Chicago Fire: The Day After

Set Play Sigh of Relief:
Although I’ve tried to ignore it up until now, negative incidents early in the game bode poorly for the Sounders. Keller’s red card in the 29th minute against Kansas City. Montero’s wide open chip shot sent wide in the early minutes at Chivas. And now a yellow card in the first minute at Chicago. Ouch.

Tyrone Marshall didn’t let it get him down though. His toe poke into the back of the net off of Freddie Ljungberg’s corner kick in the 74th minute caused five adults to simultaneously leap off the edge of their seats, throw their arms in the air, and breathe a collective sigh of relief. Whew. Thank you, Tyrone (and Freddie for the nice corner kick and Le Hawk for earning it)!

Montero and Patience:
My compadres and I were guessing about a lineup change for the second period during halftime last night. I put my vote in for Le Hawk coming on for Montero. I was wrong... until the latter’s red card. A gift perhaps? I thought so.

David Falk over at the Seattle Soccer Examiner has a great poll running asking what it will take to turn things around for Montero. You can probably guess how I voted. Check it out here and have your say!

Kasey Keller: Iconic. Seattle Sounders Fans? Perhaps.

“Bottom line: If you're a soccer fan living in America, you're doing yourself a great disservice if you don't make an attempt to take in a Seattle Sounders FC game. The overwhelming fan support, the sold-out crowds, the insane noise level inside Qwest Field -- it's enough to bring a tear to one's eye...”

Say it, brother!

I can’t even turn around without feeling proud of Seattle fans. (Check out gorilla man and other original fan photos below for some tear-jerking humanity, Seattle-style.)

Fortunately, the media are singing my song. This article on SI.com is full of superlatives (not expletives, friends – those would be found on the blogs of San Jose’s superfans): greatest, wildest, most intelligent. Stop, really, enough about me. Let’s talk about what you think of me.

Seriously though, Kasey Keller is pure class. So if you’re in the mood to feel all warm and fuzzy about being a Sounders FC fan while also polishing up your league talking-points for this week’s debate down at the pub, then this is the article to read. Moreover, you may just get a glimpse into where Kasey Keller thinks he might be in two, five, even thirty years from now. And if you are a true Sounders FC fan, you’re going to like what you hear.

P.S. Speaking of songs... if you missed Becksta’s genius Kasey Keller tribute a few posts back, do check it out here.

A Pictorial Welcome Back to the Pitch For Our Man Kasey Keller

Today is the day that Kasey Keller steps back into the net for Sounders FC. And that makes me feel kinda like this (and it's also inspired my attire for this evening's match):

After all, when I join 28,000 of my Sounders brothers and sisters at Xbox Pitch tonight, I’ll know that the man in the black and gray is back in charge of the boys in green:

And if it comes down to it, we can count on him for some of this:


But as Sigi Schmid said this week, a good goalkeeper is about presence as much as anything. So good luck stepping up to this, Earthquakes. He's going to squeeze your little heads:



I'm betting we'll be throwing our arms in the air in victory by match end:



And thanking Kasey for his top-notch skills, and also for the compliment he gave us in the NY Time’s Goal blog when he pointed out that the Sounders “play before an educated crowd. You won’t hear any big cheers when I kick the ball far!”

Yikes. If that’s true, Kasey, I am deeply sorry. Maybe that was back in these days when the girls with their tight-rolled jeans screamed, “Wow! He kicked the ball far!”

Kasey is the man.

PS - Expect to continue to see me find tangential ways to post pictures of Kasey with a mullet until the end of time.

More Things to Love about Sounders FC: A National Fan Base

I was glad to see that Nick Green’s soccer column this week exploring what to love and hate in the MLS found only things to love about our Sounders FC: copious crowds and unmatched enthusiasm, Kasey Keller and Fredy Montero. Check.

But I’ve found more to love, oh so much more. My heartfelt love goes out to SoCal Sound - “a group of passionate Seattle Sounders supporters who live in Southern California – but bleed blue and green.” Sing it!

And if you did a double-take during last Saturday’s game against Chivas when the camera panned over a section of fans proudly holding their Sounders FC scarves aloft, you weren’t alone. “Wha? Where did all that blue and green in a sea of red come from?” I love how the Sounders Flag in this photo is obscuring the banner in the background that reads "Home of Chivas USA."

Seriously, how many emerging sports clubs of any kind can you think of that have groups of supporters outside of their home state? I’ve found more than one Packer bar outside of Wisconsin, but I’m quite sure that out-of-state support didn’t exist a mere two months into the first season (sure, that was way back in 1919...).

Bottom line: We’re Sounders ‘till we die… no matter what state we live in!

Poach Post

Yeah, I know, kinda weak that this post is purely a compilation of other cool info I found elsewhere on the web today. But the fact is that I’m on day six of being frickin’ sick, and I just don’t have it in me tonight.

So, here we go...

First up, Happy Birthday Freddie! Karl Fredrik "Freddie" Ljungberg was born April 16, 1977.

And this photo is all about the tattoo, obviously.

Next up, another priceless photo of our one and only:

Kasey Keller!

Taking us back in time! Remember kids, mullets were still cool back then. Especially when you rocked one while cruising in your Iroc Z28 with the custom paint job (like the one I drove to my junior prom with a case of Boone’s Farm in the hatch. Sweet!).

And finally, a bizarre and slightly uncomfortable segment from a local newscast down in LA. Sigh, local news. You just love to be base, don’t you? Must you always go for the lowest common denominator (LCD)? But I will admit, despite the fact I will be vigorously cheering against these dudes this weekend, I found this video very entertaining.



Props to Laurie over at the Seattle Offside blog for these two items above. Check out her Chivas-Sounders Match Preview for some proper soccer commentary. (You know, the kind you don’t get here.)

Top 10 Things True Sounders FC Fans Don't Do

Now that we've endured our first loss, it seems appropriate to discuss the Top 10 Things True Sounders Fans Don't Do. Bring on your comments folks, let's hear what you think!

10. Wear pink or silver or any other non-blue-and-green-colored variation of Sounders gear just because you think you look cuter and/or cooler. You don't, you faker. So far, I don't think the Sounders have sold out a la the Mariners and Seahawks, so this is for future reference (since the Mariner's home opener reminded me how lame this is).
9. Wear high heels to a match (unless you're a big hairy guy and it's part of your Sounders get-up). But you ladies, c'mon. I know there are a lot of dudes at Sounders matches, but wearing high heels is not the way to catch their eye. If you do wear heels and you bite it coming up the stairs as you try to execute a turn into your row whilst double-fisting Mike's Hard Lemonades for your sorority sisters, well... you will be appropriately mocked.
8. Wear your Premiere League scarf instead of a Sounders FC one because it's good for picking up chicks afterwards. "Yeah, I've been to England. Eng-LAND. It's an island, ya know. The Sounders, they're alright, but they don't compare. You wanna wear my scarf? Sure, baby. Okay, that's enough. Now give it back before your spill your Cosmo on it."
(Okay, moving on from the sartorial no-no's. True Sounders fans do not...)
7. Wander aimlessly through the concourse asking, "Where are the garlic fries" and "Why didn't I get my Kasey Keller bobblehead at the gate?"
6. Throw shit on the field like those Toronto lame-os. Class, baby. Class.
5. Brag to all your friends at work of the inaugural game, "Oh my god, it was sooo awesome!" and then fail to be able to name the opposing team when queried. "Huh?"
4. Discriminate against Freddie Ljungberg's playing abilities based on his age, the fact that he's retired from the international game, or that he is also (whew, it’s getting warm in here all of sudden – must be the laptop on my knees) an underwear model. And we're not talking Hanes either.
3. Let your lack of singing ability stop you from joining the Emerald City Supporters in their rendition of Perry Como's "Seattle" (Memorize the lyrics here). It's not really singing folks. It's a combination of shouting and chanting, and with a minimum of 20 people participating, it sounds just fine.
2. Boo the home team. And since booing the visiting team and/or refs can't be distinguished from booing the home team, best not do it at all. M'kay?
1. Leave early. Goddam it, unless your house is burning down, you better stay in your seat until the bitter end (presuming it is bitter if you are considering leaving early).