World Soccer from a Seattle View

Sounders Have Saturday Hopetasm!

2010-09-11T20:38:00.000-07:00

Los Angeles won the battle at the top of the table by beating Columbus Crew 3-1 at the Home Depot. Dema Kovalenko, Jovan Kirovski added scores to an Edson Buddle opener.

Philadelphia Union secured their first clean sheet of their MLS life when they beat Chicago Fire 1-0. Seb Le Toux scored the winner in the 36th minute. Brad Knighton in goal made four saves.

In other good news for those chasing the play-off slots, Colorado Rapids lost 3-1 at New York and Toronto crashed at home to DC United, with Julius James scoring late in the game.

Thierry Henry, Tim Ream and Dane Richards were on target for New York.

Kansas City, Seattle and San Jose who drew 0-0 with Dallas are the main beneficiaries.

Saturday
Toronto FC 0 : 1 D.C. United
New York 3 : 1 Colorado
Philadelphia 1 : 0 Chicago
San Jose 0 : 0 Dallas
LA Galaxy 3 : 1 Columbus

Friday
Chivas 2 : 0 New England

MLS FULL TABLE (9/11/2010)

Points per game used as tiebreaker

		P	W	D	L	GD	PTS
1	LA Galaxy (W1)	24	14	5	5	19	47
2	Real Salt Lake (W2)	24	12	8	4	21	44
3	Columbus Crew (E1)	24	13	5	6	11	44
4	FC Dallas	23	10	11	2	11	41
5	New York (E2)	24	12	4	8	5	40
6	Colorado Rapids	23	9	7	7	5	34
7	San Jose	22	9	6	7	0	33
8	Sounders FC	24	9	6	9	-3	33
9	Toronto FC	24	7	7	10	-5	28
10	Kansas City	22	7	6	9	-5	27
11	Chicago Fire	22	6	8	8	-2	26
12	Chivas USA	23	7	4	12	-6	25
13	New England Revs	23	7	3	13	-13	24
14	Philadelphia Union	23	6	6	11	-11	24
15	Houston Dynamo	23	6	5	13	-11	23
16	DC United	24	5	3	16	-20	18

Sounders GM Speaks German

2009-04-06T17:18:00.000-07:00

Sounders General Manager Answers Questions in German Fluently Ich bin ein Seattler! At the recent successful America Scores Seattle fundraising event at Kells, we took the opportunity to catch up with Adrian Hanauer to hear his views on the progress Sounders FC has made thus far. We'll have more of his candid and open views later but for now, we wanted to pass on something a little unique. The Sounders General Manager, or the Sounders Geschäftsführer, as he will henceforth probably not be known, was happy to answer questions in German to our staff. Surprisingly at ease and fluent, he told us that Brian Schmetzer's German was in fact better than his and told us of his father's roots in Stuttgart, although Adrian himself is Seattle born and bred. In the English part of the interview, Hanauer talks of things that didn't quite go as planned, if there are certain players whose great start makes him feel especially proud and why he didn't bother to gloat at the scepticism of the English tabloids when Freddie Ljungberg took the field. Listen to him here In playing our part in helping Sounders FC create a truly international franchise, Prost Amerika is proud to bring coverage of Sounders FC to a global audience on our Sounders International page which contains the match by match player reviews for Kasey Keller in German, and Jhon Hurtado, Fredy Montero and Osvaldo Alonso in Spanish. There are also sound files of Sigi Schmid in German, Osvaldo Alonso in Spanish and Seb Le Toux in French, all talking Sounders.

Champions Humbled by Sounders Victims

2009-04-03T13:59:00.000-07:00

Robbie Findley made Salt Lake history by netting the club's first ever hat-tick in a 4-1 drubbing of Columbus Crew. The MLS Champions are now without a win in their first three games. 11,806 turned out at Rio Tinto Stadium, on a cold, wet Thursday night, probably not assisted by live television coverage. Robbie Findley, who had such a mediocre game in Seattle, scored three goals starting as early as the second minute. Although Jason Garey equalised for Columbus in the first half, Findley restored the lead on the half hour. Disappointingly for RSL, start midfielder Kyle Beckerman picked up another yellow card. Just after the hour mark, Findley cut his slice of soccer history when a Movsisyan cross allowed him time and space to shoot past the helpless Will Hesmer. Beckerman netted the fourth in a match RSL dominated, outshooting their opponents 17 to 8. US International Frankie Hejduk was missing for Columbus who provided more players for international sides than any other MLS club over the preceding weekend. For RSL, these three points open their account, but Columbus now have to head to Los Angeles on Sunday to play Chivas USA, boasting a 100% record after two wins.

USA v Grenada in Seattle on July 4th

2009-04-02T09:40:00.000-07:00

Canada and Jamaica to Kick off Gold Cup CONCACAF Gold Cup Brings USA to Seattle on July 4th and Canada Kick off Tournament April 2 In a press conference still going on, the draw was announced for the 2009 CONCACAF GOLD Cup. Qwest Field will host USA v Grenada and Haiti v Honduras on July 4th. The competition will kick odd at the Home Depot Center in Los Angeles on 3 July when Canada and Jamaica meet followed by Costa Rica and El Salvador, and end with the final on July 26th at Giants Stadium. Mexico will anchor Group C, which will begin in San Francisco on July 5 with Panama facing Guadeloupe and El Tri playing Nicaragua. CONCACAF General Secretary Chuck Blazer will unveil the three four-team groups for the 2009 Gold Cup, the confederation’s showpiece event for men’s national teams that crowns the regional champion. 12 Teams in 13 Cities in 2009 The 2009 CONCACAF Gold Cup™ will be played in a record 13 different US cities, opening at The Home Depot Center in Los Angeles on 3 July and concluding with the championship match 26 July at Giants Stadium in New Jersey. The venues are Gillette Stadium, Boston (Foxborough, Massachusetts); Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia,; Dallas Cowboys New Stadium, Dallas (Arlington, Texas); Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum, San Francisco (Oakland); Soldier Field, Chicago; Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium (RFK), Washington; FIU Stadium, Miami; Qwest Field, Seattle; Columbus Crew Soccer News Topics Stadium, Columbus, Ohio; Reliant Stadium, Houston; Giants Stadium, New York (East Rutherford, New Jersey); University of Phoenix Stadium, Phoenix (Glendale, Arizona); and The Home Depot Center, Los Angeles (Carson, California). Full Schedule of Matches

Henry Kissinger Joins USA World Cup Bid Committee

2009-03-31T11:04:00.000-07:00

Controversial Former Secretary of State is a Known Football Fan March 31 In a move that may be more controversial than the USSF would hope, USA Soccer President Sunil Gulati announced on Monday that former Secretary of State Henry A. Kissinger has accepted an invitation to join the USA Bid Committee and help drive the country’s bid for the 2018 or 2022 FIFA World Cup. Will Dr. Kissinger be an Asset? Kissinger is a German-born American political scientist who has won the Nobel Peace Prize. He served as National Security Advisor and later concurrently as Secretary of State in the Nixon administration, and was a frequent visitor to the Bush White House. However admired he may be inside US political circles, his reputation in other countries is very different. In 2001, he had to flee Paris after being served with a summons to appear in front of Judge Roger Le Loire, who was investigating the death and disappearance of five French citizens during the rule of General Pinochet in Chile. Mr Kissinger was visiting Paris when police delivered a summons to the Ritz, where he was staying, asking him to present himself at the Palais de Justice. Kissinger has Controversial Image Abroad - Full Article

Sounders Hold Another Charity Event

2009-03-30T16:09:00.000-07:00

SeattleSCORES Event at Kells March 31st

Help the Sounders FC Raise Money for Seattle SCORES!

March 30

Head Coach Sigi Schmid, General Manager Adrian Hanauer and forward Nate Jaqua will be at Kells Irish Restaurant & Pub as they answer questions on all things Sounders FC @ 6:15 PM.

The last SeattleSCORES event raised over $3000 for their soccer and literacy program. Gary Wright, Senior Vice President of Business Operations. for the Sounders and a Member of the Seattle SCORES Board said, “These events are a great way for the club – our players, coaches and management – to reach out on a regular basis and meet with the fans . At the same time, it raises money and awareness for one of our community partners, Seattle Scores.”

A $5 suggested donation is the admission fee (CASH OR CHECK) to Seattle SCORES at the door. This includes one ticket for the Sounders FC Raffle, where you can win two tickets to a Sounders FC home game or a signed Nate Jaqua mini-soccer ball. There will be a silent auction to win a Sébastien Le Toux autographed jersey!

Soon All America Will Score!

Seattle SCORES is undergoing a rebranding exercise and will soon change its name to America SCORES Seattle.

We asked Jake Witt, Program Manager of SeattleSCORES, what he hoped to get out of this next event. “By holding our successful Happy Hour event with the Sounders FC at Kells, America SCORES Seattle (formerly called Seattle SCORES) will continue to embrace the soccer community. It’s been great seeing so many excited fans coming out to meet the Sounders, learn about our organization and check out the great prize drawings. The Sounders are 2-0 and we hope that the fans’ enthusiasm will continue translating into charitable giving that helps our organization bring the world’s game to underserved youth in the Seattle area. We raised more than our goal at the last event and hope to do so at Kells.”

Sounders Change DC United Kick off Time

2009-03-30T16:08:00.001-07:00

Match with D.C. United Will Start at 7.30 pm PT

March 30

Seattle Sounders FC announced today that the team’s kickoff time for the June 17 match against D.C. United has been moved to 7.30 pm PT.

The game at the Xbox Pitch at Qwest Field will be aired live on ESPN2.

When Will the English Media Ever Learn?

2009-03-25T16:49:00.000-07:00

Patrick Barclay Demonstrates Why it's Not Just Their Neighbours That Enjoy English Failure

March 25

With just one win in the history of the World Cup, that playing all their matches at home, added to a history of repeated failure in the European version of the tournament, one might forgive the English if they saw themselves as an average football nation, akin to Sweden or USSR. After consecutive dismissals by Portugal in Finals, a nation with a third of the population and a hopelessly uncompetitive league, you might think even the most jingoistic English supporter would have cause for introspection. After finally admitting that they need a foreign manager for their international team to match the monopoly foreigners have at their top clubs, implicitly recognising that all footballing wisdom does not rest on their 'scepter'd isle', you may think that only the least responsible rabble rousing tabloids would resort back to the foolishness and bravado that has scarred their reputation as an international sports media. After finally failing to qualify for a Finals, Euro 2008, despite being handed their traditional easy draw, ...... well you get the point and I've probably already over-laboured it. Well you'd be wrong. In yesterday's (London) Times, no less than Senior Football Correspondent Patrick Barclay has penned an article entitled, "England can win the 2010 World Cup". Yes. Really. He cycles through a few reasons as supporting evidence, including that the weather might be nice in South Africa, thus implicitly suggesting only the heat has been England's enemy in the past. Bizarrely he cites a win over Denmark in a cooler climate as proof. How the Danes must have lost their natural advantage when the tropical heat of Nagita was cooled by a downpour! Without the beating sun of their native Denmark, they must have wilted. Full article with clues of author's bias!

2009-03-25T16:05:00.000-07:00

Greece v Israel Double Header Will Decide Group

March 23

Sport's greatest tournament restarts this weekend as more qualification matches for the 2010 World Cup take place. Prost Amerika will be looking at the key matches in our comprehensive preview, starting with the slugfest that is Europe. The European sides are divided into 9 Groups and the winners of each will qualify for South Africa. 8 of the best 9 runners-up will play each other to join them. This week, we'll be looking at the games group by group, starting with Groups 1 and 2. Group 2: In a totally different scenario from Group 1, where several strong sides will probably see nothing resolved this week, am embarrassingly weak Group 2 might reach its crescendo very early. Problems for FIFA if Israel Qualify?

2009-03-25T16:02:00.000-07:00

Crunch Time for the Plucky Irish in Close Group Four Sides on Seven Points Chase Slovakia March 24 In a wide open group, four games over the next week could close some doors, or more likely decide nothing. Slovakia are best placed having beaten Northern Ireland and Poland but lost in Slovenia. They will have to improve on that away form, starting in the Sparta Stadium when they visit fierce local rivals Czech Republic. Slovakia and the Czech Republic made up the former Czechoslovakia and while political relations are very good, the sporting rivalry is intense after their famed ‘Velvet Divorce’. First the Czechs visit Slovenia (which used to be part of Yugoslavia) on Saturday. Both, like Poland, have seven points from four games, an average record which won’t see you get even a second place but somebody’s got to improve on it if they all keep playing each other. Can Plucky Irish Pull it Off?

MLS Represented as Wales and Finland Battle for Second Place

2009-03-25T15:59:00.000-07:00

Germany Almost There and Russians May Bag Second March 25 Germany could put their qualification beyond doubt with an easy win against minnows Liechtenstein and a victory in Wales the following Wednesday. Even if not, it is surely only a matter of time before Joachim Löw’s side are penned into the list of qualifiers. Even a draw in Cardiff would be less than bothersome, but that could be fatal for Wales. Since this draw was made, it’s always been about second place with Russia (and Chelsea’s) Guus Hiddink, Stuart Baxter’s Finland and John Toshack’s Wales all competing for that play-off spot. Wales, Russia and Finland Slug it Out for Second

Milan, Inter, Chelsea and Club America to Participate

2009-03-25T15:58:00.001-07:00

USA to Host International Tournament March 24 Foxborough, MA will become very Italian on July 26 when it hosts a Milan derby between Internazionale and AC Milan. This is part of a four-club tournament that also includes Chelsea and Mexico’s Club America. Five other cities will host games, Stanford Stadium in California, Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Atlanta’s Georgia Dome, M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore, and the Dallas Cowboy’s New Arena in Arlington, half way between Dallas and Fort Worth. World Football Challenge Fixtures and More

16 MLS Players on International Duty

2009-03-25T15:56:00.000-07:00

12 to Play in Key World Cup Qualifiers March 25 A total of 16 MLS players will be representing their country in international matches this weekend. The biggest contingent of course will travel to the Estadio Cuscatlan in San Salvador to play for Bob Bradley’s USA in the North American qualifying group. Of those, four of that five, Brian Ching, Landon Donovan, Frankie Hejduk and Sacha Kljestan started in the 2-0 win over Mexico. Others starring in the World Cup are Toronto’s Amado Guevara for Honduras, and Carlo Robinson for Wales. Venezuela, Costa Rica and Mali, for whom Chicago Fire’s Bakary Soumare plays, are the other countries receiving MLS help. Full list (sans Beckham)

Nyassi to Make Charity Appearance

2009-03-25T15:55:00.000-07:00

Sounders Community Efforts Part of Club Mission March 25 As part of Sounders FC’s continuing mission to expand their community involvment, Sanna Nyassi will make an appearance at Cherry Crest Elementary School in Bellevue to take part in a “Nothing but Nets” workshop on Monday March 30. The “Nets” program helps pay for much needed bed nets for refugees in Africa keeping mosquitos away and helping prevent the spread of malaria. Cherry Crest Elementary was already involved with their own “Nothing but Nets” fund raiser and now Sanna and the Sounders FC have joined in to make the fund raising effort even better. Sanna will be attending that day to be part of a youth workshop put on by NBN and the school will present a check to that organization prior to the game versus Real Salt Lake on Saturday night. Sounders Join anti-malaria campaign

Schmid Teases Ljungberg Appearance

2009-03-25T15:54:00.000-07:00

Will Freddie Play? Vote in Our Poll. March 24 Sigi Schmid has talked of the possibility of Freddie Ljungberg obtaining a place as a substitute on Saturday when Real Salt Lake visit Qwest Field. “Today was a good day of training for him. We really tried to push him fitness wise today, letting him play as a neutral player and keep him out there for about six, seven minutes straight. We’ll see now how he feels as he goes into Wednesday, Thursday. For us, this is the weekend that he should be able to be in our 18, and then the minutes depend how the game go,” he said. More quotes and poll results

Sounders Sign Kevin Forrest

2009-03-25T15:53:00.000-07:00

Speedy Striker is Also Local Boy March 24 Forrest Battles for Seattle Sounders against Vancouver Last Season Forrest Battles for Seattle Sounders against Vancouver Last Season Another former Seattle Sounder has signed onto the MLS version, Sounders FC. Striker Kevin Forrest is a University of Washington (UW) graduate who was the PAC 10 Player of the Year in 2006. He has been added to the official roster as a Developmental player. More details

Permanent Link to Parke Seems Certain to Join Sounders

2009-03-25T15:50:00.000-07:00

Draft Pick Tried Belgium but Would be First Available against Chivas USA March 23 Having rejected Anderlecht and K.V. Mechelen earlier this year, central defender Jeff Parke is set to become a Seattle Sounder. Four months ago, Parke was chosen by Sounders FC in the expansion draft. Contract talks with him were discontinued shortly thereafter when he decided to try and continue his career in Belgium’s Jupiler League. Two months after that, Parke has finally arrived back in Seattle after opting to not pursue those opportunities. He’s the only expansion draftee without a contract with MLS, which signs players on behalf of its teams. As reported here, Parke played in last Friday’s reserve game for Seattle. Along with 32,523 others he then saw his former teammates, the New York Red Bulls, lose 3-0 to the Sounders. “I made the decision to co ...

Vancouver Salutes Victorious Sounders

2009-03-25T15:49:00.000-07:00

Whitecaps Take Time out from Partying to Acknowledge Sounders Win March 23 In a statement on their website, the Canadian club offered the following good wishes: Caps Hold The Cascadia Cup Whitecaps Hold The Cascadia Cup “Vancouver Whitecaps FC wish to congratulate Seattle Sounders FC on a successful start to their inaugural season in Major League Soccer. It was an excellent start for the league’s 15th and newest club, with Vancouver excited by the prospect of renewing our rivalry with our Interstate 5 neighbours after being awarded an MLS expansion franchise for the 2011 season. Seattle’s result also adds to a fine week for soccer in the Pacific Northwest, as Portland, Oregon, were formally announced as the 18th team to join MLS on Friday. Full Story

Sounders Comings and Goings

2009-03-25T15:48:00.000-07:00

Plus News from the Training Room March 23 Several guests have been training with the Sounders this week. Goalkeeper Jordan Jennings, midfielder Ely Allen and former Kevin Forrest, join Jeff Parke who played for the reserves and Ben Dragavon who sat on the bench on Thursday as the official non-roster invitees. The Full List of Players Training: Goalkeepers (4): Ben Dragavon*, Chris Eylander, Jordan Jennings*, Kasey Keller; Defenders (10): Evan Brown, Taylor Graham, Jhon Kennedy Hurtado, Patrick Ianni, Tyrone Marshall, Jeff Parke*, Midfielders (8): Ely Allen*, Osvaldo Alonso, Brad Evans, Stephen King, Sebastien Le Toux, Freddie Ljungberg, Sanna Nyassi; Peter Vagenas; Forwards (5): Kevin Forrest*, Nate Jaqua, Roger Levesque, Fredy Montero, Jarrod Smith+, Steve Zakuani. Training Room Report and More

Sounder Called up on International Duty

2009-03-25T15:46:00.000-07:00

Smith but Not Montero Selected

Forward Jarrod Smith was called up to the New Zealand squad for a friendly with Thailand in Bangkok this Saturday. Smith is currently on the injured reserve list while recovering from a hip-flexor strain. He had played for the Seattle reserves on March 20, but had not appeared in any preseason matches. Smith has earned 13 caps for New Zealand in the past.

Full Story

2009-03-25T15:44:00.000-07:00

Austin Aztex 1 : 3 Real Salt Lake

Sounders Next Opponents Successful in Final Warm-up

March 23

Although Real Salt Lake had no MLS fixture on the opening weekend of the MLS Season, that doesn’t mean they weren’t active. They flew the Austin Aztex, the USL Club who took Seattle’s place in the league, up from Texas for an exhibition. RSL won 3-1 with goals from Jamison Olave, Yura Movsisyan and Javier Morales. The Aztex had already beaten defending MLS Cup champion Columbus Crew 2-0 and drawn 2-2 with Houston Dynamo.

Defender Kieron Bernard scored for the side from the Texas capital. Real Salt Lake play Sounders FC in Seattle this Saturday at 7.30 pm Pacific Time. The latest RSL injury report lists Robbie Russell as questionable and Nat Borchers, Ian Joy and Tino Nuñez as probable.

Full story

Sounders v Bulls - Player by Player Review

2009-03-23T20:51:00.000-07:00

KASEY KELLER: Kasey had a quieter night than he could have dreamed of. He clutched one corner confidently out of the air and then made two saves, from Rojas and Kandji, but to his credit he described them later as regulation saves. The smooth performances of Marshall and Hurtado in front of him ensured Angel would not spoil Kasey’s debut for this club with a goal. 7 ZACH SCOTT: Zach did not look out of place at this level. Faced with a five man midfield, Zach stood his ground well and there was no flurry of crosses from his wing to trouble Kasey and the central defenders. The last three weeks must have been like a whirlwind for this player, but yes, Zach is an MLS player, and deserves to be where he is on this performance. 7 JHON KENNEDY HURTADO: “Mr President” would have thoroughly enjoyed giving Colombian legend Juan Angel a torrid night. Given the job of marking the ‘one’ in Osorio’s 4-5-1, Hurtado looked elegant and in control of his task at all times. If tonight is any indication, Hurtado will be a rock at the centre of Sounders defence this season. 8

TYRONE MARSHALL: Marshall took on the role of marshalling (sorry) the defence partly due to Hurtado’s marking of Angel, and partly due to Hurtado’s current lack of English. In bringing two inexperienced full backs through the occasion, Marshall gets great marks. He also took on the role of picking up the midfielder galloping forward to assist Angel. He did both tasks extremely well but New York’s relatively pedestrian offence made it harder to ascertain how well he’ll cope in later games. But so far, so good. 7.5

JAMES RILEY: James coped well with his beat and very little threat came down his wing. He continually harried the Red Bulls midfield and will look back on a job well done. 7

OSVALDO ALONSO: An outstanding MLS debut which earned our Man of the Match Award. Ossie tackled like a tiger, harried the five man Bulls midfield continually and passed the ball creatively to set up attacking options. Alonso was everywhere on the field and thanks to him, many of the players who may have been nervous had very comfortable beginnings. If there was any man who held the bridge between the back four and the front two, it was Alonso. A great MLS debut and a fantastic signing for the Sounders from Charleston. 9

BRAD EVANS: Rest of the Sounders team and rankings

A Woman's Voice - Part Two

2009-03-23T20:48:00.000-07:00

In a regular feature on Prost Amerika, we will attempt to redress the gender balance in Seattle’s soccer journalistic community. Prost Amerika will search the Pacific Northwest for the best women writers to bring you their views and articles on all things affecting soccer, both here and internationally. Kara McDermott spent the 2008 season, working in the media relations department of the USL Seattle Sounders. There she obtained a unique insight into how a soccer club runs behind the scenes and will be a regular contributor to “A Woman’s Voice”. In the introductory article, Kara introduced this feature by explaining what “A Woman’s Voice” will be about and why it is important for fans of both genders to read what women have to say. In her second article Kara talks about match day and the conflicting emotions that surrounded her experience on the big day. Kara McDermott Relives Her Big Day: Marching, Men and Montero New Era - New Role It has been two years since I attended a Sounders match as a fan. I spent the last season interning in the front office and am fairly certain that besides the amazing experience I had tailing around the Sounders for their last season in the USL, I also shaved off a few years of my life forcing myself not to cheer in the press box whenever we scored. Thus, March 19th was a personal inauguration for me, as well as a historic first meeting on the pitch for our lads. The day before the opener I graduated from UW, the day after was my birthday. I’ll probably lose the diploma and throw away the birthday cards, but I plan on eccentrically displaying my scarf for the rest of my life. It was presented to me by my fellow season ticket holder, and partner in crime (in this case first degree ogling of male soccer players), Audrey Gervasi. I stroked it between my hands and admired the thickness, the greenness, and the words “Inaugural Season Ticket Holder” woven above the fringe. Whole Article

Sounders FC 3 : 0 New York Red Bulls

2009-03-20T07:58:00.000-07:00

Sounders FC 3 (Montero 12, 75; Evans 25) : 0 New York Red Bulls March 19 32,523 people gathered today and saw history, as goals from Fredy Montero (12th and 75th minutes) and Brad Evans who made it 2-0 in the 25th ensured Sounders FC started off their story with a victory and three points. The Red Bulls were MLS runners-up last year but couldn’t cope with the pace of Montero and the sheer emotion of the occasion. Outstanding performances arose from all areas of the park with Osvaldo Alonso at defensive midfield, having an excellent MLS debut against a New York side missing up to five probable regular starters, including new acquisition Albert Celades, Alfredo Pacheco, Carlos Johnson and Khano Smith. Full Match Report

Roger Levesque Makes his MLS Dream Come True

2009-03-15T08:00:00.000-07:00

Hard Work Pays off for Seattle Sounders Favourite

Hard working fan legend Roger Levesque has got his MLS contract. Seattle's soccer community is celebrating with him this morning. Roger Levesque is a Sounder again. Although the club has not officially announced it, there is now no doubt that both Roger Levesque and left back Zach Scott will be MLS players this season. Full Story and More on Zach Scott.

Bayern Win 12-1 as English Clubs Dominate

2009-03-11T08:24:00.000-07:00

Chelsea and Liverpool Go Through

Having lost the home leg 5-0 in Lisbon, nobody was expecting FC Sporting to go through. What may not have been expected was the complete capitulation in Munich. After losing 7-1 to Bayern, making the aggregate 12-1, Sporting have set all kinds of unwanted records.

English Juggernaut Rolls on

Juventus and Real Madrid are two of the greatest names in European football history. They are both out of the Champions League as Chelsea and Liverpool did more than enough to eliminate them. Liverpool thrashed a tepid Madrid side 4-0 at Anfield having won 1-0 in the Bernabeau. Chelsea secured a comfortable 2-2 draw there with Michael Essien scoring the vital away goal on his first game back after injury. Full Round-up and Preview

Milan and LA Reach Agreement in Beckham Saga

2009-03-08T18:19:00.000-07:00

Hard to Say Who's Come out of This Looking Worst The European Voice of Seattle Soccer Speaks out After prolonged negotiations between Milan and LA Galaxy, to whom Beckham was under contract, an agreement has finally been reached between the Major League Soccer club and the Serie A giants. The England international will stay at the San Siro until the end of the Italian league season. Beckham also said he will become an owner of an MLS franchise once his playing career ends. Hopefully MLS and their TV partners will not treat us like idiots by hyping up his arrival. Some have already said he shouldn’t bother appearing at all. Read the full article on Prost Amerika

World Soccer as Seen from Seattle

2009-03-06T15:41:00.000-08:00

Please click on the links on the right to read our automatically updated latest football stories, as told from the unique perspective of Seattle. We will now be bringing you all the latest on the big friendly between Sounders FC and Chelsea on July 18th, plus our usual EPL and Sounders coverage. Look out for more big name interviews coming soon. Feel free to comment on any of the stories you've read on Prost Amerika here. For Sounders FC discussion, we recommend the chatboards of both GOALSeattle.com and weareecs.com

GOVERNOR GREGOIRE INTERVIEW

2009-03-05T15:10:00.000-08:00

Governor Christine Gregoire was a welcome guest at Columbia Tower in November 2007, when the MLS held the press conference that made the award of an MLS franchise to Seattle official. With two daughters who are devoted to the beautiful game, she proudly described herself as a “soccer mom”. With exactly two weeks to go until the kick off of Seattle’s MLS odyssey, Prost Amerika interviewed the Governor to get her views on soccer, stimulus packages and her staunch belief in Washington State’s tourist industry. Christine Gregoire Interview

Lippi Hits out at Foreigners at English Clubs

2009-03-05T13:19:00.000-08:00

Italy coach Marcello Lippi has played down the battle between English and Italian clubs in the Champions League this season by claiming that the Premier League sides aren't actually English. The 2006 World Cup Winning Italy manager told a foreign press meeting that he believes the Italian teams can progress in the Champions League against their 'international' opponents. Three Italian clubs failed to notch a single goal in their matches against EPL opposition. Juventus and AS Roma lost 1-0 away against Chelsea and Arsenal respectively while Inter Milan were held 0-0 at home by Manchester United. The results have brought in a wave of negativity in Italy as many are predicting all three will be eliminated after the second legs. So Lippi decided to have a go at the nationalities of the players and state that the real England v Italy battle takes place at a higher level. “Chelsea, Manchester (United) and Arsenal, like Liverpool, don’t represent English football. But instead, like in other countries, that of globalised football where the owners, coaches and the majority of players are not English. The true clash between the two (English and Italian) is only between the national teams.” Full Story and Run Down of EPL Top Four

Sakuda May Make Montréal Debut in Champions League

2009-03-05T12:53:00.001-08:00

Former Sounder to Start at Right Back Kevin Sakuda’s life has been a bit of a whirlwind recently. If you pardon the continuation of the meteorological references, that whirlwind lands tonight in Torreón, in the Mexican state of Coahuila when he will makehis Montréal Impact debut in the CONCACAF Champions League. The young right back finds himself drafted into action immediately for a game that is of immense importance to both the Impact themselves and the perception of the USL. It’s all happened very quickly for him. “It’s been a whirlwind. After being released from Seattle I was in talks with Minnesota, Portland, and Austin. In my head, I thought I would end up at one of those clubs. Then Monday, I got a call from Nick Desantis from Montréal. By Thursday I was signed and on Friday on a plane to meet the team in Houston. It’s all happened so quickly, but I am looking forward to the change and am excited about being a part of such a great organization” L’Impact lead 2-0 from the first leg in Québec and must have taken some inspiration from Puerto Rico Islanders’ great win in Honduras last night. Full story

Hull, Spurs Profit as Doom Increases for Southgate

2009-03-05T12:51:00.001-08:00

Manchester Plough on but There’s Drama at the Bottom of the Table There were wins for Stoke, West Ham, Hull City, Tottenham and both Manchester clubs on a busy Wednesday of EPL Football. Manucho scored an injury time winner for Hull at Fulham to create the upset of the night and reverse Hull’s plummet towards the bottom of the table. Carlton Cole scored a 34th minute winner for the Hammers at Wigan, before being sent off three minutes later. Manchester United came back from a goal down to win 2-1 at Newcastle, and Martin O’Neill’s woes continued as Aston Villa were comprehensively outplayed at Manchester City. This and other EPL stories here

Sounders put Jarrod Smith Put on Disabled List

2009-03-05T12:49:00.000-08:00

Forward Will Miss First Six Games Sounders FC have announced today that forward Jarrod Smith has been placed on the injured list due to a hip flexor injury. As a result, Smith is required to miss the first six games of the season. He is eligible to return to league play for the May 2 game at Chicago, although he can train with the team and play in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup play-in scheduled for April 28. This and other Sounders stories here

River Plate 1 : 0 Seattle Sounders

2009-03-05T09:39:00.000-08:00

Sounders Fail to Hit the Net for the First Time Sounders FC were held scoreless for the first time in ten preseason games, and lost 1-0 to a Damien Lizio goal in the 84th minute on Thursday in Buenos Aires. Sigi Schmid again changed the entire line-up at half time and inserted a second string for the final 45 minutes. The loss ended a five-game unbeaten run (4-0-1) and the team went 2-1-1 in Argentina. Full Story Scoring Summary RIV-Lizio (Lossano) 84’ Seattle Sounders FC Line-ups (4-4-2): First Half: Kasey Keller; Zach Scott, Tyrone Marshall, Jhon Kennedy Hurtado, James Riley; Sebastien Le Toux, Brad Evans, Osvaldo Alonso, Sanna Nyassi; Nate Jaqua, Fredy Montero Second Half: Chris Eylander; Sebastian Brunet, Tyson Wahl, Patrick Ianni, Evan Brown; Ely Allen, Ryan Caugherty, Stephen King, Jeff Clark; Michael Fucito, Roger Levesque

Dynamo Out- But Hope for Islanders and Montreal Impact

2009-03-04T11:40:00.001-08:00

Atlante Ends US Interest in Champions League Atlante (Mexico) 3 : 0 Houston Dynamo - Full Time Round up Houston Dynamo exited the CONCACAF Champions League tamely after going down 3-0 in Cancun, to exit the cup 1-4 on aggregate. Goals from Fernando Navarro and Rafael Marquez Lugo in the first half put the tie beyond Houston's reach before Giancarlo Maldonado added a third in the final minute. Montréal Impact travel to Torreón, Mexico with former Sounder Kevin Sakuda in their squad to defend a 2-0 lead gained at the Olympic Stadium last week while Cruz Azul defend a 1-0 first leg lead at UNAM. The winners of the Impact v Santos game will play Atlante in the semi-final. Puerto Rico with former Whitecap Nick Addlery play CD Marathón in Honduras on Thursday. WEDNESDAY 4th Marathón (Honduras) v Puerto Rico Islanders (1:2) (5pm Pacific) UNAM (Mexico) v Cruz Azul (Mexico) (0:1) (7pm Pacific) THURSDAY 5th Santos Laguna (Mexico) v Montréal Impact (0:2) (7pm Pacific)

Spurs, Boro, Newcastle and Man U in Big games Today

2009-03-04T11:34:00.000-08:00

7 EPL Games Today Could Simplify or Confuse Picture There are seven EPL fixtures today with the results perhaps having an impact on the relegation zone, more than at the top. The most intriguing match is the clash at the White Hart Lane where Gareth Southgate's Middlesbrough visit Tottenham Hotspur. Boro are 18th on 26 points, just inside the relegation zone, whereas Spurs who were forced to play extra time in the League Cup final on Sunday, are just two points ahead. Boro had been on a terrible streak of results but beat Liverpool last week, and may be confident of dragging a tired Spurs side back into the relegation quagmire. A Spurs victory would beat some daylight between them and the drop-zone, so the result is crucial for both sides. Tottenham captain Ledley King will miss the game against Middlesbrough at White Hart Lane in order to rest his knee but Middlesbrough have an unchanged squad following their Liverpool win. Three games involve a relegation threatened side playing a team in mid table. At Ewood Park, Blackburn Rovers face Davie Moyes' Everton. Blackburn are just outside the relegation zone on goal difference and Everton are pursuing Arsenal for fifth place. Reserve keeper Jason Brown is poised to play for Rovers if Paul Robinson's shoulder keeps him out. For Everton (known as th Toffees), Victor Anichebe, Mikel Arteta, Tony Hibbert, Nuno Valente, James Vaughan and Yakubu. Fulham entertain Hull City who are slipping down the table fast. Hull are the only club without a Premier League so far this year and have not won in 11 league games. The Cottagers are undefeated in their last nine home league games. Hull haven't won away for the same length of time. Fulham will be without Chris Baird but have full-back John Pantsil back from suspension. Midfielder Dean Marney, who was sent off against Blackburn, and defender Andy Dawson are both suspended. Stoke City play Bolton Wanderers in the third of the games affecting the bottom of the table. Stoke are second bottom on 26 points but will be buoyed by the two late goals that rescued a point at Aston Villa. They will surely see Bolton at home as a likely target for three points. But Bolton's recent form has been fantastic, having won three of their last four games. Stoke have long-throw specialist Rory Delap back after a ban, and goalkeeper Thomas Sorensen is expected to play after recovering from a head injury. At St James Park, Manchester United can extend their lead at the top to seven points over Chelsea by beating Newcastle United. Newcastle are 15th on 28 points and a defeat will thrown them right back into the relegation dogfight especially with some teams around them having winnable games today. Manchester's reds seem unbeatable at the moment and are fresh off their League Cup final triumph. For Newcastle (the Magpies), Nicky Butt will miss the game against his former colleagues, Kevin Nolan is banned, while Damien Duff, Michael Owen, Habib Beye, Danny Guthrie, Joey Barton and Xisco are still injured. Wayne Rooney may start for Manchester. In the remaining games, 8th plays 7th when Wigan Athletic take on West Ham, and Manchester City in 11th, entertain faltering Aston Villa who are still pressing for a Champions League place. After yesterday's win for Arsenal, Villa are just three points ahead of the North London side. The club who finishes fourth will play in a qualifying round to enter the Champions League next year. EPL Games March 4th All Times Pacific Blackburn v Everton (12pm) Tape delayed 2pm on FSC Fulham v Hull City (12pm) Newcastle v Man Utd (11.45 am) FSC Live at 11.45am Man City v Aston Villa (11.45 am) Stoke v Bolton (11.45 am) Tottenham v Middlesbrough (12pm) Wigan v West Ham (11.45 am)

Beckham to Return to MLS

2009-02-13T23:08:00.001-08:00

Milan Fail to Agree Terms with Major League Soccer David Beckham is to return to LA Galaxy after AC Milan and the California club failed to agree a deal before the MLS deadline. Milan had bid $7.5m for the 33-year-old Englishman but this was rejected last week and MLS ordered the clubs to agree a permanent move by Friday. LA Galaxy head coach Bruce Arena said in a club statement that no acceptable offer had been received. The club says offer made after the deadline would be considered. His current deal in Italy ends on March 8th. The England international equaled Bobby Moore’s England record of 108 caps for an outfield player on Wednesday in a 2-0 humiliation Full Story

Schmetzer Pays Tribute to Danny and Leighton

2009-02-13T18:13:00.000-08:00

Tough Decisions and Sheer Plethora of Talent was a Factor A day after Seattle Sounders legends, Danny Jackson and Leighton O’Brien were released from pre-season training camp, Brian Schmetzer talked openly to Prost Amerika about the thought processes that led to the decisions. Schmetzer is currently Sigi Schmid’s assistant coach at Sounders FC, but was the head coach at the Seattle Sounders in past years and goes back a long way with both Jackson and O’Brien. Read the full story including hope of a last gasp reprieve

Danny Jackson and Leighton O'Brien Leave Seattle Sounders

2009-02-13T08:11:00.001-08:00

End of an Era? Sounders coach Sigi Schmid today made what may be among the hardest decision he will take in his tenure as Sounders chief. Earlier today, he released Danny Jackson, Leighton O’Brien and Adam West from pre-season training, signifying the end of their hopes of securing a place on the MLS roster. Danny Jackson, a native of Leeds, joined the Seattle Sounders in 2003 and was the club captain in the USL. A staunch and reliable centre-half, he formed half of a successful centre back pairing with Taylor Graham Full Story and Special Comment

Kinnear Will Need Eight Weeks Off

2009-02-12T11:45:00.000-08:00

Newcastle United Manager’s Heart Condition will Require Recuperation Newcastle United manager Joe Kinnear will need to rest for at least two months after undergoing triple heart bypass surgery last Friday. Kinnear fell ill before Newcastle’s match at West Brom last Saturday and was taken to hospital. Ten years ago when Wimbledon manager, he suffered a heart attack and was out of the game for several years. Full Story

Chicago, Salt Lake City And Washington, D.C. to Host Final Qualifiers

2009-02-12T08:45:00.000-08:00

Chicago, Salt Lake City And Washington, D.C. To Host U.S. Men’s National Team’s Remaining Home FIFA World Cup Qualifiers The USSF has announced its venues for the remainder of their home qualifiers in the World Cup CONCACAF Group. They will play Honduras at Soldier Field, Chicago on June 6, El Salvador at Rio Tinto Stadium, Salt Lake, on Sept. 5 and Costa Rica at RFK Stadium in the nation’s capital on Oct. 14. Soldier Field and Rio Tinto Stadium will be hosting World Cup Qualifier for the first time. (more…) Full story

Ventura County Fusion 1 : 6 Sounders FC

2009-02-12T08:12:00.001-08:00

Third Successive Win for Sounders as Four Get on Scoresheet Goalkeeper Chris Eylander was the only player to play the full game as Sigi Schmid once more rung the changes at half time in a training game. Two goals each from Steve Zakuani and Nate Jaqua and one from Fredy Montero gave the Sounders a 5-1 half time lead with Arthur Aghasyan scoring for the Fusion. A second half goal from Roger Levesque competed the scoring. Full details and line ups

USA Off to Winning Start as Bradley Nets Two

2009-02-12T08:11:00.000-08:00

Sam’s Army off to Great Start against Ten Man Mexico The USA got off to an impressive winning start in their CONCACAF Qualification match in Columbus against a disappointing Mexico side. Goals from Michael Bradley separated the sides in front of a 23,776 crowd at a wet and windy Crew Stadium in Ohio. Bradley struck first just before half time when a right wing DeMarcus Beasley corner found Landon Donovan unmarked at the far end of the six yard box. He cleverly headed the ball horizontally across the face of goal, where a second unmarked forward, Oguchi Onyewu, headed goalwards. His effort was stopped by a diving Oswaldo Sánchez in the Mexican goal but the rebound went right into the path of a third unmarked American, Michael Bradley, who scored from 6 yards out. It was a defensive nightmare for El Tri and Sánchez ... Full Report

Taylor Graham Interview

2009-02-12T08:09:00.000-08:00

Taylor Graham was the centre half for the USL Sounders last season and previously had stints in MLS for Kansas City and New York. The 28 year-old native of Fairbanks, California, was named on the All-USL-1 team last year and made the finalists for defender of the year. He has played four times for Puerto Rico’s international side. He was awarded an MLS contract recently and spoke to Prost Amerika from training camp in California. Taylor Graham Interview

Hiddink Appointed Chelsea Coach

2009-02-11T13:27:00.001-08:00

Dutchman Will Combine Role with Russian National Side Chelsea FC have announced that Guus Hiddink will take over as temporary coach until the end of the season. Hiddink, will combine the role with his tenure at the helm of Russia. Chelsea have confirmed that he will meet the players later this week after many of them return ironically from international duty. “The club would like to take this opportunity to thank the Russian Football Union for their understanding and cooperation,” said a statement released from Stamford Bridge. Read the full article

Tyrone Marshall Signs for Sounders

2009-02-10T11:34:00.000-08:00

Sounders Acquire Jamaican International Sounders FC have procured the two-Time All-Star Defender, Tyrone Marshall from Toronto FC. Seattle Sounders FC acquired defender Tyrone Marshall from Toronto FC in a trade for an undisclosed amount of allocation money, it was announced Tuesday. Marshall, 34, started 39 games at central defender for Toronto since being obtained from the L.A. Galaxy midway through the 2007 Major League Soccer season. He is currently playing with the Jamaican National Team in England. Jamaica plays Nigeria in a friendly on Wednesday night (February 11) in London. Full Story

Sounders Beat Galaxy in First Ever Game

2009-02-09T18:50:00.000-08:00

LA Galaxy 1 v 3 Sounders FC (Result) Sounders FC beat LA Galaxy in their first ever competitive game, a closed door friendly at the Home Depot Center in California. A penalty from Fredy Montero in the first half enabled the Sounders to go in level at half time. Roger Boosts His Chances with a Goal Full story

Scolari Fired at Chelsea

2009-02-09T08:31:00.000-08:00

Draw with Hull City was Last Straw for Abramovich The world of football has now been rocked by the news leaking out of West London that World Cup winner, Phil Scolari has been fired from his job at Chelsea FC. Chelsea drew 0-0 at home to Hull City on Saturday and having lost 2-0 tamely at Liverpool the week before, their league title challenge is more or less over. It seems that with only the FA Cup and European Champions League to play for, Roman Abramovich and Chief Executive Peter Kenyon have decided that enough is enough and sacked the Brazilian. Read the story as it develops

Tony Adams Fired from Portsmouth

2009-02-09T05:32:00.000-08:00

A Step up too Large too Early for the Centre-Half? Portsmouth manager Tony Adams has been fired after winning only two of the 16 Premier League matches since he took over on 28 October. First-team coach John Metgod has also left the club. The 42-year-old Adams took over when Harry Redknapp departed for Tottenham late last year. Portsmouth lost 2-3 at home to Liverpool on Saturday despite leading with just five minutes to go. It seems that those five minutes cost Adams his job. Read the full story

Sounders Kick off Week of Friendlies in California

2009-02-09T05:31:00.000-08:00

Galaxy Training Game Today First Test for Sounders Sounders FC have completed their first week of their California training camp and start a busy week today with a training game against the LA Galaxy BigSoccer Topics at Home Depot BigSoccer Topics Field. Tomorrow they play Chinese side Shandong Luneng BigSoccer Topics at Oxnard and Ventura County Fusion BigSoccer Topics and the San Jose Earthquakes BigSoccer Topics make up further opposition later this week. “It’s just training, but you picture in your head what the combinations will be like and they look good on paper, but it’s all about finding that chemistry,” Technical Director Chris Henderson BigSoccer Topics told the Sounders FC website. “Give credit to the coaching staff because they are creating an atmosphere where that can happen. It was fun to watch some of those goals a .... Full story

Liverpool Return to Top

2009-02-07T17:38:00.000-08:00

But Chelsea Falter Again In an incredible finish to the game, late goals from Dirk Kuyt and Fernando Torres propelled Liverpool back to the top of the table after a 3-2 win at Fratton Park against Portsmouth. Luckily for the home side, all four teams below them also lost on a day which saw more league games than normal reflecting the league table. One exception was at Stamford Bridge where Chelsea drew 0-0 with Hull. Chelsea have now won just three of their last nine league matches and their championship talent lies in tatters with Aston Villa read full story

Weekend EPL Preview - Spurs Keane on Derby Win!

2009-02-06T08:40:00.000-08:00

A full program of EPL matches takes place this weekend with Sunday’s North London derby between old foes Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal probably the highlight. They played out an absorbing 4-4 draw at the Emirates earlier this season and Spurs have been bolstered by the return of talisman and new skipper Robbie Keane. League leaders Manchester United visit West ham against whom they have occasionally struggled. United however are so in form that they are breaking EPL records every time they take the pitch. In addition, their chasing pack are falling apart. Chelsea lost 2-0 last Sunday at Liverpool and played as poorly as the result sounds. They entertain a Hull City side that’s dropping down the table after a wonderful start. Liverpool lost 1-0 to Merseyside rivals Everton in the FA Cup this week, had Lucas sent off and lost Steve Gerrard for three weeks. They make the longest journey of their season to the south coast where troubled Portsmouth await them. Chelsea and Liverpool may be very lucky that their weekend opponents are two of the most out of form sides in the EPL. Fox matches include Blackburn v Aston Villa, Portsmouth v Liverpool and West Ham v Manchester United, and ..........

European Lake Union?

2009-02-06T07:26:00.000-08:00

Show de Cologne - Sounders to Have Strong European Influence With the official appointment of Tübingen born Sigi Schmid as Sounders head coach, the Sounders FC management team is beginning to take shape, and there is a strong German influence already at the helm of the new franchise. Although Schmid moved to Torrance California when he was nine, he proved his German language skills are as strong as ever at his press conference as he answered questions in perfect German with a strong Swabian accent. He stated that he still has good contacts in the Bundesliga, a quality that may yet prove valuable as he seeks to complete his playing squad. But Schmid is just the start of the German influence. Many of the USL Sounders hardcore were delighted to receive the announcement that he had taken on USL Sounders head coach Brian Schmetzer as his assistant. Schmetzer is Seattle born but a first generation immigrant from Germany. His father Walter played lower league football in Germany’s third tier. Brian is a little more reluctant to “sprechen Sie deutsch” than Sigi but it is clear that they have a useful tool to communicate with when prying opposition ears attempt to overhear tactics. Brian’s brother runs a sports shop Germanically called called ‘Sporthaus Schmetzer’ which is a very loyal supporter of soccer in the Puget Sound area. There’ll Always Be an England But the German influence is not new. Last year’s Sounders captain Danny Jackson is a native of Leeds. Less well known is that he has a German mother and can speak the language fairly well when pressed. His extended family still live there and he travels to Germany twice a year, spending much of his summer and holiday time there. He says he has no problem conversing when over there, but gets little chance to speak now. Well, if he gets a MLS call up, he might find he has plenty of opportunity in the future. Of course the European influence doesn’t end at the Rhine. Sweden’s Freddie Ljungberg is ...... (read more)

Beckham to Quit MLS?

2009-02-05T09:34:00.000-08:00

Statements in Glasgow from the Player Increase Speculation

Everyone knew he would be asked but nobody thought he would answer. Appearing in Glasgow for a friendly for AC Milan, the press asked David Beckham about his future intentions especially with respect to remaining in Italy for the rest of the season. Beckham has already contributed to Milan's title challenge with a couple of goals and he is receiving rave reviews for his performances at the San Siro.

"I Have Expressed my Desire now to Stay in Milan"

To the astonishment of the press pack, Beckham was quite forthright about his wishes. Read Full Story

The Wee CS

2009-02-05T07:49:00.001-08:00

The Supersearch game at Tukwila may have been about a future star but it isn’t just on the playing side of things, that Sounders are looking to the future. The Emerald City Supporters welcomed their newest and by far smallest new recruit to their ranks on Saturday. In an attempt to broaden their outreach beyond those of drinking age, the ECS are to hold TWO USA v Mexico match viewing parties on February 11th. One will be at Fuel and the second at McCoys. The event at McCoys is family friendly and the ECS are looking forward to welcoming new and (very) young recruits to the Rave Green Army. Now, does the ECS have the wisdom to form a youth section called the “Wee CS”? Over to you Guys! Read on

Schmid has to Prune Roughly Half the Camp

2009-02-04T10:21:00.000-08:00

23 into 12 Has to Go February 4 There are 32 players in California currently training with the Sounders FC. Of them 8-9 seem certain of making the squad or have already had their places confirmed. Former USL players Sebastien Le Toux, Taylor Graham, Sanna Nyassi and Chris Eylander have already been offered contracts. Freddie Ljungberg and Kasey Keller have been drafted in as big name signings. Fredy Montero has signed but the deal is awaiting immigration papers. Of those acquired in the November draft, ten in all, we can probably assume a minimum of 2-3 and probably more will remain. MLS - The Case for England's Danny Jackson On a side note, USL Club Captain Danny Jackson underwent some immigration difficulties last year and the Seattle Sounders stuck with him and went to great lengths to get him back to Seattle. Full article

All the February Transfers on Prost Amerika EPL Page

2009-02-04T08:11:00.000-08:00

A complete list of all the transfers that were completed in the last few days of the transfer window has been posted on Prost Amerika's dedicated Seattle based EPL page:

3 February 2009

Andrei Arshavin [Zenit St Petersburg - Arsenal] Undisclosed Shane Killock [Huddersfield - Oxford] Free

2 February 2009

Charlie Adam [Rangers - Blackpool] Loan Charles Ademeno [Southend United - Salisbury City] Loan Leon Andreasen [Fulham - Hannover 96] Loan Semih Aydilek [Birmingham - Motherwell] Loan Angelos Basinas [AEK Athens - Portsmouth] Undisclosed Christophe Berra [Hearts - Wolves] Undisclosed Chris Todd [Torquay - Salisbury] Loan Paul Caddis [Celtic -Dundee Utd] Loan Henri Camara [Wigan - Stoke] Loan Click here for the full list

Burnley Claim Another EPL Scalp

2009-02-04T07:17:00.000-08:00

Burnley 3 : 1 West Bromwich Albion Burnley, who famously eliminated EPL sides Fulham, Arsenal and Chelsea in the Carling Cup, have claimed another EPL victim - this time in the FA Cup. They defeated West Bromwich Albion 3-1 at Turf Moor to progress into the 5th round of the cup. They will meet the winner of the replay between Arsenal and Cardiff City. Goals from Wade Elliott and Steven Thompson put the Clarets 2-0 up before West Brom pulled one back through Gianni Zuiverloon. Thompson scored his second in the 88th minute to put Burnley’s progress beyond doubt. Tomorrow’s FA Cup Ties: Aston Villa v Doncaster, R4, 19:45 Blackburn v Sunderland, R4, 20:00 Everton v Liverpool, R4, 20:10 Nottm Forest v Derby, R4, 19:45

Arshavin Finally Signs for Arsenal and Lampard News

2009-02-03T10:45:00.000-08:00

Arshavin Finally Signs for Arsenal - Lampard's Red Card Overturned

Although the EPL deadline passed yesterday, the fate of Russian striker Andrei Arshavin wasn't decided until today after a day of high drama and changing stories.
Despite an initial report claiming the deal was done, followed by a denial from his club, Zenit St Petersburg, it seems that the deal is still on. This morning the deal for $22m plus compensation was officially announced.

Yesterday saw nine inches of snow in London and consequently only one of the EPL's transfer registration panel made it into work. As a result, the EPL extended the transfer deadline.

Arshavin posted the following on his website, "Negotiations over my move from Zenit St Petersburg "came to a close. Now I can say only one thing - that if I play for Arsenal, it will be at number 23," the 27-year-old said.

Arshavin's agent Dennis Lachter claimed he was "very confident" the forward's move from Zenit St Petersburg will be ratified by the Premier League.

"It was completed in extra time but we must wait for confirmation," he stated. That confirmation came moments ago and the Russian prodigy is now an Arsenal player.

Read the full article

Lampard Wins Red Card Appeal

The red card Frank Lampard picked up against Liverpool has attracted much controversy. Angry fans have started Facebook pages vilifying referee Mike Riley, most press commentators opined that Xabi Alonso should have got the red if anyone in that challenge and Chelsea boss, Phil Scolari has had his obligatory moan about refereeing bias against the West London Blues.

Read the full article

Liverpool v Chelsea Preview

2009-01-30T11:50:00.000-08:00

Sunday on Fox Soccer at 8am Liverpool entertain Chelsea this Sunday morning with a 8am kick off on the Pacific West Coast. Live coverage is available on the Fox Soccer Channel. Chelsea will miss Ricardo Carvalho who has a hamstring strain but Liverpool expect to welcome back Xabi Alonso, Dirk Kuyt and Albert Riera all of whom were substitutes in the midweek game against Wigan. Both sides have faltered of late and watched as Manchester United have climbed above them in the EPL table. In their last six league matches, Liverpool have won just ten points, one less than Chelsea while United have picked up all 18, winning six in a row. Liverpool are now third on 48 points behind Chelsea on goal difference while United are two points ahead with a game less played. Full Liverpool v Chelsea Preview

United's Hargreaves Will Be Back Next Season

2009-01-30T11:01:00.000-08:00

United Star's Operation a Success Manchester United midfielder Owen Hargreaves has had a successful operation for a long-standing tendinitis problem, but this week had knee surgery to correct it. More details here

Alex Ferguson Turns Down Team Great Britain Job

2009-01-30T10:53:00.000-08:00

United Manager Snubs British Prime Minister Sir Alex Ferguson has dealt a fatal blow to the chances of a Great Britain Football side competing at the 2012 London Olympics. In a move which could significantly hamper the credibility of the team, Sir Alex told a 200th anniversary edition of the United's club's magazine Inside United. "No. I won't turn to international management. When I've finished here, I think I deserve a rest. After here, I'm finished." Read the full story and why this is an Olympic Games bombshell in Britain

Arsenal Still Hopeful of Signing Andrei Arshavin

2009-01-30T10:52:00.000-08:00

Wenger Says Deal for Top Russian Still a Reality

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger is "confident" that Arsenal will sign Andrei Arshavin from Russian club Zenit St Petersburg before the end of the current transfer window. However, the Arsenal boss denied a deal has been completed for the 27 year old, or that a work permit had been applied for and granted. Arshavin was a stand out in EURO 2008 where he helped Russia to a semi final place including a great win over a fancied Netherlands side. World's wealthiest club, Manchester City, and Italian champions Jose Mourinhno's Inter Milan are also reported to be interested in the midfielder.

EPL News Page Launched

2009-01-30T09:00:00.000-08:00

English Soccer from a Seattle Point of View Prost Amerika is proud to announce the launch of a the first ever English soccer news page written by and for the people of Seattle. Edited by the Soccer Editor of the European Weekly, we aim to bring you all the latest EPL news with comment and background. The EPL is the world's best leagues and boasts such famous names as Liverpool, Manchester United, Chelsea and Arsenal. Keep up to date with all the latest news from Seattle's finest soccer writers on the new Prost Amerika English Soccer page.

Sounders FC Members Gives Thumbs-down to Cheerleaders

2008-11-21T10:47:00.000-08:00

First Ever Membership Meeting High on Feel-Good Factor Carey Draws Cheers, Cheerleaders Draw Boos Nov 20 The first ever meeting of the Sounders FC Membership Association attracted more than 500 people to Qwest Field, a quite remarkable achievement for a meeting that wasn’t high on blockbuster announcements. Drew Carey, Bart Wiley and Gary Wright ran the show in the absence of those front office members heading to Los Angeles to watch the MLS Cup Final. Sounders FC’s two lesser known players were introduced to the crowd but most of those attending seemed well versed in the talents of Seba Le Toux and Sanna Nyassi. The quiet Gambian who frankly looked like he prefers playing to sitting on a podium, did however come up with the memorable line of the night in the question and answer session. Asked which players, he was most looking forward to playing against, he reminded the meeting that he regularly calls his brother, Sainey currently playing at the New England Revolution and vows to “whoop your ass” when the two sides meet next year. Full Rport and More Announcements

Teatro ZinZanni - Rosa de Rio

2008-11-12T16:48:00.000-08:00

“Rosa de Rio” takes its name from the presence of Brazilian star Paula Gelly. Already established in her native country, she brings her considerable singing talent to the Spiegeltent in Seattle. Her apart, there was not much Brazilian about this show, whose strengths relied more on the individual performances of its cast than on a strong storyline as was the case in “Quest for a Queendom”. This is not a major issue for an attraction like Teatro ZinZanni, where visitors come primarily to to dine well and be entertained from one course to the next. As long as the acts are good, everyone is happy, and good acts are exactly what Artistic Director Norm Langill provided. Teatro ZinZanni - Rosa de Rio

Pacific Northwest Ballet - New Works

2008-11-12T16:38:00.000-08:00

Pacific Northwest Ballet presented us with a varied night of New Works; three of which were world or PNB premieres and the fourth, William Forsythe’s “One Flat Thing, Reproduced” which premiered last spring. The PNB has a strong reputation for putting on new works, including the two new Twyla Tharp pieces earlier this fall. This program follows the strong lead of “All Tharp”. PNB premiere “A Garden” by Mark Morris (to music by Richard Strauss) began the program and as seems to be the PNB way on ‘New Works’ nights, delicacy and grace in the first piece paved the way for the edgier and more experimental pieces to follow. “A Garden” featured PNB audience favourites, Jonathan Porretta, Lucien Postlewaite, Belgium’s Olivier Wevers and Brazil’s Carla Körbes among others. New Works - Review

Sounders FC to Hold Fashion Show

2008-11-10T17:47:00.001-08:00

Beneficiaries to Include Seattle Children’s Research Institute and the Quest for a Cure Guild November 10 Sounders FC today announced a fashion Show for December 4th. A press release from Sounders FC claims "the show is a unique event that will allow fans to be the first to see the team’s official uniform and complete fashion line. Majority shareholder Drew Carey, Sounders FC players and "A-list celebrities" are said to be attending according to the press release. Full Story

Drowsy Chaperone

2008-11-02T10:36:00.000-08:00

A man, seemingly lonely, sits in a chair in what looks like an urban studio apartment. He’s sad, he’s anxious; he tells us he's feeling blue. He cheers himself up by putting on an old record (yes children, a record), the 1928 musical comedy, "The Drowsy Chaperone" by the fictional writing team of Gable and Stein. He also acts as our host for the night, directly addressing the audience. The musical, as he admits, is fairly lousy. Yeah – the songs are good, but the storyline, set in New York during prohibition, is contrived. The characters are stereotypes. Sound like a bad night out for you? You’d be so far wrong. The Drowsy Chaperone revels in its kitsch; and camp as Jonathan Crombie is as ‘the Man in the Chair’ (we never learn his name), his personality superbly embellishes some pretty snappy one-liners, and brilliantly overcomes what superficially would be seen as a feeble idea for a show. Drowsy Chaperone Review

Freddie Ljungberg Signs for Seattle

2008-10-28T07:38:00.000-07:00

Big time soccer has arrived in Seattle as Sounders FC officially unveiled Swedish legend Freddie Ljungberg as their designated player for 2009. The attacking midfielder won 71 caps for Sweden scoring 14 goals, and captained them in Euro 2008. His club career is best known for his nine years at Arsenal in North London. Playing in a very successful side alongside greats such as Thierry Henry, Robert Pirès, Sol Campbell, Patrick Viera, and Dennis Bergkamp, he won two league titles and three FA Cups in England including a league and cup double in 2002. Ljungberg’s arrival signals the end of months of speculation about who Sounders FC would sign as their Designated Player, or indeed whether they would even sign one at all. Houston Dynamo and Columbus Crew are currently the two most successful clubs in the MLS and both have opted to play without one. Ljungberg’s salary is $2.5m a year and he is contracted to Seattle Sounders FC for two years. Full and comprehensive coverage from the press conference

Sounders FC to Unveil Designated Player

2008-10-24T15:43:00.000-07:00

Freddie Ljungberg May be the Man to Lead Sounders FC Charge There will be a press conference to announce Seattle Sounders FC's new Designated Player for the 2009 MLS season. Retired Sweden captain Freddie Ljunbgberg is the favourite to be unveiled. More details here

Sounders Fly Out to Argentina as 2011 MLS Deadline Passes

2008-10-15T14:30:00.000-07:00

Sounders Head to Argentina as MLS Cities are Announced. Estudiantes de la Plata, Platense, Rosario Central, and CA Jorge Griffa Are Opponents as Sounders Thank Players It's a big day for soccer in both Seattle and North America. Seattle Sounders players fly out to Argentina to play four friendly games with the words of Adrian Hanauer that "we’ve told all of the players, they all have a chance" fresh in their minds. In another story, MLS announced the applicants for the two places in 2011. Full Story and List of Applicants

Three Musketeers - Seattle rep

2008-10-13T14:59:00.000-07:00

Seattle Repertory Theatre brings us a new fast- paced adaptation of the Alexandre Dumas classic The Three Musketeer directed by Kyle Donnelly. This is a family-friendly version with a modern twist. Don’t worry the sword-fighting fun of the original is core to this fun action packed adventure. amlines Dumas’ complex story and adds a beloved kid sister (Sabine) who sets upon Paris with her brother d’Artagnan. Why should the boys have all the fun? Sabine is a delightfully modern, spunky addition performed by Montana von Fliss. Other standout performances by Jim Abele as the evil Cardinal Richelieu and Alban Dennis as the dim-witted but loveable King Louis XIII add to the mix. Full Review

Adrian Hanauer Seattle Sounders Interview

2008-10-11T11:42:00.001-07:00

'I’ll do whatever’s necessary for the team to succeed.' On November 11, 2007, Major League Soccer announced that the next expansion franchise was to be based in Seattle. It was a dream come true for many but none more than Adrian Hanauer, owner of the Seattle team plying its trade in the United Soccer League at the time. Hanauer had brought together an ownership consortium consisting of Hollywood producer Joe Roth, himself, Vulcan Sports and Entertainment (owners of the NFL Seattle Seahawks) and comedian Drew Carey. The Seahawks brought a wealth of marketing experience and QWest Field, Carey brought the novel approach of making Seattle Sounders FC, as it is to become, a membership based organization where the General Manager is elected by the club members. In bringing an MLS franchise to Seattle, a dream had been fulfilled. Now the task of building as team, a fan base and a economically viable business has begun. And Hanauer's in charge. Prost Amerika sat down with him and tried to get some insight about his vision to see what the club he is shaping will look like, and became the first to reminisce about the end of the USL era in Seattle in his first full length interview since Seattle Sounders turned the page on the USL chapter of its life. Click Here for the Full Interview

All the King's Men - Intiman Theatre

2008-10-09T12:58:00.000-07:00

Eleven years after Long’s death, Robert Penn Warren wrote “All the King’s Men” for which he received his first Pulitzer Prize a year later. Based on the life of Long, the play’s focal point is the career of Willie Stark, a self-proclaimed hick politician, who began his political life conducting an honest fight against a construction contract being awarded nepotistically. However, learning that politics is a dirty game, Stark begins his transformation into the manipulative end product. Adrian Hall created this adaptation of the novel in 1987 for the resident acting company of the Trinity Repertory Company of Rhode Island. 18 actors take the stage and the musical works of Randy Newman are part of Hall’s adaptation. In this Intiman performance, directed by Pam McKinnon, Leo Marks takes the lead role of Jack Burden, a journalist who ends up working for Stark. All the King's Men Full Review

The Night Watcher by Charlayne Woodard

2008-10-03T16:37:00.000-07:00

Some people like one person shows, some do not. If you’re one of those that do, then The Night Watcher is a show that you should not miss. Charlayne Woodard wrote and performed this show and if there was one phrase that was continually overheard on leaving the theatre, that phrase would be “She’s amazingly talented, isn’t she?” It begins with Charlayne receiving a call from Alfre Woodard (no relation) asking Charlayne who is black and her husband Harris who is white to adopt a mixed race baby. In declining the offer, Charlayne and her husband Harris realize that biological parenthood is not for them. "I can’t have a baby. If I have a baby...I can’t be the baby, right Harris?" Full Review

Wagner in Seattle Performers Announced

2008-09-30T12:14:00.001-07:00

Seattle Opera to Transform Seattle into the “Ring City” with a Month of Citywide Ring Cycle Events in August 2009 Under the leadership of General Director Speight Jenkins, Seattle Opera has become known as “America’s Bayreuth,” drawing worldwide audiences to its acclaimed productions of all of Richard Wagner’s major works, especially sold-out performances of Der Ring des Nibelungen, the composer’s cycle of four epic operas—Das Rheingold, Die Walküre, Siegfried, and Götterdämmerung. Seattle Opera’s last Ring cycle performances in 2005 drew audiences from 49 states and 19 countries and sold out many months in advance. Seattle Opera and the City of Seattle are now making preparations for Seattle Opera’s next three Ring cycles, to take place from August 9 through 30, 2009. Tickets are currently on sale to Seattle Opera subscribers. Tickets go on sale online to the general public beginning at 10:00 a.m. on Wednesday, November 12, 2008. Tickets for the general public will be available by phone or in person beginning at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, November 15, 2008. Read the full article by clicking here.

Montreal Impact 3 : 1 Seattle Sounders

2008-09-29T06:32:00.000-07:00

Down and Out. Seattle's USL Story Ends Amidst Red Card Flurry Impact Advance to Semis as Seattle Prepares for the Arrival of MLS Red cards, late goals and a retaken penalty contributed to an evening of high drama at the Saputo Stadium, Montreal. Going into the game trailing by one goal, Montreal equalized the aggregate score in in the 56th minute with a strike from David Testo just inside the 18 yards box which Sounders keeper Chris Eylander only managed to fingertip. The scoreline didn't stay tied long, however, as the Sounders all-time leading goalscorer in the playoffs, Roger Levesque, scored three minutes later putting Seattle back up by one goal in the series. The goal was his seventh ever in the playoffs and came off an assist from recent substitute, Sanna Nyassi. Nyassi had come on at half time for the injured Leighton O'Brien and played to ball to Levesque from the left after having received a terrific back heel pass from Le Toux. Seattle adopted a more defensive posture after the goal to hold their lead but were dealt a serious blow in the 74th minute when they were reduced to ten men after Roger Levesque was sent off for a violent tackle on Impact defender Adam Braz. On the ensuing free kick, the ball bounced around in the box eventually coming to the feet of Rocco Placentino whose shot deflected in off the post. Full Match Report

Seattle Sounders 2 : 1 Montreal Impact

2008-09-27T13:39:00.000-07:00

Fiery, Frothy and Far from Over Sounders Travel to Quebec with Slim Advantage but without Sakuda Seattle Sounders edged out the Montréal Impact 2-1 in the first leg of this play-off game which saw overworked referee Edvin Jurisevic issue red cards to Seattle’s Kevin Sakuda and Montréal’s Stefan Pesoli. Goals from Hugo Alcaraz-Cuellar and a Leighton O’Brien penalty secured the home side a narrow lead to take to Montréal on Sunday. Jurisevic could have issued more cards as personal battles broke out across the field in a chaotic final fifteen minutes. Adam Braz and Felix Brillant can count themselves fairly lucky to have remained on the pitch. Nevertheless, there was a lack of finger pointing from a calm Brain Schmetzer after the match with the Seattle coach commenting “My players should know better. A championship team doesn’t make mental mistakes like that. That they tried to play physical was a positive in my eyes.” Impact coach John Limniatis saw it differently. Asked if he was happy with the 2-1 reverse in the away leg, he said, Full Match Report with Quotes from Both Managers

Eurydice at the ACT Theater

2008-09-27T13:38:00.000-07:00

This play was written in 2000 by Sarah Ruhl and was inspired by the death of her father in 1994. Ruhl is considered to be “the most exciting young playwright to emerge from the American theatre in more than a decade” by ACT Artistic Director Kurt Beattie. The stage which appeared to be more like the bottom of a pool or a public restroom was composed of weathered blue tile with elements of the productions props scattered about – dead leaves, brown paper, a rusty piped makeshift water fountain and intriguingly strings attached on both ends from the ceiling to the stage floor that when plucked emitted an ensemble of various guitar movements. Full Review by Ileana Vasquez Click Here

All Tharp at the Pacific Northwest Ballet

2008-09-27T13:37:00.000-07:00

The PNB season opened with a bang as a three part program produced the unusual spectacle of standing ovations at each interval as well as at the end. The program consisted of two world premieres by renowned choreographer Twyla Tharp, “Opus 111” and “Afternoon Ball”, followed by her adaptation of Frank Sinatra classics called “Nine Sinatra Songs”. Tharp spent two months in Seattle working with the company to bring her two new pieces to life, and that intense period of hard work and focus has definitely paid off. For “Opus 111”, Tharp set her choreography to the music of Johannes Brahms, in what PNB’s Education Programs Manager Doug Fullington informed us was Brahms’ last piece, a lushly romantic string quintet. Simple costumes of brown, orange, and lavender allowed the dance to flow without drawing the eye as twelve dancers participated in the Opus, mostly in two or three pairs at a time but all onstage at the stirring finale. The vocabulary was classical, with elements of folk dancing, and the swaying arm movements that are a Tharp standard. The piece featured several dancers who had been promoted since last season, most prominently Lucien Postlewaite, who has been promoted to principal rank at the PNB and seemed to revel in the new status as he performed with confidence and verve. Also performing in “Opus 111” were former corps de ballet members James Moore and recently married Rachel Foster, who are both new PNB soloists. Full Review

Seattle Sounders v Montreal Impact

2008-09-26T11:50:00.000-07:00

Old Friends Meet Again and Both Have Reasons to be Confident But Could This Be "Sayonara" Starfire? The Sounders now enter the play-off finale to the season and some would say their existence. They approach the quarter final match with Montréal Impact in a less than hearty mood with recent performances baffling coach Brian Schmetzer and fans alike. Goals have been shipped by experienced defenders making basic errors, but as a frustrated Schmetzer pointed out after the last game, the errors seem to emanate from a different player every time. But just as it seems to have broken itself, it may well fix itself and traditionally the play-offs have brought the best out of Schmetzer’s sides. Add to that the incentive that for the first time this season a loss poses the risk that it may cost Seattle their Champions title, and you get the feeling that a rejuvenated Sounders may show up on Friday for the first leg against Montréal Impact. That, at least, is the hope for the home side. Full Match Preview Click Here

Seattle Sounders to Play Montreal Impact

2008-09-22T09:44:00.001-07:00

Sounders to Face Montreal in Play-offs First Leg at Tukwila Starfire Friday 26th In the first playoffs round, the Seattle Sounders will face the Montreal Impact in a home-and-away aggregate goals series. The first game will be played this Friday, September 26, in Tukwila. The kick off is 7pm as has been the norm for home games. The return game will be played Sunday, September 28, at Saputo Stadium, at 2 pm kick off west coast time. Details click here

Seattle Sounders 2 : 3 Vancouver Whitecaps

2008-09-21T10:08:00.000-07:00

Whitecaps Take Cascadia Cup Home after 3 Goal Blitz Four Goals in Fourteen Minutes in Second Half Decide "Friendly Derby" The last Vancouver/Seattle derby for the foreseeable future ended with a 3-2 win for the Vancouver. The visiting Whitecaps had nothing to play for in the USL after Puerto Rico clinched first place last night but there was no doubting their desire to finish this rivalry with a victory on a memorable night in Tukwila. Goals from Nick Addlery, Justin Moose and Jeff Clarke all within a 14 minute period in the second half gave a lively Vancouver Whitecaps side a deserved victory in this final Cascadia Derby. Sounders had earlier taken the lead through Seb le Toux in the first half and a beautifully worked Kevin Sakuda goal brought them back to 3-2 in the second. But it was to be Vancouver's night. Now everyone must wait for the conclusion to the USL regular season to learn their dates if not their fates. What we can say is that Seattle Sounders will play Montreal with the Impact having choice of home or away first, and Vancouver will play Minnesota Thunder whose surprise 3-1 win over Montreal earlier in the evening secured their play-off place. Dates are yet to be confirmed. The night started promisingly for a Seattle side missing Taylor Graham who pulled a hamstring in training on Thursday. Full Report

Shrek the Musical

2008-09-17T16:24:00.003-07:00

Shrek - the Musical 5th Avenue Theater August 14 - September 21 By Janet Luhrs Who’d think that a silly, crazy cast of swamp-dwelling ogres, gremlins, and fairy tale creatures could inspire an opening night audience to give a standing ovation? I’ll admit it – I was surprised. When given this assignment, I was skeptical. I hadn’t seen the movie, and didn’t see how some green monster could hold my attention. Wrong. Shrek the Musical is sheer delight for all ages and types. We saw plenty of kids, suits, middle-aged ladies, prom queen types, 20-and 30 somethings, hipsters and parents. We sat in front and felt like we were in the middle of a fairy tale ride through Disneyland. The set was elaborately first-class and for the most part so were the costumes. The acting was superb, especially by Sutton Foster who played Princess Fiona, and Christopher Sieber, who played Lord Farquaad. Chester Gregory, who played the donkey, brought uninhibited, wide-ranging humor to his character – and he really brightened the stage. Shrek himself, played by Brian D’Arcy, was loveable. Full Review of Shrek

Seattle Dance Project - Orpheus Project

2008-09-17T16:24:00.002-07:00

Project Orpheus - Seattle Dance Project ACT Theater - Bullitt Cabaret In an unusual and inspired concept, Seattle Dance Project enlisted three choreographers - Wade Madsen, Eva Stone and Olivier Wevers – to collaborate on its’ version of the Greek Myth Orpheus and Eurydice in a work, entitled Project Orpheus. Perhaps most striking were two scenes; Orpheus’ (Joseph Anderson) “Request for Euridice” in which Madsen lined up two tables behind which the dancers sat and rattled a battery of questions in deep, halting breaths, asking how his request for Eurydice “would affect his art.” The scene, reminiscent of the antics of the New York-based Wooster Group, was hysterical and highly effective at simultaneously evoking Orpheus’ desperation for Eurydice at the unwelcome impediment. Orpheus Project

Chuanyun Li - Seattle

2008-09-17T16:24:00.001-07:00

Chuanyun Li Benaroya Hall September 16 Orchestra Seattle's Fall Gala presented Chuanyun Li who delighted the audience at Benaroya Hall last night with a performance that not only brought smiles to the crowd in front of him, but the orchestra behind. After receiving rave reviews from the Seattle Times and countless other American critics, Li returned to Seattle for one night only with George Shangrow and Orchestra Seattle. Full Review: Chuanyun Li

Vancouver Whitecaps v Seattle Sounders- Death of a Rivalry?

2008-09-17T16:24:00.000-07:00

Farewell in the Nicest Sense to One of North America’s Oldest Derbies Whitecaps Head South for One Last Time Amidst all the hullaballooo of two general elections, another chapter in the history of both countries is about to end. A sporting chapter. For when Vancouver Whitecaps head to Starfire for the last regular season game of the 2008 season, it will bring down the curtain on one of the most storied rivalries in North American soccer history. David Falk, Seattle soccer historian and webmaster of GOALSEATTLE.com, commented "Seattle Sounders have always been the filling in the middle of the Cascadia 'sandwich.' Whom do Vancouver want to beat the most? Seattle. Whom do Portland relish conquering above all else? The Sounders. In this triangle derby over the years a certain admiration has developed between Sounders and Whitecaps supporters and officials. " Full Story: We'll Meet Again

Win Pacific Northwest Ballet Tickets

2008-09-14T13:32:00.000-07:00

WIN PACIFIC NORTHWEST BALLET TICKETS Win two tickets to the Pacific Northwest Ballet's production of All Tharp (September 25-October 5) . Just email your name and phone number to competitions@prostamerika.com and remember to put "New Works" in the subject line. Competition Closes September 17th. More details of this and more competitions, please visit Seattle Competitions

Seattle Sounders 1 : 1 Atlanta Silverbacks

2008-09-13T23:34:00.000-07:00

One Defensive Lapse Robs Seattle of Win But Not Play-off The Sounders secured the point required to qualify for the play-off stage of the 2009 USL season but there was little other reason for euphoria at the Starfire Sports Complex tonight. Against an average Silverbacks side who boasted the worst defensive record in the league and who hadn't beaten Seattle for over two years, a draw was hardly the pinnacle of achievement. Yet Sebastien le Toux scored his twentieth goal of the season and became the first Sounder since Mark Baena in 1998 to do so and Kenji Treschuk provided the assist and had perhaps his best game for quite a while signaling a welcome return to form. Coach Schmetzer was clearly irritated at the defensive lapse however which allowed Atlanta their equaliser especially as it was two of the normally most secure and reliable defenders, Danny Jackson and Taylor Graham who were involved. Macoumba Kandji returning after a five game absence netted the 55th minute equaliser. "Letting in another soft goal after we worked on defending on our only training day, Friday. We worked on defenders with two lines of four. I hauled the guys up for a meeting, watched film, made it pretty clear to them that they're a veteran group, they don't make mistakes like that, you understand that if you make them it's worse than when the forwards don't score, you're mentally tough. We had a pat on the back meeting and said this is where we need to do better and then we end up giving away another soft goal." Full Report Seattle Sounders 1 : 1 Atlanta Silverbacks

Shrek - the Musical

2008-09-12T10:57:00.000-07:00

5th Avenue Theater August 14 - September 21 By Janet Luhrs Who’d think that a silly, crazy cast of swamp-dwelling ogres, gremlins, and fairy tale creatures could inspire an opening night audience to give a standing ovation? I’ll admit it – I was surprised. When given this assignment, I was skeptical. I hadn’t seen the movie, and didn’t see how some green monster could hold my attention. Wrong. Shrek the Musical is sheer delight for all ages and types. We saw plenty of kids, suits, middle-aged ladies, prom queen types, 20-and 30 somethings, hipsters and parents. We sat in front and felt like we were in the middle of a fairy tale ride through Disneyland. The set was elaborately first-class and for the most part so were the costumes. The acting was superb, especially by Sutton Foster who played Princess Fiona, and Christopher Sieber, who played Lord Farquaad. Chester Gregory, who played the donkey, brought uninhibited, wide-ranging humor to his character – and he really brightened the stage. Shrek himself, played by Brian D’Arcy, was loveable. Full Review: Shrek the Musical

Seattle Sounders 1 : 2 Montréal Impact

2008-09-11T10:59:00.000-07:00

Happy 400th Birthday for Montréal as Smash and Grab Raid Floors Seattle Sounders Still Require a Point for Play-offs Montréal Impact continued a very successful run against West Coast sides adding three points from Seattle to the three collected from Portland earlier in the week. Second half goals from Tony Donatelli and Antonio Ribeiro were split by an equalizer by Seattle midfielder Yousuff Kante. The win guarantees Montreal their play-off place but Seattle have to wait until Saturday’s visit from Atlanta, although intervening results from other games could give them a gentle shove. Coach Brian Schmetzer left Sanna Nyassi on the bench as the returning Zach Scott was the only change from the victory over Miami. Montréal left a slew of players in Quebec for their West Coast tour, victims of injury, suspension or an increased schedule due to their CONCACAF Champions League heroics. Keeper Matt Jordan sat out the game allowing Andrew Weber only his fourth start of the season in what was the Impact’s 400th game in their history. Full Story: Seattle Sounders 1 : 2 Montréal Impact

Sounders FC Sign Third Player

2008-09-05T11:41:00.001-07:00

Gambia Youth International Becomes 3rd Signee Teenage Midfielder Sanna Nyassi Played in 2007 FIFA Championships But is Immediately Available to USL Side Seattle Sounders FC today announced the identity of their third signing for their inaugural MLS. Sanna Nyassi, a member of the Gambia U-20 National Team at the 2007 FIFA Championships is a 19-year-old midfielder, and becomes the third player signed by Sounders FC. He joins American goalkeeper Kasey Keller and French forward Sebastien Le Toux. Like Le Toux, Nyassi is now being loaned to the Sounders of the USL First Division for the remainder of this season. He is expected to be available for Seattle’s next match, at home to Miami FC on Saturday night. Full Story: Sounders Add Ghanaian Star

Elza van den Heever Wins Wagner Contest

2008-09-02T09:40:00.000-07:00

South African Soprano Scoops Wagner Prize Elza van den Heever delights audience and judges but Orchestra favours Nadine Weissman. August 16 The Annual International Wagner competition took place at Seattle Opera and the expected titanic battle between Europe and the USA, a kind of Operatic Ryder Cup, was shattered when delightful South African soprano Elza van den Heever claimed the judges and audience accolades after performing “Dich, teure Halle” from Tannhäuser and “Einsame in trüben Tagen” from Lohengrin. Germany’s mezzo-soprano Nadine Weissmann was voted Orchestra Favourite. She sang "Weiche, Wotan, Weiche" (Das Rheingold) and Waltraute's Narrative (Götterdämmerung). Wagner in Seattle Full Report

Bye Bye Bayern - New European Weekly Article

2008-09-02T09:39:00.000-07:00

With the 2008-2009 Bundesliga campaign already in full force, Bayern Munich remain the favorite to repeat as champions of Germany. Having won the domestic double last season, edging Borussia Dortmund 2:1 after extra time in the DFB-Pokal (German Cup) and winning the Bundesliga a clear 10 points ahead of second-place Werder Bremen, Bayern are, once again, the team to beat. Full article: Bundesliga Preview

Seattle Sounders 4 : 3 Carolina Railhawks

2008-08-24T23:25:00.000-07:00

Swashbuckling Sounders Squash Dry Spell in the Pouring Rain Sounders Keep Their Heads above Water as Jolly Roger Nets One and Gardner Two in Goal Romp The Seattle Sounders returned to winning ways in style with a 4-3 victory over the Carolina Railhawks. Two offensive minded sides traded goals in a thrilling encounter that kept 2008 spectators enthralled till the final whistle. On a night of heroes, Josh Gardner claimed a brace as both Ciaran O'Brien and Yousuff Kante put pinpoint crosses on his head. Returning forward Roger Levesque looked fully fit for the first time since an injury kept him sidelined and much to the delight of the crowd put himself on the scoresheet again with a header. Seb Le Toux also returned to his scoring ways as Seattle showed an attacking flair they've been missing in recent weeks. But that's only one side of the story that unfolded tonight. Carolina's Hamed Diallo scored a hat-trick and became the first player to score three goals and lose against the Sounders since a pre season match against the Salem Surge in March 1996. Lively and threatening throughout, the Railhawks will lament their set piece defending which allowed Seattle so many chances to strike. Full Match report:

Seattle Sounders 0 0 Vancouver Whitecaps

2008-08-21T00:17:00.000-07:00

Rain Falls but Sounders Resist Vancouver Tide Eylander’s Heroics Save Seattle Seattle Sounders can thank Chris Eylander for leaving Starfire Complex with a point tonight after the Vancouver Whitecaps dominated a scoreless tie. The visitors from the north were missing three key players in Jeff Clarke, Justin Moose and Eduardo Sebrango while Sounders had to manage without either O’Brien. Whereas the last sub par performance by Seattle had seen their opponents leave with all three points, Sounders did just about enough to scrape a draw although some poor Vancouver finishing assisted. They did however keep fighting till the final whistle and credit must be given to some players who are clearly struggling for form for their continued effort in the pouring rain. Full report: Seattle 0 0 Vancouver

Seattle Sounders v Vancouver Whitecaps Preview

2008-08-19T13:23:00.000-07:00

Sounders Seek to Bounce Back against Title Chasing Whitecaps Always Welcome Guests Visit for the Penultimate Time Vancouver Whitecaps trail USL leaders Porto Rico by three points with a game in hand. That game is a Cascadia Cup encounter at Starfire this Wednesday with Northwest rivals Seattle Sounders. Unlike the rivalry with Portland, most Sounders fans look forward to friendly and sporting banter with their friends from the north and despite it being midweek, everyone concerned will welcome the appearance of a vociferous away support. There is one more visit for the Caps to Seattle on September 20th, but thereafter only a USL play off this year can guarantee another match. Vancouver Whitecaps are ineligible to enter the US Open Cup obviously due to being Canadian. Hopefully ways can be found to preserve this fixture though. Full story: Vancouver v Seattle August 20th

Kasey Keller Signs for Seattle Sounders

2008-08-17T12:33:00.000-07:00

Trilingual Keller Impresses Press Pack But Vows “I’m Here to Play” An ambassador on and off the Pitch At a press conference held today at Qwest field, Seattle Sounders FC unveiled Kasey Keller as their second addition to the playing squad on a multi-year contract for next year’s MLS. Citing confidence in their defence as a key to attacking play, GM Adrian Hanauer announced Kasey Keller as the keeper for the Sounders FC. As a former U.S. National Team player coming into the League, Keller is subject to enter the League via the allocation rankings. As an expansion team in 2009, Seattle held the number one allocation ranking, which the club used to acquire Keller. This specifically means that the Designated Player option still remains open to the club. Full Story: Keller Comes to Seattle

Kasey Keller to Rejoin Sounders

2008-08-13T13:10:00.000-07:00

An email has been sent out inviting fans to join Seattle Sounders FC in a special player announcement on Thursday, August 14th at Qwest Field. Gates will open at 2:00 PM. The purpose of the gathering will be to announce that former Team USA goalkeeper Kasey Keller is the player to be added to the squad. The 38 year old Lacey, Washington native has been playing in Germany with Borussia Mönchengladbach and was known to be keen on a return to the Pacific Northwest. Kasey has played 91 times for the USA National Men’s Team. Keller started his club career with the Portland Timbers and played as part of the US Under 20 program for three years before four successful years in London with Millwall. He moved onto Leicester City for whom he played 99 games. His next port of call was the city of Madrid where he played 51 games in La Liga for Rayo Vallecano. Full story: Kasey's Coming Home