SBNation.com User Blog: Jeremiah Oshan

U.S. Open Cup: Sounders will visit Tampa Bay Rowdies in third round

Jeremiah Oshan — Wed, 22 May 2013 01:46:19 -0000

The Seattle Sounders' road to a fifth straight U.S. Open final will start out in the longest way possible. The Tampa Bay Rowdies beat VSI Tampa Bay 2-1 on Tuesday in the second round, meaning the Sounders will be forced to make a cross-country flight following their match against the LA Galaxy on Sunday.

Further complicating matters is that the first cross-country flight will take place over Memorial Day weekend, and Sounders coach Sigi Schmid suggested they have so far been unable to find direct flights to accomodate the entire team. He even joked that some would have to take the bus. The Sounders then need to be back in LA for a match against Chivas USA on June 1 and a reserve game the next day.

The assumption would be that some of the Sounders would spend the entire week in Southern California, with a team of mostly reserves going to Florida for the Open Cup game.

Injuries, international call-ups could slow Sounders' momentum

Jeremiah Oshan — Wed, 22 May 2013 00:12:55 -0000

The Seattle Sounders will be at least a little short-handed when they face another big test on Sunday against the LA Galaxy. Osvaldo Alonso has essentially been ruled out and Steve Zakuani does not appear to be ready to return this week, either. On a more positive note, Leo Gonzalez seems to have recovered and Mauro Rosales was able to participate as a neutral in Tuesday's practice.

The most glaring concern is obviously Alonso, who suffered what the team is calling an adductor strain and came out of the match around the 30th minute.

"It's something that we don't know exactly how long it will take," Sounders head coach Sigi Schmid told reporters following Tuesday's training session. "It's an injury that he's had before. He feels it isn't as bad as when he had it once before, so he was able to work out inside. He was already on the bike today, so we'll see.

"This weekend, probably not very likely (that he's available). There's a chance against Chivas, and then we have to go day by day as we get through and move forward this week. The MRI showed there's no extreme pull or strain, but it is what we thought it was."

Missing Alonso for one game is obviously bad enough, but the situation could get much dicier if he's out much longer than that. After the Galaxy match, the Sounders will lose Eddie Johnson and Brad Evans to national team duty. They could also lose Mario Martinez, although it might not be until after the Chivas USA match on June 1. The latest indications are that Obafemi Martins will not be called up for Nigeria's upcoming qualifiers.

The Sounders then have one more league match on June 8 before taking a break until June 22.

At that point, they could feasibly lose DeAndre Yedlin who is still expected to get called up for the U-20 World Cup that starts on June 21. If he's called up, Yedlin could miss as many as four Sounders matches.

"Right after Toulon, they go into their camp in Portugal, and then they go straight to the youth world championships," Schmid said about the U20 team. "I think DeAndre's chances -- I don't know if he's on the final team or not -- are certainly there to be selected for the final team."

The final complicating factor is the CONCACAF Gold Cup. That tournament runs from July 7-28. It's still unclear whether or not Honduras will call in their "A" team, but Martinez is definitely a possibility there. US head coach Jurgen Klinsmann has said he won't call in players to both the qualifiers and the Gold Cup, which seems to suggest Evans and Johnson are in the clear. The Sounders play four matches between July 6-28.

Brad Evans added to United States national team roster

Jeremiah Oshan — Tue, 21 May 2013 16:35:54 -0000

Brad Evans has been added to the United States national team roster ahead of a rather busy stretch of games that will include two friendlies and three World Cup qualifiers, including one at CenturyLink Field. He will join the team shortly after the Seattle Sounders play the LA Galaxy on Sunday and could remain with them until the June 18 qualifier against Honduras.

Although Evans has seven national team caps and was called up as recently as earlier this year, this is a bit of a milestone for him. Until now, all of his call-ups were for friendlies, the Gold Cup or when the full team was otherwise not being called in. This would seem to be an indication that Evans is at least in the running to earn a spot in Brazil, assuming the US qualifies.

While Evans might not be the sexiest pick, it does make sense. Whatever Evans lacks in offensive acumen, he makes up for with his versatility and ability to read the game. Both are qualities that Jurgen Klinsmann obviously appreciates.

This is also an indicator that Evans is in the midst of what is probably his best season. Not only is he moving all over the midfield, but he's showing a creative side that hasn't always been there. His two-assist performance against FC Dallas was his first multi-assist game of his career and he now appears to be coming into his own as a indispensable part of the offense.

New York City FC is MLS's newest expansion team

Jeremiah Oshan — Tue, 21 May 2013 15:13:29 -0000

New York City FC was officially unveiled as Major League Soccer's 20th team on Tuesday. They are slated to begin play in 2015 at a still undecided location. They will begin their inaugural season in a temporary home.

While the announcement has been expected for quite some time, there was a new wrinkle added: The New York Yankees will be part of the ownership group that is led by England's Manchester City. New York City FC is not a private venture by Sheikh Mansour, as previously reported, but will be run by Manchester City itself.

"We proudly welcome two of the most prestigious professional global sports organizations to Major League Soccer," MLS Commissioner Don Garber said in a press release. "This is a transformational development that will elevate the league to new heights in this country. The New York area is home to more than 19 million people, and we look forward to an intense crosstown rivalry between New York City Football Club and the New York Red Bulls that will captivate this great city."

Up until now, MLS had been publicly suggesting that an official announcement on a 20th team would be dependent on approval of plans on their Queens stadium project. While New York City FC has not abandoned those efforts, they have taken over negotiations and may choose to explore other possibilities. They did re-commit to finding a home within city limits, though.

"New York City FC will have a permanent home in the City in the great traditions of New York sports and world soccer -- a home that must be a sports, commercial and civic success," said Ferran Soriano, Manchester City's CEO. "But in considering any stadium site, we will listen first. This is what we have always done in Manchester and what we will do in New York. Only in this way, can the Club truly represent the City whose name it will carry."

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About 32,000 tickets sold for Seattle World Cup qualifier

Jeremiah Oshan — Tue, 21 May 2013 06:36:35 -0000

There have been about 32,000 tickets sold for the June 11 World Cup qualifier between the United States and Panama in Seattle, according to a United States Soccer spokesperson. While the match is still three weeks away and a sellout is entirely possible, sales have slowed to a virtual crawl in recent weeks.

When tickets went on sale to the general public in early April, about 27,000 tickets had already been sold. About 2,000 more were sold over the next couple weeks and each update has showed a slowing trend since then.

There are any number of explanations for the slow sales. The one most often cited by fans is that tickets are relatively expensive, starting at $50 and going all the way up to $175. Interestingly, though, the TicketMaster website shows that many of the more expensive sections have already sold out and most of the available seats are at the $65 and $50 price points. American Outlaws -- the US supporters' group -- also has tickets available for both members and nonmembers. While these prices are obviously far more expensive than equivalent tickets for the Seattle Sounders, they are roughly on par with other World Cup qualifiers in Colorado and Salt Lake. In fact, Seattle AO tickets are actually $1 cheaper than they are for the Salt Lake match against Honduras.

Those complaints aside, more tickets have already been sold for the Seattle game than all but six U.S. World Cup qualifiers since the 2002 cycle and this would still crack the Top 10 since the 1998 cycle. Prior to the 2006 cycle, it was still quite common for U.S. Soccer to schedule games in areas where large immigrant populations lived, often making home games feel like neutral venues.

Top attended U.S. World Cup qualifiers during MLS era:
April 20, 1997: vs. Mexico in Foxborough, Mass. 57,407
Oct. 3, 1997: vs. Jamaica in Washington, D.C. 51,528
Nov. 16, 1997: vs. El Salvador in Foxborough, Mass. 53,193
Sept. 3, 2000: vs. Guatemala in Washington, D.C. 51,996
April 25, 2001: vs. Costa Rica in Kansas City, Mo. 37,319
Sept. 1, 2001: vs Honduras in Washington, D.C. 54,282
Oct. 7, 2001: vs. Jamaica in Foxborough, Mass. 40,483
June 4, 2005: vs. Costa Rica in Salt Lake City, Utah 40,586
June 6, 2009: vs. Honduras in Chicago, Ill. 55,647
June 11, 2013: vs Panama in Seattle *32,000

DeAndre Yedlin left off pre-U20 World Cup roster, Jordan Morris called in

Jeremiah Oshan — Mon, 20 May 2013 15:58:44 -0000

There were a couple surprises when the United States' roster for the pre-U20 World Cup tournament were announced on Monday: DeAndre Yedlin wasn't among the 22 players selected, but Jordan Morris was. The Toulon Tournament (May 28-June 1) is a warmup for the U20 World Cup in Turkey (June 21-July 13) and head coach Tab Ramos has said the rosters for both tournaments will be very similar.

No explanation for the roster choices has yet been given, but there's at least a chance that Yedlin could still be selected for the World Cup and that his being left off was merely a product of the Sounders wanting to hold onto him for as long as possible. Especially with the injury to Osvaldo Alonso, the Sounders may be wary of losing someone who has started all nine matches in which he was eligible for selection.

Morris' selection is a bit of a surprise for entirely different reasons. His recent call-up to the U20 camp was the first time he'd trained with a youth national team at any level and he was not even in the Sounders Academy until last year. He burst onto the national scene this year, scoring 24 goals in 24 academy matches and being one of the breakout players at national team training.

Sounders vs. FC Dallas: Highlights, stats, quotes, photos

Jeremiah Oshan — Sun, 19 May 2013 17:13:41 -0000

This wasn't the Sounders' best match of the season, but they still managed to beat Supporters' Shield-leading FC Dallas

Levy Films captures Lamar Neagle's goal

Jeremiah Oshan — Sun, 19 May 2013 16:46:29 -0000

The long-promised Sounders documentary is finished, but Levy Films is still collecting footage on occasion. They happened to be at Saturday's game.

MLS 2013, Week 12 preview and fixtures: It's lesser-rivarly week!

Jeremiah Oshan — Sat, 18 May 2013 16:20:08 -0000

MLS unveiled something called rivalry week earlier this year. This week's matchups could be called "lesser rivalry week." We've got TFC and the Crew playing in the Trillium Cup, the Whitecaps and Timbers playing the "other" part of the three-way Cascadia Cup, the Galaxy and Red Bulls doing their LA-New York thing and Chivas USA and RSL renewing the vaunted "Class of 2005 Derby."

Toronto FC vs. Columbus Crew

Saturday, 5 p.m. ET - Univision Deportes

Yes, this is an actual derby with a trophy and everything. Do fans care? That's debatable. Part of the reason is that the Crew have absolutely dominated, winning the Trillium Cup 4 of 5 years and losing just 1 of the 13 matchups. There's really no reason to think this is going to be different.

Pick: Crew, 2-1.

Vancouver Whitecaps vs. Portland Timbers

Saturday, 7 p.m. ET - MLS LIve

It's sometimes easy to forget that the Cascadia Cup is actually a three-team tournament, especially with all the attention paid to the Timbers-Sounders part of it. The Whitecaps haven't exactly done much to warrant attention, though, as they've never managed to beat either of the Cascadia Cup opponents. Both teams are coming off solid results.

Pick: Tied 2-2.

Philadelphia Union vs. Chicago Fire

Saturday, 7:30 p.m. ET - MLS Live

Union coach John Hackworth says his team doesn't get enough respect. This won't be the game they get it.

Pick: Union, 1-0.

Houston Dynamo vs. New England Revolution

Saturday, 8:30 p.m. ET - MLS Live

Their league record unbeaten streak ended last week, but the Dynamo are still a pretty darn good team at home. The Revs aren't very good anywhere.

Pick: Dynamo, 1-0.

San Jose Earthquakes vs. Colorado Rapids

Saturday, 10:30 p.m. ET - MLS Live

You'd be excused for not realizing it, but the Rapids have been the far better team this year. This is actually a pretty good test of where both these teams are.

Pick: Tied 1-1.

Seattle Sounders vs. FC Dallas

Saturday, 10:30 p.m. ET - MLS Live

Pat yourself on the back if you predicted FC Dallas would be the best team in the league at any point in the season. Only 4 of their 11 games have been on the road, though. This is easily their biggest test of the season

Pick: Sounders, 2-1.

New York Red Bulls vs. LA Galaxy

Sunday, 1 p.m. ET - ESPN2

This has never been the matchup that MLS has hoped for, but this is about as good as it gets. Landon Donovan is rounding into form and the Red Bulls are, technically at least, leading the Eastern Conference.

Pick: Galaxy, 3-2.

D.C. United vs. Sporting Kansas City

Sunday, 5 p.m. ET - Univision Deportes

The wheels aren't just coming off, they've rolled down the street and United are heading straight for a brick wall. Sporting KC is simply going to hasten the fall.

Pick: KC, 3-0.

Chivas USA vs. Real Salt Lake

Sunday, 10:30 p.m. ET - MLS LIve

What's worse: rumors that the league is getting ready to seize control of Chivas USA or that the league is vocally supportive of the ownership? A result in this game won't do much to change the narrative, but at least it would give their fans something positive to talk about.

Pick: Chivas, 2-1.

Sounders vs. FC Dallas, preview: Set pieces could be key

Jeremiah Oshan — Fri, 17 May 2013 04:07:06 -0000

I'm fairly certain it will be blacked out in Seattle, but I guess the MLSsoccer.com "Stream of the Week" will be Saturday's match against FC Dallas. So, that's cool I guess.

Of more interest, the folks over at MLSsoccer.com put together a pretty snazzy preview video. Matt Doyle points out that the Sounders have done a much better job of creating high pressure and goes as far as calling Osvaldo Alonso a "forward destroyer."

They also identify as set pieces bing the biggest area of concern, mainly because FC Dallas has some big bodies that they can throw forward.

Eddie Johnson named to United States national team roster

Jeremiah Oshan — Thu, 16 May 2013 19:24:26 -0000

Eddie Johnson was one of 26 players to be called into the United States national team camp for three World Cup qualifiers from June 7-18 and a pair of friendlies on May 29 and June 2. Since going about 18 months between appearances on the national team, Johnson has become a regular fixture on their team in the run-up to the 2014 World Cup.

"Eddie is a guy with amazing pace," USMNT Head Coach Jurgen Klinsmann said in a US Soccer release. "He can surprise people going one against one and can create something out of nothing."

The Sounders forward will leave the Sounders to join the national team following the game against the LA Galaxy on May 26 and is expected to rejoin the team prior to their match against Real Salt Lake on June 22. The Sounders play two league games -- at Chivas USA on June 1 and at home against the Vancouver Whitecaps on June 8 -- while he's away. Johnson could also miss as many as two U.S. Open Cup matches as well, as the Sounders are currently scheduled to play their third-round match on May 29 and would play a fourth-round match on June 12.

U.S. ROSTER BY POSITION

GOALKEEPERS (6):Brad Guzan (Aston Villa), Tally Hall (Houston Dynamo), Bill Hamid (D.C. United), Tim Howard (Everton), Sean Johnson (Chicago Fire), Nick Rimando (Real Salt Lake)

DEFENDERS (8): DaMarcus Beasley (Puebla), Matt Besler (Sporting Kansas City), Geoff Cameron (Stoke City), Edgar Castillo (Club Tijuana), Omar Gonzalez (LA Galaxy), Clarence Goodson (Brondby), Fabian Johnson (Hoffenheim), Michael Parkhurst (Augsburg)

MIDFIELDERS (10): Michael Bradley (Roma), Joe Corona (Club Tijuana), Brad Davis (Houston Dynamo), Maurice Edu (Bursaspor), Stuart Holden (Bolton), Jermaine Jones (Schalke), Sacha Kljestan (Anderlecht), Brek Shea (Stoke City), Danny Williams (Hoffenheim), Graham Zusi (Sporting Kansas City)

FORWARDS (5): Jozy Altidore (AZ Alkmaar), Terrence Boyd (Rapid Vienna), Clint Dempsey (Tottenham Hotspur), Herculez Gomez (Santos), Eddie Johnson (Seattle Sounders FC)

MLS player salary release illustrates gains of the middle-class

Jeremiah Oshan — Mon, 13 May 2013 20:29:58 -0000

As we all should know by now, the salary data put forth by the MLS Players Union is incomplete. We hear about this every time the data comes out. Thus, drawing direct conclusions out of it can be an effort in futility. But I've also been told that from a big-picture standpoint the numbers are accurate enough to give us a look at some trends.

Along those lines, I'm also a bit reluctant to deem someone under or overpaid based on less than a third of their season. Even if we assumed these numbers were accurate, I think it's probably a tad premature to make a grand declaration about someone being over or underpaid this early in the season. (And there will probably be two more of these releases, so we'd hate to blow our load now...)

Now seems as good a time as any to really reflect on the CBA the players' union agreed to before the start of the 2010 season and how much of an improvement it represents over the first year they started releasing salary data in 2007.

(Note: "median" and "players" figures are for minimum salary players only) Source: MLS Players Union

Although the league's total player-salary outlay has declined from about $99 million at the end of last season to closer to $89 million to start this season, the average player is seeing their situation improve. There are now 249 players making at least $100,000 a year, the highest number it has ever been. That equates to 45 percent of the entire league.

The numbers are even more encouraging if you only look at "senior" players. If we eliminate the 62 players who are signed to so-called "apprentice" contracts, that's fully half of the league. If we don't include the league's eight current millionaires nor the 62 apprentices, the average salary is about $135,000. That's not great money by professional sports standards, but it's certainly better money than almost anyone reading this article makes.

The really relevant issue, though, is how this compares to MLS of old. For whatever reason, the players union starting releasing this data the year David Beckham entered the league, perhaps as a way of showing just how bad the situation for some of the guys on the lower end of the salary structure.

Back then, there were 145 guys making less than the $35,152 a year that apprentices are now paid. Back then, the real minimum was $12,900, a rather embarrassing salary being paid to 50 players. Almost half (180) of the 371 players under contract were making less than $50,000. The situation only got marginally better in 2008, as the median snuck up to roughly $57,000.

The situation really started to improve with the implementation of a new CBA in 2010. Although the total number of players in the league fell from 410-388, the league raised its total payroll nearly $20 million to $71 million. Under this new CBA, the MLS middle class has gotten a little better each year and the situation at the bottom has improved to the point where guys are at least making enough money to reliably keep their lights on at their shared rentals.

From a worker's perspective, the union deserves some credit for agreeing to a contract that seems to have worked for both parties. The league has enjoyed some fantastic growth during the first three years of this CBA and the union done a good job in making sure that a fair percentage of those gains go toward its members.

Obviously, this still stands in stark contrast to what players in other major North American sports or the top soccer leagues are making. The current CBA is due to expire at the end of the 2014 season. The lack of free agency within the league is surely going to be the thing that gets the most attention, but that's probably a nonstarter from the league's perspective. More realistically, the union should focus on helping clarify the situation of returning national team players and improving the minimum standards. While new Designated Players are great for drawing attention, that money may be better spent improving the league's depth.

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2013 U.S. Open Cup: Sounders will open against Florida lower-division team

Jeremiah Oshan — Wed, 15 May 2013 22:03:21 -0000

The Seattle Sounders' road to a fifth straight U.S. Open Cup final will start against a Florida-based minor league team, as they will play the winner of the second-round match between the Tampa Bay Rowdies (NASL) and VSI Tampa Bay (USL-Pro). The Sounders would host VSI Tampa Bay and go on the road against the Rowdies. The third-round game is scheduled for May 29, three days after they visit the LA Galaxy.

The Rowdies received a bye into the second round, as did the other participating NASL teams, while the VSI Tampa Bay had to beat the Orland City U23 team in a penalty shootout. Their match will be played at Plant City Stadium in Plant City, Fla. on May 21.

More: Update of Sounder at Heart's U.S. Open Cup Pick'em contest

The Sounders have gone 4-0-1 against lower-division opponents since they joined MLS in 2009. Last season, they beat their two lower-division opponents by a combined score of 10-1.

If they were to have to travel to Tampa, that would be the first time they've had to play a road game on the East Coast since winning at D.C. United in the 2009 final. They were scheduled to play on the road against the Atlanta Silverbacks last season, but were able to buy home-field advantage. There would be no such opportunity this year, as teams are no longer allowed to sell those rights.

If the Sounders can advance to the final of the 100th U.S. Open Cup, they'll become just the third team in history to advance to five straight finals. Bethlehem Steel went to five straight (1915-19), while Stix, Baer and Fuller F.C. went to six straight (1932-37).

The Sounders U-23 team, fresh off their first-round victory, will play their second-round game at the USL-Pro's Charlotte Eagles on May 21. They would visit the Chicago Fire in the third round.

Sounders vs. Earthquakes: Highlights, stats, quotes and photos

Jeremiah Oshan — Sun, 12 May 2013 15:05:00 -0000

The Sounders broke out for four goals, more than they had scored in their first six matches combined.

Winning second balls: The under-appreciated key to Sounders' success

Jeremiah Oshan — Fri, 10 May 2013 23:16:04 -0000

Look closely at the buildup to each of the Seattle Sounders' last two goals and you'll see at least one interesting similarity: Both started by winning a second ball. That's not to say either of them were necessarily "counter-strike" goals and neither really came in transition. But neither would have been possible if not for some dogged work in the midfield that created turnovers.

In both cases, you'll need to have MLS Live or some other replay ability to catch the goals because neither is caught in the highlight, so I'll walk you through them.

Equalizing goal vs. Union

This was actually a very long developing sequence of events that took close to two minutes to fully come together. It starts right around the 63rd minute mark when Michael Gspurning puts a ball back into play. Mario Martinez wins a header to get possession, but the Sounders are shortly forced to restart when Djimi Traore passes it back to Gspurning.

The Sounders aren't the first to that ball, but they are able to control possession again. The pass it around the back again, including another Gspurning touch, before Traore puts a ball forward that Brian Carroll gets to first in the midfield.

Again, the Sounders jump onto the second ball and this time really turn it into something. Leo Gonzalez picks up the loose ball and moves into the attacking half with a pass to Martinez along the right sideline. There's then some nice interplay between Martinez, Gonzalez, Eddie Johnson and Brad Evans. The key to the entire sequence comes when Martinez receives the ball from Johnson, while Gonzalez starts to make his run on the overlap.

To his credit, Martinez sees this developing and feeds Gonzalez as he's streaking toward the endline. Even though Gonzalez doesn't handle the pass particularly well, he's able to run onto it. While he's doing that, a trio of attacking players are starting to create trouble for the Union defense.

Johnson alertly switches his field and makes a run to the far post, creating what will be a set of decisions for Union defenders to make.

Although there are four defenders in the box and three all around the goal, two Sounders are left entirely ummarked at the far post.

At this point, all Gonzalez had to do was get the ball over MacMath's head for the Sounders to have a wide open net. That's exactly happens, as Rosales and Johnson both converge on the ball at exactly the same time.

The final scoring sequence was actually quite pretty. All but two players -- right back DeAndre Yedlin and Lamar Neagle -- touched the ball at some point. The final sequence was a 10-pass buildup that was a clinic in passing and moving in tight spaces. Here's how the whole thing looked to Opta:

Game-winner vs. Sporting KC

As we all know, the actual scoring sequence is pretty simple. Zach Scott makes a low throw-in that Brad Evans flicks into the box (look, he swears he got touch and I don't see any reason not to believe him). Aurilien Collin then whiffs on a clearance and Djimi Traore does the rest.

What made it possible was a couple heady plays in the midfield, though.

The first comes almost immediately after Johnson re-enters the field and picks up a horribly errant pass from Collin. The Sounders aren't able to do much with it immediately, but win the ball back when Servando Carrasco is the first to pick up another errant pass.

That one gets the counter-attack going, with Evans dribbling hard down the right sideline. He wins the throw-in when Seth Sinovic knocks the ball out of bounds.

The replay of the throw-in does seem to show Evans getting a foot on it before CJ Sapong can. What's remarkable is the KC defensive positioning. There are fully 10 KC defenders on the near post side of the penalty area and somehow, Johnson is wandering completely alone at the far post.

Obviously, Collin needs to clear that ball and whiffing on it is completely inexcusable but even after he did Traore was surrounded by KC defenders. If Traore had let the ball go through, Johnson had no one around him still.

Clearly a lot had to happen for the Sounders to score both of those goals, but the ability to win the second balls can't be overlooked. While much of what happened is "in the moment" type of stuff, getting after loose balls is something that Sigi Schmid constantly talks about and is one area he always points to when the team is struggling.

Let's hope that results like this keep them motivated to do those little things that lead to big moments.

Marcus Hahnemann isn't exactly backing down and Doug Herrick is filling in

Jeremiah Oshan — Fri, 10 May 2013 22:26:15 -0000

Marcus Hahnemann has only played in a couple games that count since fulfilling a professional dream by playing for the Seattle Sounders. Considering his rather illustrious career, you can understand how that might be a little frustrating.

You can also understand why he's still a little peeved that he won't even be available off the bench for the Sounders' next game against the San Jose Earthquakes. Hahnemann will, of course, be serving his one-game suspension after being ejected from Wednesday's game for cussing at the fourth official.

On the off chance you missed it, the play that got Hahnemann's ire was a deep throw into the Sporting Kansas City goal box. Brad Evans was unable to get his head on the throw and it unexpectedly bounced in front of KC defender Ike Opara. The ball clearly hit him in the arm just feet in front of the goal.

Hahnemann wasn't exactly apologetic when the Seattle Times and Tacoma News Tribune talked to him today.

"If that's the precedent they're going to set, who's going to be left? We're not going to have any fans at our games, because they're all going to be thrown out, as well. So I don't know. I don't what he thought he heard. I didn't call his mother anything or anything like that. It was nothing even good, you know what I mean?"

Sounders head coach Sigi Schmid, perhaps mindful of incurring a fine, was far more diplomatic.

"It's not a good thing," he said. "We all get frustrated sitting on the bench. Sometimes we have to just hold our tongue. We can't let it get to a point where we get ejected because we could have put ourselves in a difficult situation if something had happened to Michael [Gspurning]. We're not pleased with it. Marcus is a veteran guy. He knows. He's disappoitned in himself but it looked like a handball for anyone that saw it."

Doug Herrick will be the backup in Saturday's game. Herrick is a pool keeper, but has been training with the Sounders since last season.

He's certainly a better option than some of the others that were apparently considered.

"One of the guys Tommy [Dutra] mentioned was Patrick Ianni," Schmid said. "But I said he had the shortest arms on the team, so he's not a good option. It would be like putting T-Rex in goal. We thought about [Zach] Scott. Brad Evans immediately volunteered once he heard that discussion. There were a few other guys we considered, [Mauro] Rosales would have been a bit short."

Soccer-specific stadium could be part of Tacoma USL-Pro franchise, Rainiers owner says

Jeremiah Oshan — Fri, 10 May 2013 16:11:30 -0000

Putting a USL-Pro franchise in Tacoma makes sense from so many levels for the Seattle Sounders. The biggest hangup, it seems, is having an appropriate place to play. Although Sunday's Reserve League match against Orlando City will be played at the Tacoma Rainiers' Cheney Stadium, there are obvious concerns about how that might work in the long term.

Now comes word directly from Rainiers ownership that, if all goes well, they'd at least be willing to explore the possibility of building a soccer-specific stadium with the idea of housing a Sounders-affiliated team.

"I think we're interested at a high level regardless, whether that was a Cheney, whether that was figuring out some kind of model to do a soccer-specific stadium somewhere in the area," Rainiers owner Aaron Artman told the Tacoma News-Tribune. "We think the world of the way those guys operate from a business and fan perspective and to partner with them I think would always be something we would have an open mind about."

As recently as a few years ago, the idea of building a stadium specifically for minor-league soccer would have seemed kinda crazy. But a lot has changed, as the soccer-stadium building boom has trickled down in a major way.

The San Antonio Scorpions opened Toyota Park this season, the Carolina Railhawks just renovated WakeMed Park and two other NASL teams play in soccer-specific stadiums. The USL-Pro also has a handful of soccer-specific stadium, the most notable of which is probably the Pittsburgh Riverhounds' HighMark Stadium. That 3,500-seat facility was finished this season for a cost of about $10 million and would serve as a good framework for a Tacoma USL-Pro team.

Construction of the facility took about nine months to complete, which would likely necessitate most of one season to be played at an alternate facility. I would assume that a combination of Starfire Sports Complex and Cheney Stadium could be used for that.

At the very least, it's encouraging to see that Rainiers ownership is serious enough to consider such an option.

MLS Disciplinary Committee explains why Eddie Johnson wasn't punished

Jeremiah Oshan — Thu, 09 May 2013 20:17:56 -0000

A lot of people assumed EJ was going to get a game or two off after he kneed Antoine Hoppenot toward the end of Saturday's match. Now we know why he wasn't.

Thierry Henry's bicycle goal reminds us all that he's still very, very good

Jeremiah Oshan — Thu, 09 May 2013 18:01:36 -0000

Sure, he's 35 years old and his best years are behind him, but Henry is still capable of some absolutely brilliant moments.

Sporting KC vs. Sounders: Highlights, stats and quotes

Jeremiah Oshan — Thu, 09 May 2013 14:45:59 -0000

The numbers might not be as bad you assume, as the Sounders actually played this game reasonably even before Djimi Traore came through with the stoppage-time winner.

MLS Power Rankings: FC Dallas looks like the Boss

Jeremiah Oshan — Wed, 08 May 2013 17:28:33 -0000

We're back with our monthly MLS Power Rankings. Did you miss us? We decided to theme our tiers by 1980s sitcoms. Hopefully they'll make it worth the wait.

Who's the Boss

1. FC Dallas (This week's average ranking: 1.16; Last week's: 3.26): Schellas Hyndman has done quite a number. They've got more points than any other team and are scoring a better clip than anyone else. Dallas-area fans are also starting to take notice.

The Golden Girls

2. Montreal Impact (3.16; 2.16): They've cooled off a bit from their blazing start, but just a little. They've still only got one loss and appear to be a contender in an Eastern Conference that looks to be very competitive.

3. LA Galaxy (3.47; 2.16): At times it looks like Bruce Arena is simply the smartest guy in the room, like when the Galaxy beat RSL 2-0 on the road with a lineup full of reserves. But they followed that up with a 1-0 loss at home to the Dynamo. This is obviously a very good team, but maybe not one capable of running away with the Supporters' Shield.

4. Houston Dynamo (4.00; 3.47): They are simply unbeatable at home. They tend to struggle on the road, but they are also coming off a 1-0 win at LA.

5. Sporting Kansas City (4.68; 6.95): Every time this team looks good, there are a handful of people that are ready to deem them favorites. Our voters aren't quite ready to make that leap, though, which is heavily influenced by games like the recent 3-2 loss at home to the Timbers.

6. New York Red Bulls (5.37; 12.74): Since starting the season with five winless games, Mike Petke now has his club riding a three-game winless run. Might the Red Bulls finally come close to getting their money's worth?

Diff'rent Strokes

7. Real Salt Lake (7.79; 8.95): It has been a season of fits and starts for Jason Kreis' club as RSL has not had the same result two games in a row all year.

8. Portland Timbers (8.16; 15.26): A little surprised to see the Timbers this low, but that's probably a result of them starting relatively slow. Certainly a fun team to watch and one that should at least make the playoffs.

9. Columbus Crew (8.95; 6.68): The team no one seems to be talking about. The biggest news last month was related to their scoreboard catching fire, but they've quietly been turning in solid results.

10. Chivas USA (10.37; 4.89): The shine has clearly been taken off as the bad results are starting to pile up. Guess we'll find out just how much of a genius El Chelis really is.

Growing Pains

11. Philadelphia Union (11.21; 10.68): Only Chivas USA has given up more goals and as good as Jack McInerney is, he's not going to be able to cover up for a defense that has a lot of holes.

12. San Jose Earthquakes (11.84; 9.21): It is truly uncanny how often they manage to pull out points with stoppage-time goals. They are relying on that magic with increasing frequency.

13. Colorado Rapids (12.74; 17.53): Despite dealing with an insane amount of injuries, Oscar Pareja has kept his team competitive.

14. Vancouver Whitecaps (13.68; 8.47): That they are this high, despite going winless in their past seven, speaks to how significant the struggles of the teams below them have been. Martin Rennie has some work to do.

15. New England Revolution (14.47; 14.63): Just picked up Juan Agudelo. Hard to see him being the missing piece to the puzzle, but they've got an interesting collection of talent at least.

16. Seattle Sounders (15.95; 16.47): What Sigi Schmid wouldn't give to be able to get his starts onto the training pitch at the same time. Can those players ever be counted on to get healthy, though?

Facts of Life

17. Toronto FC (16.95; 14.32): The improvements are there, but at some point they need to stop giving up late goals.

18. Chicago Fire (17.00; 18.89): Their attempts to convince Robbie Rogers to play there are understandable, but is it really much of a surprise that he doesn't want to play there?

19. DC United (18.74; 13.26): Poor, poor United fans. Last year, it seemed as though they had finally turned a corner. But five straight losses have them right back where they started.

How the rankings work: Each of our 19 team blogs and one voter from SBNation.com ranked teams from 1-19. We then averaged those 20 votes to come up with one score.

MLS 2013, Mid-Week 11 preview and fixtures: Showdown at the top of the East

Jeremiah Oshan — Wed, 08 May 2013 01:07:14 -0000

This is about as busy as it gets in midweek. MLS has six games scheduled, including a few intriguing matchups. There's a showdown between two of the top teams in the East and another between two of the hottest teams in the West. Wednesday might not feel like the best day to devote an entire evening to watching MLS, but this might be worth it.

D.C. United vs. Houston Dynamo

Wednesday, 7 p.m. ET - MLS Live

United is off to their worst start since 2010 when they started 1-8-0 and finished with one of the worst season in MLS history. This hardly seems to be the week they turn it around as the Dynamo are carrying a MLS record 36-match home unbeaten streak across all competitions.

New York Red Bulls vs. Montreal Impact

Wednesday, 7:30 p.m. ET - MLS Live

Hard as it may be to believe, this is a showdown between two teams tied for the Eastern Conference lead. The Red Bulls come in having won three straight and 4 of 5, while the Impact have lost just once in eight matches. Another cool note: Marco Di Vaio and Thierry Henry have combined for seven goals this year and are a combined age of 71.

New England Revolution vs. Real Salt Lake

Wednesday, 8 p.m. ET - MLS Live

There have been a total of 10 goals scored in the Revolution's eight games. That's a lot of boring soccer.

Sporting Kansas City vs. Seattle Sounders

Wednesday, 8:30 p.m. ET - MLS Live

Every time these two teams meet, something remarkable happens. The Sounders have a five-game league winning streak against KC with an inordinate number of those wins coming on very late goals. But KC won their most important match, a controversy filled U.S. Open Cup final that was decided in penalties.

FC Dallas vs. Portland Timbers

Wednesday, 9 p.m. ET - MLS Live

In 18 combined matches, these two teams have lost a total of twice. They have also been two of the most entertaining teams in the league. Of course, this will end up being 0-0.

San Jose Earthquakes vs. Toronto FC

Wednesday, 10:30 p.m. ET - MLS Live

What happens when a team that has a penchant for allowing late goals plays one that specializes in scoring them? Most likely something very ugly. The Earthquakes are liable to erase a 2-0 deficit and win 3-2 in stoppage time.

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MLS must walk fine line determining where Robbie Rogers plays

Jeremiah Oshan — Mon, 06 May 2013 17:47:31 -0000

Robbie Rogers is coming back to MLS, assuming he gets to play for his team of choice. The former United States international made that much clear during an interview with Soccer Today and then in a tweet:

No disrespect to the Fire or any1 in Chicago. I'm against playing there because I need to be near my fam at this time. Please respect that.
— Robbie Rogers (@robbierogers) May 6, 2013

Rogers has also spoken glowingly of his training stint with the LA Galaxy, and it's clear he would prefer to go there. It makes sense that Rogers, who took a break from retiring after announcing he was gay, would want to return to the field close to friends and family. That team also just so happens to be the most glamorous organization in the league.

MLS is going to have to handle this situation with some care, but it would do well to address the problems inherent in the allocation system that is creating this entire mess.

If this were virtually any other soccer league in the world, there would be no controversy. Rogers, who's currently out of contract, would be free to sign with any team he wanted. But, as we all know, MLS is not like any other league in this regard.

MLS strictly controls player movement, to the extent that even after players leave their rights are often controlled. If a player leaves the league on a free transfer, his old team retains his rights, as long as they made some attempt to re-sign him. If a transfer fee is received, the player re-enters the league through a draft. In Rogers' case, the Columbus Crew attempted to re-sign him before he joined Leeds United on a free. Further complicating matters in this case were the Crew trading Rogers' rights to the Chicago Fire prior to the start of this season.

Coincidentally, about 10 days after complaining about that trade, Rogers came out and said he was stepping away from soccer.

Given that Rogers' only experience with the Fire was facing them as one of the Crew's biggest rivals, it's hardly surprisingly that he doesn't really want to play there. He's going to be facing some significant challenges as the first openly gay professional male athlete and he should have some say in where he plays.

But even if Rogers were just a normal player returning to MLS, it seems ridiculous that his rights can be traded without his consent. At the very least, MLS should stop allowing teams to trade players who aren't currently playing for the league. If that player decides to come back, only then should his rights be eligible for trade.

Such a rule would not address the concerns of players like Herculez Gomez -- whose rights are controlled by Sporting Kansas City for the same reasons that the Crew had Rogers' -- but as long as free agency doesn't exist within MLS, that's a very complicated issue. MLS isn't going to allow players de facto free agency by allowing them to essentially launder their rights by playing in another league.

What can be addressed, though, is what happens to American players whose rights aren't already controlled. I wrote about this issue last year and suggested Americans be treated as any other foreign-based player and making them subject to "Discovery Claims."

Admittedly, this is mostly dealing with the periphery issues surrounding Rogers' return and doesn't do anything to address the current reality.

Assuming Rogers is serious about only playing for the Galaxy -- or perhaps one or two other teams -- that puts the league in a tough position. Either they waste a wonderful chance to score some serious PR points by being the first league to have an openly gay player suiting up for actual games, or they risk the ire of fans all over the league by appearing to only bend the rules when it suits the Galaxy or the New York Red Bulls.

The best solution would involve the Galaxy simply agreeing to part with something resembling "fair market value." What's a 25-year-old, former United States international and MLS Best XI, who hasn't played significant minutes in more than a year worth? That's hard to say. But it's probably safe to say that once Rogers gets back into playing shape that he'd be good enough to be a starter for virtually every MLS squad.

Suffice it to say, the Galaxy aren't going to want to give up a player of equivalent value to get Rogers. That would probably mean parting with one of their many young attackers. I have a hard time seeing that happen, though. Slightly more realistically, the Galaxy might be willing to give up a Leonardo or a Tommy Meyer along with a draft pick or two. But the Galaxy might not even be willing to dip into their defensive depth like that.

A league-forced deal will probably result in the Fire getting nothing more than some draft picks and maybe some allocation money, which they could then use to get another player. It's hardly ideal and something I'm sure would raise a lot of eyebrows around the league.

But maybe Rogers is such a special case that a fanbase that is quick to latch onto any number of conspiracy theories is willing to overlook it. At this point, all we can do is hope.

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2013 MLS Player Salaries Released: Sounders raise budget considerably

Jeremiah Oshan — Mon, 06 May 2013 20:48:41 -0000

As they do a few times a year, the MLS Players Union released their salary data on Monday. The overall picture is generally pretty good, as the median salary went up from about $84,000 to roughly $89,000, despite the total salary expenditures going down from about $99 million to $89 million.

Closer to home, the Seattle Sounders are currently playing with the most expensive team in their history. At $1.725 million, Obafemi Martins is the highest paid Sounders player in history. Add in the fact that Fredy Montero and his $856,000 total compensation package are still officially on the books and it's not hard to see how the Sounders are at about $6 million in total salary which is about 41 percent more than last year.

There were some nice raises passed around, as well. Patrick Ianni saw the biggest raise (by percentage) as he is making about 68 percent more this year than he was a year ago. Mario Martinez (52 percent) and Eddie Johnson (47 percent) also got significant bumps.

A few notes: This is obviously less than scientific. While these are the numbers given to us by the players union, there are bound to be discrepancies. Transfer and loan fees are not included, for instance. We also know that Montero's salary is being paid by Millonarios and that Chivas USA is absorbing some of Shalrie Joseph's cap hit (although it's unclear if they are paying anything out of pocket).

Full breakdown:

				2012 base	2012 total	2013 base	2013 total	total change
SEA	Ianni	Patrick	D	$89,303.00	$89,303.00	$150,000.00	$150,000.00	67.97%
SEA	Martinez	Mario	M	$48,000.00	$48,000.00	$73,200.00	$73,200.00	52.50%
SEA	Johnson	Eddie	F	$100,000.00	$106,333.33	$150,000.00	$156,333.33	47.02%
SEA	Estrada	David	F	$33,756.00	$33,756.00	$48,400.00	$48,400.00	43.38%
SEA	Rose	Andy	M	$33,756.00	$33,756.00	$46,500.00	$46,500.00	37.75%
SEA	Hurtado	Jhon Kennedy	D	$160,000.00	$161,000.00	$190,000.00	$190,000.00	18.01%
SEA	Burch	Marc	D	$65,000.00	$65,000.00	$75,000.00	$75,000.00	15.38%
SEA	Evans	Brad	F	$145,475.00	$159,225.00	$167,296.00	$181,046.00	13.70%
SEA	Alonso	Osvaldo	M	$185,000.00	$185,000.00	$210,000.00	$210,000.00	13.51%
SEA	Montero	Fredy	F	$600,000.00	$756,000.00	$700,000.00	$856,000.00	13.23%
SEA	Zakuani	Steve	F	$110,000.00	$208,000.00	$135,000.00	$233,000.00	12.02%
SEA	Ochoa	Sammy	F	$55,000.00	$57,500.00	$60,000.00	$62,500.00	8.70%
SEA	Gonzalez	Leonardo	D	$125,000.00	$125,000.00	$135,000.00	$135,000.00	8.00%
SEA	Scott	Zach	D	$46,314.00	$46,314.00	$50,000.00	$50,000.00	7.96%
SEA	Ford	Josh	GK	$44,000.00	$44,000.00	$46,500.00	$46,500.00	5.68%
SEA	Caskey	Alex	M	$44,100.00	$44,100.00	$46,500.00	$46,500.00	5.44%
SEA	Gspurning	Michael	GK	$200,000.00	$275,000.00	$210,000.00	$285,000.00	3.64%
SEA	Hahnemann	Marcus	GK	$60,000.00	$60,000.00	$60,000.00	$60,000.00	0.00%
SEA	Rosales	Mauro	M	$200,000.00	$225,000.00	$200,000.00	$225,000.00	0.00%
SEA	Bates	Will	F			$35,125.00	$35,125.00	0.00%
SEA	Carrasco	Servando	M			$46,500.00	$46,500.00	0.00%
SEA	Fairclough	Ashani	D			$35,125.00	$35,125.00	0.00%
SEA	Joseph	Shalrie	M			$540,000.00	$599,333.33	0.00%
SEA	Lund	Philip	M			$35,125.00	$35,125.00	0.00%
SEA	Martins	Obafemi	F			$1,600,000.00	$1,725,000.00	0.00%
SEA	Neagle	Lamar	M			$48,400.00	$48,400.00	0.00%
SEA	Remick	Dylan	D			$35,125.00	$35,125.00	0.00%
SEA	Traore	Djimi	D			$120,000.00	$120,000.00	0.00%
SEA	Yedlin	DeAndre	D			$50,000.00	$53,500.00	0.00%
SEA	Zavaleta	Eriq	F			$65,000.00	$95,600.00	0.00%
					$4,224,310.00	$5,363,796.00	$5,958,812.66	41.06%
					$132,009.00	$178,793.20	$198,627.09	50.46%
					$62,500.00	$69,100.00	$74,100.00	18.56%

Philadelphia Union vs. Sounders: Highlights, stats, quotes

Jeremiah Oshan — Sun, 05 May 2013 15:52:07 -0000

That was certainly interesting, wasn't it? A couple red cards, a blown lead, a second-half equalizer, a late penalty shout and, of course, a road point. All things considered, the Seattle Sounders weren't happy but clearly more than willing to get out of town with a 2-2 with the Philadelphia Union.

The Sounders started this one as strong as any match this season. Eddie Johnson's early goal was the most obvious sign, but they were creating plenty of chances in the first 20 minutes or so. But the Union were able to catch the match shortly after that and, frankly, the Sounders were lucky not to be down a goal or two even before Danny Cruz's 88-second scoring explosion.

The positive development came in the Sounders' reaction. Instead of...

Real Salt Lake vs. Vancouver Whitecaps, 2013 MLS: Joao Plata fuels RSL win

Jeremiah Oshan — Sun, 05 May 2013 03:57:06 -0000

You remember Joao Plata, right? He was the guy that had some nice moments over at Toronto FC a couple years ago, got off to a slow start in 2012, went back to Ecuador on a loan and was traded to Real Salt Lake.

At the time, it was fair to wonder if MLS simply hadn't figured him out. He wasn't a big guy -- he's listed as 5-foot-3 -- and didn't seem to be much more than an energy player that you could insert into games.

Maybe it shouldn't be such a surprise, but he's making a lot of people rethink their assumptions this year. Plata picked up a pair of assists on Saturday to lead RSL to a 2-0 victory over the Vancouver Whitecaps. In the process, he moved into the MLS lead with four assists. He's managed to do all this while playing just about 430 minutes, meaning he's averaging .83 assists per 90 minutes. That's a big number, in case you're wondering.

Both goals were the product of good vision and superb touch. It's worth noting, he also interplayed with Javier Morales wonderfully on each.

On the first, Plata received a pass from Morales on the wing. He took one touch and lobbed in a cross that hit Luis Gil in stride. Gil was able to head back across the goal, off the far post and in.

The second goal played out similarly, as Plata took a pass from Morales. This time, though, it was more of a give-and-go, as Gil hit Morales as he was streaking into the box. Morales hit it first time past a diving Joe Cannon.

While it seems highly unlikely that Plata can keep up this rather ridiculous pace, he has at least shown that he's perfectly capable of playing in this league. Maybe he won't be a guy who can stand up to 2,500 minutes. But he's going to produce in the time he does have. For a team like RSL that is especially keen on finding ways to score without Alvaro Saborio, this should be seen as a rather significant development.

Kei Kamara will return to Sporting KC after loan at Norwich City ends

Jeremiah Oshan — Sat, 04 May 2013 19:17:44 -0000

Kei Kamara is heading back to Sporting Kansas City. The forward's loan to Norwich City ended after Saturday's game Aston Villa, and the Canaries announced they wouldn't be extending it.

City can confirm @keikamara's loan has now ended and will return to @sportingkc with immediate effect. #ncfc twitter.com/NorwichCityFC/…
— Norwich City FC (@NorwichCityFC) May 4, 2013

Kamara had been relatively unspectacular during his roughly three-month stay. The Sierra Leone international had one goal and one assist, as Norwich City went 2-5-4 during his time there. The most recent loss to Aston Villa left them on 38 points, just three points clear of the drop zone.

Forced to make a choice sooner than later, it's entirely possible that Norwich City simply didn't feel as though Kamara was worth whatever it would have cost to make the move permanent, especially with the possibility of playing in the Championship next season.

In Kamara's absence, KC has gotten off to a bit of an even start. While their 14 points through nine matches puts them in the thick of the Eastern Conference race, they only have scored 10 goals. Kamara led KC with 11 goals and was second on the team with eight assists in 2012.

Portland Timbers vs. New England Revolution: Bobby Shuttleworth saves point for Revs

Jeremiah Oshan — Fri, 03 May 2013 04:32:34 -0000

There's something about the Pacific Northwest that seems to agree with Bobby Shuttleworth. The New England Revolution goalkeeper made eight saves and posted his second shutout there in about three weeks, salvaging a point in a 0-0 tie with the Portland Timbers on Thursday. Shuttleworth and the Revolution also shut out the Seattle Sounders on April 13.

The Timbers dominated the match from the very start, with Shuttleworth coming up with several big saves throughout the match to keep it scoreless. Among Shuttleworth's better moments were a stop of Darlington Nagbe on a one-on-one chance and another off a close-range Ryan Johnson volley.

Shuttleworth's efforts were almost enough for the Revolution to pull out the full three points, too. The Revolution's best chance came in the 84th minute when Jerry Bengston slipped a ball behind the Timbers defense that allowed Saer Sene to run onto it. Sene hit a strong left-footed shot toward the near post, but Donovan Ricketts was able to get down quickly and make the save.

The shutout was the first time the Timbers had failed to score this season, but the point was enough to move them into a tie for second place in the Western Conference. The Revolution remained in seventh place in the Eastern Conference.

Monterrey vs. Santos Laguna, CONCACAF Champions League: Los Rayados win third straight title

Jeremiah Oshan — Thu, 02 May 2013 02:51:22 -0000

In case there was any doubt, Monterrey owns the CONCACAF Champions League. Their third straight title -- which they clinched with a 4-2 win over Santos Laguna on Wednesday -- was easily their most impressive.

Los Rayados went down 2-0 at home, only to storm back with four goals that all came in the final 30 minutes of the match. That made them the first team since Cruz Azul did it from 1969-71 to win three straight CONCACAF titles.

The winner came off the head of Aldo de Nigris, who headed in a Humberto Suazo free kick in the 87th minute. De Nigris also scored Monterrey's first goal that gave them life, a volley from about 10 yards out off a Jesus Corona pass.

Following de Nigris' first goal, it was Neri Cardozo who really made it interesting with an 84th minute goal. The Argentinian pounced on a poor clearance off a corner kick and hit it on the first touch, beating Oswaldo Sanchez.

Suazo put the final touches on the victory when he tapped the ball into an empty net in stoppage time.

The win put Monterrey into impressive company. The only other teams to win three straight continental titles are Cruz Azul, UEFA's Real Madrid (1956-60), Bayern Munich (1974-76) and Ajax (1971-73) and South America's Estudiantes (1968-70) and Independiente (1972-75).

Santos Laguna did not make it easy, though. Only 10 minutes before Monterrey started its furious comeback, it seemed as though Santos Laguna had put the match away when they pushed their lead to 2-0 off a Felipe Baloy header in the 50th minute. Carlos Quintero had given Santos Laguna the lead earlier, scoring his seventh goal of the tournament in the 38th minute.

Not only did Santos Laguna not hold on, but Quintero was also forced to share the scoring title as de Nigris' second goal was also his seventh of the tournament.

Steve Zakuani's blood test no longer a concern, but groin still is

Jeremiah Oshan — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 20:00:59 -0000

Everyone can take a deep breath: Steve Zakuani's blood test did not reveal anything major. That's undeniably good news, although his groin injury could still keep him out of action.

"I didn't mean to alarm the world by saying he needed to go in for a blood test," Sounders head coach Sigi Schmid said. It wasn't anything major. He was out here. He did more more today."

There was still no word on why, exactly, the Sounders medical staff needed to pull Zakuani out of training to do the blood test, but that seems like less of a pressing issue now.

What could be a bit more of a problem is the groin injury Zakuani has been dealing with. He has not fully trained since the Colorado Rapids match and has mostly been working off to the side. For a player like Zakuani who relies so much on his speed, caution is probably the right choice. Schmid said the team will make a decision about his availability after Wednesday's training session.

SBNation.com User Blog: Jeremiah Oshan

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Steve Zakuani's blood test no longer a concern, but groin still is