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Atlanta United earns scoreless draw with Seattle Sounders

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Sounders midfielder Cristian Roldan heads downfield with the ball. ( Sounders FC)
Sounders midfielder Cristian Roldan heads downfield with the ball. ( Sounders FC)

The Seattle Sounders ( 1-1-2, 5 points) did not lose but they did not win their Friday nationally televised game against expansion side Atlanta United FC ( 2-1-1,7 points). Despite taking 13 shots, the Sounders were unable to take advantage of the home field advantage and settled for the scoreless draw.

OFFENSIVE MINDSET

Both sides were in an offensive mindset from the get go as Seattle had a chance to take the lead in the eighth minute when Jordan Morris hit Cristina Roldan with a pass that Roldan chested just wide of the goal. Atlanta had its chance at taking the lead three minutes later when Hector Villalba beat the makeshift Seattle backline but was unable to get past Seattle goalkeeper Stefan Frei. Both sides had good chances to take the lead before the half-time whistle blew but the chances went begging.

Seattle was without starting center backs, Roman  Torress ( rested due to international duty) and Chad Marshall who was a game-time scratch due to illness. Sounders coach Brian Schmetzer started a backline of  Joevin Jones, Tony Alfaro, Gustav Svenson and rookie  Jordy Delem.

While the backline was makeshift, Seattle had most of its frontline firepower, Nicolas Lodeiro and Jordan Morris started for Seattle while Clint Dempsey was a second half substitute.  Despite playing without star striker and MLS leading scorer Josef Martinez, Atlanta managed 11 shots in the contest.

“To tie on the road with the reigning champion is definitely a positive. ” Atlanta head coach  Gerardo Tata Martino said after the game.  “In respect to the game, I thought we played well in the first half, but in the second half, Seattle kind of dominated us, with the exception of a couple counterattacks. They were the better team in the second half.”

 

TAKEAWAYS

The international break was an obvious disruption for both teams.  Schmetzer and  Martino had to rest players due to long minutes played while representing their national teams. Credit to both coaches for believing in their young players and not changing their teams attacking styles.

GAME NOTES

  • Sounders FC is now 1-1-2 on the season and remains in sixth place in the Western Conference with five points.
  • Friday’s match marks the first MLS matchup between the two sides. Seattle is 3-1-3 all-time in its first contest against expansion sides, including a 2-0-3 record at CenturyLink Field.
  • Dating back to last season, Sounders FC is unbeaten in 10 consecutive home matches in league play, which is the second-longest streak in club history. Seattle also went 3-0-0 at home during the 2016 MLS Cup Playoffs.

 

 

Seattle Sounders FC hoping for block party vs New York Red Bulls

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Sounders Cristian Roldan and Nicolas Lodeiro prepare to face the New York Red Bulls. ( Sounders FC)

 

The Seattle Sounders (0-1-1) are hoping the unveiling of the teams  2016 MLS Championship banner in front of a home crowd expected to exceed 40,000 fans will jump start the team to it’s first of win of the season Sunday afternoon,  when the team takes on the New York Red Bulls ( 2-0) Sunday ( 4:00 p.m. PT) at Century Link Field.

FUN BUT NO GAMES
Seattle will need to take a moment to reflect and get down to business with a quickness Sunday. The Eastern Conference-leading New York Red Bulls are about the business. The Red Bulls are led by the dynamic duo of English forward Bradley Wright-Philips and Huntington Beach, California midfielder Sacha Kljestan. The pair

The pair are two of the most prolific players in Major League Soccer and to have them on the same team makes the task of beating the  Red Bulls near to impossible. Wright-Philips led the MLS with 24 goals last year while Kljestan was the assist leader with 20.  New York hasn’t lost a regular-season game since July 3, 2016, and is currently on an 18-match unbeaten streak.

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Jordan Morris and Chad Marshall train for the Red Bulls.( Sounders FC)

 

PRESSING THE ISSUE
The Red Bulls success is built on their strategy of a high press. The Red Bulls will pressure opponents when they have the ball in their half hoping to create a turnover that will lead to a quick goal. This means the Sounders will need to take care of the ball and minimize turnovers. Nicolas Lodeiro, Cristian Roldan, Ozzie Alonso and Clint Dempsey will all need to be on the same wavelength throughout the game as each will have some time with the ball. Center Back Roman Torres will not play due to an  MLS  Disciplinary Committee violent conduct suspension for his action in last week’s game at Montreal. Gustav Svensson will take over for Torres and Oniel Fisher will start at right back.

Center Back Roman Torres will not play due to an  MLS  Disciplinary Committee violent conduct suspension for his action in last week’s game at Montreal. Gustav Svensson will take over for Torres and Oniel Fisher will start at right back.

THE SOUNDERS WIDE PLAY

Along with smart ball possession and heady defense, the Sounders will try to counter the Red Bulls high press by sending fullbacks  Joevin Jones, and Fisher down the field to create space in the middle of the field for Lodeiro, Dempsey, and Roldan to operate. The three will be looking to get the ball to Jordan Morris inside the Red Bulls goal box.

Seattle Sounders FC steal a point from Montreal Impact

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Will Bruin celebrates goal against Montreal. ( SoundersFC)
Will Bruin celebrates goal against Montreal. ( SoundersFC)

After being down 2-0 late in the second half, the Seattle Sounders FC (0-1-1,1 point) earned a 2-2 tie with the Montreal Impact(0-1-1,1 point) on a goal by Will Bruin in the fourth minute of stoppage time.

 

THE GOOD

The good news for the Seattle Sounders is that after two road games they have shown a resilience to come from behind and have a point to show for one of those never say day die efforts. After being down 2-0 in Houston versus the Dynamo, the Sounders scored a goal to get back in the game but never found the equalizer and lost 2-1. Saturday  night against the Montreal Impact, the Sounders were down 2-0 once again but were able to score two late goals, a Nicolas Lodeiro penalty kick in the 83rd minute and the point stealing Will Bruin stoppage time goal to end the game at 2-2.

THE BAD

The Sounders are showing an inexplicable habit of giving up early goals. While the Rave Greens early offensive efforts were better against the Impact, (the Sounders had chances to score in the 5th and 37th minute) the Sounders gave up goals in the 17th and 51st minute. The grim reality is that the Sounders are playing poor defense.

Goalkeeper Stefan Frei is having to make too many saves, due to a lack of cohesion in the backline. The issue is not talent but communication, center backs Chad Marshall and Roman Torres are two of the best cornerbacks in the game. Left back Joevin Jones continues to improve his man marking while Right back Gustav Svensson is an able replacement for the injured Brad Evans.

The Sounders need to improve their communication so it is clear who is covering the runners that are coming into the box, and how high upfield the team’s defensive line should be. If the Sounders play a high line, Midfielder Cristina Roldan and Ozzie Alonso have to track their players all the way back to the goal. If they fail to do so, the backline will be overmatched in the goal mouth.

Roman Torress marks Montreal's Chris Duvall. ( Sounders FC)
Roman Torress marks Montreal’s Chris Duvall. ( Sounders FC)

If the Sounders defense plays a deep line, that is pack players in the middle and closer to the goal, the backline line will have help with players that a closer to their goal. The drawback is that there will be a lot of players around the goal and anything can happen with so many players around the goal box.

HOMECOMING

The Sounders next three games are at home starting with the MLS trophy roll out celebration next Sunday, March 19th against the New York Red Bulls. While the mere fact of playing at home won’t cure the team’s defensive woes, it will coach Brian Schmetzer and his staff more practice time to build some cohesion between the backline, and the midfielders.

Seattle Sounders FC vs Montreal Impact a battle for midfield supremacy

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Sounders Cristian Roldan. ( Sounder FC)
Sounders Nicolas Lodeiro ( Sounder FC)

When the Seattle Sounders FC take to the pitch Saturday Night ( 4 p.m. PT ) at Stade  Olympique Stadium in Montreal against the Impact, the  ability to control the middle of the pitch , that is win the battle of the middle field will go a long way in determining if the visitors can come away with a favorable result.

With both teams coming off road losses, the Sounders lost 2-1 at Houston and the Impact  1-0 at San Jose, a favorable result is of prime importance on Saturday. One could say Montreal is under a little more pressure to secure all three points since they will be at home and play in front of  35,000 fans.

The pressure on the home team means the visiting Sounders will need to be sharp and ready to go when the opening whistle starts and not allow a quick goal that will have the team chasing the game.  The Sounders are hoping to remember the lesson learned in Houston. The Sounders were down  2-0 at halftime, made a gallant effort to secure a point but fell short with one score goal when two was needed.

 

MIDFIELD BATTLE

The Impact has a prolific offense made up of international players of Italian forward Matteo Mancosu, Argentinian midfielder Ignacio Piatti who played Argentina San Lorenzo, and Ghanaian forward Dominic Oduro. Piatti is the puppet master in the Impact attack and is  similar to Seattle Nicolas Lodeiro in that he his a quick elusive player who can advance the ball up the pitch with his dribbling ability as well as run onto to space to catch up to a pass from a teammate who played the ball into the open space. Both players are like NFL receivers who have to break away speed that enables them to separate from opponents.

Piatti is the puppet master in the Impact attack and is  similar to Seattle Nicolas Lodeiro in that he his a quick elusive player who can advance the ball up the pitch with his dribbling ability as well as run onto to space to catch up to a pass from a teammate who played the ball into the open space. Both players are like NFL receivers who have to break away speed that enables them to separate from opponents.

“Lodeiro is a great player,” Piatti was quoted on the Impacts Media site after the team’s practice on Friday. “He likes to play with the ball and provide assists. In training, we’ve worked on marking him tightly so that he does not make the difference. It’ll be very important for us to do that tomorrow.”

Seattle will have Osvaldo Alonso play his normal disruptor defensive midfield role by tightly marking Piatti in hopes of limiting the craft midfielders touches and time with the ball. Seattle’s other midfielder Cristina Roldan will play alongside Alonso and try to create room for Lodeiro with his speed as he runs from goal box to goal box.

GAME NOTES

  • Former Impact midfield Harry Shipp will make his first return to Montreal after signing with the Sounders during the offseason.
  •  Seattle holds a record of 2-3-0 all-time against Montreal, including a 1-0-0 mark at Olympic Stadium.

Seattle Sounders FC lose 2-1 to Houston Dynamo in season opener.

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Roman Torres ( Sounders FC)
Roman Torres ( Sounders FC)

The Seattle Sounders had the proverbial Championship hangover when they hit the field at BVAA Compass Stadium Stadium Saturday night in their 2017 season opener against the Houston Dynamo.

 

 

Seattle Sounder goalkeeper Stefan Frei made three-goal saving saves in the first seven minutes of the game due to a lethargic backline that was out of sync when it came to on ball marking as well as off ball marking. The culprit was a lack of communication that resulted in  Frei being called to action early and often. While  Gustav Svensson started at right back for the injured Brad Evans the first half backline transgressions were not the fault of just one man. The Dynamo’s new look attack featuring  Erick Torres and Honduran wingers  Romell Quioto and Albert Ellis kept attacking the lethargic Seattle defense and the persistence paid off in the 20th minute when Erik Torres strikes gave the home side a 1-0 lead.

Romell Quito’s superb strike just before halftime double the lead to 2-0 and it looked like the Dynamo were well on their way to routing the defending champions.

SECOND HALF ADJUSTMENTS 

As was the case last year under Brian  Schmetzer the  Sounders were able to regroup during the break and the visitors came out with focus and determination. Clint Dempsey goal in the 58th minute narrowed the gap to 2-1 as Seattle outshot the Dynamo 12-2 the rest of the way but the shooting advantage was of no avail as the Dynamo held on for the win.

 

Seattle Sounders continue preseason with 4-2 loss to Atlanta United

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Sounders Clint Dempsey dribbles the ball upfield ( SoundersFC)
Sounders Clint Dempsey dribbles the ball upfield ( SoundersFC)

The big picture is that the Seattle Sounders have one more tune up after their 4-2 loss to expansion side Atlanta United FC last Wednesday in game two of the three-game  2017 Carolina Challenge Cup. The Sounders might have lost the battle, but the big picture focus this offseason is to integrate of season additions in preparation of a fierce title defense.

Offseason signings Henry Wingo and Will Bruin each found the net in the second half, but Seattle was unable to overcome a four-goal deficit at MUSC Health Stadium in Charleston. The Rave Green complete Challenge Cup play on Saturday, February 25 against Columbus Crew SC (1:30 p.m. PT / Live-streamed on

The Rave Green will complete the  Challenge Cup play on Saturday, February 25 against Columbus Crew SC (1:30 p.m. PT / Live-streamed on SoundersFC.com). The defending MLS Champions will kick off the  MLS regular season Saturday, March against the Houston Dynamo at BBVA Compass Stadium in Houston

In Wednesday’s  first-ever matchup between the Sounders FC and  Atlanta, the  MLS newcomers found two goals within the first three minutes of the contest. Josef Martinez got Atlanta off the blocks early after intercepting an errant pass from Sounders FC guest player Quinton Griffith in Seattle‘s half of the field. Just two minutes later, United midfielder Julian Gressel was bumped inside his own area by Seattle guest player Darrius Barnes, leading to a penalty-kick for Tata Martino’s club. Paraguayan international Miguel Almirón made quick work of the opportunity, doubling Atlanta’s advantage.

Roman Torres ( Sounders FC)
Roman Torres ( Sounders FC)
Atlanta earned a third goal before the halftime whistle, as Argentine winger Hector Villalba got on the scoresheet against the Rave Green in the 21st minute of play. A fourth Atlanta goal was scored in the 47th minute, with Martinez bagging his second of the night via a chip shot over Seattle goalkeeper Bryan Meredith.
Seattle‘s attack finally got going in the 62nd minute, as Wingo combined with Bruin to make the score 1-0. For the Homegrown Player from the University of Washington, the strike was his first professional goal after being whistled offside during a scoring attempt on February 18 versus Charleston.
Gressel was issued two successive yellow cards in the 69th minute, forcing his removal from the contest, giving Atlanta 10 men for the remainder of the match. Sounders FC capitalized in the 75th minute, as Joevin Jones found Bruin on a counter-attack, allowing the target forward to place a header toward Atlanta’s far post and into the back of the net.
Sounders FC captain Osvaldo Alonso made his preseason debut when he came on for Zach Mathers in the 71st minute. Alonso was held from all previous preseason matches while recovering from a late-season knee injury.
MATCH SUMMARY
 
Seattle Sounders FC 2 – Atlanta United FC 4
Wednesday, February 22, 2017
MUSC Health Stadium
Weather: 64 degrees and partly cloudy
 
SCORING SUMMARY
 
ATL – Josef Martinez 1′
ATL – Miguel Almiron (penalty) 3′
ATL – Hector Villalba 21′
ATL – Josef Martinez 46′
SEA – Henry Wingo (Will Bruin) 62′
SEA – Will Bruin (Joevin Jones) 74′
MISCONDUCT SUMMARY
 
SEA – Jordy Delem (caution) 30′
ATL – Leandro Pirez (caution) 36′
ATL – Julian Gressel (caution) 68′
ATL – Julian Gressel (caution, ejection) 69′
SEA – Nico Lodeiro (caution) 84′
ATL – Harrison Heath (caution) 78′
ATL – Kevin Kratz (caution) 78′
LINEUPS & STATS
Seattle Sounders FC – Bryan Meredith; Quinton Griffith (Brian Nana-Sinka HT), Darrius Barnes (Sam Rogers HT, Román Torres 71′), Tony Alfaro (Chad Marshall 71′), Jake Morris (Joevin Jones 71′); Jordy Delem (Cristian Roldan 71′), Zach Mathers (Osvaldo Alonso 71′), Henry Wingo (Alvaro Fernandez 71′), Harry Shipp (Joevin Jones 61′), David Olsen (Clint Dempsey 71′); Seyi Adekoya (Nico Lodeiro 61′)
Total shots: 11
Shots on goal: 4
Corner-kicks: 4
Offside: 0
Saves: 3
 
Atlanta United FC – Alec Kann; Tyrone Mears (Mike Ambrose 85′), Michael Parkhurst (Miles Robinson HT), Leandro Pirez, Greg Garza (Mark Bloom HT); Jeff Larentowicz (Kevin Kratz 61′), Julian Gressel, Hector Villalba (Jacob Peterson 61′), Miguel Almirón (Harrison Heath 61′), Yamil Asad (Andrew Carleton 87′); Josef Martinez (Brandon Vazquez 61′)
Total shots: 11
Shots on goal: 6
Corner-kicks: 8
Offside: 3
Saves: 3

Sounders FC add depth to midfield sign Gustav Svensson

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Sounders players prepare for preseason workouts.( Sounders.Com)
Sounders players prepare for preseason workouts.( Sounders.Com)

Seattle Sounders FC continued their offseason retooling with the club announcing the signing of  Swedish midfielder Gustav Svensson Tuesday afternoon.  The 29-year-old comes to Seattle following a 10-year career in Sweden, Turkey, Ukraine and China, where he most recently played with Guangzhou R&F of the Chinese Super League.

Svensson will join the Sounders in Tucson, Arizona where the Rave Green have begun its preseason workouts sponsored by Adidas. Svensson is expected to bring versatility to a midfield that has seen the acquisition of Harry Shipp and the departures of  Erik Friberg and Andreas Ivanschitz.

The club’s first preseason match coming this Saturday, February 4 against the Portland Timbers at Kino Sports Complex. Sounders FC’s ninth MLS campaign begins on Saturday, March 4 against the Houston Dynamo at BBVA Compass Stadium. 2017 Season Ticket

Memberships, including new seat options in the upper bowl, are still available by calling 877-MLS-GOAL or emailing Sales@SoundersFC.com. Complete information on all Sounders FC ticket packages can be found at SoundersFC.com/Tickets.

Seattle Sounders FC begin Preseason workouts

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Clint Dempsey returns to practice. ( Sounders FC)
Clint Dempsey returns to practice. ( Sounders FC)

The road to a second consecutive MLS title began last Tuesday afternoon at field number three at  Starfire Sports Complex as the Seattle Sounders FC began their preseason workouts. While Rave Greens first regulars season game not until March 4th at the Houston Dynamo, the Sounders will use the upcoming preseason tournaments in Tucson, Arizona, and Charleston  South Carolina to hit the ground running when they take on the Dynamo.

ROSTERMOVES

Every professional team regardless of the league they are in, will always be affected by offseason, retirement, trades, and free agency.  The task of keeping a core group players is twice as difficult if one wins a League Championship. Gone from the Sounders MLS winning side are Hercule Gomez ( retirement) Andreas Ivanschitz ( did not resign ) Nelson Valdez ( declined to resign) and Tyrone Mears ( traded to Atlanta for allocation money). In return  Sounders, General Manager Garth Lagerwey signed forward Wil Bruin from the Houston Dynamo and midfielder Harry Shipp from the Montreal Impact. One surprise addition to the opening workout was Clint Dempsey.

 

SUPER DRAFT

The Sounders selected five players in the 2017 MLS SuperDraft presented by Adidas. The Sounders drafted Brian Nana-Sinkam (No.22 overall) in the first round and Dominic Oduro No.44overal) in the second round.  In the Third Round, the Rave Green grabbed Georgetown midfielder Doug Goodman the 12th selection (56th overall) before taking defender Jake Stovall from Wright State with the 22nd pick (66th overall). Seattle then chose Seattle University defender and Sounders FC Academy product Kyle Bjornethun with the 22nd and final selection of the Fourth Round (88th overall).
TAKEAWAY
The MLS season is one of the longest and most grueling in professional sports. The regular season begins in March and ends in October. That is not counting a long playoff run which the Sounders are expecting to make. The team got younger,  did it get smarter and faster? How will  Shipp and Bruin fit in? Where will be former Center back Brad Evans play once he returns from National team duty? Questions are plentiful which will make for an interesting preseason.

Seattle Sounders FC bolster attack add striker Will Bruin

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Sounders General Garth Lagerwey Manager and President of Soccer ( SoundersFC)
Sounders General Garth Lagerwey Manager and President of Soccer ( SoundersFC)

The Seattle Sounders FC soccer club continued their offseason rebuild Friday morning by acquiring striker  Will Bruin, 27, from the Houston Dynamo in exchange for targeted and general allocation money. On Thursday the Sounders added midfielder Harry Schipp from the Montreal Impact in exchange for general allocation money.

“Will is a known commodity as a consistent goalscorer that we believe can immediately bolster our attack,” said Sounders General Manager and President of Soccer Garth Lagerwey. “Coupled with yesterday’s acquisition of Harry Shipp, we’re excited about the impact that these two young and proven players can bring next season. I see Shipp filling in Ivanschitz’s role, Bruin filling in for Valdez. Evans can cover for Mears if he doesn’t come back.”

According to Lagerwey the team has had conversations with Erik Friberg and Tyrone Mears regarding their return to the team next year.

The addition of the  6-foot-2, 195-pound Bruin will enable Sounders head coach to place  MLS Rookie of the year  Jordan Morris on the wing where he can use his speed and skill to run at defenders. Bruin a proven goal scorer in MLS  has spent his entire six-year career in Houston, amassing 50 goals and 20 assists in 178 regular-season games and another six goals in 13 postseason matches. He tallied four times and added three assists in 18 starts in 2016.

 

Seattle Sounders FC acquire Midfielder Harry Shipp from Montreal Impact

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Seattle Sounders celebrate 2016 MLS Cup victory. ( SoundersFC)
Seattle Sounders celebrate 2016 MLS Cup victory. ( SoundersFC)

The message sent from the Seattle Sounders FC acquisition of Montreal Impact midfielder  Harry Shipp  Thursday night is that the team aims to keep its word of pursuing a second MLS Cup and adding a second star to the team logo. During the team’s victory rally at the Seattle Center last week,  the team added one star to the team logo after winning the 2016  MLS Cup Owner Adrian  Hanauer was quoted as saying we need to have more than just one star.

The Sounders are a little thin in the midfield at the moment  after declining contract 2017 renewals on Erik Friberg and Andreas Ivanschitz. Shipp is a strong and study attacking center midfielder who can also attack from the wings.”We’re very excited to add a talented young player like Harry to our roster,” said Sounders general manager & president of soccer Garth Lagerwey in a team statement. “He’s a proven contributor in this league and someone who we think will be a great addition to the locker room as we build off of an MLS Cup-winning season.”

“We’re very excited to add a talented young player like Harry to our roster,” said Sounders general manager & president of soccer Garth Lagerwey in a team statement. “He’s a proven contributor in this league and someone who we think will be a great addition to the locker room as we build off of an MLS Cup-winning season.”

Shipp, 25, has played three seasons in MLS to date, making 93 MLS regular season appearances, first with hometown club Chicago Fire from 2014-15, and then this past season with the Impact. In all, he’s scored 12 goals and added 17 assists in league play.

ROAD WARRIORS
Major League Soccer on Wednesday announced that the Sounders will open next season against the Houston Dynamo at BBVA Compass Stadium on Saturday, March 4 at 5:30 pm. PT. Broadcast information will be released on a later date.

The Sounders will also play on the road in Week 2 against the Montreal Impact on March 11 at 4 p.m. PT before hosting their home opener at CenturyLink Field against the New York Red Bulls on Sunday, March 19. Kick off for the home opener is scheduled for 4 p.m. PT.

The Sounders will play their first two games on the road next year due to scheduled infrastructure improvements to CenturyLink Field. MLS is expected to announce the full schedule for all 22 teams in January.