Who: Seattle Sounders vs LA Galaxy Where: CenturyLink Field, Seattle, WA When: 6PM, Sunday, 8/5 Watch: ESPN2 Listen: 97.3 KIRO FM, La Gran D 99.3 FM The good news is that everyone is healthy and that a significant number of the Sounders starters took the Caledonia game off, so hopefully we'll be able to field a full strength team... This is a good thing because we'll need it. When the Galaxy were last here they were a bottom feeding team that couldn't defend and could barely string two passes together. Now they are on a 5 game undefeated streak (4W-1D-0L) scoring 13 goals while allowing 6 goals. So while their defense might not be world beaters, their offense is on fire and should get a lot of opportunities against our.. Shall we say... troubling defense. This game is also the first in three MLS regular season games when the entire stadium is open. It was originally included in a 4 game pack with the Chelsea game, but that apparently didn't sell to well as they changed it to a 3 game pack and dropped the price to $15 a game after the Chelsea game. It should be a good game and with the Sounders and Galaxy having low powered defense and high powered offenses, I'm expecting a goal fest. Booya!! Oh, and did I mention that the weather on Sunday is expected to be clear with a high of 84? Even more booya!
With Fernandez sent off to Chicago for an undetermined pile of MLS bucks, Tiffert still waiting on his P1 visa, and Martinez kicking butt in the Olympics the line-up should be relatively easy to pick out who will be starting. The only real question is what position everyone will be playing. But never fear, I'll read the tea leaves, sacrifice a few goats and examine the entrails, and call upon my sources in the netherworld and conjure up Yoshou's Guaranteed to be Wrong Predicted line-up: -------- Johnson ----------- Montero ---------- Caskey-------Evans/Alonso-------Rosales Gonzalez------Ianni/Parke------Johansson -----------------Gspurning-----------------
Not a bad lineup, hopefully we can exploit LA's shaky D, and Gspurning is back to marshalling our D like the early season. As things stand I predicted 3-2 for the good guys. Yoshou I assume you will be at this match? Still need to meet you in person.
It is very important game for both teams. Nice weather, espn, Beckham, will probably bring 55k to CLink. Hope our offense will be effective and my prediction is 2-1 for Sounders.
Definite man crush. My heart is all a flutter just thinking about it. Hope the wives don't find out .
With Montero going 90 yesterday, I'm thinking that they're going to go with Rosales and Johnson at forward for this one
I'd be very shocked to see Fredy start on the bench. As we all know Fredy is a lazy ******** (bring in LeToux!) and his game over 90 minutes isn't as draining as say Rosales going 90.
hey guys. i enjoyed watching sounders highlights on mls youtube channel. i hope you guys beat LAG. I have one question though. why exactly is soccer popular in the north west, especially in seattle? is there like a huge european population up there?
EJ and freinds should take notes on how Real Madrid sliced through the LA back line. With his speed, those little leading passes (as opposed to the 50yd long balls) might be a way to get him more goals.
Seattle just announced that Tiffert got his visa today so he'll be eligible vs LA. https://twitter.com/SoundersFC/statuses/231565241622867969
Some of it is immigrants, some of it is lack of professional teams until the 70s, of which the Sounders were the second long term, some of it the lack of local rivals in other sports, etc.
Two articles (of a three part series) explaining Seattle's "history" of soccer. A very good read. http://www.forbes.com/sites/zachslaton/2012/08/02/e-pluribus-sounders-part-1-immigrant-nasl-roots/ http://www.forbes.com/sites/zachsla...fans-while-building-towards-an-mls-franchise/
I just wondered how many ladies are simply going to the match tomorrow night just to see David Beckham play. On FSN's old 2004 series The Sports List where the topic was "the 10 Sexiest Athletes", Cindy Margolis once said she "would bend it for Beckham" (obviously a pun on "Bend It Like Beckham") I wonder if Cindy Margolis even knows the Laws Of The Game, let alone the offside rule. I don't condone what Andy Gray said, most women do know the offside rule, including my wife Alice Yantz, of course Andy Gray was sent off by Sky Sports for that quote among other violations. Here is Andy Gray along with Richard Keys and that infamous conversation that got them both axed from Sky Sports (and pretty much all TV for that matter)
There are a lot of factors. I think one of the big ones is the "open mindedness" of our region. It isn't the most "American" part of the country (think the South or East Coast) so it being a foreign sport doesn't seem to bother people. I think you'll notice the cities with largest attendance are either Canadian, liberal, or both. I was born in Kansas, the majority of my family still lives in Kansas, and they say its mostly only Mexicans that play soccer. Out there if you want to be cool growing up its Football or Baseball. Sure kids play soccer all over the country but that's just because it is easy and cheap to pick up. Once they are more mature they usually move on to something else. That being said, and more on topic... I heard over 59k have already been sold for the match. I am expecting a near sellout, maybe even all 67k.
Atleast outside portland in the 90's *the* game to play was soccer at the elementary and middle schools that i went too. The general area there was also very big on youth and "old folks" (my age now ^_^) soccer community. In highschool football/basketball was bigger but soccer was still a very big thing. I dont have firsthand experience with the recreational leagues in washington but they are also widely regarded as very big.
There is also very popular tournament among immigrants in Seattle - All Nations Cup http://www.allnationscup.org/ Over 60k will be awesome tomorrow!!!! Sounders 2-1 Galaxy