Results tagged “soccer”

Aside from on-field accomplishments, one of the shining successes of the Sounders FC organization was its connection to fans and the community at large. Today, as part of festivities leading up to Sunday's MLS Cup at Qwest Field, a few Sounders are chipping in to build an entire elementary school playground. In one day.

Sunday afternoon felt a bit like that October day in 1995 when the Cleveland Indians snuffed out the Mariners “Refuse to Lose” fairy tale run. Remember little Joey Cora weeping in the dugout after the game, being consoled by then-Mariner Alex Rodriguez? After the final whistle, we felt a lot like that, except we were in a half-empty bar (not a dugout), being consoled by a half-empty beer (not a prick).

Back to the tie though, which Times' columnist Steve Kelley accurately describes as more of a loss. With three straight wins leading into the game, another revved-up record crowd at their backs, and an opponent they'd beaten twice before, the Sounders should have won.

When they’re not doing that, presumably they’re making out with mirrors or enjoying the smell of their own farts. Hell, even a columnist for The Oregonian did a Top 10 list of why Duck fans suck. (We can only imagine how bad our hubris would have to be for Steve Kelley or Art Thiel to ever turn on us.)

No sense in dwelling on the shortcomings of Seattle’s American football teams. This Monday, there’s only one sports story worth writing and reading about, and that’s the Seattle Sounders FC.

Please forgive Seattlest for the horrible attempt at a punny play on words headline, but we spent most of Thursday watching a spaceship balloon drift across Denver. So now our brain is dead.

To be a Seattle sports fan this weekend was to rediscover that we indeed had a functioning heart.

This weekend the Seattle sports world parachutes into a Midwestern hot pocket as footballers Sounders FC, Huskies, and Seahawks play within about 300 miles of each other in Indiana and Ohio. Their respective opponents are tough. We're hoping at least two, if not all three squads win, because we think imbibing is much more fun in victory than in defeat.

More than 100 Sounders fans are packed into a downtown D.C. pub this afternoon, sucking down liquid courage in advance of their foray into enemy territory for tonight's U.S. Open Cup final against D.C. United.

USA plays Mexico in a World Cup qualifier today which is a big deal. (No, really, it is. Don't make us sent Teabaggers to your house).

We're thinking that next time we go to one of these friendlies, we'll just leave at halftime. The best part of the night was the pre-game and the first half. After that, it was duller than a PBS pledge drive.

• Europe's fast and feared fútbol team, the Fútbol Club Barcelona, is finally here on Seattle soil. Tonight, the Barca will step out to a sold-out Qwest Field, where they'll find the Sounders hiding ready and waiting for the friendly soccer...err...fútbol game. Go Sounders! (fingers crossed)
• My Ballard reports that Seattle Department of Transportation crews are embracing their inner artists and painting new "sharrows" for bicyclists along 32nd Ave. NW.

The M's win 4-3 in the bottom of the ninth on Ichiro's two-out walk-off single -- Ich's 148th hit of the season, which puts him exactly at the pace of his record-setting 262-hit season in 2004. Washburn allowed just 1 run in 7 IP in what may have been his last start as a Mariner, but didn't get the win due to a bullpen collapse. M's 52-48, 7.5 GB. Box score. Next game Weds. vs. TOR, 1:40 p.m.; Rowland-Smith vs. Halladay.

In every non-playoffs sports season, you can date the moment when your team's hopes collapsed. For the last place 2008 Mariners, it was approximately mid-April. This year's Mariners lasted far longer in the playoff hunt. Nevertheless, July 24-26 was their undoing.

All the signs were there--a functional transit system, government endorsement of the weedbud, and all that damn bicycling--but the evidence is incontrovertible now that Portland has banished its baseball team in favor of a pro soccer franchise.

Your Sounders advance to the finals of the U.S. Open Cup with this hard-fought, semifinal win over top rival Houston. The Rave Green looked likely to fall until a 89th minute goal from Nate Jaqua -- a Dynamo until this season. Stephen King got the go-ahead goal in the fourth minute of overtime, and the Sounders held on for the win. They'll play D.C. United for the Cup (and an automatic berth in the CONCACAF Champions League) on Sept. 2 in D.C.

What team can get thoroughly outclassed, yet consider their game a success? The Sounders, if they draw 65,000 fans to Qwest Field -- most of them in Sounders green -- for a game against international powerhouse Chelsea FC.

As we write this, your Storm are taking on the San Antonio Silver Stars, in a special matinee game. (Go Storm!) But if you're thinking, "Aw, hell, there goes my chance to watch professional sports tonight"...well, first of all, no need to curse. Do you talk to your mother with that mouth? Second of all, no, it's not your only chance. The Gods of Professional Sports Scheduling (Ballimus and Fanina) offer three further opportunities tonight along the I-5 corridor.

No doubting it: The Seattle Mariners are legitimate pennant contenders. The Seattle Mariners are legitimate pennant contenders. THE SEATTLE MARINERS ARE LEGITIMATE PENNANT CONTENDERS!!! Sorry, we like writing that so much we had to do it thrice.

Sounders striker Nate Jaqua, the reigning MLS player of the week, stands accused of rape, according to the Courthouse News Service.

The Sounders advance to the U.S. Open Cup quarterfinals, silencing 16,000 Timbers fans with a first minute goal. Roger Levesque, the goal-scorer, mocked the fans with his goal celebration, pretending to fall like a tree with Nate Jaqua pantomiming a lumberjack. Sweet. Stephen King had the other goal. Match report. Next game 7/7, U.S. Open Cup quarterfinal vs. Kansas City at Starfire Sports Complex.

M's Serve Baseball's Best Team; Lose Beltre: The Mariners started their road trip with a surprising 2-1 series win over the Dodgers, who have baseball's best record. The highlight was Felix Hernandez's nine-K performance on Saturday night, with homers by Griffey and Branyan providing the offense. Bad news came that night as well: Adrian Beltre will miss 6-8 weeks, he's getting surgery to remove painful bone spurs in his shoulder.

GODDAMN STRAIGHT! Do you think the fans come out to see goals? NO! They want to see defenders cowardly hammering the ball deep into the stands! And then, more likely that not, collapsing as if they have suffered an Endy-Chavez-like knee injury. Kasey Keller is such a defense-oriented hard-ass, he can't even enjoy his own teammate's goal.

A terrific individual play saved the Sounders from a loss. Fredy Montero stole the ball from a defender in the corner, dribbled toward goal, and unleashed a game-tying shot. It was Montero's 7th goal of the year. The Red Bulls goal came on another mind-boggling defensive lapse, a clearance ricocheted off a Sounder right to a Red Bulls striker. Sounders 5-3-7, 22 pts., 8 pts. behind 1st place Houston. Match report. Next game Sunday vs. Colorado.

The fastest-paced and most entertaining game of the season ends in a tie, after the Sounders cough up a late two-goal lead. The game featured 14 shots on goal, and some beautiful and creative passing. Credit DC United keeper (and former Portland Timber) Josh Wicks, who three times saved one-on-one opportunities by Sounder players. Sounders 5-3-5, 3rd place, 7 pts. back. Match report. Next game Saturday @ NY Red Bulls.

NOT A CELL PHONE PROVIDER: Fast on the heels of Maximus Minimus, Marination Mobile makes its debut today in Fremont. The Hawaiian-Korean taco truck serves a menu of "tacos and sliders, featuring ingredients such as kalbi beef, spicy pork, miso-ginger chicken, kalua pork, and tofu...marinated in signature sauces. There is also a kimchi fried rice bowl, kimchi quesadilla, and SPAM musubi. Items run from $2-$5." Marination plans to eventually operate seven days a week, open for lunch and dinner till 2 a.m. The weekly schedule is currently as follows, but be sure to watch for updates at their website and on teh Twitter: Monday: SODO, Seattle Design Guild (1701 First Ave); Wednesday: Fremont, Soundspeed Scooters (132 N. Canal St); Thursday: Capitol Hill, Broadway Shell (1500 Broadway @ Pike); Friday: Capitol Hill, Broadway Shell; Saturday: Capitol Hill, Broadway Shell; Sunday: Ballard, Cheka-Looka Surf Shop (6300 Seaview Ave. NW). 12 p.m.-2 p.m. // Soundspeed Scooters // 132 N. Canal St // $2-5

Like Shaun Alexander, Richie Sexson, and Barack Obama before him, Montero is learning how quickly Seattle cheers can turn to boos, invective, and angry, semi-anonymous blog comments.

The Sounders dominated from minute one in front of another raucous crowd. Ljungberg scored just before half after gaining possession of a long ball to Montero from James Riley. Montero got his own goal off a corner in the the 59th. Montero's failure to clear a ball from danger cost Seattle a goal nine minutes later, but they held San Jose off, denying the Earthquakes possession in the late minutes like they were a high school team. Match report. Next game Weds. vs. DC United, 7:30 p.m. (that's 30 minutes earlier than what it'll say on your ticket; time change is so ESPN2 can televise the game.)

Trying something new this week--a little preview of the weekend in sports action, to help you not get sucked into brunch when there's a game to watch. (Or, allow you to get sucked into brunch so you can beg off later to watch a game.)

The Sounders lost their second to Chivas, falling ten points behind the Western Division leaders. Eduardo Lillingston scored on a rebound for the game's only goal. The Sounders attack is in disarray--Fredy Montero got subbed for after a sub-par performance, and Nate Jaqua will miss the next game after getting a red card. Match Report. Next game Saturday vs. San Jose.