From the category archives:

Seattle Sounders

#84 - Smash the UnionWhen he signed for the Seattle Sounders in October 2008, Freddie Ljungberg became the face of the new MLS franchise. Less than two years later Ljungberg is on his way out od Seattle/

Seattle coach Sigi Schmid confirmed yesterday what blogs have been reporting for weeks. That Ljungberg was looking for a way to get out of Seattle.

“Ljungberg is still [dealing] with the ankle but also, at this point, he is exploring options,” Schmid said. “So we’ll see how things proceed in the next three, four, five days.”

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Mixed Weekend For MLS Against European Opposition

by David Wilson on July 19, 2010

HDR1 - Qwest Field, Seattle Sounders (fisheye)It was a mixed weekend for Major League Soccer as the Seattle Sounders lost to Celtic 2-1, while the San Jose Earthquakes drew 0-0 with Spurs.

The Earthquakes versus Tottenham game was played in front of a record capacity crowd of 10,712 at Buck Shaw Stadium, and the fans saw plenty of action, if not any goals, as both teams combined for 31 shots on goal.

San Jose was by far the better team, forcing Spurs goalkeeper Carlo Cudicini to make six saves, including two in the final three minutes as Spurs looked like they were still suffering from jet lag.

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Beckham Tops MLS Salaries List

by David Wilson on June 16, 2010

The Major League Soccer Players Union recently released the salaries for the 2010 MLS season (PDF).

Some of the highlights:

  • The average salary in MLS in 2010 is $138,169, down 6.6% from last season’s mark of $147,945.
  • The highest paid player is David Beckham with $6.5 million
  • The lowest paid player is Lamar Neagle of Seattle Sounders will make $15,300 this season
  • There are at least 27 players in MLS making $20,100 this season

Ten Highest Paid MLS Players

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The Walls at Celtic ParkLast summer, it was Chelsea and Barcelona. This summer, Seattle will welcome another set of big boys to Qwest Field.

Sounders jumped on the international friendlies train on Wednesday, announcing two summer matches against foreign clubs: Argentine powerhouse Boca Juniors on May 26 and Scotland’s Celtic on July 18. - Buy Seattle v Boca Juniors Tickets and Buy Seattle v Celtic Tickets

“We promised our fans a diverse flavor of international soccer and are thrilled to bring Boca and Celtic to the Pacific Northwest,” said Sounders FC owner and general manager Adrian Hanauer in a statement. “These two storied clubs have secured their place as elite franchises during the last century.”

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Seattle v Philadelphia Kicks Off MLS Season Tonight

by David Wilson on March 25, 2010

Qwest field, non-NFL football styleTonight marks the beginning of another Major League Soccer season when the Seattle Sounders take on the expansion Philadelphia Union.

Seattle’s Quest Field is the toughest stadium to play in and it will be packed and rocking tonight. A real baptism of fire for Peter Nowak and his Union team.

Nowak has taken a page out of Seattle coach Sigi Schmid’s playbook from last season in that he has built has team from the back. He has two good goalkeepers in goal, whether it is Chris Seitz and Brad Knighton, and with defenders Danny Califf, Shavar Thomas, Michael Orozco, Jordan Harvey and Dave Myrie, the Union should be solid defensively.

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MLS Season Ready For Kick-Off

by Philip Mboya on March 21, 2010

Major League Soccer to many is synonymous with the LA Galaxy, D.C. United or the now dissolved New York Cosmos – at least if you are not a keen follower of this league.  Football or should i say soccer still ranks lower compared to other national pass times baseball, basketball and American Football. However, things are changing.

If what i am reading is anything to go by, then soccer could be at par with the rest of these sports in a few years. Statistics say that 1,000,000 million American parents are cultivating the soccer culture within their children every year especially during the summer spell. That is a massive amount!

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2010 MLS Preview: Seattle Sounders

by The Yank on March 18, 2010

Qwest Field - Seattle Sounders vs. New England RevolutionThe Side: If Sigi Schmid could get on The Price Is Right, I am betting Drew Carey would ensure he got through to the Showcase Showdown. How could he deny Sigi, who in just one season turned Seattle into a bona fide contender for the MLS Cup. Sigi has always been one of the best coaches in the league, but he is also buoyed each game by the terrific response he gets from the side’s supporters. The Sounders sold out every home game in 2009. W-o-w.

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Seattle Sounders Gross Over $1 Million Per Home Game

by David Wilson on February 2, 2010

A fascinating look at the Seattle Sounders finances from MLS Rumors . In the post Lenny Laymon calculates that the 2010 Sounders ticket revenues per game will be over $1m.

This is his breakdown:

There are approximately 22,500 Sounders inaugural season ticket holders who are paying the same price $26.65 per game as last season.
22,500 x $26.65 = $599,625.00 (call it $600k)

The Sounders have announced that they will cap season ticket sales at 32,000 in 2010, and that means they sold an additional 9,500 season tickets are an average price of $36.65..
9,500 x $36.55 = $347.225.00

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Celebrity Faceoff: Drew Carey VS Bob Barker

by Brian Hall on August 2, 2009

In case you haven’t heard before, comedian and Price is Right replacement Drew Carey is a minority owner of MLS team, the Seattle Sounders

Which got the STO thinking.  If Drew Carey can own a team, then why not Bob Barker?  Barker does have more experience in, well, just about everything.  The STO debates which host would make the better MLS owner and know when The Price is Right.

 

Tale of the Tape

 Bob Barker     

Height: 6’1     Age: 86     Home: Darrington, WA

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Freddie Ljungberg Set For MLS Debut

by David Wilson on March 27, 2009

MLS Sounders FC Ljungberg SoccerSeattle Sounders FC’s designated player Freddie Ljungberg should finally be fit enough to make his Major League Soccer debut this weekend. Ljungberg underwent hip surgery in the offseason, but joined full practices this week, and should be prepared for a role off the bench.

“I think we are going to try to play on the weekend; I think that’s the plan,” Ljungberg told mlsnet.com. “How much it will be — that’s a different question. We will play a little bit and see how it feels in a match situation.

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