standings a few days ago.

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USMNT lineup: GK Tim Howard; D Brad Evans, D Omar Gonzalez, D Matt Besler, D DaMarcus Beasley; M Michael Bradley, M Geoff Cameron; M Eddie Johnson, M Clint Dempsey (c), M Fabian Johnson; F Jozy Altidore

USMNT bench: GK Brad Guzan, GK Nick Rimando, D Clarence Goodson, D/M Edgar Castillo, M Stuart Holden, D Michael Parkhurst, M Sacha Kljestan, F Terrence Boyd, M Brad Davis, M Joe Corona