Dave's random mumblings…

The momentum is building and with 10 points out of the last 12 available in the league this looks a lot like the team we expected to see at the beginning of the year.

First there was Sundays great performance at San Jose, and it really was a great performance from Seattle. Unquestionably the better side throughout the game, the first 20 minutes were some of the best end-to-end team football they’ve played this year. The effort shown in the second half when San Jose threw caution to the wind in the effort to get a point at home was very solid.

I think the biggest difference between today and a couple of months ago is the workrate and effort from the entire team. Having Osvaldo Alonso back made a huge difference to Seattle’s second effort, he played a very physical game and really controlled the midfield.

The passing was crisp, possession was controlled, and when the ball was lost a lot of effort was put into getting it back. In the past it’s not been quite as hard fought in the middle of the field.

Montero looks so good right now, the more I see him play the more I’m convinced hes going to be a very, very good player. He’s maturing and with players like Sanna Nyassi and Fernandez feeding him he’s got a chance to keep the scoring streak going.

Tonight was the second leg of the CONCACAF Champions League preliminary round game. Seattle led 1-0 from the first leg in El Salvador was all they needed to go through to the group stage. The pitch looked marginal and the rain never let up for the entire game, but once again we saw a solid team performance that got the result they needed.

This turned out to be a very entertaining game, both teams played decent football. Metaplan went ahead before half time with a well-taken goal that gave Keller no chance.

From then on Seattle clearly had a majority of the possession and were playing well enough that they were going to score sooner or later. There were a couple of close off side calls, one of which had Levesque through on goal, but Seattle looked comfortable and patient looking for the opening.

The chance fell to substitute Alvaro Fernandez. He scored his first goal in a Seattle shirt with about 15 minutes left to play. With away goals counting double Metapan needed to score twice to go through. It was not happening tonight, Seattle looked to competent to allow that to happen again this year.

So another six games this year, including with games in Mexico, Honduras and Panama over the next three months. That sounds like a fun way to spend a few days vacation this fall.

Sounders are now 7 games undefeated in all competitions (league, Open cup and Champions League), the team have moved into play off contention and seem to be hitting form at the right time.

Sunday is Houston at Quest, a team we are building a very nice rivalry and the first meeting since Seattle were bumped out of the play offs by Houston last year. Another win and three points would go a long way to securing that play off place. Going to be a fun night under the lights.

Seattle had what was best called a functional performance in the 2-1 win over Western conference side Colorado. This continued the run of good results over the last couple of weeks and is threatening to turn into an actual run up the table. Seven points from the last 9 on offer, and a semi-final place in the Open cup and there are reasons for this emerging confidence from what’s been a poor year up to now.

New signing Blaise Nkufo warming up

Seattle played a solid game on Sunday against Colorado. The defence was faced with a very physical attack led by Conner Casey, Pat Iaani and Jeff Parke responded in kind and with the exception of the goal did a good job at the back.

The Colorado was well taken; Casey sent Parke the wrong way and finished with a shot that gave Keller no chance. During the second half Seattle soaked up a lot of pressure and a couple of great saves from Keller preserved the win for Seattle. This was another step in the correct direction, Seattle has been in this position before, defending a late lead, and given the game away in the last few minutes of the game.

Another big night under the lights

It’s difficult to say Seattle is a better team with out Ljungberg in the line up, especially on the form he showed last season, but they seem somehow to be a more complete team.

There are a few positive signs and the team seems to be heading into the correct direction.

Sounders 2, Rapids 1

Wednesday night and it’s time for the first CONCACAF Champions League game. The sounders have been pushing the Wednesday night game with the slogan “There are times for friendlies, this is not one of them”. Most football fans know of the European Champions League, the best clubs in Europe battle it out for glory (a considerable pot of money) and a place in the World Club Championship.

This is north and Central America’s version, the winner goes to the World Club Championship for a go at the ultimate club title.

Seattle plays it’s first leg against Metapan, the El Salvadorian champions, the winner of this tie goes into the group stage for another 6 games against Central American sides.

It will be a chance to have a look at a different style of football, in places like El Salvador the passion for the game runs deep, but the money to develop and compete is scarce.

Metapan are no easy win, especially as Seattle has to travel to El Salvador next week for the second leg of the tie. They have won the local league four times in the last 7 years, have a number of players with international experience in the squad and have played on this stage before.

Last year they made it to the group stages of the champion’s league and posted a win over Houston during the competition. I don’t think this is a team the Sounders can take lightly. The big player is midfielder Paolo Suarez. The name may be familiar as he’s the elder brother of Luis Suarez, who stopped a certain goal with his hand during the Uruguay – Ghana game at the World Cup Finals.

Ultimately I think Seattle should be able to use their speed, fitness (Metapan are about to start their season) and tactical discipline to move into the knock out stages where some big games await. This is when the real fun should begin.

Last Saturday lunchtime Englishmen all over North America pulled on the three lions, went to the bar, sang Go Save the Queen and expected England to do the business over the hosts.

The Three Lions pub in Redmond was full to brimming, there were hundreds at the George and Dragon in Fremont and the story was repeated all over Seattle and North America.

Here is the basics, England invented football. Americans don’t like football, they don’t even call it football, they use the “S” word. In Seattle football competes with baseball and a game called football.

Us English, on the other hand, live and die the game, it’s important and we see the three lions as an extension of who we are. The whole idea of being beaten at ‘our’ game by the Americans is just about the greatest shame I can imagine. It’s not only the result on the field; it’s the ribbing at work and the piss taking from friends. It would be bad.

In 2010 it’s no longer true to say football is a game that does not interest Americans, it does. Also it’s a game that the Americans are rather good at, Landon Donovan may be the first world class player to come out of the US youth system, and its got the potential to be a rich source of good players.

The MLS Championship game does not hold the appeal of the World Series (named because it was originally sponsored by the ‘The World’ newspaper) or the Super Bowl. But last year in Seattle there was 45,000 knowledgeable fans there for the game.

Love of the game

In 1994 the US hosted the World Cup (England did not make it, look for “Graham Taylor impossible job” on youtube, it’s worth it) in 1996 the US launched Major League Soccer (MLS) as the top-level league in the US. MLS had some slightly rocky times in the first few years, but seems to be doing OK now. There are 16 teams, and over the next two years adds three more. There are quite a few “soccer specific stadiums” and the league as a whole (led by Seattle, LA and Toronto) should make a small profit this year or next. Something way beyond the premier league.

The average attendance for MLS is approaching 20,000, similar to the Coca-cola championship. Seattle play to 36,000 every game, Toronto sell out 22,000 each home game and are looking to expand their stadium.

The youth system is huge, for kids football is the number 1 participation sport in the USA. Having been part of the set up in Washington State as a coach, it’s well organized with a lot of good coaches for the kids that are good enough. It is aimed at preparing kids for college; there is no real club academy system for the elite kids. The truth is last Saturday’s game was not just about Robert Green’s mistake. England had the entire second half to score another goal and could not do so.

And the United States were well worth the draw.

Just before the disastrous US run at World Cup in 1998 (and before the failure of the US team to beat Iran) the US Soccer Federation unveiled “Project 2010″. A 12 year, $50 million project to pave the way for the US to win the World Cup in 2010. I do think the US should qualify for the finals every time. Looking at CONCACAF it should be US, Mexico (the only real rival for the US team in the confederation) plus one or two of whichever of the other Central American or Caribbean teams are having a good run of form. Four years ago it was Costa Rica and Trinidad and Tobago, this time it’s Honduras that gets a trip to the finals.

This does lead to the US having a somewhat inflated FIFA ranking and I get that me saying the “US should qualify… every time” is a bold statement, but with the resources they have to pull from and the opposition in CONCACAF there would be no excure for not making the finals every time. 16 years ago it was different and qualification was not a sure thing, and now it’s expected and that’s progress.

When “Project 2010″ was started consistent qualification was about where the US team was at, but today there seems little ambition beyond that. The US has a few outfield players consistently playing their club football in Europe. Landon Donovan is the best player to emerge from the US youth system, a good player who did well at Everton. He has direct style that works well in the MLS and suits the Premier League OK, but I think he would be found technically wanting in Italy or Spain.

The remains of “Project 2010″ carry on today as the “Generation Adidas” program. Generation Adidas is a venture between MLS and USSF and has been very successful in identifying and helping younger players prepare for playing professionally.

The first generation of players coming though the revamped system (led by Beasley and Donovan) made it to the last 8 in the 2002 World Cup, before loosing out to a good German side. This showed a lot of progress in a just 8 years, from happy to be there, to giving an established side a good run in the knock out phase.

So with all of this in place and a couple of generations of players coming through the revamped system, is just qualifying for the World cup every four years enough? If fans expect more than just being there, then the question becomes why does the US struggle against well drilled sides?

Clearly on the day the US can beat anyone, but the flip side of this, they can be beaten by anyone on their day. And that’s a problem.