Thursday, Oct. 29, 2009

It's Sounders vs. World Series tonight

By Eric Degerman, sportstricities.com

SEATTLE -- Which is the hottest football team in Seattle right now?

There's no doubt that it's the Sounders Football Club. And it entertains the Houston Dynamo today in the opening game of their home-and-home playoff duel as ESPN2 casts a spotlight on Major League Soccer.

Last Saturday, I attended my first Sounders match, which produced a 2-1 victory over Dallas in Seattle's final regular game.

Brad Evans' remarkable chip in the 85th minute electrified the Qwest Field crowd of 33,108 and capped the come-from-behind effort. Nate Jaqua, whose play can be reminiscent of a foosball figurine, would have been my "Man of the Match" because he tied the game in the 62nd minute and his gritty work along the sideline led to Evans' winner.

I was the guest of season-ticket holder Joshua Beach, a long-time friend and former colleague at the Herald. When I saw the price of the ducat — $16 — I didn't feel too guilty. (And Mom, there was no need to worry. Seattle doesn't have any soccer hooligans).

The affordability of tickets is just one reason for the Sounders' remarkable success.

There's a rich history of soccer in the Puget Sound area, including the halcyon days of the North American Soccer League when Seattle fans would fill the Kingdome to support those Sounders. This year is Seattle's first as a member of Major League Soccer, and the Sounders set single-season attendance record.

However, the results on the field — 12 wins, 7 losses and 11 draws — kept the fans in the stands. And the ownership group, which includes Paul Allen and comic Drew Carey, paved the way for a brilliant blend on the pitch as co-owner/GM Adrian Hanauer constructed the team and hired Sigi Schmid, who set the MLS record for coaching victories on Saturday.

There's the aging but still productive Swedish superstar Freddie Ljungberg. (At age 32, the creative and feisty midfielder no longer appears to have enough hair to dye it fuchsia.) Olympia product Kasey Keller, 39, is arguably the best keeper this country has produced and the team leader. Freddy Montero, a 22-year-old from Colombia, leads the club with 12 goals, yet he assisted on both tallies vs. Dallas. And another Colombian, rookie defender Jhon Kennedy Hurtado, made two critical plays late in the match.

Tonight, the Sounders will be going up against Game 2 of the World Series in terms of the TV audience, but I'm confident that Josh and the rest of Qwest will "give their full 90" starting around 7 p.m.