Sounders host Dynamo in Cup semi

  • By John Boyle Herald Writer
  • Monday, July 20, 2009 10:03pm
  • SportsSports

TUKWILA — Soccer schedules can take a little getting used to for some American sports fans.

Take Seattle Sounders FC’s current run of games, for example. On Saturday, Seattle played a “friendly” against Chelsea FC, which drew more 65,000 fans but meant absolutely nothing in the standings. This weekend, they’re back to league play with a game against Chicago.

And in between those two games, Seattle faces the Houston Dynamo tonight in the U.S. Open Cup semifinals. That’s right, in soccer there are tournaments going on during the regular season. The Open Cup is more than just a tournament for MLS teams, as it is open to club teams at different levels, including the USL, which was the Sounders league before this season.

“They’re trying to figure it out,” Seattle goalkeeper Kasey Keller said of American soccer fans. “It’s a hard thing for anybody who has followed American sports to understand that there are competitions going on within the league and other teams are involved from other leagues. I had somebody from Portland say to me the other day, ‘Why did you have an exhibition game against the Timbers?’ I was like, ‘That was a Cup game,’ and they were like, ‘Oh really. I didn’t know that.’ And these are people that are even into the game.”

And even though tonight’s Cup game at Starfire Sports Complex will feature 60,000 or so fewer fans than the Chelsea friendly, it has plenty of meaning to the teams involved.

“This is the third time we played in the semifinals,” said Seattle forward Sebastien Le Toux, who helped lead the USL Sounders to a pair of Open Cup semifinals. “We lost the first two, I hope this time we win and go to the final. For us this is an important cup. It would be nice to get our first trophy.”

A chance to move a step closer to the expansion franchise’s first title of any sorts should be plenty of motivation for a team playing on short rest. The other challenge is avoiding any sort of letdown after playing in front of a nearly sold-out Qwest Field against one of the world’s top clubs.

“After having watched John Wooden some years when I was playing at UCLA, his philosophy was if you have a really up game, you’re going to have a down game,” said Sounders FC coach Sigi Schmid. “So that’s why I never try to hype games too much if you can avoid it. I think the guys were motivated and were ready to play against Chelsea, but I don’t think we spent a ton of emotional energy in terms of leading up to the game. As you become a better pro, you learn how to turn the switch on and turn the switch off again.”

And as Keller points out, “That’s the key thing, that was an exhibition, that wasn’t a big game. A big game is when it matters.”

Tonight’s game does matter, which is why Schmid said he plans on using a good number of his starters. His team should also be more rested than Houston, which had a league game Saturday in Toronto. Not only has Seattle been at home, but it also has the advantage of having substituted liberally against Chelsea, meaning most of the players should be fresh.

Cup rules allow for just five foreign players to suit up, and seeing as he played 74 minutes against Chelsea, Freddie Ljungberg could be one of the foreign players held out today.

For Houston, a win tonight would not only mean a berth in the Cup final, but also a bit of revenge. Seattle beat the first-place Dynamo in a league game in Seattle earlier this month, and Houston went home angry about a controversial Seattle goal that tied the score in the first half.

Two more all stars

Sounders FC forward Fredy Montero and defender Jhon Kennedy Hurtado were added to the MLS All-Star roster Monday, giving Seattle four players on the team. Houston coach Dominic Kinnear added the two Seattle players as part of his coaches picks that round out the roster. The First XI, which was chosen by vote of fans, media, players, coaches and GMs, includes Keller and Ljungberg.

“It is a good honor to have that amount of players in the all-star game,” Schmid said.

Houston, which has the best record in Major League Soccer, has five players on the All-Star team, and Seattle is the second-best represented club with its four. The MLS All-Stars face English Premier League team Everton FC in Salt Lake City on July 29.

Herald Writer John Boyle: jboyle@heraldnet.com.

Talk to us

More in Sports

Washington's Sami Reynolds runs the bases against McNeese during an NCAA softball game on Saturday, May 20, 2023, in Seattle. (AP Photo/John Froschauer)
Local softball stars Reynolds, Mahler set for WCWS

Washington’s Sami Reynolds (Snohomish) and Stanford’s River Mahler (Monroe) each play prominent roles on their Pac-12 teams.

Alberto Rodriguez.
Rodriguez puts on power display, leads AquaSox to series win

The 22-year-old outfielder mashed 11 extra-base hits, including six home runs, as Everett took five of seven from Eugene.

X
Vote for The Herald’s Prep Athlete of the Week for May 22-28

The Athlete of the Week nominees for May 22-28 Voting closes at… Continue reading

Daniel Kim, left, and Ben Borgida, right, chat between holes during the Snohomish County Amateur golf tournament at the Everett Golf and Country Club in Everett, Washington on Monday, May 29, 2023. (Annie Barker / The Herald)
Kim soars to 4-shot win in 92nd Snohomish County Amateur

The WSU freshman and Kamiak graduate’s 12-under final total was the historic tournament’s lowest since at least 2010.

Cooper Cummings from the United States celebrates after winning a men's downhill during the Cheese Rolling contest at Cooper's Hill in Brockworth, Gloucestershire, Monday May 29, 2023. The Cooper's Hill Cheese-Rolling and Wake is an annual event where participants race down the 200-yard (180 m) long hill chasing a wheel of double gloucester cheese. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)
Arlington High School grad is the big cheese after winning UK race

Cooper Cummings, who grew up in Lake Stevens, defeated a world record-holder in Cooper’s Hill Cheese Rolling and Wake.

Jackson High School is awarded the 2023 WIAA class 4A softball championship trophy in Richland, Wash., on Sat., May 27. (TJ Mullinax/for The Herald)
Jackson wins state title over GP after game called by weather

The Timberwolves win 5-1 to hoist their third state softball trophy since 2018 after a game that ended in unusual fashion.

Lake Stevens’ Grant Buckmiller takes a peek at the clock as he runs to the title in the 4A boys 200 meter dash during the WIAA State Track and Field Championships on Saturday, May 27, 2023, at Mount Tahoma High School in Tacoma, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
State track: Lake Stevens sprinter Buckmiller blazes to multiple titles

Also, Kamiak’s Kalia Estes and Jaedyn Chase claim championships and more on local title winners and state placers.

The Yankees’ Aaron Judge jogs the bases after hitting his second home run of the game a Mariners first baseman Ty France looks on during the sixth inning of a game Monday in Seattle. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)
Judge homers twice, Yankees clobber Mariners

Rookie standout Bryce Miller struggles against the New York lineup in Seattle’s 10-4 loss.

X
AquaSox fall to Hops in Memorial Day game

Everett grabs an early lead, but can’t hang on in an 8-4 loss.

Most Read