Huskies season ends in heartbreak to Tar Heels 86-83 in round of 32

By Kshell

The Washington Huskies(24-11,11-7) season comes to a disappointing end to the second seeded North Carolina Tar Heels(28-7,14-2) 86-83. The Huskies had high hopes to begin the year which you can read here. There was talks of Final Fours and this being finally the year. Instead the Huskies fail to reach the sweet 16. The Huskies lost a close game to a tough opponent in which was basically a road game. The Huskies blew an 11 point lead and never trailed by more than two points until two minutes left in the game. Due to costly decision making down the stretch the Huskies season is over. The Tar Heels were led by Tyler Zeller who scored 23 points and Harrison Barnes who scored 22 points. The Huskies were led by freshman Terrence Ross who scored 19 points. The Huskies bench once again was the strength outscoring the Tar Heels bench 41-5 but the Tar Heels starters overcame that by scoring 81 points to the Huskies 42. In the end the season will be viewed as a disappointment to some fans while others are just happy to make the tournament. The Huskies played hard and came out on fire to start the game.

The first half was a high scoring run and gun half for both teams. The Huskies were trailing 15-14 went on a 12-0 run to lead 26-15 over the second seeded Tar Heels. The Tar Heels then responded to even take the lead. Both teams fought back and forth in the first half ultimately ending with the Huskies taking a 45-44 halftime lead over the Tar Heels. The Tar Heels were led Harrison Barnes who scored 14 points on 6-10 shooting including two three's. Tyler Zeller scored 12 points on four for eight shooting and was perfect from his four free throw attempts. The Tar Heels shot 16-36(44.4%) from the field and made three for eight three pointers. The Heels also shot 9-13(69.2%) from the foul line. The Huskies were actually out playing the Tar Heels most of the half.

For the Huskies they were led by freshman Terrence Ross. Ross who didn't score in his first tournament game came out with 12 points on four for five shooting including two three pointers. Matthew Bryan-Amaning scored eight points on four for eight shooting with seven rebounds. Darnell Gant scored six points hitting two three pointers. Isaiah Thomas slumped scoring just four points on two for eight shooting but had three assists. Aziz N'Diaye who was inserted back in the lineup dominated the glass. N'Diaye scored two points but grabbed eight rebounds. The Huskies shot 18-40(45.0%) from the field, 6-13(46.2%) from three point range and were perfect in their three free throws. The Huskies dominated the glass 24-15 despite the Tar Heels height advantage. The Tar Heels in the second started to dominate the paint and closed the gap on the rebounds.

In the second half saw both teams take turns having momentum. The Huskies led 74-69 with under six minutes to go. The Huskies then had a 76-73 lead which saw the Tar Heels go on a 7-0 run to take a 80-76 lead. After a crucial N'Diaye putback to pull the Huskies within 80-78 the Tar Heels went up six with under two minutes to go. After a Huskies bucket to pull within 84-80 with under 30 seconds left Thomas found a wide open Scott Suggs who drilled the three pointer to pull the Huskies within 84-83. The Huskies then fouled Kendall Marshall who was going to shoot a one and one free throw. Marshall missed the free throw and the Huskies got the rebound. Instead of calling their last timeout the Huskies let Venoy Overton take the ball to the hoop as he got his lay up swatted with 10 seconds. Fighting for the rebound the ball went out of bounds with seven seconds remaining. Justin Holiday's inbound pass was tipped and Dexter Strickland was then fouled. He made both free throws to give the Tar Heels an 86-83 lead. Once again Overton made a poor decision as he was expectating a Tar Heel to foul him he threw up a half court shot with 1.2 seconds on the clock. The Huskies caught a break as the ball went off a Tar Heel. So with 0.5 seconds left the Huskies inbounded the ball to Thomas for three and he missed it. The shot could have been called goaltending but on the review Thomas foot was on the line so it didn't matter. The Huskies lost 86-83 ending their season short of expectations.

The Huskies lose a tough close game despite shooting 33-72(45.8%) from the field and 10-19(52.6%) from three point range. The Huskies were even perfect on seven free throw attempts. Despite giving up the size advantage the Huskies outrebounded the Tar Heels 38-33 including 13 offensive rebounds. In the end that wasn't enough for the Huskies as the Tar Heels were led by their five starters who scored 81 points. Led by Zeller with 23 and Barnes with 22. Marshall scored 13 points while dishing out 14 assists. For the Huskies they were led by Ross who scored 19 points on 7-10 shooting including three three pointers and six rebounds. Bryan-Amaning finished his career with 14 points on 7-14 shooting with eight rebounds. Thomas scored just 12 points on 5-15 shooting but did have eight assists. C.J.Wilcox came alive in the second half to score 11 points on four for nine shooting including three three's. Scott Suggs added eight points on two three pointers. Gant scored six points and six rebounds. Overton finished his career with five points and two assists. Justin Holiday continued his shooting slump scoring just four points on two for six shooting. Then N'Diaye provided a lift scoring four points on two for three shooting with 11 rebounds including five offensive. The Huskies played a good game but five bad minutes down the stretch can offset 35 great minutes which is the sad reality of sports.

Overall the Huskies played a good but they just simply lost to the better team. The Huskies now you could argue if they had taken care of business in the regular season they wouldn't be in this position. As for the game itself it was a clean game which the Huskies battled hard. Now the cold reality is three guys on this Huskies team will never wear that Huskies uniform again. The Huskies will be returning six guys from this team along with Abdul Gaddy and Tony Wroten coming in should be in a position to make some noise next season. As for this year the year that started off with so much promise including at one time a top 10 ranking is over suddenly. Nobody would have accepted a round 32 loss at the start of the year or even three weeks ago. The Huskies didn't achieve their goals and now must always wonder what could have been?

Observations:

- Years from now people will look back at this game as an instant classic. Unfortunately for Huskies fans they seem to be on the wrong side of those games. In this game you'll notice a young freshman who kept his team in it. No I'm not talking about Harrison Barnes who played great I might add.

Instead I'm talking about Terrence Ross. Ross who showed you why he is still a freshman at times but also showed how the sky is the limit for him. Given the situation of the game and the opponent I'd say this was Ross finest game of his freshman year. Ross started off hot in Pac-10 play averaging 16.0 points per game in his first four games. Then Ross like most freshman hit a wall. It was so bad he played four minutes against UCLA the second to last regular season game then didn't play against USC. Ross rebounded by averaging 15.3 PPG in the Pac-10 tournament being named first team all tournament team.

Then Ross took a big step backwards scoring zero points on 0-5 shooting in 10 lousy minutes against the Georgia Bulldogs. Ross found himself removed from the starting lineup today. Ross hit his first three point attempt in the first half. Ross, unlike Wilcox who can catch fire at any moment, you know what you are getting. Typically with Ross you can tell the game he will have in the first five minutes. Well today Ross grabbed six rebounds and made some nice athletic moves. He also showed he is a good shooter as well. Ross finished the year averaging 8.0 PPG while shooting 44.3% from the field, 35.2% from three's and 75.8% from free throw's. The future is bright with Ross and Wilcox being only freshman.

- The picture to my right is of Thomas giving support to teammate Justin Holiday who made a costly mistake on the inbound pass. Holiday has gone MIA the last seven games. Holiday who worked so hard to improve his scoring all year long. In the team's first 28 games Holiday averaged 11.9 PPG, shot 124-249(49.8%) from the field and 46-115(40.0%) from three point range. As you can see Holiday made great strides in his career but then in the last seven games he reverted back to how he was early in his junior season.

In Holiday's final seven games in a Huskies uniform he averaged just 4.9 PPG while shooting 14-48(29.1%) from the field and was 1-16(6.3%) from three point range. In four of those games Holiday played over 30 minutes despite slumping so badly. One can question why Holiday was even on the floor with those numbers down the stretch. I openly question that as well since as you can see Holiday has been an offensive liability. It is truly a shame Holiday's career ended the way it did. Hopefully the fans can remember the good he did for this school.

- Venoy Overton's career ends with two costly mistakes. Overton played just 12 minutes while scoring five points on one for three shooting. Romar smartly didn't play Overton much instead playing his three wings of Ross, Wilcox and Suggs. Yet with the season on the line on the two most important possessions the season was decided by Overton. Even Overton himself questioned that move after the game.

I'll talk about both plays and one play wasn't Overton's fault in my opinion. Down by one with 17 seconds left Overton chose to push the ball which I hated the decision. Even if he makes the bucket the Tar Heels still have 10 seconds to score the game winning shot. Now some may say Lorenzo Romar trusted his senior to make the right decision but that is just stupid. What makes Overton so great and so frustrating is how reckless he plays. Having said that with the game on the line you don't want that. Romar should have taken a timeout and put the ball in Thomas hands to let him decide the season.

On the half court shot Overton messed up big time. Up three with less than five seconds to go the Huskies expected the Tar Heels to foul them. Overton hoping they would foul him as he threw up that desperation three to earn three free throw's. What Overton should have done is not worry about them fouling him. Overton should have pushed the ball up court and quickly find a shooter. If they foul him simply make the first free throw then miss the second for a tip in or tip out three for the win. Once again remember this was after a made free throw why Overton brought the ball up the court instead of their best player and decision maker Thomas is a bit mind boggling. Once again hopefully the fans remember all the good that Overton did because like Holiday he didn't end his career on a high note at all.

- Pretty amazing the Huskies only lost by three points with Isaiah Thomas shooting 5-15 making zero three pointers. Thomas had just 12 points but did dish out eight assists. Most people figured if the Huskies were to win Thomas would have to have a big game which he didn't. Even with Thomas struggles you have to wonder why wasn't the ball in his hands with the game on the line. I know technically he took the last shot of the season but that was a catch and shoot situation.

Thomas the final time he brought the ball up faked a three and dished to an open Suggs who drilled the three to pull within one. Unlike last week where Romar put the ball in Thomas hands to win the game he elected to go with Overton. That decision fans will debate all offseason as they should. Thomas made great strides as an overall great player. Thomas was once again named first team all pac-10 finished his year averaging 16.8 PPG on 44.5% shooting from the field and 34.9% from three point range. The most important part is Thomas averaged 6.1 assists on the year the highest since Will Conroy averaged 6.5 assists in the 2004-05 season.

- Lorenzo Romar is a good coach for the Washington Huskies. That has been established with taking the team to the tournament in six of his eight seasons. He has a winning tournament record too at 8-6. He has won the Pac-10 tournament three times and the regular season once. He has also failed to take that next step in this program. It is becoming more painfully obvious he might not ever be able to take that step.

Now I felt for the first 35 minutes Romar coached great. There wasn't many stupid plays, the rotation was just fine. Then in the last five minutes just basic fundamental plays the Huskies couldn't make. The two Overton plays, Holiday inbound, Ross getting his pocket picked, having both Overton and Holiday on the court, etc. This seems to be a theme in the Romar era on tough losses that the Huskies don't lose because the other team beat them. They are losing by making stupid decisions late in games. This isn't to take away from North Carolina at all they were the better team playing basically a home game.

The Huskies are in a weird spot with Romar they truly are. Some fans and a certain KJR host seem to think he can do no wrong and are just happy with making the NCAA tournament. Those fans adjust expectations as the season goes on. Other fans know this program can do so much more with all that talent in the Seattle/Tacoma area. Romar is a great program builder as typically all his seniors get better. Only Mike Jensen and Venoy Overton appeared to have taken a step back throughout their careers. The Huskies need to land a big time recruit. I'm not talking about a player either I'm talking about scouting the country for an X's and O's geru at some D-2 or D-3 school. Ken Bone was a head coach at Seattle Pacific for 14 years and he left to Washington knowing he could move on from there. The question comes down to will Romar finally admit he needs help on offense or will the Huskies simply accept being a top tier team in a weak conference?

All in all this loss was probably the second toughest in the Romar era. I don't think any loss will top that Uconn game in 2006 but if there was a game this was it. This loss became even more depressing as 11th seeded Marquette(same team UW beat last year in tournament) upset 3rd seeded Syracuse. So the Huskies most likely would have been the favorites in a sweet 16 game instead their season is over. The Huskies future appears very bright but after seeing them underachieve in the regular season the last two years can you trust them?

The Huskies had to play basically a road game because they lost to Washington State twice, Oregon, Oregon State and Stanford. Win at worst four of those games the Huskies would have a 28-10 record going into this game and most likely would have been in Tucson. Instead for the second straight year the Huskies lost seven conference games in a weak conference. The Pac-10 has sent just three teams out of 48 teams to the sweet 16 the last three years. There is no excuse to lose that many games in a crappy conference like that. The Huskies if they wish to advance in the tournament must take care of the regular season. Look at North Carolina they won the ACC regular season and now their path to elite 8 looks pretty good. Win in the regular season and you obviously get rewarded with easier opponents and are closer to home. The Huskies hopefully next year finally play up to their capabilities. As for this year well it wasn't a failure but it wasn't a success either. I guess there is always next year which is the typical Seattle saying unfortunately.

Sounders come up empty handed again. Juan Agudelo scores the lone goal in a 1-0 Red Bulls win

By Money Mike

After a tough 1-0 loss at home to the LA Galaxy, the Seattle Sounders traveled to Red Bull Arena to take on the New York Red Bulls, looking to bounce back and get at least a point. Instead they came away with nothing to show for as they lose their 2nd straight match 1-0 thanks to a 70th minute goal by 18-year old Juan Agudelo, it was his first MLS goal. Remember he made his international debut for the United States national team on November 17, 2010, against South Africa at 17 years of age and scored in that match which made him the youngest player in U.S. soccer history to score on his international debut.

New York had a chance to go ahead early when Thierry Henry's ball found Juan Agudelo behind the Seattle defense. Agudelo with his brilliant piece of skill, cut the ball back and drew contact from Jhon Kennedy Hurtado which resulted in a Penalty Kick. Of course, you would expect Thierry Henry to take the penalty because he's one of the best PK takers in the game. However, Henry tried to go low into the bottom left corner of the goal but Kasey Keller read it perfectly and tipped it wide.

The game was pretty much a back and forth battle for the rest of the first half since the penalty miss by Henry. Seattle had few good scoring chances. In the 16th minute, Fredy Montero sent Alvaro Fernandez alone behind the Red Bull defense, but his touch sent the ball to the right of goalkeeper Greg Sutton. Montero would test Sutton again in the 27th minute as he tried a shot from just inside the half-way line as he caught him well off his line but Sutton punched it away. In the 39th minute, Fernandez and Montero hooked up again as Montero ran onto a weighted ball and ripped a shot from a tight angle that was tipped by Greg Sutton who recovered the loose ball before O'Brian White could follow in on the rebound. The two combined again in the final minute of the first half as Montero beat Tim Ream before hitting the post from an impossible angle.

In the 51st minute, the Red Bulls tested Keller long range when defender Rafa Marquez lashed one that just sailed over. Seven minutes later, a corner from Marquez found his teammate, Mehdi Ballouchy but his touch just rolled wide right of Kasey Keller.

In the 70th minute, the Red Bulls found the breakthrough when Teemu Tainio's long ball found Juan Agudelo behind the defense. Agudelo shrugged off Leo Gonzalez and off the outside of his boot, slotted the ball past Kasey Keller into the net for his first MLS goal to give the Red Bulls a 1-0 lead with 20 minutes to go.

In the 88th minute, New York nearly put the game away from the corner when Rafa Marquez found Tony Tchani unmarked, but his header was punched over the bar by Kasey Keller.

Seattle had a golden opportunity to draw level when Fredy Montero's free kick was punched by Greg Sutton and Lamar Neagle's rebound sailed over the bar. And that proved costly as Seattle ends up getting shut out again and are off to an 0-2 start to begin 2011.

Area Seattle needs to improve on next game:

Finishing is one, but the most important one is to get more people to commit forward. I cannot remember one time in this match when we had 5-6 players on the attack. Also, an even bigger problem, go after the ball at all times. Every time New York has had position of the ball, rather than going after them, the Sounders just back off and let their opponents burn them in every way. Having only your two strikers commited and 8 other outfield players in their own area backing away and not going after the ball is unacceptable and it's never Seattle's game. Their game is ATTACK, ATTACK, ATTACK, go after the ball for 9o minutes, and they obviously didn't do that, which is never good and that needs to change in their match against the Houston Dynamo.

Scoring Summary:

New York Red Bulls - Juan Agudelo (Teemu Tainio) 70'

Misconduct Summary:

Seattle Sounders FC - Jhon Kennedy Hurtado (caution) 61'

Lineups:

Seattle Sounders FC: Kasey Keller (captain); James Riley, Jeff Parke, Jhon Kennedy Hurtado, Leonardo Gonzalez; Alvaro Fernandez (Mauro Rosales 68'), Servando Carrasco (Lamar Neagle 80'), Osvaldo Alonso, Erik Friberg; Fredy Montero, O'Brian White (Roger Levesque 73')

New York Red Bulls: Greg Sutton; Jan Gunnar Solli, Rafael Marquez, Tim Ream, Roy Miller; Dane Richards (Danleigh Borman 90'), Teemu Tainio, Mehdi Ballouchy (Tony Tchani 68'), Joel Lindpere; Juan Agudelo, Thierry Henry (captain)

Huskies win NCAA first game over Bulldogs 68-65

By Kshell

The 7th seeded Washington Huskies(24-10,11-7) survived a late rally by the 10th seeded Georgia Bulldogs(21-12,9-7) to win 68-65 in the first game of the NCAA tournament. The Huskies also set school history making this the first time they have won an NCAA tournament game three years in a row. The Huskies were once again led by Pac-10 tournament MVP Isaiah Thomas who scored 19 points while dishing out seven assists. The Huskies also received a big boost from their bench as the Huskies reserves outscored the Bulldogs reserves 28-0. The Huskies overcame a big game by Trey Thompkins who scored 26 points and grabbed 11 rebounds. The Huskies also overcame an early seven point deficit to the Bulldogs. The Huskies with this win have now won at least one tournament game in Lorenzo Romar's last five appearances in the NCAA tournament. The Huskies also won on the east coast for the first time in over a decade. The Huskies took care of business which is all you want in the tournament.

The first half saw the Huskies struggle making their shots. The Huskies found themselves trailing 23-16 after the Bulldogs went on a 9-0 run. The season was in danger of ending if the Bulldogs had went on another run. Instead the Huskies closed the half out on a 12-5 run led by Thomas attacking the hole and setting up his teammates. Despite being dominated in the first half the Huskies rallied to tie it at 28-28 at halftime. The Bulldogs had shot 11-27(40.7%) from the field and made three of six three pointers. They were led by Thompkins who scored 15 points on six for eight shooting with six rebounds. The Huskies had shot 12-38(31.6%) from the field and a disasterous 2-14(14.3%) from three point range. The Huskies were led by Scott Suggs who scored seven points on three for seven shooting with a three pointer. Matthew Bryan-Amaning added six points on three for seven shooting with four rebounds. Thomas scored just four points on two for eight shooting but had four assists. The Huskies bench outscored the Bulldogs 14-0.

In the second half the Huskies after giving up the lead went on a 12-2 run to go up 40-32. The Huskies the rest of the half led by Thomas controlled the half being up by 8-10 points the entire half. The Huskies also shot better shooting 14-22(63.6%) and made two for four from three point range. The Huskies also were 10-12(83.3%) from the free throw line in the second half. The Bulldogs did make the game interesting trailing by 10 inside two minutes the Huskies tried to give the game away. With turnovers, dumb fouls and missed free throws the Huskies found themselves up just two points with 3.7 seconds left. Freshman C.J. Wilcox hit the first free throw to put the Huskies up three. Wilcox missed the second free throw which was rebounded by Jeremy Price who threw an outlet pass which was broken up by Thomas. Thomas leaped up like Nate Robinson to deflect the pass forcing the Bulldogs to take a tough three point shot which was missed. The Huskies had survived to win the tournament game over the Bulldogs. The Bulldogs were led by Thompkins who scored 26 points on 11-14 shooting including two three pointers and 11 rebounds.

The Huskies were led by Isaiah Thomas once again. Thomas finished 6-14 shooting but a perfect seven for seven at the foul line. Thomas scored 19 points and dished out seven assists. The Huskies received great team scoring today as their bench outscored the Bulldogs 28-0. Leading the reserves was Scott Suggs who scored 10 points on four for seven shooting including two three's. Matthew Bryan-Amaning is still struggling scoring just eight points on three for eight shooting with just six rebounds. Darnell Gant who made the start this game overcame two quick fouls to score seven points on three for five shooting including a three. Then the Huskies had Justin Holiday, Aziz N'Diaye, Venoy Overton and C.J. Wilcox all score six points. The Huskies for the game shot 12-14(85.7%) from the foul line for the game. For the Huskies it was business as usual winning an NCAA tournament game. This is the fourth win for the Huskies in the last three years.

Overall the Huskies won an NCAA tournament game but that wasn't the goal. The goal heading into the year wasn't to win just one tournament game. The Huskies will now take on the University of North Carolina Tar Heels on Sunday. The Huskies took care of business when they had to in the second half to stretch the lead. That was mainly because of Thomas who scored 15 points in the second half on four for six shooting. Thomas was electric in the second half and then saved the game with his defense at the end. The Huskies won't have much time to enjoy this win. In just 36 hours after the game the Huskies will be taking on North Carolina. The opportunity the Huskies have in this game will be huge. Just don't forget to enjoy this win for at least a day.

Observations:

- Thomas playing in his sixth career tournament game was big once again. After a slow start Thomas finished with 19 points and seven assists. In the process Thomas passed Huskies Honks Eldridge Recasner for sixth all-time in Huskies history in points. Thomas is just 35 points away from fifth place so if the Huskies were to win on Sunday he could pass it this year.

Thomas in the NCAA tournament has played pretty well scoring in double figures in five straight games. For the tournament Thomas is averaging 16.5 points per game on 34-85(40.0%) from the field. He has also averaged 5.7 assists per game. Thomas isn't a player who freezes up in big games. Thomas along with Matthew Bryan-Amaning, Venoy Overton, Darnell Gant and Justin Holiday will tie Brandon Roy, Mike Jensen and Bobby Jones in playing in their seventh tournament game this Sunday. That will be a Huskies record for most tournament games played.

- The Huskies defense played really well after trailing early on 23-16. Thompkins scored 26 of the Bulldogs 65 points. The Huskies in the second half denied Thompkins the ball in long stretches at a time. The Huskies had six steals. Thomas and Holiday each had two steals while Bryan-Amaning and Terrence Ross each had a steal.

The stats are a bit skewed since the Huskies fell apart in the final two minutes. In the first 18 minutes of that half the Huskies really put the pressure on the Bulldogs. The defense pressure is what got the Huskies back into the game and then gave them the nice lead in the second half. The Huskies will need to apply that same pressure to North Carolina who played sloppy yet still scored 102 points. The Huskies won the Pac-10 tournament because they shot lights out. They won due to their great defensive play.

- Nice win for Lorenzo Romar as he improves to 8-5(8-6 overall) as Huskies head coach in the NCAA tournament. Romar once again changed the starting lineup starting Darnell Gant in place of C.J. Wilcox to defend the Bulldogs size. Romar also played Venoy Overton more minutes than Scott Suggs, C.J. Wilcox and Terrence Ross. Romar isn't afraid of being second guessed and made some head scratching moves that worked well.

The Huskies also won because of the trademark for Romar teams which is good defense and hustle. The Huskies shot terrible from three point range. The Huskies due to choking at the end against the Bulldogs have now won three straight games by five points or less after losing their first six. Romar has an experience tournament team which features five guys playing in their seventh tournament game and another guy playing in his sixth game this Sunday against North Carolina. Romar is the only coach to lead the Huskies to the NCAA tournament three years in a row has done that now twice. Well Romar is the first Huskies coach to win an NCAA tournament game three years in a row.

All in all the Huskies were favored and won the game they were supposed to win. In the NCAA tournament it doesn't matter how you look just as long as you advance. The Huskies have some area's to clean up as does North Carolina. The Huskies after playing in this gym should start having their shots fall. The Huskies also won a game in which they couldn't shoot well and only Thomas scored more than 11 points. This was a total team effort as eight guys scored over six points. Now the Huskies should enjoy this win as they set history winning a tournament game three years in a row. The Huskies will have a chance to achieve their biggest win in the last 50 years for this program. The Huskies have a chance to beat a historic program in their backyard. Just don't forget to enjoy this win is all. The upperclassman have done a great job leaving their mark at the University of Washington. It would be nice if they could provide the biggest victory of the Lorenzo Romar era this sunday.

Seattle Sounders FC vs Red Bull New York preview

By Money Mike

The Seattle Sounders, coming off a 1-0 loss to the LA Galaxy on Tuesday, hit the road to Harrison, New Jersey, to take on the New York Red Bulls. Last year, the two sides split the season series with the Red Bulls winning 1-0 at Qwest Field with Macoumba Kandji scoring the winner. Seattle returned the favor by defeated them on their home turf 1-0 thanks to an 85th minute goal by Fredy Montero, it was also the Red Bulls first defeat at Red Bull Arena. The Red Bulls look to start their season on a good note, while the Sounders look to bounce back from their defeat against Los Angeles.

Injury Report:

Seattle Sounders FC - The Sounders have battled a lot of injuries last season and continue to do so at the start of this season. Mike Fucito is out for at least another 2-3 weeks with a right adductor strain. Also out is Mike Seamon with right leg neuritis. Nate Jaqua is still recovering from hip surgery, he is listed as doubtful. Brad Evans is battling a right hamstring strain and Pat Noonan is suffering from a left adductor strain. Both of them are listed as probable. Steve Zakuani picked up a hip injury in the Sounders final preseason match against Colorado, but managed to play in the opener against the LA Galaxy and I don't see why he won't play in this match. Finally, Roger Levesque picked up a knock in the opening match. We have not heard anything on that.

New York Red Bulls - For the Red Bulls, they got a pretty healthy squad. Chris Albright and Brian Nielson are both recovering from knee surgery and are both out for this match. Also, 18-year old Juan Agudelo picked up a groin injury in the Red Bulls preseason match against NASL side, Fort Lauderdale Strikers. Red Bulls coach Hans Backe thinks Agudelo may miss the opener, but I'd list him as Questionable.

Key Matchups:

Dane Richards vs Leonardo Gonzalez: The reason I think this is key is because Dane Richards can find ways to beat you so easily and make you look like an idiot. A Jamaican footballer who played for the Jamaican senior national team before even playing college soccer at Clemson University, Richards has the ability show off his dribbling skills from the wing. He also has the ability to score goals and create opportunities. If Leo Gonzalez can keep him contained out there for 90 minutes, it could limit New York's scoring chances. If not, Richards, with his skill, can wear down the Sounders back line quickly.

Fredy Montero vs Tim Ream: I'm expecting Red Bulls coach Hans Backe to turn to Tim Ream to try to shut down Fredy Montero. Montero has scored in 3 of the 4 times the Sounders and Red Bulls faced off against each other, including that two goal night in the Sounders inaugural match on March 19, 2009. If this were to be the matchup, I think it would decide the game.

Area's Seattle needs to improve on:

FINISH FOR CRYING OUT LOUD!!! The Sounders had so many opportunities against the LA Galaxy. When you have a golden opportunity to score, you need to take advantage of it. Despite how good the Sounders are, this is one area where they have struggled in. And in a big road game in New York............well, New Jersey, this team can't afford to continue wasting all their opportunities.

New Signing:

The Sounders earlier today have completed the signing of Argentine international Mauro Rosales and should be available for the match this weekend. Rosales began his career with Newell's Old Boys in Argentina from 1999 to 2004, scoring 30 goals in 199 matches. He then spent two seasons at Ajax where he won the Dutch Cup in 2005. After returning home to Argentina to play for River Plate of Argentina from 2007 to 2010, Rosales originally agreed to play for Mexican club Queretaro FC, however, the deal broke down after Rosales was unable to pass his physical. Rosales joined the team on a trial while they were in Florida. After all speculation, he and the club came to an agreement earlier this week and now he is officially a Sounders FC player.

All-time Huskies team in the Romar era

By Kshell

As the Washington Huskies prepare for their sixth NCAA appearance in the last eight years in the Lorenzo Romar era I came up with an idea. Instead of putting you to sleep with yet another preview of the game between the Huskies and the Georgia Bulldogs I figured I would do something else. Over the years Romar has produced some great talent and I started to think how about I do an all-time team. Just like with most Romar teams you'll see my roster consists of mostly guards. On my 12 man roster I include eight Huskies who were first team all Pac-10 and four guys guys who made Pac-10 honorable mention. This team will include four guys who were drafted in the NBA first round, seven guys who have played in the NBA not counting two active players. Just like with any list I'm sure there will be some controversy. I have two active players in fact in my starting lineup so here is my list.

Starting Five:

G- Isaiah Thomas(2008-present):

Now that Thomas has became a point guard he is the obvious choice here. Thomas in just three years may have accomplished more than any other player in the Romar era. Thomas has won the freshman of the year, made two first team all Pac-10 teams plus an honorable mention. He has also won a Pac-10 regular season championship and won two Pac-10 tournament championships. Thomas was named MVP in those two Pac-10 championship wins as well.

Thomas in his career at UW has averaged 16.4 PPG, 3.9 APG and 3.5 RPG while making 1.6 three pointers a game. Thomas for his career is averaging 1.2 steals a game as well. As a freshman Thomas averaged 15.5 PPG while dishing out 2.6 APG. Thomas started 34 of 35 games as he was named freshman of the year. As a sophomore Thomas started all 36 games averaging 16.9 PPG and dishing out 3.2 assists. Thomas was named first team all pac-10 that year. Then this year his junior year Thomas again making all 33 starts has averaged 16.8 PPG while dishing out 6.0 assists per game. Once again Thomas was named first team all pac-10. For his career Thomas needs just 10 points to be 6th all-time on the Huskies scoring list. Just 53 points to be 5th all-time. If Thomas comes back for his senior year he will be the all-time leading scorer in Huskies history and in assists as he averaged 6.0 APG this season. Pretty easy choice putting Thomas in this starting five.

G-Brandon Roy(2003-2006):

Another obvious selection here picking Brandon Roy. Roy while at Washington was part of three NCAA tournament teams, including back to back sweet 16 teams. Roy was twice named honorable mention all pac-10 then as senior he won Pac-10 player of the year. Roy was also unanimously chosen as a first team all-american. Roy is the only Romar player to win Pac-10 player of the year and be a first team all-american.

What many forget is that the Huskies didn't receive a freshman or junior year from Roy basically. Due to SAT scores Roy was limited as a freshman playing just 13 games that year. As a sophomore Roy averaged 12.9 points per game, led the team in rebounding with 5.3 and was second in assists with 3.3. As a junior Roy got hurt in the great Alaska shootout and was the best 6th man in the country. Roy averaged 12.8 PPG, 5.0 RPG and 2.2 APG. As a senior Roy blew up and carried the Huskies on his back to the sweet 16 where the Huskies were a few plays from an elite eight appearance. In that year Roy averaged 20.2 PPG, 5.6 RPG and led the team with 4.1 APG. Roy that year shot 50.8% from the field, 40.2% from three point range and 81.0% from free throws. Roy ended up being picked seventh overall in the draft. That is the highest any Romar player has ever been drafted.

F-Quincy Pondexter(2006-2010):

Nobody in the Romar era has quite had the career like Quincy Pondexter has had. This was a big time five star recruit who was a total bust at the end of his sophomore season. Then as a junior Pondexter became an all-around player and was big in the NCAA tournament. Then as a senior Pondexter carried the Huskies and won a Pac-10 record player of the week award five times. Pondexter also hit the game winning shot with 1.7 seconds left to beat Marquette in the first round of the 2010 NCAA tournament. Pondexter developed in a great forward while at Washington.

Pondexter as a freshman was third on the team in scoring but slowed down in Pac-10 play. Pondexter made 22 starts that year and averaged 10.7 ppg but wasn't an all around player at all. As a sophomore Pondexter took a step backwards starting just nine games while averaging 9.9 points per game. As a junior Pondexter led the team in scoring in the NCAA tournament and for the season averaged 12.1 points per game and 5.9 RPG. Then as a senior Pondexter broke out being named first team all pac-10 and probably should have won player of the year. Pondexter averaged 19.3 PPG and led the team in rebounding with 7.4 RPG. Pondexter also shot 52.8% from the field, 35.3% from three point range and 82.7% from free throws. Pondexter finished his Husky career as the third all-time leading scorer. Pondexter would be drafted in the first round of the NBA draft.

F-Jon Brockman(2005-2009):

When Jon Brockman came to Washington he was a heralded recruit having played in the McDonalds All-American game. Brockman made his stamp immediately for the Huskies. As a freshman Brockman made 32 of 33 starts on a sweet 16 team and was named first team all freshman team. Then as a sophomore Brockman was named first team all pac-10. As a junior they changed the team from 10 guys to five so Brockman was second team all pac-10 in the toughest field ever for all pac-10 teams. Then as a senior Brockman led the Huskies to their first Pac-10 regular season championship outright since 1953. Brockman of course was named first team all pac-10. When you think of Brockman you think of hard worker and tough rebounder.

Brockman could very well be the greatest power forward in Huskies history. As a freshman Brockman averaged 8.4 PPG and 6.5 RPG while making 32 starts. As a sophomore Brockman averaged 14.2 PPG and led the Pac-10 with 9.6 RPG. As a junior Brockman led the team in scoring with a 17.8 average and Pac-10 in rebounding once again with a 11.6 average. Then as a senior Brockman averaged 14.9 points per game and once again led the Pac-10 in rebounds with a 11.5 average. Brockman was a three year captain, made two first team all pac-10 selections, and made 129 starts out of 131 games. Brockman is also the all-time leading rebounder in Huskies history and is second all-time in scoring. Brockman would be drafted in the second round of the NBA draft.

F-Matthew Bryan-Amaning(2007-2011)

By far my most controversial pick in choosing Bryan-Amaning. First as we know over the years with Romar teams my options are pretty limited. For guards I'm snubbing someone like Nate Robinson because the Huskies are loaded at guards. Now I'm sure I could go super small and go with Thomas, Robinson, Roy, Pondexter and Brockman. I just chose to make this a real team is all. So now I'll defend my Bryan-Amaning selection which is pretty easy in my opinion. First of all I think this comes down to three choices which is Bryan-Amaning, one year of Spencer Hawes or Mike Jensen. I chose Bryan-Amaning since he was part of tournament teams and was named first team all pac-10 unlike those two.

As a freshman Bryan-Amaning hardly played and made just three starts. Bryan-Amaning averaged just 4.2 PPG and 3.2 RPG. Then as a sophomore Bryan-Amaning was a key 6th man on a Pac-10 championship team averaging 6.0 PPG and 4.0 RPG. As a junior like Pondexter the year before Bryan-Amaning took off second half. Bryan-Amaning in 25 starts averaged 8.8 PPG, 5.9 RPG and 1.5 blocks per game. Then this year Bryan-Amaning was named Pac-10's most improved player and first team all conference. Bryan-Amaning started 29 of 33 games averaged 15.5 PPG, led the team in rebounding with 8.1 rebounds a game. He also blocked 1.6 shots a game. Bryan-Amaning is just the second Huskies player ever to record 100 plus blocks and 100 plus steals in his career. Bryan-Amaning was a big part of three pac-10 championship teams and I'll take four years of Bryan-Amaning over one year of Spencer Hawes is what it came down to.

Reserves:

G-Nate Robinson(2002-2005)

My toughest guy to boot from the starting five. While at Washington Robinson put the Huskies on the map with his high flying dunks and dazzling plays. Robinson was also more than just a sideshow. He led the Huskies to two NCAA tournament appearances including in 2005 leading the Huskies to a Pac-10 tournament championsihp. The Huskies were rewarded a #1 seed for the first and only time in school history. Robinson while at Washington was named first team all Pac-10 twice. Had Robinson came back his Senior year he would have been first team all pac-10 and the Huskies could have possibly made the final four in 2006. Robinson was the first Romar player drafted in the first round.

C- Spencer Hawes(2006-07):

Spencer Hawes gave the Huskies just one year or he would be on the starting five. Hawes was a huge recruit as he played in the McDonalds All-American game. Hawes was named honorable mention all pac-10 and first team all freshman team. Hawes during his one year in Washington led the team in scoring with a 14.9 average while grabbing 6.4 rebounds a game. Hawes also blocked 1.7 shots a game. Hawes shot 53.2% from the field and 75.5% from the free throw line. Hawes was the second Romar player drafted in the NBA lottery going 10th overall to the Sacramento Kings.

F-Tre Simmons(2003-2005):

Simmons came to Washington as a transfer from Green River community college. Simmons in his first year at Washington made 12 starts in helping the Huskies reach the NCAA tournament for the first time in five years. Simmons averaged 10.8 points per game while making 1.5 three's a game at a 40.3% clip. Then as a senior Simmons was named first team all pac-10 averaging 16.0 PPG while averaging 4.8 RPG. Simmons also made 2.4 three's a game while shooting 41.7% from down town. Simmons also shot 86.8% from the free throw line while at Washington. Simmons went on to play European ball.

G- Will Conroy(2001-2005):

Will Conroy was the heart and soul of the Huskies teams in their first two NCAA tournament appearances under Lorenzo Romar. Conroy began his career as a walk-on under then coach Bob Bender. After Bender was fired Conroy had a big sophomore year under Romar averaging 12.7 PPG while dishing out 4.0 APG. As a junior in leading the Huskies to the NCAA tournament Conroy averaged 12.3 PPG and dished out 4.6 APG. Then as a senior Conroy was named honorable mention all pac-10. Conroy also was team captain for the second straight year. Conroy averaged 9.4 PPG but did lead the conference with 6.4 APG. Conroy was also named co-team MVP with Nate Robinson as the Huskies were the #1 seed in the West regional. Conroy is first all-time in school history for assists in a career and assists in a single season in 2004-05 campaign. Conroy has played some in the NBA but has mostly played NBDL.

F-Bobby Jones(2002-2006):

Bobby Jones was a three and a half year starter for the Huskies in his career. He was known for his defense and despite being forced to play the big forward he handled it well. Jones was also the very first Romar recruit and he started 14 games as a freshman. Jones as a sophomore had a breakthrough year as the Huskies made the NCAA tournament. Jones made 25 starts that season while averaging 11.2 PPG, 4.9 RPG and 1.2 steals a game. Then as a junior Jones started 33 of a possible 34 games. During that year Jones averaged 11.2 PPG, 5.6 RPG and 1.1 steals. As a senior Jones saw himself named captain and was named honorable mention all pac-10. Jones averaged 10.4 PPG, 4.9 RPG and 1.2 steals. As you can see for three years the Huskies knew what they were getting out of Bobby Jones. Jones would later be drafted in the second round. He played some in the NBA and is currently playing in Europe.

G- Justin Dentmon(2005-2009):

Justin Dentmon had an interesting career at Washington. As a freshman Dentmon started 32 of 33 games. During that year Dentmon was named first team all freshman team. Dentmon averaged 8.3 PPG, 3.8 APG and 3.5 RPG. Dentmon in his first two NCAA tournament games didn't turn the ball over once as the Huskies went to the sweet 16. The next two years saw Dentmon struggled big time. As a sophomore Dentmon was often the guy turning the ball over at the worst time or taking the shot at the worst time. Dentmon did start 27 games that year and did average 10.1 PPG, 3.6 APG and 4.0 RPG. As a junior saw Dentmon reach a personal low as he started just eight games. During that year Dentmon averaged just 9.8 PPG, 2.3 APG and 2.3 RPG. After being benched for Venoy Overton and Isaiah Thomas coming in most thought Dentmon would transfer or ride the bench. Instead Dentmon made first team all pac-10 and was named Huskies captain. Dentmon switched to shooting guard as well. Dentmon averaged 14.4 PPG, 2.5 APG, 2.7 RPG. Dentmon also made 1.8 three's a game while shooting 41.8% from three point range. Dentmon currently is in the NBDL league and even made the NBDL all-star game.

F- Jamaal Williams(2004-2006):

Jamaal Williams came to Washington as a transfer from New Mexico. Williams in his two years at Washington was the Huskies best low post scoring option. During his first year Williams averaged 9.9 PPG and shot 56.1% from the field as the Huskies made the sweet 16. Then as a senior Williams was named honorable mention all pac-10. Williams also made 22 starts that year while being second on the team in scoring with 13.8 PPG average. In his last game ever as a Husky Williams scored a career high 27 points on 12-22 shooting while grabbing a team high seven rebounds in the 98-92 loss to the Uconn Huskies. Williams played some European ball and is now currently a Huskies assistent coach.

Well that is my all-time Huskies team in the Lorenzo Romar era. Feel free to debate my selection. All 12 of my guys made all pac-10 in the Romar era. Hopefully in the next few years some guys on this current roster and recruits can make the list. Looking back you can see why the Huskies have been so successful in the Romar years. Romar has done a fine job of recruiting and developing his players. In the Romar era he had four players who had never even made an all pac-10 team make first team as a senior. Romar in fact has had six seniors make first team all pac-10 which is quite the feat in today's college basketball. So remember dawg fans as we watch our team take on the Georgia Bulldogs these guys paved the way for today. Now the current Huskies have a chance to write their own history and have future Huskies look up to them. Hope you enjoyed my list and if I missed anyone don't be afraid to let me know. In my opinion this is the best possible 12 man roster in the Romar era.

My reaction to being interviewed by Jeff "the fish" Aaron

By Kshell

On Tuesday March 15th, 2011 for the first time in my life I was interviewed on live radio. In this following blog post I'll link you guys to that interview while also talking about the process leading up to the interview. In this interview I mainly discuss the NCAA tournament and in particular who was left out. I also talk about my bracket(which I recently changed by the way) and from a previous conversation with Huskies beat writer Percy Allen I discuss which hollywood figure has the greatest booty. Quite a thrill to have been interviewed for the first time as my thoughts shall be discussed.

This interview doesn't take place if I hadn't start my blog. I was bored one day and created the Seattle Sportsblog. I also created a facebook account where I added people who typically post on Dave "Softy" Mahler's page. By doing this I've met some people who liked my blog and enjoyed discussing sports with me. Facebook decided to delete my account twice but the people I got to know through this process I added to my personal facebook. Well one of those people recently became an intern for Jeff "the fish" Aaron. After talking sports with him for almost a year he figured he would have me be a guest on Aaron's show. After talking with Aaron he liked the move and it was decided that I will be on his show. As for the interview itself it was well done in my opinion.

The interview sounded like a normal conversation because Aaron had already called me twice prior to my interview. In the off the record conversations I had told him I agreed with his stance that there would be more MMA coverage in the Seattle papers. I also told him that I think Percy is crazy for saying Kardashian is #3 on the best booty list. So when the interview finally took place which you can hear(if you want to skip to me I'm roughly at the hour mark) right here by clicking on listen to show!!! we discussed this very topic from the start. I told him I felt Beyonce is still #1 while Kardashian is #2 and although J-Lo was the first famous big booty due to her age she is a distant #3 in my opinion. I never figured my very first interview topic would be discussing who has the best ass in hollywood but it was. That helped relax me and made the interview process pretty fun. Then after that it was time to discuss sports and in particular the NCAA tournament.

In the following interview I talked about who was snubbed in the NCAA tournament. The two teams I felt were snubbed were St. Mary's who went 25-8, won their conference and had an RPI of 46. If you compare them to VCU who went 23-11, took fourth in their conference and has an RPI of 49 I don't get how St. Mary's was snubbed. I also brought up how future Pac-12 member Colorado Buffaloes were snubbed as they went 21-13, had a SOS of 49 and won six games against teams in the RPI top 50. While a team like Clemson who is 20-10 had zero wins against teams in the top 50. I also brought up how Alabama should have got in over Georgia since they won their division and swept Georgia. I then discussed my final four who I said 6th seed St.John's, two #1 seeds in Ohio State and Kansas then #3 Uconn(Although I changed it to Duke for my bracket). I then said I had Kansas winning the tournament and they better not burn me like last year.

All in all, I've received nothing but positive feedback from everyone which I'm happy to hear. I also discussed how I was going to watch the Seattle Sounders for the first time and sarcasticly(while being correct) Jeff Aaron said the game would end 1-0. The interview was a great experience for me to further my own career. The interview was also pretty fun to do and I hope to be back on Jeff Aaron's show in the future. I'll bring up some topics we can disagree on for a point counterpoint. I heard Jeff is a big golf fan while I can't stand the sport so that could be a nice little start. I'll forever be thankful for this opportunity as this was a great experience. Thanks guys for the continued support of this blog and my interview.

Saunders too much for Sounders! Sounders drop opener to Galaxy 1-0

By Kshell

Well the MLS season has begun! In front of a record setting MLS crowd of 36,433 fans the L.A. Galaxy(1-0-0) led by goalie Josh Saunders defeated the Seattle Sounders(0-1-0) 1-0 to earn three points on the road. The game opened up the MLS season on national t.v. on ESPN. The Sounders for the third straight year mostly because of the great turnout by the fans were featured in the opening game. Unfortunetly for the Sounders they couldn't capitalize on few scoring opportunities on tough goaltender Josh Saunders. Saunders entering this game hadn't allowed a goal in his last 342 regular season minutes in MLS play. The Sounders last year were swept by the Galaxy 4-0 and were outscored 10-2 in those four games. The Sounders have a long season left but they must figure out how to defeat the mighty Galaxy which features players like Landon Donovan and David Beckham.

The atmosphere was quite electric at Qwest Field. You would have thought this was a World Cup game not the first game of a seven month grind. The Sounders average attendance is over 36,000 while the second place MLS team is the Los Angeles Galaxy who averages 21,000. The Sounders have created a nice buzz in Seattle. With the Portland Timbers coming into the league look for the Sounders-Timbers rivaly to carry the MLS. This game had a buzz to it like no other MLS game. Despite the terrible weather conditions the Sounders set an MLS record for attendance in a game(Note only MLS games count, Sounders have had larger crowds before). The game had quite the opening atmosphere that even the biggest soccer naysayers must admit was well done. After the opening night ceremony had finished the match had begun.

In the first half the Sounders had controlled the tempo of the game but had nothing to show for it. Early on the Galaxy were having more shots but thanks to Kasey Keller the Galaxy were denied. Early on Keller went up for a save and collided with team USA star Donovan knocking Donovan down for a while. Then the Sounders started to attack the Galaxy trying to end Saunders goal less streak. The Sounders despite seven shots and five shots on goal were held scoreless. The Galaxy didn't even have a single shot on goal and had just four shots total. The Sounders had dominated that first half in front of an electric crowd. Keller who is a northwest legend has stated this will be his last season. While the Galaxy Beckham had also announced this was his last year as well. Beckham was loudly booed throughout the contest. The Sounders were shocked to start the game as they had cut designated player Blaise Nkufo who played in last year's world cup for Switzerland. He was believed to carry the load on offense for the Sounders.

In the second half the Sounders wasted more opportunities to finally score. Unlike the first half it finally caught up to the Sounders. After dominating the first 45 minutes the Sounders finally let the Galaxy have life. A costly turnover by Sounders midfielder Erik Friberg was intercepted by the Galaxy Todd Durnivant. That set up in the 58th minute a 25 foot goal by Juninho to give the Galaxy a 1-0 lead. The goal had just got by stellar goal keeper Keller. The Sounders weren't dead quite yet as they kept attacking Saunders. Each time Saunders kept making one save after another. When Saunders wasn't making saves the Sounders were wasting their chances. Like when O'Brian White had a shot that bounced wide off the far post in the 72nd minute. Friberg missed an open net as well and fan favorite Freddy Montero also missed a short short. Saunders when all was said and done had six saves. The Galaxy had survived to win the game 1-0 to extend their streak to five games in a row over the Sounders.

Overall the biggest winner in this game was Major League Soccer. This game showed that people in America do care about soccer. The crowd was intense and it was a well played game. The game could have featured more scoring but it was well played. There was plenty of shots on goal and this game featured some players that the average fan has heard of. The Galaxy earned a very important three points in a tough road game. Prior to this game the Sounders had never lost an opener before. For the Sounders the season is still young and anyone giving up on them after this loss is crazy. The Sounders do need to figure out a way to beat the Galaxy or at least earn points. The Sounders will have better days and this was a good showcase for soccer. Just remember when the NCAA tournament was going on the city of Seattle had over 36,000 fans in attendance. Soccer is slowly growing in America which can only be a good thing. The Galaxy earned the victory but the game of soccer was the big winner.

Observations:

- This game featured probably the most popular and well known American player in Landon Donovan. As we all remember in World Cup 2010 Donovan was the one who scored the winning goal in stoppage time to advance USA out of pool play. Donovan for a short time in July was the most popular person in the country. He was just one of many stars in this game and shares the star treatment on his own team.

Donovan early on hurt his ribs on a collision with goal keeper Kasey Keller. Donovan didn't flop as he got up and remained playing. The Sounders did a good job on Donovan as he didn't have any shots on goal. Donovan as we all saw in the World Cup can be an explosive scorer but the Sounders did a good job defending Donovan.

- The biggest star in this game was David Beckham. Beckham at this point in his career is more of a celebrity than a good soccer player. Beckham announced this will be his last year in the MLS. Showing how serious the Seattle fans were in this rivalry everytime he had the ball he was booed loudly. Beckham also received a yellow crowd which the crowd reacted pretty emphatically to the call.

I felt Beckham at least this game showed he still has game. He was quite active and had a few shots. He obviously isn't the Beckham of the 1990's who was making movies but he showed he still has game. Beckham if this is truly his last year is at least showing he won't go out like many stars have had in the past. Most importantly for Beckham he is still on one of the best teams in MLS. The Galaxy won the regular season title last year and are on the short list of favorites to win it this year.

- Tough loss for the all-time MLS wins leader Sigi Schmid. Schmid is in his third year with the Sounders. The Sounders in his first season made the playoffs before losing to Houston Dynamo. Then last year the Sounders won the U.S. Open Cup. Schmid has this team going in the right direction. Fans in Seattle better start paying attention to the Sounders as they are closest mens professional team to winning a championship.

For all Schmid has done well for the Sounders beating the Galaxy seems to be a problem. This is the fifth consecutive loss to the Galaxy in MLS play. The season is young and a veteran coach like Schmid I'm sure isn't too worried. The Sounders will fix their scoring problems and should be one of the top tier teams of the MLS season. The Sounders feature one of the better goal keepers in Kasey Keller which should always keep them in games.

All in all, tough loss for the Sounders as they were hoping to make a statement to the rest of MLS. The city of Seattle made a statement to the rest of the nation that they are still the #1 soccer city in America. The 1-5 rivalry with Portland should be quite fun. I was never a soccer fan but the 2010 world cup sucked me in. I also kept hearing how the Sounders games were a fun atmosphere and even though they lost 1-0 I can see myself enjoying a game at Qwest. When the summer rolls around and most likely the Seattle Mariners are 20 games out of first place don't forget about the Sounders. The Sounders will be playing games from now until November and should feature a pretty good squad. The Sounders may have lost this game but you don't see NBA fans freaking out after losing the first of 82 games. Well fans don't give up on the Sounders after one loss. The Sounders will eventually figure out how to defeat the Galaxy. For now the Galaxy proved once again why they are one of the best teams in MLS.