Wizards, Sounders FC square off at Qwest Field
Kansas City looks for second-straight win as Seattle tries to remain unbeaten
QWEST FIELD, Seattle, Wash.
April 11, 2009 (WEEK 4) / MLS Game #29
7:30 p.m. PT (KONG; MetroSports)
Still riding high on the streak which has made history, undefeated and unscored upon Seattle Sounders FC returns to a sold-out Qwest Field to take on the Kansas City Wizards. Sounders FC has become the first team in MLS history to record shutouts in the first three games of its existence, and are 62 minutes short of a league-record scoreless streak to start the season. The Wizards responded to losses in their opening two games with a first three points of the season last week in a difficult 2-0 home victory against the San Jose Earthquakes.
REFEREE: Abbey Okulaja. SAR (bench): Anthony Vasoli; JAR (opposite): Eric Boria; 4th: Ricardo Salazar MLS Career: 84 games; FC/gm: 28.8; Y/gm: 3.5; R: 11; pens: 22
INJURY REPORT: SEATTLE SOUNDERS FC - OUT: GK Chris Eylander (right knee PCL sprain); DF Taylor Graham (left sesamoid fracture); MF Peter Vagenas (knee surgery); FW Jarrod Smith (quadriceps strain); PROBABLE: MF Freddie Ljungberg (L knee hyperextension) ... KANSAS CITY WIZARDS - OUT: FW Adam Cristman (fifth metatarsal fracture); GK Eric Kronberg (shoulder surgery); DF Chance Myers (fifth metatarsal fracture); DOUBTFUL: MF Graham Zusi (hamstring strain); PROBABLE: DF Michael Harrington (hamstring strain); MF Kevin Souter (adductor strain)
INTERNATIONAL ABSENCES: none
SUSPENDED: none
HEAD-TO-HEAD
ALL-TIME: First meeting.
RETURN MATCH: 10/17: Seattle Sounders FC at Kansas City Wizards, 7:30 p.m. CT
• Coaches record: Sigi Schmid v KC: P32 W13 L14 D5 ... Curt Onalfo vs. SEA: first game
SEATTLE SOUNDERS FC
Seattle Sounders FC became the first team in MLS history to record shutouts in its first three games, coming away from Toronto FC with an impressive 2-0 victory on Saturday at BMO Field. Sounders FC have nine points from their first three games, level atop the Western Conference with Chivas USA.
LAST MATCH
• Sounders FC were on the road for the first time ever after two wins at their Qwest Field home, taking on a Toronto FC side making its home debut where it had lost just twice last season.
• It took the visitors just 15 minutes to open the scoring, as Freddie Ljungberg -- making his first MLS start -- got his first league goal. Playing a neat one-two with Nate Jaqua, Ljungberg strolled into the area to collect the return pass and slotted home past Greg Sutton.
• Sounders FC doubled the lead almost on the stroke of halftime. A Jaqua shot bounced off a couple of TFC defenders in front of goal and fell right to Steve Zakuani, and the No. 1 pick in the 2009 MLS SuperDraft buried the rebound for his first professional goal.
• Kasey Keller was called upon to make three saves as he extended his shutout streak to 270 minutes, the longest ever for a goalkeeper to begin his MLS career.
• Sounders FC head coach Sigi Schmid made one change to the team that defeated Real Salt Lake 2-0 the weekend before. With MLS leading scorer Fredy Montero ill, Freddie Ljungberg made his first MLS start.
• Here's Schmid's team (4-1-3-1-1): Kasey Keller - James Riley, Jhon Kennedy Hurtado, Tyrone Marshall, Zach Scott - Osvaldo Alonso - Sebastien Le Toux, Brad Evans, Steve Zakuani (Nathan Sturgis 79) - Freddie Ljungberg (Sanna Nyassi 78) - Nate Jaqua. Substitutes Not Used: Ben Dragavon, Patrick Ianni, Stephen King, Roger Levesque, Tyson Wahl
TEAM NEWS
• With Fredy Montero unable to make the trip to Toronto because of illness, Ljungberg was given a start as a second forward, and took just 15 minutes to open his MLS account.
• "We were trying to get me in between the midfield and striker position so I could turn and use my pace in passing," Ljungberg said. Said Schmid: "One of the things I told Freddie before the game: 'Look ... don't forget one of our best qualities always has been getting behind defenses.' And obviously he got behind them for that first goal."
• Ljungberg played 29 minutes as a substitute in last week's 2-0 win at Qwest Field but hadn't played club soccer since breaking his ribs while playing with West Ham United in their last game of the 2007-2008 Premiership season.
• "He has been through a lot of battles coming back from injury and he is a mature player," said Schmid. "He was to take on more of a role of playmaker as a midfielder for us this season but can also play as a second striker and that is where we needed him on the field today."
• Also opening his MLS account was Steve Zakuani, the No. 1 pick overall out of the University of Akron in last January's SuperDraft. "Nothing really compares to that first goal," said Zakuani. "Last week I had my first assist but nothing really compares to your first goal -- it was important for the team too and couldn't have come at a better moment."
• As a club, Seattle Sounders FC made history by becoming the first team ever in MLS to post a shutout in its first three games. In 1996, the San Jose Clash and Dallas Burn, and in 1998, the Chicago Fire, all kept clean sheets in their first two games, but all allowed a goal in the third.
• "We've got guys that are willing to work extremely hard, to put their body on the line and do what needs to be done to keep the other team off the board and I think if we continue with that mentality all year we've got a very good shot at having a very good season," said goalkeeper Kasey Keller. "We know we're going to concede a goal and we're going to lose some games ... but while we have guys fighting to stop teams from scoring for 90 minutes then we're going to have a good chance of doing that quite often."
• Schmid said he expects both Montero and Ljungberg to be available for the Wizards match. Montero has returned to full training, while Ljungberg has not been able to after suffering a knock late in the TFC match that forced him from the field for the final 12 minutes.
• "Fredy Montero was feeling better today. He is still a little bit under weather, but he's feeling better. In the four-v-four plus two he was good. In the scrimmage you could tell he was getting a little bit tired. But he was OK," Schmid said Tuesday. "Freddie Ljungberg -- we wanted to see what he could today. So he went through the beginning part of it. Felt a little bit sore. So we just want to be a little cautious today, then we'll see how it is tomorrow."
KANSAS CITY WIZARDS
The Kansas City Wizards won for the first time on the season, defeating the San Jose Earthquakes 2-0 on Sunday afternoon at CommunityAmerica Ballpark. The Wizards now have three points from three matches, sitting in fifth place in the Eastern Conference, four points behind the first-place tie between Chicago and New England.
LAST MATCH
• Howling winds and bitter wind chills greeted the Wizards as they looked to overcome a pair of losses to start the season, facing an Earthquakes side that had won its first the week before.
• The home side took the lead in the 28th minute. A pair of shots from a free kick were blocked by San Jose defenders, the rebound from the second falling to defender Aaron Hohlbein, and he directed the ball to the back of the net for his first professional goal.
• The Wizards put the game away 12 minutes from the end. A long searching cross-field ball from Herculez Gomez found Claudio Lopez racing down the left flank, and he skipped into the box before coolly slotting past Joe Cannon inside the far post for his first goal on the campaign.
• Wizards head coach Curt Onalfo made four changes to the team that lost 2-1 to the Colorado Rapids in Commerce City. Matt Besler made his first professional start, Santiago Hirsig made his first MLS start, and Davy Arnaud and Josh Wolff returned to the lineup. Jonathan Leathers and Abe Thompson returned to the substitutes' bench, while Graham Zusi and Michael Harrington were injured.
• Here's Onalfo's team (4-4-2): Kevin Hartman - Lance Watson, Jimmy Conrad, Aaron Hohlbein, Matt Besler - Herculez Gomez, Santiago Hirsig, Jack Jewsbury, Josh Wolff (Roger Espinoza 91+) - Davy Arnaud, Claudio Lopez (Michael Kraus 88). Substitutes Not Used: Jonathan Leathers, Rauwshan McKenzie, Kurt Morsink, Boris Pardo, Abe Thompson
• "I told the guys before the game that it was going to be one a game where we had to roll up our sleeves and fight," Onalfo said. "It was just about mentality tonight, just being the team that was first to everything, and that's kind of what we did. We were very good from the opening whistle. I thought San Jose was a very good team, and I thought we showed that we are a very good team as well."
TEAM NEWS
• Onalfo gave his front line a new look as Arnaud and Wolff returned from injury. After figuring in an attacking midfield role from the final two months of last season through the opening matches this year, Arnaud paired with Claudio Lopez at striker. Josh Wolff was given the left-sided midfield role.
• "The combination play between Josh Wolff, Claudio Lopez, Santiago Hirsig, Jack Jewsbury and Davy Arnaud was very good," Onalfo said. "Hats off to the guys. They implemented the game plan and performed very well."
• Hirsig made his first MLS start in the attacking midfield role in front of Jewsbury, with Herculez Gomez the other holdover on the right of midfield.
• "You can see what Santiago Hirsig brings to the team. He has such an influence in the middle of the midfield. He and Jack Jewsbury had a good understanding of each other, and there are a lot of good things to build on from today's match," Onalfo said.
• As well, Onalfo changed his fullbacks. Lance Watson, who had played in the center of midfield in Colorado, moved to right back, and Matt Besler made his first MLS start at left back. "I thought Lance Watson was solid at right back, and with Matt Besler, you can see the quality there. He's a young player who doesn't play like a young player. And then, dealing with the aerial game, with Aaron Hohlbein and Jimmy, I thought we were very good there as well," said Onalfo.
• Said Besler: "It felt good to be out there and to get the start and play 90 minutes. It felt good, and I'm glad the team got the win. It's great to play for my hometown team. It's a lot more comfortable growing up here and being a fan of the Wizards. It just makes me want to win that much more since I grew up supporting the team."
• Aaron Hohlbein won a starting place in central defense in the preseason, and capped his third start of the year with his first professional goal. "The goal is nice, but getting the win is that much better. The last couple of weeks, we weren't playing up to our standard. Coming in, we knew that we had to go out and have a good performance. It worked out for us." he said.
• A season ago, after wins in three of their first five games, the Wizards went on a seven-game winless run that left playoff qualification in doubt until the final weeks of the season. They wanted to make sure they didn't have a big hole to overcome early in the year this year.
• "It was, I'd have to say, a must-win game for us," Wizards captain Jimmy Conrad said. "Columbus and Toronto both dropped games this weekend, and it was a good chance for us to grab some points, climb up the board a little bit. Make sure we aren't fighting an uphill battle the whole season."
