MATCH: Seattle Sounders FC (7-2-3, 24 points, 3rd, West Conf.) at Montreal Manic (3-7-3, 12 points, 8th, East Conf.). TYPE: MLS. WHEN: Saturday, 4:30 p.m., Stade Saputo, Montreal. MEETING: 1st. TV: KONG 6/16. RADIO: 97.3 KIRO FM; SPANISH: KOMO2 and La Gran D 99.3 FM.
After consecutive U.S. Open Cup triumphs at CenturyLink Field, the Sounders return to MLS action Saturday in Montreal against the expansion Impact. The Sounders face a formidable travel schedule with six of their next eight on the road — seven of nine including another Open Cup match. Overall, Seattle will travel nearly 20,000 miles over the next six weeks, including 11,202 miles before the end of June.
They will do so without leading scorer David Estrada, who suffered a broken foot during a training session this week and will miss an estimated 8-12 weeks. Estrada underwent successful surgery Friday to repair a broken fifth metatarsal in his left foot.
“Hopefully, everything will go well with the surgery and he’ll get back sooner rather than later,” said Coach Sigi Schmid, whose club is coming off a draw with Chivas USA in MLS play. “But it definitely means more playing time for some other people. Different people have to step up.
“Hes had a great impact on us this year. He always gives you that tremendous work rate when hes on the field and were certainly going to miss that until he gets back onto the field. We just keep plugging away. I try not to dwell on the injuries and just focus on what we need to do.
Schmid hasn’t said how Estrada’s loss will impact his lineup Saturday against an expansion Impact team that stands eighth (3-7-3, 12 points) in the Eastern Conference and has dropped back-to-back matches after going unbeaten in four straight (2-0-2). However, Montreal has had success at home, going 2-1-2.
Twelve players have contributed to Montreal’s 15 goals and 12 assists. Coach Jesse Marsch’s attack is led by Italian striker Bernardo Corradi, whose has tallied four goals and one assist in his last five outings. Midfielders Davy Arnaud (two goals, one assist) and Felipe Martins (one goal, two assists) have played in all 13 games this season, while Patrice Bernier has scored in consecutive games to go along with one assist in seven appearances.
Jamaican goalkeeper Donovan Ricketts, formerly of the L.A. Galaxy, mans the net for Montreal. The veteran has a career 1.02 goals against average in MLS (83 games, 83 goals allowed).
The Montreal roster features several ex-Seattle players: Miguel Montano, Lamar Neagle, Sanna Nyassi and Tyson Wahl.
Neagle is tied for the team lead with two assists. Nyassi has a goal and an assist in nine starts and Wahl has played every minute of his 10 starts. Montano earned his first MLS start May 19 against New York.
This will mark the second time that Sounders FC play the inaugural match at an MLS stadium. The Sounders also helped open Philadelphia’s PPL Park in 2010.
Seattle goalkeeper Michael Gspurning (hip), who was expected to be ready, is listed as doubtful. Also doubtful: D Patrick Ianni (lower back pain); DF Leo Gonzalez (quad strain); DF Adam Johansson (hamstring strain); MF Steve Zakuani (leg fracture).
SERIES: Saturday is the first MLS meeting between Seattle and Montreal, but the clubs faced off a number of times at the USL and NASL levels. Seattle lost to Montreal, 2-0, Sept. 18, 2004, in the USL finals. A year later, the Sounders advanced past Montreal in a two-leg semifinal series. The sides drew, 2-2, in the first leg in Seattle (Sept. 23, 2005) and won, 2-1, in the second leg in Montreal two days later on a 90th-minute game-winner from Roger Levesque. The Sounders went on to win the USL championship, beating Richmond on penalties. The clubs last played at the USL level Sept. 28, 2008, Seattle losing 3-1.
LAST MATCH: Osvaldo Alonso and Fredy Montero each scored a brace in a 5-0 win over amateur club Cal FC in the fourth round of the U.S. Open Cup at Starfire Sports Stadium. Andy Rose added a goal and an assist as the Sounders secured a spot in the quarterfinals. Seattle will play the San Jose Earthquakes in the quarters June 26 at 7:30 p.m. at Kezar Stadium in San Francisco. The Earthquakes defeated the Minnesota Stars 1-0 in the fourth round.
SOUNDERS STATS / NOTES
- Sounders are 22-14-16 all-time on the road, and hold the league’s longest road unbeaten streak at 10 games (7-0-3), two shy of the MLS record by FC Dallas in 2010.
- Estrada was the only Sounders player to appear in all 17 games. He is tied for seventh in MLS with five goals.
- Montero leads MLS with 65 shots and is tied for first with 23 shots on goal. He also leads MLS in fouls suffered (34).
- When Montero steps onto the pitch Saturday, he will be the first player to appear in 100 matches for Seattle. Montero has 40 MLS goals and 49 in all competitions. The next closest to 100 regular season appearances is Osvaldo Alonso (94).
- Gspurning (0.46) and Bryan Meredith (0.92) rank first and fourth in goals-against average, respectively. Seattle is the only team that has allowed under 10 goals.
- Sounders have scored 11 of their 16 goals in the second half, including seven in the final half-hour. In 2011, the Sounders scored 15 goals in the final 15 minutes, far and away the league leader, and 26 goals in the final half-hour.
- Seattle has two comeback wins. Sounders led MLS last season with a 7-7-3 record when conceding first.
- Sounders have not lost back-to-back matches since March 19, 2011, the longest current streak by an MLS team and the second-longest in league history (San Jose, 1,302 total days from 2004-08).
- The Sounders selected forward Dwayne Smith and defender Daniel Steres in the 2012 MLS waiver draft. Smith, 24, was picked by the New England Revolution third in the 2012 supplemental draft out of Bethel University. Steres, 21, was picked by Chivas USA ninth in the second round (28th overall) of the 2012 supplemental draft out of San Diego State University.
SOUNDERS (MLS) LEADERS
| Category | Skinny |
|---|---|
| Starts | Montero 12, Estrada 12, Alonso 11, Parke 10 |
| Goals | Estrada 5, Montero 4, Johnson 3, Rosales 1, Evans 1, Scott 1 |
| Assists | Montero 3, Caskey 3, Fernandez 2, Rosales 2 |
| Shots | Montero 65, Estrada 23, Johnson 21, Alonso 10, Evans 10 |
| Shots On Goal | Montero 23, Estrada 10, Johnson 4, Evans 4, Alonso 3 |
| Fouls Caused | Montero 25, Alonso 18, Johnson 15, Scott 12, Parke 10 |
| Fouls Suffered | Montero 34, Alonso 20, Fernandez 13, 2 with 12 |
| Offsides | Johnson 12, Montero 6, Estrada 6, Fernandez 1 |
| Corner Kicks | Rosales 23, Fernandez 16, Montero 10, Caskey 9 |
| Cautions | Montero 3, Johnson 3, Alonso 3, Scott 2 |
| Ejections | Scott 1 |
COACHES: Sigi Schmid became first head coach of Seattle Sounders FC Dec. 16, 2008, and is in his fourth year. Born in Tübingen, Germany, Schmid relocated with his family to the U.S. in 1956, and to Torrance, CA., in 1962. He was a four-year starter at UCLA (1972-75) and graduated with a B.S. degree in economics in 1976.
Schmid later earned a M.A. in business administration from Southern California. A certified public accountant, Schmid coached the Los Angeles Galaxy from 1999 through 2004, winning four major competitions: 2002 MLS Cup, 2002 MLS Supporters Shield, 2001 U.S. Open Cup and the 2001 CONCACAF Champions Cup. He coached the Columbus Crew from 2006-08, winning the MLS Cup in his final season.
In 2009, under Schmid’s direction, the Sounders became the first expansion team to reach the MLS playoffs since the 1998 Chicago Fire. The Sounders also won the U.S. Open Cup in Schmid’s first season. They added their second and third U.S. Open Cup titles in 2010 and 2011.
Jesse Marsch: The Impact named Marsch head coach Aug. 10, 2011. Before joining the Impact, Marsch served as assistant coach for the U.S. Mens National Team and helped it advance to the round of 16 at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. Marsch helped the U.S. reach the 2011 CONCACAF Gold Cup Final. Marsch also coached and worked with the U23, U18, U17 and U15 youth national team programs. Marsch coached at Northwestern University from 2000-2005.
A native of Racine, WI., Marsch is a graduate of Princeton University. Marsch played 14 seasons in the MLS as a midfielder with DC United, the Chicago Fire and Chivas USA. He won three MLS Cups (1996, 1997 and 1998) and four U.S. Open Cups (1996, 1998, 2000 and 2003).
COMING UP: Sounders continue a stretch of seven games in 22 days when they return home for a midweek game 7 p.m. Wednesday against Sporting Kansas City. Sounders will then head to Portland for their second Cascadia Cup match of the season against the rival Timbers June 24.
Seattle Sounders FC 2012 Schedule / Results
(7-3-3, 24 points, MLS; 1-1 CCL; 2-0 U.S. Open Cup)
| Date | Opponent | Time | TV | W/L | Score | Rec. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3/7 | *Santos | 7:00 | Fox Soccer | W | 2-1 | 1-0 |
| 3/14 | *Santos | 5:00 | Fox Soccer | L | 6-1 | 1-1 |
| 3/17 | ^Toronto FC | 7:00 | KONG | W | 3-1 | 1-0 |
| 3/23 | ^Houston | 7:00 | NBCSN | W | 2-0 | 2-0 |
| 3/31 | ^San Jose | 7:00 | KONG | L | 1-0 | 2-1 |
| 4/7 | ^at DC United | 4:30 | KING | D | 0-0 | 2-1-1 |
| 4/14 | ^Colorado | 1:00 | KING | W | 1-0 | 3-1-1 |
| 4/28 | ^at Chicago | 5:30 | KING | W | 2-1 | 4-1-1 |
| 5/2 | ^LA Galaxy | 7:00 | KING | W | 2-0 | 5-1-1 |
| 5/5 | ^Philadelphia | 1:30 | NBCSN | W | 1-0 | 6-1-1 |
| 5/9 | ^at FC Dallas | 5:30 | KONG | W | 2-0 | 7-1-1 |
| 5/12 | ^Real SL | 7:00 | KONG | L | 1-0 | 7-2-1 |
| 5/19 | ^at Vancouver | 1:00 | KING | D | 2-2 | 7-2-2 |
| 5/23 | ^Columbus | 7:00 | KONG | L | 2-0 | 7-2-3 |
| 5/26 | ^at Chivas | 7:30 | KONG | D | 1-1 | 7-3-3 |
| 5/30 | &Atlanta | 7:30 | Webcast | W | 5-1 | 1-0-0 |
| 6/5 | &Cal FC | 7:30 | Webcast | W | 5-0 | 2-0-0 |
| 6/16 | ^at Montreal | 4:30 | KING | — | — | — |
| 6/20 | ^Sport KC | 7:00 | KING | — | — | — |
| 6/24 | ^at Portland | 2:00 | ESPN | — | — | — |
| 6/26 | &at San Jose | 7:30 | Webcast | — | — | — |
| 6/30 | ^vs. New England | 4:30 | KING | — | — | — |
| 7/4 | ^at RSL | 7:00 | KING | — | — | — |
| 7/7 | ^Colorado | 8:00 | NBCSN | — | — | — |
| 7/15 | ^at New York | 1:00 | ESPN | — | — | — |
| 7/18 | #Chelsea FC | TBD | TBD | — | — | — |
| 7/28 | ^at Colorado | 6:00 | KING | — | — | — |
| 8/5 | ^vs. LA Galaxy | 6:00 | ESPN2 | — | — | — |
| 8/11 | ^at San Jose | 7:30 | KING | — | — | — |
| 8/18 | ^vs. Vancouver | 1:00 | KING | — | — | — |
| 8/25 | ^at Chivas | 7:30 | KING | — | — | — |
| 9/2 | ^at FC Dallas | 4:00 | KING | — | — | — |
| 9/8 | ^Chivas | TBD | KING | — | — | — |
| 9/15 | ^at Portland | 12:30 | NBC | — | — | — |
| 9/22 | ^San Jose | 7:30 | KONG | — | — | — |
| 9/29 | ^at Vancouver | 6:00 | NBCSN | — | — | — |
| 10/7 | ^vs. Portland | 6:00 | ESPN | — | — | — |
| 10/21 | ^vs. FC Dallas | 6:00 | ESPN | — | — | — |
| 10/28 | ^at LA Galaxy | 6:00 | ESPN | — | — | — |
*=CONCACAF; ^=Major League Soccer; #=International friendly; &=U.S. Open Cup
