Continuing the roster disruptions, the Sounders will be without forwards Eddie Johnson and Obafemi Martins and midfielder Mario Martinez when the club takes on the Earthquakes Saturday in San Jose. The players have been summoned by their national teams for 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifiers.
Johnson, 28, will join the U.S. team for two qualifiers, beginning with Friday’s match against Costa Rica at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park in Commerce City, CO. The U.S. will play Mexico March 26 at Estadio Azteca in Mexico City. The U.S. is the only team with no points through the first match of round four of qualifying.
Johnson has 46 caps and 14 goals. He helped the U.S. advance with two goals and one assist in matches against Antigua and Barbuda and Guatemala in October.
New striker Martins, 28, who played 20 minutes in his first Sounders game Saturday in Portland, flew Sunday to his native Nigeria for a qualifier against Kenya Saturday in Calabar, Nigeria. He has 38 caps with 18 goals. Nigeria recently won the African Cup of Nations, beating Burkina Faso Feb. 10.
Martinez, 23, joins Honduras for qualifiers against Mexico in San Pedro Sula Friday and against Panama in Panama City March 26. He has 27 caps and three goals for Honduras.
The Sounders visit the Earthquakes in the first road match of the MLS season at 7:30 p.m. Saturday at Buck Shaw Stadium.
NOTES: The Sounders announced a free Android app is available for download in the Google Play Store. The free app will provide supporters with instant access to club news on most Android devices. Features include access to all team news; full archive of team videos including Sounders FC Weekly, the CenturyLink Scouting Report and all daily features; match formations and lineup; real-time match information, including live audio and match blogs; full club roster and player bios. For more information visit www.SoundersFC.com/Android.
