Kasey Keller. Alonso. Blaise and Fredy.  

Can it be spring already?  

The Seattle Sounder are set to begin their season against the Colorado Rapids on March 9th at Qwest Field. Before the opening match, though, comes the Cascadia Summit.  

The Sounders, Portland Timbers and Vancouver Whitecaps will meet at the Starfire complex for exhibition games to kick off the first MLS rivalry in the northwest. 

A few random thoughts on the upcoming season follow.

Kasey Keller has indicated that this is his last year. Keller, in case you don't know, is a legend in US Soccer—a local boy made good.

Keller represented the US in the World Cup four times. He was the first American to become a regular in the German Bundesliga, the English Premier League and the Spanish La Liga. We are truly fortunate to be able to watch a world class athlete spend his last days on the pitch here in Seattle.  

Fredy Montero is now a designated player. That moniker gives Fredy a certain right to a larger ego, but also gives him the responsibility to be a team leader and a top performer. 

Fredy matured last year and became a high performer. Can he become a team leader? All indications are that he can. It's nice to see high quality players staying in the MLS rather than bolting for Europe.

The Sounders added some key, high level players last year in Blaise Nkufo and Alvaro Fernandez. They bring a presence to the field that few can and they added one of the most underrated superstars in the MLS, Ozzie Alonso.

The Sounders have a very solid base on which to make a run for the cup.

Last year, the Sounders showed they can start slow and still contend. A key to this year will be to start off with a few wins and continue winning. They can't play for their lives every game.

And finally, a big key to winning this year will be the lessons learned by the front office. Last year saw three International Friendlies, the US Open Cup and the Concacaf games. 

The Sounders seemingly were playing in endless runs of games with no breaks in between. Exhausted teams rarely fair well in the playoffs.

So, as part of the 35,000 strong that'll be in the stands of Qwest Field for every home game, Let's Go Sounders!

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