Leo’s Here!
Leo González, the Costa Rican National Team defender has secured his Work Visa and International Clearance. He was at practice today and is ready to wear Rave Green in Sunday’s match agains the ‘Quakes- although he most likely won’t see the pitch until next week’s friendly against Barcelona.
He played in the recent Gold Cup and was tagged with a yellow card against El Salvador.
Moroccan Trialist in Camp
Reda Doulyazal is currently on trial with Sounders FC.
Reda, an attacking/wing midfielder, has been playing professionally for Wydad Casablanca in Morocco and is member of the Moroccan U23 National Team.
In 2005, Reda’s U20 Moroccan National team advanced to the semi-finals of the U20 FIFA World Cup (Sigi Schmid was the coach of the US U20 squad that year).
Doulyazal led Wydad Casablanca to the Moroccan Championship 2005-06 and to the Finals of Arab Champions League 2008 & 2009.
[youtube eGhdAQzNYPE]
Jeff Parke Update
Jeff Parke has been waived by the Vancouver Whitecaps. It appears he is going to head back over to Europe as a trialist trying to earn a contract.
Parke’s MLS rights still belong to Sounders FC.
Some folks believe that Parke would ideally be left unprotected in this year’s Expansion Draft and that he would be selected by the Philadelphia Union as a homecoming.
Parke grew up in the Philly suburbs and played four years at Drexel in Center-City Philadelphia.
Montero Called up by Colombia
Colombian striker Fredy Montero has been called up by his National Team to participate in their friendly against El Salvador on August 7th in Houston.
He will miss Seattle’s friendly against Barcelona on the 5th and the Sounders’ MLS laegue match at Real Salt Lake on the 8th. Montero is currently 2nd in Goal scoring in MLS.
Fredy has 3 caps for Los Cafeteros.
Montero, Ljungberg, Keller All Star Jerseys Available
Fredy Montero (#17), Freddie Ljungberg (#10), and Kasey Keller (#18) All Star jerseys are available in the store for $99.99.
Update: even though Ljungberg wore #8 in the All Star game, these jerseys will be printed with #10- the number Sounders fan associate with him.
The GoSounders.com Store is powered by SeattleTeams.com. Don’t forget, if you signup for their mailing list, you can use the code “SIGNUP” and save $10 off any order of $50 or more.
Freddie’s Migraines are Back
1st time All Star Freddie Ljungberg was taken to the hospital following the MLS All Star Game against Everton last night with the beginings of a migraine.
The former Arsenal star had a temporary loss of vision.
The MLS All Stars lost to the club from Liverpool in Penalty Kicks; US National Team goalkeeper Tim Howard saved Freddie’s penalty shot which gave the English team the win.
Ljungberg missed games against FC Dallas and the Colorado Rapids earlier this season because of this recurring problem.
A Look at Sounders’ Fouls & Cards
Freddie Ljungberg received a red card against the Chicago Fire (Rod Mar photo)
As we are in the midst of the All Star “break” I decided to take a look at something that had been noted after Freddie Ljungberg’s red card on Saturday; that the Sounders get fouled… a whole lot.
Seattle is also currently tied for the lead in MLS with the New York Red Bulls in having accumulated six red cards. On top of that, the boys in Rave Green are 2nd in Yellow Card Accumulation with 41 cautions (the ‘Quakes have 43).
However, what is interesting is that Seattle currently sits directly in the middle of the pack for Fouls Committed with 217. Seven clubs have fouled more, seven have fouled less.
In Fouls Suffered, the Sounders, by far, lead MLS with 239. There is a large cluster in the #2-7 range at 215-205 fouls suffered. Read more
calabro and play calling
today the focus is on kevin calabro. regular readers of my posts will know that i haven’t been a big fan of his play calling. i do like calabro in general, but even he admits he has still to learn the nuances of the game, and those are the things i have been critical about.
but i give him credit in sticking with it. i do think he has become a little better, but he still has some ways to go.
todays article highlights much of that and is a good insight into the man behind the mic.
Barcelona Traveling Squad
FC Barcelona has announced their 26-man traveling squad for their 2009 Summer Tour. They will be playing the Sounders in Seattle on August 5th.
[Buy Tickets from Season Ticket Holders or StubHub] 
Zlatan Ibrahimovic
Lionel Andrés Messi
Bojan Krkic Pérez
Thierry Henry
Scherrer Cabelino Maxwell Andrade Read more
the 24th thing i would change with the MLS
ok, maybe there aren’t 24 things i would change, but there are a half dozen for sure (look for that post after the season when there is little to talk about).
but in reading jose’s blog this morning i read something i didn’t know (yes, it happens all the time if you can believe that). the bonus money paid to our 4 sounders players for making the all star team counts against the sounders next years salary cap..!!!!! WHAT?
that, my friends, is poor. Read more
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