Sounders FC vs. Portland Timbers | Saturday, March 16, 2013 - 5:00 p.m. PT 2013 AT A GLANCE... Overall Home Away March April May June July August September October vs. Eastern Conf. vs. Western Conf. When leading at half When tied at half When trailing at half When scoring first When conceding first With 0 goals scored With 1 goal scored With 2 goals scored With 3 goals scored With 4+ goals scored Conceding 0 goals Conceding 1 goal Conceding 2 goals Conceding 3 goals Conceding 4+ goals
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DEFENSE WINS CHAMPIONSHIPS The best offense is a good defense, and the Sounders FC faithful saw it first-hand on Tuesday night as right back DeAndre Yedlin and center back Djimi Traore scored stunning goals to help send Seattle through to the CONCACAF Champions League Semifinals. Yedlin started the comeback with a 25-yard volley and Traore continued the trend with a 35-yard strike that caromed off the underside of the crossbar and was featured on as the number two play on SportsCenter Top 10. The pair of defenders, who are both in their first year in Major League Soccer, combined for the first time in club history that two defenders have scored in the same game.
THE FUTURE
IS
NOW
DeAndre Yedlin has been touted as the future of Seattle’s backline, but if his start to the 2013 campaign is any indicator, the future is now. Yedlin started at right back in the season opener against the Montreal Impact, earning MLS Team of the Week honors in his professional debut as he became the second-youngest player to start for Sounders FC. Last Tuesday, he made history with the opening goal in Seattle’s 3-1 win over Tigres UANL, becoming the youngest player to score a goal for Sounders FC (19 years, eight months and three days).
C O N S TA N T K E N N E D Y In 78 career starts in MLS and 106 across all competitions in his first four seasons with the Sounders FC, Jhon Kennedy Hurtado played with three center back partners. In a matter of five days in the 2013 season, he started with two more as the 28-year-old Colombian continues to show the qualities of a top defender. With Tyrone Marshall, Hurtado enjoyed plenty of success in Seattle’s first two seasons in MLS, totaling a 12-8-11 record in all competitions while Hurtado earned MLS Defender of the Year finalist recognition in 2009. Another frequent partner was Jeff Parke, as that duo combined to go 16-9-9 in MLS and 26-12-10 overall in all competitions. And with Patrick Ianni, who remains with the Sounders but is recovering from a foot fracture, Seattle went 85-4 in MLS and 15-6-6 overall.
NEWEST SOUNDERS The 2012 offseason saw a number of team staples like Fredy Montero and Jeff Parke depart, but the front office acted promptly filled those gaps with a number of saavy off-season signings, adding a lethal mixture of veteran experience and youthful energy to the roster.
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*Sounders FC got one of their own back in late January. A year after being traded to Montreal as part of the Eddie Johnson trade, Lamar Neagle returned to Seattle when the club acquired the midfielder from the Impact for an international roster spot. The Federal Way-native has seven goals and four assists in 46 career appearances, and is one of four Sounders FC players to score a hat trick.
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*Seattle made big waves when they acquired nine-year MLS veteran Shalrie Joseph from Chivas USA as a designated player. The 34-year-old Grenadian is a four-time MLS Best XI selection and eight-time MLS All-Star who has played in three MLS Cups, easily making him the most experienced player within MLS ever to appear on a Sounders FC roster.
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* MLS only
*Sounders FC signed their first Homegrown player when DeAndre Yedlin inked his signature on Januray 11 after two stellar seasons at Akron. The speedy right back was a two-time AllMAC selection after playing for Sounders FC Academy. *Just a week later, the club picked up two quality players in the 2013 MLS SuperDraft, trading up to select Eriq Zavaleta, fresh off a College Cup at Indiana, with the 10th pick. A member of the U.S. U20 National Team pool, Zavalet netted 18 goals last season for the Hoosiers, but has significant experience as a center back at the international level. The Rave green then selected speedy left back Dylan Remick out of Brown in the second round. The threetime All-Ivy League selection was officially signed on February 22.
*After a stellar trial performance throughout preseason camp, Sounders FC signed 33-year old center back Djimi Traore on February 23. The English and French Premier League veteran won a UEFA Champions League title in 2005 with Liverpool, the first Sounders FC plater to do so, adding more experience to Seattle’s most seasoned roster in their brief history.