It won't be long before tailgaters turn up the grill for the college football and National Football League seasons. As for Major League Soccer, the race for the Supporters' Shield is heating up, and in the middle of it all are Bruce Arena's Los Angeles Galaxy.

The Galaxy are currently MLS's best team with a 13-4-4 record (43 points) and will have seven of their final nine games at home.

“It’s good,” Arena said during practice. “It’s been a long haul. We’ve been on the road a lot this year. It’s been tough and hopefully we can take advantage of our home games and win [them].”

Since early June, the Galaxy have been 2-3-1, and the need for consistency could not be emphasized any further.

“We’ve just got to tighten up the screws, I guess,” said forward Edson Buddle. “We have some time to get things right before the playoffs.”

"One of our advantages all year is being able to just look at the game that’s ahead of us. For us, that puts the most emphasis on Kansas City,” midfielder Chris Klein said during training. “When you look at the schedule and see the amount of games at home, I think that makes this game that much more important … to gain that confidence at home.

“Where we are right now, one of our clear goals is to win the Supporters’ Shield. When you do that, if you get out of that first round of the playoffs, you’re guaranteed home-field advantage again. The time is now for us to start establishing the Home Depot Center as a place where no team wants to come and play.”

With Columbus and Real Salt Lake having playing 11 home games in the 2010 MLS regular season, all signs point to the G's taking advantage of a golden home-cooking opportunity. But will it pay off this time? Stay tuned.

Michael Stephens...the next great Rookie?

Galaxy midfielder Michael Stephens may be on the outside looking in when compared to Philadelphia’s Danny Mwanga, New England’s Zack Schilawski, D.C. United’s Andy Najar and New York’s Tim Ream in the race for the MLS Rookie of the Year Award.

But don't tell that to his peers.'

“It wouldn’t be a surprise to anyone to see him get it,” midfielder Chris Birchall said.

Forward Mike Magee echoed the same sentiments.

“One hundred percent,” Magee said. “I’ve known what kind of guy he is and what kind of player he is. For him to come in right away and do what he’s done is pretty freakish.

“It’s a good time for him.”

As for Stephens, all the right chips seem to fall in all the right place.

“Coming into the season my first goal was to get playing time,” Stephens said. “You never know what’s going to happen when you go into a new environment, especially such a big jump from college to the professional game, but I’ve worked hard and prepared myself very well and I’m happy with where I’m at right now.”

As the old Spanish adage goes, Que sera, sera.


Donovan close to another milestone

Galaxy midfielder Landon Donovan is one goal away from tying the club record for most regular season goals in Galaxy history.

Current assistant coach Cobi Jones had 70 goals in his 12-year career. Since 2005, Landon has scored 69 in the regular season. However, when including the MLS Cup Playoffs and MLS Cup, the Champions League/Champions Cup, the SuperLiga, and the U.S. Open Cup matches, Donovan already has scored the most goals in club history with 87.

Here's hoping for a penalty conversion, No. 10.


Dunivant is back...and Bowen too!

Not only was defender Todd Dunivant back training with the Galaxy after suffering neck and back spasms, but so was forward Tristan Bowen, who recovered from flu-like symptoms.

“I had a rib out of place and I couldn’t breathe the last two weeks,” Dunivant said on his injury during training. “I had a little bit of it before the (Real) Madrid game but I kind of played through it. It finally got to the point where it was so bad I could hardly lay down.

“Something like this makes you appreciate your health. You take it for granted sometimes, but it’s our livelihood and if you don’t have it, it makes all the difference in the world. It was difficult watching the two games."

“I still have a little shortness of breath,” Bowen said, “but you just have to keep going at it. I haven’t been sick in about six or seven months. I guess it just caught up with me.”

Midfielder David Beckham will be removed from the Disabled List after Saturday's match against the Kansas City Wizards at the Home Depot Center. Also out this week is defender Gregg Berhalter, who is also recovering from a viral infection.

Read more MLS news on BleacherReport.com

Source: Click Here

Ljungberg will be making his first appearance at the Xbox pitch of Qwest Field since his recent trade from Seattle on Saturday night when his new team the Chicago Fire faces the Sounders in an important MLS match.

Seattle Sounders Coach Sigi Schmid talked about the team’s former all-star midfielder Freddie Ljungberg following Thursday’s training session at the team’s facility in the Seattle suburb of Tukwila.

“It’s emotional, for sure, because he was a member of this team and he was a very important member of this team and helped us get off to a tremendous start,” Shmid said regarding Ljungberg’s return. “But, at the end of the day, he is not on our team right now and he is with Chicago. We need to worry about our team and about winning the game and he is going to be worried about winning the game for his side.”

Much has been written lately about how the Sounders changed as a team after the Ljungberg trade, a period that saw Seattle acquire two major players on the international market, Blaise Nkufo and Alvaro Fernandez. Schmid addressed the question of Seattle performance following Ljungberg’s departure.

“We stepped into a good run right after he left,” Schmid said. “But, can you say that’s because he left? I don’t think so. I think we might of hit a good run as well. We played some good games early on in the season where we just didn’t finish. But we played some good soccer and did some good things (recently).

“Sometimes things for whatever reasons, just like a marriage, sometimes things don’t entirely work out the way you want them. On the same token, it doesn’t mean one side is wrong or right or that there is a benefit for this side or for that side. I think it’s just one of those things that happened. Right now, like I said, our focus is on our team.”

In concluding his post-workout comments, Schmid turned his attention to Nkufo and Fernandez, the Sounders’ recently acquired players.

“Obviously Blaise is still looking for his first goal,” Schmid said. “I know he would like to get that one behind him. But he has helped us with our hold-up play up front and getting people involved in the offensive play.

“I think Fernandez came in and scored some big goals early on, coming on as a sub. I think right now he is still finding his fitness, finding his legs. I thought his game the other night against Monterrey was much better than his game down in Marathón. I think he is finding his connection to the team much better right now.”

Read more MLS news on BleacherReport.com

Source: Click Here

Some nights you get plenty of good looks, but it all comes down to putting the ball in the net. This was one of those evenings for Seattle Sounders FC, who dropped a 2-0 contest to Mexico's CF Monterrey in round two of the CONCACAF Champions League group stage in front of 22,513 on the Xbox Pitch at Qwest Field Wednesday night.

On the plus side, the Sounders, benefiting from a solid fan base, set an unofficial record. Although no official attendance records are kept for Champions League, and previously Champions Cup matches, the aforementioned attendance has been confirmed by CONCACAF officials as the second largest for a Champions League/Champions Cup match played in the U.S. The top mark is 26,528 for D.C. United v Chivas de Guadalajara March 15, 2007. The previous number two crowd was 21,185 for D.C. United v Pumas April 6, 2005.

Both aforementioned matches were played at RFK Stadium in Washington, D.C. As for the Sounders’ cumulative frustration Wednesday night, when the team held a decisive edge in shots taken but came up short in the all-important scoring effort, ace striker Fredy Montero struck the perfect note after the match. "We all know that soccer is about who makes the goals and not who tries the most," Montero said. "We were very anxious. That anxiety got to us when trying to actually score. They got to us twice and scored." Soccer is a sport where looking at final statistics can be the poorest measure of a game outcome. This was evidenced Wednesday as Seattle finished with a commanding advantage in shots, 17-7, including a 6-3 advantage on goal and corner kicks of 12-5.

Sounders Coach Sigi Schmid put the match in perspective afterwards: "I don't think we played that poorly. I thought we created some chances. In final passes, final through plays, they were more clinical than we were. They finished their chances well. Sanna (Nyassi) would be making a lot of money right now if he could finish his chances. We had him in twice, we had Seamon in naked, we scored a good goal at the end.” On the subject of scoring a good goal at the end Schmid was referring to yet another of those controversial calls that have surfaced so frequently this season.

On the CONCACAF competitive front the Sounders suffered from a controversial call adversity last week in the Honduras against CD Marathon with a 2-1 setback occasioned by a penalty kick following a foul leveled against Seattle defender Tyrone Marshall. In the 90th minute of Wednesday night’s contest an apparent goal scored by Nate Jaqua was disallowed. Fredy Montero was ruled to have been offside. “I don't know what the call was because Montero was not offside,” Schmid declared. “I just watched the replay, and neither was Jaqua because he was behind the ball. I don't know what the call was there. You’ll have to ask the referees.” In terms of critiquing his team‘s performance, Schmid then summarized, “Sometimes we get a little too small with our passing. We get too tight. We have to open it up a little bit. Overall, I thought in terms of moving the ball up the field, I thought we did a good job. I thought we created things. Certainly we don't have to hide."

Neri Cardozo opened the evening’s scoring and assisted on the second for Monterrey, which had won its Group C opener at home, 1-0, over CD Saprissa of Costa Rica. Aldo de Negris added the second goal for the visitors. Monterrey opened the scoring in the 41st minute. Jesus Zavala played a long ball into the box. It took one bounce before Cardozo headed it past onrushing Seattle goalkeeper Kasey Keller. The visitors struck again in the 58th minute. Cardozo chipped a ball behind the Seattle defense and Aldo de Nigris touched it once before sending a right-footed strike inside the near post. Schmid commented regarding the Monterrey scores: "The second goal was one where I think it was close and he was probably on (side), but I thought we made a mistake by trying to trap. We should have stayed with him. It's a little similar for the first goal where, even though the ball got deflected, you think it's going one way and you take a step that way and now you lose the guy by a step. We talked about it before the game to make sure you run with players and that you're honest and run with your guys. We were a step behind on the first one and stepped up to trap when we shouldn't have on the second one."

Schmid paid tribute to the ability of the Monterrey forwards to finish on goal opportunities: "For sure their forwards make a lot more money than our forwards do. The finishing is something that we work on all the time in training, but if guys clinically finish, they probably wouldn't be playing with our team right now. We had some good opportunities. Montero had a good shot and the goalkeeper made a good save. The goalkeeper kicked his leg out and made the save on Seamon's shot. Some days it goes like that. We'll continue to work on finishing, on shooting, on goals in tight, it's something that you practice all the time."

Monterrey Coach Victor Manuel paid tribute to the Sounders after the match along with conveying his impressions concerning what occurred on the pitch: "It was a well disputed match from the start all the way until the end. In the beginning we had to adapt to the pitch. Little by little we adapted to the circumstances. We were able to capitalize on some good opportunities. We adapted better in the second half, made use of space the Sounders left for us. "No doubt, the Sounders are a very good team. They are well organized and very strong. It was important to take the game serious or else we could have been hurt. The team took the match with strong responsibility. The concentration was strong from the start all the way until the end. We adapted to the pitch and the crossing game the Sounders practice."

The Monterrey mentor also commented on his team having been out shot by the Green Rave. "The Sounders started pressing and with them playing at home they understand the pitch,” Manuel explained. “We missed a few early opportunities and with some cases a few shots on goal. We know that in soccer it isn't always about how many shots one team takes but the quality of shots. It is not always about the possession but about the effectiveness.”

Wednesday’s setback left Sounders FC winless through its first two Group C matches after the aforementioned 2-1 loss to CD Marathón in Honduras last week. Seattle is 10-10-7 overall and fifth in the Western Conference of Major League Soccer at 8-8-5 with 29 points. Monterrey leads Group C with six points. The Sounders remain undefeated in their last six league matches. They resume MLS play Saturday night hosting Freddie Ljungberg and the Chicago Fire on the Xbox Pitch at Qwest Field. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. PT.

The Fire hold a 6-6-6 league mark with 24 points. The importance of Saturday’s match was emphasized by Seattle Captain Kasey Keller: "We are playing against a team that is hoping to make a run for the playoffs. We have put ourselves in that run and now we always said we had a great nine game streak unbeaten. “We have now lost a couple in a row, granted in an interesting competition, away in Honduras and against, on paper, the best team in the group. Like I said, it's easy to just wipe that clean and go, 'OK, now we are back in MLS and now we get back to winning games like we have been for the past eight weeks.’"

The long grueling haul of a season combining MLS and international competition has been uppermost in Sigi Schmid’s mind when evaluating playing time. Wednesday he juggled forwards Blaise Nkufo and Nate Jaqua by having the former play the first 45 minutes to be replaced by the latter for the second half. The three game Sounders home stand concludes September 1st with a U.S. Open Cup semifinal at Starfire Sports Stadium in Tukwila, Washington against Chivas USA. First kick is 7:30 p.m.

The Sounders face a challenge against Chivas USA as they look for their first goal in the franchise’s history against the Los Angeles based team.

Read more MLS news on BleacherReport.com

Source: Click Here

Legendary footballers from around the world have recently made the move to the United States in order to continue their playing career. There has certainly been a change in the attitude towards the MLS from the rest of the world, not least down to a successful World Cup campaign from the United States.

But when a huge star from the likes of Barcelona or ex-Arsenal playmaker moves to an American team, the world will take notice.

On the face, it is of course great for the game and for the supporters to see big names coming over to their local team.  But when examined deeper, the motives of these footballers to move should be questioned and examined in the best interests of the MLS.

In recent years David Beckham, Juan Pablo Angel, Freddie Ljungberg, Thierry Henry and Rafael Marquez have all made the trip to America to play their trade as footballers. These players represent some of the best footballers in the world and have played for  top clubs around Europe.

However, out of those names, the only one to set the league alight so far has been Juan Pablo Angel.

Granted the likes of Henry have not had the time yet, but I do believe there to be a reason behind this. Angel's move to the New York Red Bulls came after indifferent spells at clubs around Europe and the MLS offered him a route out and an opportunity to prove that, in the right league, he can score goals for fun and I believe it is the fact that he needed to prove. A point that sets him apart.

Beckham and Ljungberg have failed to really set the league alight so far with Beckham especially mediocre at times.

This could lead to signs that the footballers that are making the move stateside are doing so for an easy ride until the end of their career. Many seem to enjoy the lifestyle rather than seeing the move as a credible move for their footballing career.

It is this relaxed attitude that will not dispel any of the myths that the MLS may be seen as a lesser league and that any footballers with any credibility will be playing in Europe of South America at the very least.

Now of course, there is a transition period in which the sport and the league will only grow at a certain rate and these marquee signings are certainly a step in the right direction but MLS fans should not be getting carried away.

While the players that are coming over are certainly forcing people to take notice of the league, it also bares the resemblance of the pasture that those old warhorses are travelling to, and until the attraction for young exciting players grows it will continue to be the final resting place of some great footballer's careers.

Read more MLS news on BleacherReport.com

Source: Click Here

Real Salt Lake faced Cruz Azul in the CONCACAF Champions League on a very rainy day in Estadio Azul in Mexico. The referee was Oscar Moncada and Cruz Azul needed a victory to at least depart from the competition with dignity.

Cruz Azul was true to form when winning one game then losing another game. The worst part is losing in its home stadium to Real Salt Lake. It was able to score one goal by Javier Antonio Orozco Penuelas within four minutes of the game.

Cruz Azul started to play mediocre at best and unable to play coherently in the rain. The end result were mistakes that lead to a yellow card for Maximiliano Biancuchi and Horacio Cervantes.

Real Salt Lake made its presence felt with its dominance of the game and being able to play even with heavy rain. The team was disciplined and consistent as well as organized in defense and offense.

The team was all over Estadio Azul, with Alvaro Saborio scoring the first goal on the basis of a penalty within 22 minutes.

Alvaro Saborio remained on the defensive and was able to pass the ball to his fellow teammates. He was able to place the ball in the center and score another goal for Real Salt Lake at 42 minutes.

Real Salt Lake was dominant even though Nelson Gonzalez received a yellow card within 26 minutes. The second half continued like the first half, with both teams initiating substitutions.

Cruz Azul replaced Cesar Villaluz with Christian Jimenez while Real Salt Lake replaced Nelson Gonzalez with Ned Grabavoy. Regardless, Fausto Pinto of Cruz Azul committed a foul against Ned Grabavoy.

The result was a free kick, which resulted in a goal by Fabian Espinola in 63 minutes. Real Salt Lake then replaced Mr. Espinola with Robbie Findley. While Real Salt Lake was struggling to maintain its lead, Cruz Azul was able to wake up from its lethargy to play defensive and offensive football/soccer.

The end result was a second goal by Javier Antonio Orozco Penuelas assisted by Christian Gimenez for Cruz Azul within 75 minutes. Cruz Azul then substituted Gonzalo Pineda with Rogelio Chavez Martinez while the crowd was actively supporting their team.

Cruz Azul was playing more like a team and its presence was being felt in the last few minutes of this important game. Real Salt Lake felt the brunt of Cruz Azul when Robbie Findley received a yellow card.

The team from Estadio Azul made a comeback when Javier Antonio Orozco Penuelas scored two goals toward the end of the game. He scored his third goal in 87 minutes assisted by Alejandro Vela.

The fourth goal in 89 minutes by Orozco Penuelas was assisted by Rogelio Chavez Martinez and was the result of a foul by Ned Grabavoy upon Fausto Pinto in a sudden inverse change between the two players.

It appeared that we were witnessing the greatest comeback in the CONCACAF Champions League with Christian Gimenez scoring another goal for Cruz Azul in the 90th minute. The crowd was going wild with Cruz Azul.

Will Johnson was able to score a goal as a parting shot for Real Salt Lake at the last minute, but it did not save the team. The game was one of the most hotly contested and electrifying contests of the CONCACAF Champions League.

The referee was also one of the few who was objective compared to the one that was at the Columbus Crew vs Santos game.

Cruz Azul 5-4 Real Salt Lake

Estadio Azul Mexico

Most Valued Player: Javier Antonio Orozco Penuelas.

Read more MLS news on BleacherReport.com

Source: Click Here

Seattle Sounders FC will host Chivas de Guadalajara, an 11-time champion, one of Mexico's most popular teams and the 2010 Copa Libertadores runner-up, on Tuesday, October 12, on the Xbox Pitch at Qwest Field, it was announced Wednesday. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. PT and the match will be televised live on TeleFutura.

"Chivas Guadalajara is arguably the best supported team in Mexico, and as evidenced by their run to the final stage of the Copa Libertadores they are an outstanding side," said Sounders Owner Joe Roth. "Given the loyalty and devotion of both teams' supporters, the atmosphere that evening will be electric."

Chivas de Guadalajara is Mexico's most successful club with 11 league championships. It is famous for using only Mexican players and features many of the country's top performers. They include Jonny Magallón, Adolfo "Bofo" Bautista, Alberto "Venado" Medina, and Luis Michel, who all represented Mexico at the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa. Other stars on the team include Omar Bravo, Edgar Mejia, Patricio "Pato" Araujo, and Héctor Reynoso.

This is the first visit to Seattle by Chivas de Guadalajara. In 1985 Universidad de Guadalajara faced FC Seattle at Memorial Stadium.

Read more MLS news on BleacherReport.com

Source: Click Here

The venerable Mexican team Santos faced Columbus Crew in the CONCACAF Champions League.

While Santos managed to score a goal within the last minute of the game, the whole affair is an insult to football/soccer lovers everywhere.

Edgar Renteria scored the first goal of the game for the Columbus Crew by kicking the ball into the center of the goal net in the first half. The response of the referee was to annul the goal using as an excuse that he returned to the field without permission.

Anyone can see that this was a legitimate goal, and it could have made a difference in the results of the Crew in the CONCACAF Champions League. It is the same methods used by referees during the 2010 World Cup against the US Soccer team.

The question that is often asked is the following: Are referees biased against a team or a country because they are afraid or because of pure hatred?

I think that we should ask FIFA or those who train referees to be fair and impartial.

Read more MLS news on BleacherReport.com

Source: Click Here

The search for a winning consistency continues for Bruce Arena's Los Angeles Galaxy as they end their month of August with a home date on the 28 against the Kansas City Wizards.

Arena was searching for answers regarding the lack of communication that led to their latest defeat against the San Jose Earthquakes on August 21.

“It bothers me,” Arena said after Monday’s practice at the Home Depot Center. “I think it’s a game where at the worst we leave with a point. That bothers me.

“Gift-wrapping the game, giving away a goal. I don’t want to take any credit away from San Jose, but it’s as bad a goal as we can give up. We helped manufacture a goal for them.”

Defender A.J. De La Garza was also searching for an explanation when asked about the goal scored by the Earthquakes' Chris Wondolowski.

“One mistake cost us and I was a little bit part of that,” De La Garza said. “We dominated that game. That’s what happens to us when we win, we might be the team that gets dominated but we win. That’s what we were doing early in the season, like in Columbus. We won (2-0 on May 29) but they say they dominated.

“It doesn’t matter who dominates, it’s who wins at the end of the day. We didn’t get that victory.”

Others, like midfielder Chris Klein and defender Sean Franklin, joined the inquisition party.

“It’s a game on the road maybe we should have gotten a point out of and maybe we should have won, but we didn’t," Klein said during training. "Those are games we can’t let down; we have to prove we’re going to be a consistent team. On a day when you give up a mistake, you gotta get a draw out of that game.”

“That’s how a lot of our losses have been this year," Franklin added. "We’ve made some kind of mental mistakes and given up goals in the first five minutes. That’s not like our team to do that, and we know that.

“It was a tough one to swallow.”

The holidays won't be for several weeks, so gift-wrapping is a habit they will look to avoid as LA looks to better the scoreless draw they had against the Wizards on April 24 at Community America Ballpark in Kansas City, Kansas.

The Galaxy are still Major League Soccer's best team, with a 13-4-4 record (43 points), while the Kansas City Wizards are on the outside looking in with a 6-9-5 record (23 points).

Edson Buddle's 13 goals and Landon Donovan's 11 assists remain best in Major League Soccer. But the key to Los Angeles winning on Saturday isn't so much a question of offensive production as it is one of defensive communication.

The Galaxy's defensive backline—which has been a topic of major scrutiny this season—must bail goalkeeper Donovan Ricketts out of trouble. With Gregg Berhalter sidelined due to  the flu, the return of Todd Dunivant to the lineup will be crucial to preventing the Kansas City forwards from setting the pace and tempo.

Ricketts has a 0.70 goals against average, a 79.7 save percentage and a 13-4-3 record to go with 55 saves and 10 shutouts. A clean sheet on Saturday will give Ricketts a tie for the club record for shutouts in a single season.

The current record is set by current FC Dallas goalkeeper and former G's netminder Kevin Hartman. Hartman currently has a 0.69 GAA this season.

Among the midfielders for Los Angeles, Juninho will be the X-factor for the Galaxy on Saturday. He will need to utilize his field vision to help set up plays for the Buddlevan Connection in Arena's 4-4-2 Diamond system. Michael Stephens and Chris Birchall need to up their production, as they have underperformed the past several weeks—more so for Stephens.

The Galaxy's finishing has been another weaknesses. The G's will need to complete their offensive sequences and  become more fluid with their looks in the front.

As for the Wizards, Kei Kamara and Ryan Smith are two players will make things tough for the Galaxy defense. Kamara would have been on nine goal for the season had his best chance on April 24 went through.

Kamara currently has eight goals to lead the team this season and will be an important forward to mark. Birahim Diop, Davy Arnaud, Jack Jewsbury and Teal Bunbury all have two goals each this year and will look for a breakout performance.

Ryan Smith is the playmaker to keep an eye out for. He has eight assists to lead the team this year and with the offensive options at his disposal, limiting his ability to spread the ball around will be a priority for the midfielders and back line of LA.

Jimmy Nielsen has a 6-9-5 record in the net, with 60 saves, a 1.15 GAA and a 72.3 percent save percentage.

Prediction:

The return of Todd Dunivant to the lineup could prove crucial to the chances of the Galaxy on Saturday. Expect the home side to make up for their setback last week, as well as they setback on August 1 at the HDC against the Chicago Fire, who they take on next week.

Los Angeles Galaxy 2, Kansas City Wizards 1

Kickoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. and will be televised locally by Fox Sports PrimeTicket.

INS & OUTS:

Beckham and Berhalter still taking it easy?

Galaxy midfielder David Beckham continued to train with the side, and while it looked like he would be ready to go for the match against the Chicago Fire on September 4, Arena thought otherwise.

“He’s making progress but he’s got a way to go still,” Arena said. “We’re not ready to think that he can play yet.

"I think every week we just have to follow his progress and see how he’s doing. There’s no way of telling how he’s going to be.”

Defender Gregg Berhalter missed Saturday's game against San Jose due to the flu, and his symptoms will likely carry over to the match against Kansas City.

"I don’t know exactly what it is,” Arena remarked. “I don’t think the doctors know either.

“Nothing has changed since the last time we’ve seen him. He’s ill. We don’t know exactly what it is. That’s the job of the doctors.”

Get well soon, Gregg. After all, as the time-honored adage goes, "Your team needs you."

Read more MLS news on BleacherReport.com

Source: Click Here

Seattle Sounders FC returns home for an important three-game stand beginning Wednesday night at the Xbox pitch of Qwest Field against Monterrey in the CONCACAF Champions League competition.

This is a second-round match competition.  The Sounders suffered a 2-1 setback last week on the road against CD Marathon of Honduras on a controversial penalty call against defender Tyrone Marshall.

On Saturday night, the Sounders play host to the Chicago Fire in an MLS match.  Chicago comes in with a league mark full of sixes at 6-6-6 and 24 points.  Last week the Fire saw a three-game win streak halted with a 4-3 loss at Houston.

Saturday’s match marks the first Seattle appearance of Freddie Ljungberg since his trade.  Ironically, the two time All-Star Sounders midfielder was ejected only once with the Green Rave.  That came against the same Chicago Fire last year in Seattle.

The homestand concludes Sept. 1 with the Sounders facing Chivas USA in an Open Cup semifinal.  This contest occurs at Tukwila, Washington’s Starfire Sports Stadium. 

The Sounders, who are unbeaten on the Starfire pitch, will be seeking their first-ever goal against Chivas USA in the history of the franchise.

After Monday’s training session Seattle coach Sigi Schmid commented on the fact that the Sounders will be facing home opponents in three different types of competition, MLS, CONCACAF, and the Open Cup.

“We want to win all three games,” Schmid said.  “Obviously the league game is important for us because we want to get in the playoff hunt. Champions League is important because you have to win your home games.

"We are in the semifinals and would like to defend the Open Cup as well. So they are all equally important and we are going to approach each game with the idea of putting our best lineup out for each opponent.”

On the subject of Monterrey, Schmid revealed his respect for Mexican soccer teams:

“I think traditionally the Mexican teams have been the stronger teams in the (CONCACAF) competition. Most teams won at home in their first game, which is also pretty normal. But Monterrey has got some talented players.

“(Humberto) Suazo is a World Cup player who is a handful up front. I have seen him play for a lot of years now. I know he didn’t make it in Spain when he went back there but he is still a very, very good player.

"[Neri] Cardozo on the wing is a really good player. [Osvaldo] Martinez is a good player for them. They have different options underneath. [Sergio] Santana has done well for them.

“They have a lot of experience in the back with [Duilio] Davino. They have [Severo] Meza, who likes to attack on the right side. So they have got good quality players, otherwise you don’t win the Apertura in Mexico.

“It’s important for us to play well. Again, I think the Marathón game was important for our team because I think the guys who were in the competition for the first time or playing that type of game for the first time, the uncertainty left them during the game and they said, ‘Wait a second, we have nothing to fear.’”

The next subject that Schmid tackled was the important MLS match with Chicago.

“We still need to get points to move onto the playoffs and Chicago is somebody who is a direct competitor,” Schmid concluded.  “So it’s a six-point game. What we look at right now is there are still some teams that have fewer games than us, just like Chicago has fewer games, and we look at if they won out, would they pass us?

“There are about four or five teams that are behind us now that even if they won out their games couldn’t pass us. Chicago is one of the teams that if they won out their games, they could pass us.

"But if we can walk away with a victory on Saturday then we put them into that same position. They can win out their games and they can’t pass us. So that’s what we are looking to do, to keep our distance, so that’s important.”

The Sounders’ coach concluded his comments by discussing the team’s recent heavy travel and how to psychologically adjust to it.

“Our approach is simply each game we want to put out the best team,” Schmid said.  “We want to win every game that we enter into. My feeling has always been as a coach, and maybe in life, maybe it came down from my father to me, it’s just you deal with what you can deal with and you change what you can change.

“I can’t change the distance between Seattle and San Jose, Costa Rica, or Columbus or anything like that. It’s something we have to deal with.

"We travel more than any other team within our league already, and being in that competition of the Champions League where all the other teams are going to be south of the border, we are going to travel even more.

“At the end of the day, we can’t do anything to change it, so why worry about it? Let’s just get on with it.”

Read more MLS news on BleacherReport.com

Source: Click Here

This is a second-round match competition.  The Sounders suffered a 2-1 setback last week on the road against CD Marathon of Honduras on a controversial penalty call against defender Tyrone Marshall.

Seattle Sounders FC returns home for an important three-game stand beginning Wednesday night at the Xbox pitch of Qwest Field against Monterrey in a CONCACAF Champions League competition.

On Saturday night, the Sounders host the Chicago Fire in an MLS match.  Chicago comes in with a league mark full of sixes at 6-6-6 and 24 points.  Last week the Fire saw a three-game win streak halted with a 4-3 loss at Houston.

Saturday’s match marks the first Seattle appearance of Freddie Ljungberg since his trade.  Ironically, the two time All-Star Sounders’ midfielder was ejected only once with the Green Rave.  That came against the same Chicago Fire last year in Seattle.

The home stand concludes Sept. 1 with the Sounders facing Chivas USA in an Open Cup semifinal.  This contest occurs at Tukwila, Wash.’s Starfire Sports Stadium. 

The Sounders, who are unbeaten on the Starfire pitch, will be seeking their first-ever goal against Chivas USA in the history of the franchise.

After Monday’s training session Seattle Coach Sigi Schmid commented on the fact that the Sounders will be facing home opponents in three different types of competition, MLS, CONCACAF and Champions League.

“We want to win all three games,” Schmid said.  “Obviously the league game is important for us because we want to get in the playoff hunt. Champions League is important because you have to win your home games.

"We are in the semifinals and would like to defend the Open Cup as well. So they are all equally important and we are going to approach each game with the idea of putting our best lineup out for each opponent.”

On the subject of Monterrey, Schmid revealed his respect for Mexican soccer teams:

“I think traditionally the Mexican teams have been the stronger teams in the (CONCACAF) competition. Most teams won at home in their first game, which is also pretty normal. But Monterrey has got some talented players.

“(Humberto) Suazo is a World Cup player who is a handful up front. I have seen him play for a lot of years now. I know he didn’t make it in Spain when he went back there but he is still a very, very good player.

"[Neri] Cardozo on the wing is a really good player. [Osvaldo] Martinez is a good player for them. They have different options underneath. [Sergio] Santana has done well for them.

“They have a lot of experience in the back with [Duilio] Davino. They have [Severo] Meza, who likes to attack on the right side. So they have got good quality players, otherwise you don’t win the Apertura in Mexico.

“It’s important for us to play well. Again, I think the Marathón game was important for our team because I think the guys who were in the competition for the first time or playing that type of game for the first time, the uncertainty left them during the game and they said, ‘Wait a second, we have nothing to fear.’”

The next subject that Schmid tackled was the important MLS match with Chicago.

“We still need to get points to move onto the playoffs and Chicago is somebody who is a direct competitor,” Schmid concluded.  “So it’s a six point game. What we look at right now is there are still some teams that have fewer games than us, just like Chicago has fewer games, and we look at if they won out, would they pass us?

“There are about four or five teams that are behind us now that even if they won out their games couldn’t pass us. Chicago is one of the teams that if they won out their games, they could pass us.

"But if we can walk away with a victory on Saturday then we put them into that same position. They can win out their games and they can’t pass us. So that’s what we are looking to do, to keep our distance, so that’s important.”

The Sounders’ coach concluded his comments by discussing the team’s recent heavy travel and how to psychologically adjust to it.

“Our approach is simply each game we want to put out the best team,” Schmid said.  “We want to win every game that we enter into. My feeling has always been as a coach, and maybe in life, maybe it came down from my father to me, it’s just you deal with what you can deal with and you change what you can change.

“I can’t change the distance between Seattle and San Jose, Costa Rica or Columbus or anything like that. It’s something we have to deal with.

"We travel more than any other team within our league already, and being in that competition of the Champions League where all the other teams are going to be south of the border, we are going to travel even more.

“At the end of the day, we can’t do anything to change it, so why worry about it? Let’s just get on with it.”

Read more MLS news on BleacherReport.com

Source: Click Here