Sounders FC Preview

The Fire are back in action after an off weekend

Still looking for a first win in 2011, Seattle Sounders FC return to Qwest Field for a matinee against the Chicago Fire. Sounders FC have gained a point from each of their last two games, last a 2-2 tie at the San Jose Earthquakes. The Fire are back in action after an off weekend, their last league game a 3-2 home win vs. Sporting Kansas City.
REFEREE: Hilario Grajeda. SAR (bench): Fabio Tovar; JAR (opposite): Cameron Blair; 4th: Tyler Ploeger
MLS Career: 39 games; FC/gm: 25.5; Y/gm: 3.6; R: 8; pens: 7
INJURY REPORT: SEATTLE SOUNDERS FC – DOUBTFUL: FW Mike Fucito (L ankle sprain); GK link-placeholder-4; QUESTIONABLE: FW Fredy Montero (R wrist fracture); PROBABLE: MF Pat Noonan (L adductor strain); DF Taylor Graham (L hand fracture) …
CHICAGO FIRE – OUT: MF Mike Banner (L Achilles tendinitis); DF Steven Kinney (R Achilles repair); DOUBTFUL: FW Gabriel Ferrari (R hip flexor strain); PROBABLE: DF Josip Mikulic (L quadriceps strain); DFCory Gibbs (R groin soreness); GK Sean Johnson (general illness)
INTERNATIONAL ABSENCES: none
SUSPENDED: none
WARNINGS:
SUSPENDED AFTER TWO YELLOW CARDS: SEA: Leo Gonzalez
HEAD-TO-HEAD
ALL-TIME (4 meetings): Sounders FC 2 wins, 4 goals … Fire 0 wins, 2 goals … Ties 2  AT SEATTLE (2 meetings): Sounders FC 1 win, 2 goals … Fire 0 wins, 1 goals … Ties 1
RETURN MATCH: 6/4: Chicago Fire vs. Seattle Sounders FC, 7:30 p.m. CT
LAST YEAR (MLS):
8/28: SEA 2, CHI 1 (Montero 36, 90 – Thorrington 28)
9/25: CHI 0, SEA 1 (Nkufo 88)

  • The Fire have never defeated Sounders FC. Seattle won both meetings last season, a 2-1 win at Qwest Field and a 1-0 victory at Toyota Park; the teams played to two draws in the Sounders FC inaugural season.


  • Coaches record: Sigi Schmid vs. CHI: P29 W13 L8 D8 … Carlos de los Cobos v SEA: P2 W0 L2 D0


SEATTLE SOUNDERS FC
Seattle Sounders FC played to a draw for a second consecutive week, this time a 2-2 result with the San Jose Earthquakes on Saturday evening at Buck Shaw Stadium. Sounders FC have 2 points from 4 games on the season, sitting in sixth place in the Western Conference.
LAST MATCH

  • Sounders FC took the lead after just 17 minutes. Mauro Rosales shook free of Sam Cronin on the dribble, then slotted a low centering pass to Brad Evans. Evans then beat Chris Leitch to the ball and knocked it home from point-blank range.


  • The Quakes pulled level in the 32nd minute. Bobby Convey threaded a great pass through three defenders. Dawkins raced to it and, from 12 yards out, placed a left-footed shot just beyond Kasey Keller’s reach, tucking it neatly inside the far post.


  • Seattle nosed back in front just before the interval. Steve Zakuani floated a cross into the six-yard box for O'Brian White, who fended off Jason Hernandez and struck a diving header that left Busch helpless.


  • But San Jose leveled again through a majestic goal. Khari Stephenson, who had come on at the half, powered home a blistering 35-yard strike in the 52nd minute that Keller got his left hand to but couldn’t keep out.


  • Sounders FC head coach Sigi Schmid made two changes to the team that played to a 1-1 draw with theHouston Dynamo at Qwest Field. James Riley came back into the back four for Zach Scott and Mauro Rosales replaced the injured Fredy Montero.



TEAM NEWS

  • Dating back to the final game of the 2010 season, Sounders FC are now winless in five consecutive games, one shy of the club record. Seattle went six games without a victory in their inaugural season, May 2-June 6, 2009.


Getty Images
“We want to get three points,” Sigi Schmid said. “A lot of other teams tied (Saturday), and it would have been a good chance for us to jump up. … At times we’re playing good soccer. I didn’t think the second half was particularly good soccer from us. I think we played better soccer in the other three games. I thought the first half at times we played some very good stuff. We just got to be sure we can put 90 minutes together on the field.”

  • O’Brian White was once again in the starting lineup in attack and contributed his first goal with Sounders FC.


  • “It was good to see (White) get one – he said he was going to get one tonight, so that was good,” Schmid said. “I’m pleased and two goals ought to be enough when you’re on the road.”


  • Striker Fredy Montero missed the San Jose game after undergoing wrist surgery earlier in the week, but coach Schmid said he is day-to-day.


  • In his place, Mauro Rosales started, playing a more withdrawn role, and helped create the opening goal fromBrad Evans.


Getty Images
"In the first half I think he did extremely well, pressuring the ball," said Evans. "He gave us a bit of energy up front." Said Rosales: "This is what I have to do. When I'm doing my best is when I make assists."

  • But if Montero is healthy again, Schmid indicated he is not likely to be partnered with Rosales.


  • "You have two guys (in Montero and Rosales) who are both dropping off looking for the ball behind the center forward," said Schmid. "We tried that with (Freddie) Ljungberg and Montero and that didn't work, so why wouldwe try that again?"


  • Midfielder Erik Friberg was removed at halftime in favor of Designated Player Alvaro Fernandez after suffering from the flu.


  • For the second time on the season, Sounders FC conceded a long-range strike, after Juninho’s blast was the winner for the LA Galaxy in the season opener.


  • “I think we let ourselves down a little bit defensively,” Schmid said. “Obviously, Khari Stephenson hits a great shot, but we let ourselves down just from the standpoint of the balls we turned over in midfield. And I thought we created some turnovers that always put us in trouble, and that’s something that we need to eliminate.”


CHICAGO FIRE

  • The Chicago Fire return to league play after a weekend off, their last match their first win of 2011, a 3-2 victory against Sporting Kansas City on March 26 at Toyota Park. The Fire have 4 points from 2 matches on the year, in a four-way tie for fourth place in the Eastern Conference.


  • Chicago went up a goal and up a man in the 34th minute, when Kansas City Designated Player Omar Bravo was sent off after pulling down Gaston Puerari as he raced into the area on a solo run. Fire forward Diego Cháves promptly buried the resulting penalty kick.


Getty Images
The Fire doubled their advantage in the 40th. Chicago midfielder Mike Videira played Puerari into the left side of the box, and the Uruguayan forward took one touch towards the middle before curling a 15-yard shot past KC goalkeeper Jimmy Nielsen.

  • Kansas City defender Matt Besler put Sporting on the board just after the break. Fire 'keeper Sean Johnson fumbled a low cross from midfielder Davy Arnaud and Besler jumped on the ball at the back post, tapping in from a few yards out.


  • But Pappa restored the 2-goal margin with an absolutely fantastic goal in the 59th minute. The Guatemalan midfielder collected the ball in the middle of Kansas City’s half and improbably wove through four Sporting defenders before firing a low right-footed toe-poke inside the left post from the top of the box.


  • Kansas City pulled a goal back in the 72nd minute. Halftime substitute Teal Bunbury collected an errant pass from Fire left back Gonzalo Segares in the middle of Chicago’s half and coolly slotted a shot inside the left post.




TEAM NEWS

  • The Fire won their first home game of 2011 after winning just four of 15 home games last year – the fewest of any team in MLS.


  • ‘‘We made it pretty interesting,’’ Logan Pause said. ‘‘We’re disappointed with the goals we gave up, but the priority in the first game at home is setting the tone, and getting three points is crucial. We’ll learn from our mistakes and move on.’’


  • Three of the four Fire goals have come from their new Uruguayan strike pair of Gaston Puerari and Diego Chaves.


  • ‘‘Puerari makes a lot of moves in front with Diego. Diego’s more of a strong guy with ability. It’s a good thing they’re scoring goals,’’ said Marco Pappa, who led the Fire with seven goals a season ago.


  • In each of the Fire’s two games this season, Puerari has suffered a foul from which an opponent has been sent off. Some four years ago, Puerari was working in a slaughterhouse in his homeland.


  • "It's been very rapid, from the slaughterhouse to Chicago with the Fire. Very rapid. But it's the path I want," he said to the Chicago Tribune. "The path of the professional soccer player."


Getty Images
The Fire had last weekend off, but played in a U.S. Open Cup match at midweek, defeating the Colorado Rapids 2-1 behind a goal from rookie Jalil Anibaba.

  • Here’s the Fire team: Sean Johnson; Jalil Anibaba, Cory Gibbs, Yamith Cuesta (Dasan Robinson 59), Gonzalo Segares; Patrick Nyarko, Michael Videira, Logan Pause, Davis Paul; Gaston Puerari, Diego Chaves (Orr Barouch 89)


  • On Tuesday, the Fire officially added Pari Pantazopoulos, who won his spot on the team after an open tryout earlier this year. Born in Greece, he moved to the Chicago area in 1998; after high school, he played professionally in Cyprus for Asyl Lisis in 2006, then joined Greek squad Zakynthos from 2008-10.


  • "Pari came in to camp eager to learn and be a part of this team,” Fire technical director Frank Klopas said. "Over the course of the last couple of months Pari worked tirelessly to earn his spot. His undeniable charisma and passion for this game coupled with his experiences in Greece and Cyprus were defining factors in us signing Pari.”