Seattle (6-8-4, 22pts) are trying to build off of a 2 game league winning streak after the Rave Green recorded victories on the road at DC and last week against Colorado at Qwest. Across all matches, the Sounders are 5-1-1 in their last 7 matches, including Wednesday’s win over Metapan in the CONCACAF Champions League.

Blaise Nkufo is expected to make his first road start for the Sounders and newest Designated Player, Alvaro Fernandez, has received his International Transfer Certificate and is eligible to play for the club. The two new additions to the Sounders will only help Fredy Montero and Steve Zakuani.

Montero has recorded an assist or goal in the last 7 MLS matches, over that period he has reached the back of the net 3 times and assisted on 5 other goals. Zakuani leads the squad with 7 goals on the year, including 2 in last week’s win over the Rapids.

The Earthquakes haven’t lost in four games, last playing to a 2-2 draw with the LA Galaxy thanks to a 90th minute Landon Donovan equalizer. The two clubs met on May 22nd- a match won by San Jose 1-0 due to a Chris Wondoloski goal in the 11th minute.

This is the 5th MLS meeting between the old NASL rivals. Each club has won twice.

Kickoff is slated for 7p from San Jose. Arlo White will be calling the action on KING.

This is the second matchup of the year between the two clubs with the Rapids winning at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park at the end of May, 1-0 thanks to a Conor Casey goal in the 65th minute.

Sounders FC (5-8-4, 19pts) look to build off of their road win at DC thanks to Roger Levesque’s 89th minute winner. That was the Rave Green’s 2nd win in 7 matches. Over nearly the same period of time, the Rapids have gone 0-1-4 in their last 5- all of those losses were a 0-1 defeat.

Rapids (6-4-5, 23 pts) coach Gary Smith has changed the Rapids’ formation that has moved Omar Cummings from the midfield to the striking position along with Casey. Goal scoring chances have increased, but nothing has materialized.

Personnel-wise, Kasey Keller is looking to have healed and should start in goal. Leo Gonzalez will be out for the match due to yellow-card accumulation. Blaise Nkufo is looking to see his first MLS action and will probably be paired with Fredy Montero, who is currently riding a streak of scoring or recording an assist in each of the last 6 matches.

Kickoff is slated for 730p. [Tickets] The game will be on Fox Soccer Channel nationally and KIRO 97.3 FM locally.

The Sounders will host Metapan from El Salvador in the CONCACAF Champions League on Wednesday. Tickets are still available.

Seattle is 1-4-2 on the road and look to return to winning ways in an effort of snapping a 4-match winless streak and losing 5 of the last 7 MLS matches (and a 3-match league away skid).

It’s too much for one man to solve, but many Sounders fans are hoping the official addition of Swiss International, Blaise Nkufo, will assist in the change of fortunes. Nkufo led Switzerland in scoring during their World Cup qualifying and was recently the captain of FC Twente who won the Dutch Eriedivisie this past season. He brings experience and a finisher’s mentality to the club. He is available to play, but is not expected to start.

DC will also be unveiling their new designated player, Branko Boskovic, a Montenegran midfielder who received his international clearance today. Argentinian Pablo Hernandez may also make his debut for the DC side.

Seattle lost to DC in their league match earlier in the season. United walked away from Qwest Field on June 10th, with a 3-2 victory. Chris Pontius had two goals and an assist in that match where late minute heroics by Fredy Montero and James Riley couldn’t help the Rave Green earn a point.

Kickoff is slated for 5p and will be available on ESPN2. JP Dellecamera and Kyle Martino will provide the play by play and analysis. A webcast will be available on mynorthwest.com.

Alex Prus will be the man in the middle officiating the match.

Seattle (4-7-3) hits the half way point of the 2010 campaign with 15 points and face the first match of the week with the Galaxy as the two clubs will meet in Tukwila at Starfire in a Quarterfinal Match of the US Open Cup.

LA (10-1-3, 33pts) has a 6 point lead in the West and welcome not only the return of World Cup teammates Donovan and Edson Buddle, but Eddie Lewis, Dema Kovalenko and Leonardo are due back from injuries as well.

Sounders FC did win this week in the US Open Cup, but the squad looks to end their current 2-6-2 form in league play that has seen Seattle lose its last two matches to MLS’s two worst teams- DC United and Philadelphia. The Sounders also look to avenge a 0-4 dismantling by the Galaxy two months ago.

Sigi Schmid noted that LA is “a team that puts a lot of emphasis on defending. They are looking to defend.” A note that is quite evident seeing that LA has given up four (4) all season long. If there is any solace for Sounders fans, 75% of those goals have been conceded at home.

Kickoff is scheduled for 730p and will be broadcast locally on KONG 6/16 and nationally on ESPN2.

In preparation for Portland’s ascension to MLS next season and to continue the pair’s history that dates back to 1975 and the NASL- the rivalry continues.

In recent competitions, the two teams met last year in the USOC  at the same stage; a 2-1 win for the Sounders in front of 16,321 in Portland. The Timbers traveled to Seattle in March for a pre-season friendly and went home 1-0 victors.

In the  middle match of a 3-game road trip in a week, squad management will be a key issue to ensure success in Cup and League matches. Expect Sounders head coach Sigi Schmid to swap in regulars and reserves. Schmid noted: “You have got to mix guys. Some guys seem to deal all right with playing game after game. They are able to take on that load. Some are different body compositions and for them, taking on a heavy, heavy load of games is not the best option. A lot of times it comes to individual decision so it’s not like, ‘Oh, Sigi must think this guy is a better player. He’s playing him all the time.’ It’s sometimes somebody just has the physical capacity to do it while the other guy maybe doesn’t. It takes management of your squad rotation and proper management of training.”

We know the Sounders’ recent form in League play (one that the club think can be overturned by wearing the Electricity Kits tonight), the Timbers are having opposite results. Portland is on a 3 match winning streak including a win over the Kitsap Pumas to put Portland in the Third Round of the USOC. Forward, Bright Dike, has scored 4 goals in the past two games.

Tonight’s US Open Cup match is scheduled to kickoff at 730p from PGE Park and will be broadcast on FSN. If Seattle wins tonight, it will host a USOC Quarterfinal Match next Wednesday at the Starfire in Tukwila against the Los Angeles Galaxy.

The match will be the official opening for the Union’s PPL Park- a 18,500 capacity soccer-specific stadium on the shores of the Delaware River. So expect a huge event for the players and fans from the City of Brotherly Love.

The two clubs opened the 2010 MLS Campaign in March, a 2-0 Rave Green Win. But it’s been 17 days since Seattle’s last action, a 2-3 loss to DC United, so the Sounders (4-6-3, 15pts) are looking to return to winning form.

Philly (2-7-1, 7pts) last lost to Kansas City on June 9th, 0-2.

Nate Jaqua will travel with the club, and it is looking like Oz Alonso and Brad Evans will be out for the match.

The Philly match starts a 3-game Away streak for the Sounders. They will head to Portland to take on the USL Timbers on Wednesday in a US Open Cup 3rd Round Match, and then to LA next Sunday- the 4th of July.

You can watch Sunday’s game on ESPN2 as well as ESPN Desportes & ESPN3.com.

Against New England, the Sounders (4-5-3, 15pts) upped their total home goal total by 75% when Leo Gonzalez, Steve Zakuani, and Fredy Montero all found the back of the net for the Rave Green. The win gave Sigi Schmid’s club its first win at Qwest Field since April 17th.

The timing is right and looking prime to enter the 2-week MLS break for the Sounders. DC is bringing a 2-8-1 (7pts) record to the Emerald City. The club “Who Wins Trophies” are tied with the expansion Philadelphia Union for fewest points in the league. DC is also tied with the Revolution for the most goals allowed (20).

Curt Onalfo’s club is heading to Seattle after gaining a draw against defending MLS Cup Champions, Real Salt Lake last weekend. They are on a 4-game unbeaten streak including US Open Cup matches. They are 0-4 on the road.

Seattle will need to continue their goal-attacking mindset. DC is without two regular starters on Defense; Rodney Wallace is out with a fractured fibula and Juan Manuel Peña has a groin strain.

Michael Kennedy will be the referree for Thursday Night’s match. He has officiated only one previous match for Seattle as he was the man in the middle for last year’s Sounders 1-1 draw with Columbus. In 2010, he has reffed 4 matches averaging 4.25 yellows per game and 16 fouls.

Kickoff is slated for 7p and will be broadcast nationally on ESPN2 with Glenn Davis, Kyle Martino calling the match. [Tickets]

Hopefully we will get a chance to see Nyassi v Nyassi in this game, as the twins have yet to face off in MLS play.  We are at 266 minutes played since our last goal at home (in MLS play).  All 3 wins by the Sounders have been against East teams, and the Rev’s are sitting middle of the table.  We have great control box to box, but that whole finishing thing may cause a few line up changes after the lack of play we saw last week in Colorado.

If you want to spend some time chewing the FIFA rules, as viewed by USSF, check out the hand ball write up in this week in review.  Also remember the ‘Roos are playing the USMNT in the final World Cup friendly, and ECS is celebrating their custom micro brew, Brougham Bitter.  Mariners are playing the early game, so expect traffic.

Now only if we could get to 75 degrees…

Local TV: KONG 6/16

Local Radio: 97.3 KIRO FM

Seattle (3-4-3, 12 points) plays on Saturday night versus the Colorado Rapids (4-3-1, 13 points) at 6 p.m. PT at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park in Commerce City, Colo. A single point separates the two teams in the Western Conference standings.

After becoming the first MLS team to win at New York’s Red Bull Arena, Sounders FC will go after its second straight road win in Colorado. Seattle was beaten, 1-0, by San Jose at home last week, leaving the team winless (0-2-2) against the West thus far.

The Rapids beat D.C. United, 1-0, at home on Saturday, snapping a two-game losing streak. They lost to New York 0-3 in a U.S. Open Cup Play-In match on Wednesday at Red Bull Arena.

Last year in Colorado (5/23) we had a 2-2 draw, and turned around and got a 3-0 win at home (6/28). Conor Casey is leading the Rapids in a number of areas, including goals(3) and shots on goal. Big thing to remember is that Colorado is 0-46-14 over the last four years when they allow the first goal.

Referee is Jair Marrufo and kick is slated for 6pm Pacific. Catch the pregame at 5:30pm on KONG 6/16 or listen in on 97.3FM.

Last week Sounders FC snapped a four-game winless run and earned its first road win on the 2010 campaign by downing the New York Red Bulls, 1-0, last week. After admitting he was “hurt” by his second-half substitution in the 4-0 loss to the LA Galaxy, Fredy Montero came off the bench to score his third goal of the season.

Believe it or not, Seattle a possible move into second place in the Western Conference when it hosts the Earthquakes on Saturday.

Tied for second in the West, San Jose (4-2-1, 13 points) is off to its best start since re-entering Major League Soccer as an expansion team in 2008. The Earthquakes, who gave-up a league- high 50 goals last season, have held the opposition scoreless in each of the last three matches, winning twice and drawing 0-0 at New England last week. The Earthquakes have lost just once in their last six games, recording their third consecutive shutout in the weekend draw in New England.

Sounders FC is 2-2-1 at home in 2010 and has never lost two consecutive games at home. San Jose is 1-1-1 on the road this year.

Seattle is still looking for its first three points against a West opponent. To date, it has gone 0-1-2 within the conference and 3-2-1 versus the East.

Sounders FC won both meetings at Qwest Field last season; the Earthquakes won the lone game at Buck Shaw Stadium 4-0, the heaviest defeat in Seattle club history until the loss to LA two weeks ago.

Following the Boca Juniors match, Seattle resumes MLS play at Colorado on May 29. First kick is at 6 p.m. PT. Sounders FC hosts the New England Revolution on June 5 and D.C. United on June 10.

Alex Prus will be the center official during Saturday’s Match. He officiated the US Open Cup Final.

Official Injury Report
Out: FW Nate Jaqua (lower abdominal fascial tear)
Out: MF Michael Fucito (R knee contusion)
Questionable: MF Osvaldo Alonso (R quadriceps strain)
Questionable: FW Miguel Montano (groin strain)
Questionable: MF Pete Vagenas (R quadriceps strain)
Questionable: MF Brad Evans (L knee contusion)
Probable: FW Pat Noonan (R hamstring strain)

Broadcast Information

TV: Fox Soccer Channel (Brian Dunseth, Christopher Sullivan)
TV: KONG 6/16 (Arlo White)
Local Radio: 97.3 KIRO FM