Sounders advance to USOC final

Riding on a first half goal by Fredy Montero, the Sounders managed to hold off FC Dallas and book their spot in a third consecutive US Open Cup final. Both clubs fielded full strength squads, but the Sounders had the best of the play in the first half. The Sounders kept pushing on FC Dallas, creating chance after chance and finally in the fortieth minute they broke through. Fredy Montero faked a shot to shake off Ugo Ihemulu, switched the ball to his left foot and unleashed a curling shot that found it's way neatly inside Kevin Hartman's near post.

FC Dallas brought on George John to bolster their defense at the half, and while they did apply early pressure to the Sounders (culminating in a Marvin Chavez shot ringing off of the post) they ultimately couldn't find a way through the Sounders' stingy defense. The Sounders face the Chicago Fire October fourth at Century Link in the final.

Neagle's hat trick earns top honors

I don't think that there was any doubt that Neagle's hat trick would earn him top honors, and indeed it has. First of all two of his goals are nominees for week twenty four's Goal of Week. Check out the video below and cast your vote here.

Not only is Neagle a contender for Goal of the Week, he's also earned himself Player of the Week honors. Apparently only three out of twenty two available votes by the North American Soccer Reporters were for players other than Neagle.

Devastating Football

The Sounders perpetrated absolute devastation on the Columbus Crew this afternoon at Century Link field. Not only that, history was made within both clubs. Jeff Cunningham took the title as all time leading scorer of Major League Soccer and the Sounders scored six goals in one match for the first time in club history. After historic victories over conference rivals FC Dallas and CCL group mates Monterrey the Sounders confidence was definitely at an all time high, and the club's confidence and swagger showed brilliantly with every single attacking move against the Crew.

Lamar Neagle started the scoring off early on into the match in the fourth minute, tying for the claim of earliest goal scored in club history with both Steve Zakuani and Blaise Nkufo. Mike Fucito received the ball off of a quick throw in by Lamar Neagle, and touch the ball back to Neagle as he was holding off a defender. Neagle continued his run up the left side of the pitch, holding off the defensive efforts by Rich Balchan. As he reached the edge of the penalty area Neagle unleashed a shot that Columbus keeper Will Hesmer was able to get a piece of, but unfortunately not enough and it trickled over the goal line. In the fourteenth minute brilliant build-up play by the Sounders led to a hand ball situation, as Fucito maneuvered around Balchan and the ball came into contact with both of the defender's hands. The referee called a penalty without hesitation and Mauro Rosales stepped up to the spot and cooly buried it past a reaching Hesmer. The Sounders got on the board a third time in the twenty first minute through even more brilliant build-up play. Osvaldo Alonso made the pass to Rosales just outside the penalty area, who spotted the overlapping run by James Riley and slipped it to the right back, who sent in a beautiful  cross that found Neagle waiting at the far post for a side-footed volley into the back of the net. The Sounders weren't even finished yet. In the forty first minute, Rosales received the ball in the penalty area and slipped over to Fucito who gathered up ball and fired it into the empty net from a tight angle for his first of the season and second of his MLS career.

With four goals being scored in the first half alone, you'd probably think that that was all the match had to offer. If you'd have thought that, you'd have been dead wrong. The second half saw another four goals, this time, however, the Crew finally joined in on the scoring. The Crew got their opportunity in the the fifty ninth minute on a penalty call on a dangerous challenge by Jhon Kennedy Hurtado on Emilio Renteria in the penalty area, on watching the replay however, Hurtado makes little to no physical contact with Renteria. Jeff Cunningham stepped up to the spot and made league history, taking the league lead in total number of goals scored by sending Kasey Keller the wrong direction and easily knocking the ball into the back of the net. That goal didn't go unanswered however, Lamar Neagle firing home an absolute blast in off the crossbar much like his game winning goal earlier in the season down at Rio Tinto against Real Salt Lake in the seventieth minute. The goal was his third of the match, marking the first time that a Sounder scored a hat trick in front of a home crowd. Columbus were able to notch another goal just three minutes later, through an absolutely fantastic free kick that found it's way through the wall and fizzed past Kasey Keller's fingertips by midfielder Josh Gardner. That goal only had meaning for a single minute, as the Sounders immediately shifted back into attack and a cross by Lamar Neagle forced an own goal by the goal scorer Gardner or else the ball would have fallen to the feet of Fucito who was lurking on the far post.

That own goal capped off the highest scoring and one of the most exciting matches in Sounders FC history. Next up the Sounders face FC Dallas once again in the semi-finals of the US Open Cup.

Notes

• In this match the Sounders scored three goals in the shortest amount of time in club history, in the space of just seventeen minutes.
• All three goals tied for quickest goal scored in Sounders club history were scored against the Columbus Crew
• The Sounders have only managed two hat tricks in their three year history, one last season by Blaise Nkufo and this afternoon's by Lamar Neagle. Both were against Columbus in four goal victories.
• Columbus was unable to score a goal in this afternoon's match during open play. Both goals came through dead ball situations.

MLS Week 24 Predictions

Saturday, August 27th
Seattle Sounders FC - Columbus Crew: This is definitely one of the weekend's best matches, the best in the east faces one of the best in the west. Seeing the Sounders latest victories, both 1-0 results against FC Dallas and Mexico giants Monterrey, their confidence is without a doubt on a high. The same could be said of Columbus, who have been quite hot recently, winning four out of their last five matches. While they may be number one in the east, Columbus' road record doesn't exactly reflect a top of the table team at a measly 3-6-3. One other thing to note is the Sounders' domination over the Crew, having gone 2-0-3 in all competitions against them. With those facts in mind, I'd say the Sounders get all three points. Considering Columbus' road record and the fact that the Sounders' defense has only conceded two goals in their past six games, the Sounders should have this one no problem.

Sporting Kansas City - FC Dallas: Along with the match up between the Sounders and the Crew, this one to watch. Since having the home advantage of Livestrong Sporting Park SKC has definitely been the team to beat, and only one has managed that feat so far (the Sounders). Also noteworthy with this match-up is SKC's 4-1 drubbing of Dallas at Pizza Hut Park earlier this season. Dallas will definitely be on the hunt for redemption against SKC. This is a tough one to call, both have been fantastic sides as of late. I'm gonna settle with a draw.

Chivas USA - Real Salt Lake: Out of their last five matches, Real Salt Lake have lost a whopping four of them. After a strong start to the season it seems that RSL is beginning to sputter and fall short. Head coach Jason Kreis even went so far as to guarantee wholesale changes next season if things don't turn around before it's too late. RSL's primary issues seem to the absence of key playmaker Javier Morales and the inexperience of younger players. While RSL has been on a down turn lately, they're still in contention for a spot in the play-offs. And a spot in the play-offs is exactly what Chivas is hunting for. They could have made great progress last week, but their lack of consistency haunted them and ultimately saw them fall to the Portland Timbers. While both teams have had their struggles lately, I'd say that RSL gets all three points in this one.

Sounders acquire Sammy Ochoa

Earlier this week it was announced that former US youth national team player Sammy Ochoa had signed a deal with Major League Soccer, and that he would go through the allocation rankings much the same as a returning US international. Notably, this has been quite the season for returning US players, seeing the return of Kenny Cooper (to the Timbers), Jay Demerit (to the Whitecaps), Charlie Davies (to DC United), Benny Feilhaber (to the Revolution), and excluding Ochoa most recently Freddy Adu (to the Union). The Sounders managed to trade their way up in the rankings, trading their 2012 Super Draft third round pick to the Chicago Fire to move from sixth position up to fourth.

The Sounders have somewhat of an idea of what they're getting with Ochoa, having had the young striker on trial and given him play time in a Reserve League match, in which he netted a goal, earlier in the season. This acquisition isn't all that surprising seeing how the Sounders recently saw two deals on strikers playing over in Europe fall through in the last couple of days before the transfer window officially closed. According to Adrian Hanauer, the Sounders took a part in bringing Ochoa to the MLS. Hanauer also stated that the failing of the two deals wasn't a direct motivation for picking Ochoa up, the Sounders apparently maintained interest in picking him up after he had finished up his trial (source). Whatever the case, Ochoa will provide much-needed depth up top. In Schmid's words:

"He's a good back-to-goal player and a good finisher around the box, those are qualities that he's had. In all his time in Mexico he was in and out of the lineup because they had so many head coaches. So it was tough to establish a rhythm."


It will be great to see what sort of impact that Sammy can have up top, seeing how much the Sounders have struggled this season in scoring from strikers.

Steve Jobs Resigns as Apple CEO

It was announced today that Steve Jobs would step down as the CEO of Apple. In his letter to the board of directors, that can be read in full below, he appointed Tim Cook as his replacement.

"To the Apple Board of Directors and the Apple Community:


I have always said if there ever came a day when I could no longer meet my duties and expectations as Apple’s CEO, I would be the first to let you know. Unfortunately, that day has come. I hereby resign as CEO of Apple. I would like to serve, if the Board sees fit, as Chairman of the Board, director and Apple employee. As far as my successor goes, I strongly recommend that we execute our succession plan and name Tim Cook as CEO of Apple. I believe Apple’s brightest and most innovative days are ahead of it. And I look forward to watching and contributing to its success in a new role. I have made some of the best friends of my life at Apple, and I thank you all for the many years of being able to work alongside you.


Steve"


In 2004 Jobs was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, and since then has taken three separate leaves of absence in relation to his ongoing health issues. These health issues are more than likely the primary motivating factor to his stepping down as CEO.

Sounders hold on for historic win over Monterrey

FC Dallas, it seems, opened the door for MLS success down in Mexico with their historic victory against Pumas UNAM last week. The Sounders followed their example, defeating the defending champion Monterrey on a lone goal by Alvaro Fernandez. Leading to the match's lone goal in the thirty eighth minute, the match was a fairly even affair with no clear scoring opportunities for either side. That changed in the thirty eighth minute, as the Sounders got possession of the ball on a breakaway opportunity and they certainly made the most of it. The build-up down the midfield lead to Pat Noonan slipping Fernandez a perfectly weighted ball into the box, who easily and cooly finished it hammering the ball over the keeper and into the roof of the net. Through the rest of the match the Sounders endured massive pressure by Monterrey, but no matter how many times they got the ball into the box the Sounders' defense just would not crack and when they failed to prevent a shot on frame, Terry Boss was there to keep it out. Next up in CCL play for the Sounders is Leo Gonzalez's former club down in Costa Rica, Herediano.