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IN THIS ISSUE Editor-In-Chief Robert Casner Creative Director/Designer Ty Kreft Assistant Editors Kristi Bruner Alex Caulfield Danny Ciaccio Ryan Krasnoo Daniel Robertson Kelly Schutz Kyle Sheldon Matt Winter
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2017 SCHEDULE
10
MEET THE TEAM
12
A YEAR IN GUANGZHOU
Cover Illustrator Marie Hausauer Contributing Photographers Mike Fiechtner Jane Gershovich Getty Images Dan Poss Djimi Traore Corky Trewin Charis Wilson
CLOSER LOOK
WE Day, championship rings and street art dominate this month’s edition
It’s pretty self-explanatory
Find out what kind of music the First Team jams to
Gustav Svensson shares stories from his year in the Chinese Super League WORDS BY ROBERT CASNER
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PRIDE: UNIQUELY SEATTLE, UNIQUELY SOUNDERS
Brad Evans and Megan Rapinoe use sport to fight for equality WORDS BY JASON RANTZ
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Morale Support Austin Thompson
MENTALITY OF A CHAMPION
How the 2005 UEFA Champions League Final shaped Djimi Traore and left a mark on Sounders FC’s locker room WORDS BY ALEX CAULFIELD
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THE DILIGENT JORDY DELEM The man from Martinique shares his path to the pros WORDS BY RYAN KRASNOO
38 © 2017 by Major League Soccer, LLC and Seattle Soccer, LLC. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without written consent of Seattle Soccer, LLC is prohibited. Seattle Sounders FC 159 South Jackson, Suite 200 Seattle, WA 98104 887-MLS-GOAL SoundersFC.com
DR. STEVEN NEWBY
The longtime Sounders national anthem singer is stepping away from his regular matchday duties WORDS BY ROBERT CASNER
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THE ADVENTURES OF JORDAN & CRISTIAN
The search for Stef’s lucky gloves continues as the boys explore the Space Needle COMIC BY MLS WATERCOLORIST
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CLOSER LOOK
APRIL 21, 2017
Forward Jordan Morris and midfielder Cristian Roldan entertain an audience of thousands at KeyArena for WE Day.
MAY 23, 2017
At a presentation ceremony at Starfire Sports, defender Brad Evans shows off his 2016 MLS Cup championship ring alongside the 2008 MLS Cup ring he won with the Columbus Crew.
MAY 25, 2017
Seattle artist Alexander Codd stands in front of his in-progress mural, The Peacekeeper, commemorating Stefan Frei’s MLS Cup heroics. The completed piece is located in SoDo, south of CenturyLink Field.
2017 SCHEDULE OPPONENT
DAY
DATE
TIME
TV
Houston Dynamo
Sat
March 4
5:30 PM
Q13 Fox
Montreal Impact
Sat
March 11
4:00 PM
JoeTV
New York Red Bulls
Sun
March 19
4:00 PM
FS1
Club Necaxa*
Sat
March 25
7:00 PM
JoeTV
Atlanta United FC
Fri
March 31
7:00 PM
FS1
San Jose Earthquakes
Sat
April 8
7:30 PM
Q13 Fox
Vancouver Whitecaps FC
Fri
April 14
7:00 PM
Q13 Fox
LA Galaxy
Sun
April 23
1:00 PM
ESPN
New England Revolution
Sat
April 29
7:00 PM
JoeTV
Toronto FC
Sat
May 6
12:00 PM
ESPN
Chicago Fire
Sat
May 13
6:00 PM
ESPN2
Sporting Kansas City
Wed
May 17
5:30 PM
JoeTV
Real Salt Lake
Sat
May 20
2:00 PM
JoeTV
Portland Timbers
Sat
May 27
12:00 PM
Q13 Fox
Columbus Crew SC
Wed
May 31
4:30 PM
Q13 Fox
Houston Dynamo
Sun
June 4
7:00 PM
JoeTV
New York City FC
Sat
June 17
10:00 AM
ESPN
Orlando City
Wed
June 21
7:30 PM
JoeTV
Portland Timbers
Sun
June 25
1:00 PM
ESPN
Colorado Rapids
Tue
July 4
6:00 PM
Q13 Fox
Eintracht Frankfurt*
Sat
July 8
1:00 PM
JoeTV
D.C. United
Wed
July 19
7:30 PM
Q13 Fox
San Jose Earthquakes
Sun
July 23
7:30 PM
JoeTV
LA Galaxy
Sat
July 29
7:00 PM
ESPN2
Minnesota United FC
Sat
August 5
5:00 PM
Q13 Fox
Sporting Kansas City
Sat
August 12
1:00 PM
JoeTV
Minnesota United FC
Sun
August 20
7:00 PM
FS1
Vancouver Whitecaps FC
Wed
August 23
7:00 PM
JoeTV
Portland Timbers
Sun
August 27
6:30 PM
FS1
LA Galaxy
Sun
September 10
6:00 PM
FS1
FC Dallas
Sat
September 16
5:00 PM
JoeTV
Real Salt Lake
Sat
September 23
6:30 PM
JoeTV
Vancouver Whitecaps FC
Wed
September 27
7:30 PM
JoeTV
Philadelphia Union
Sun
October 1
10:00 AM
ESPN
FC Dallas
Sun
October 15
4:30 PM
JoeTV
Colorado Rapids
Sun
October 22
1:00 PM
JoeTV
HOME MATCH
AWAY MATCH
RESULT
INTERNATIONAL FRIENDLY All matches broadcast LIVE on KIRO Radio 97.3 FM | El Rey 1360AM
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MEET THE TEAM
Backstreet Boys, I can’t remember the album. I did go to one of their concerts.
12 SEYI ADEKOYA FORWARD
15 TONY ALFARO DEFENDER
6 OSVALDO ALONSO MIDFIELDER
3 BRAD EVANS DEFENDER
8 ÁLVARO FERNÁNDEZ MIDFIELDER
91 ONIEL FISHER DEFENDER
10 NICOLÁS LODEIRO MIDFIELDER
80 VICTOR MANSARAY FORWARD
14 CHAD MARSHALL DEFENDER
7 CRISTIAN ROLDAN MIDFIELDER
19 HARRY SHIPP MIDFIELDER
Green Day’s Dookie. Basket Case was the song I liked the most.
50 Cent, Get Rich or Die Tryin’. At the time I really liked it. Not so much anymore.
13 JORDAN MORRIS FORWARD
23 HENRY WINGO MIDFIELDER
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COACHING STAFF
BRIAN SCHMETZER HEAD COACH
Q: WHAT IS THE FIRST ALBUM YOU BOUGHT?
17 WILL BRUIN FORWARD
21 JORDY DELEM MIDFIELDER
2 CLINT DEMPSEY FORWARD
The Beatles 1 greatest hits album, because my dad was a fan of the band and there’s some good local mythology in Seattle surrounding them.
24 STEFAN FREI GOALKEEPER
33 JOEVIN JONES DEFENDER
11 AARON KOVAR MIDFIELDER
32 ZACH MATHERS MIDFIELDER
35 BRYAN MEREDITH GOALKEEPER
1 TYLER MILLER GOALKEEPER
4 GUSTAV SVENSSON MIDFIELDER
5 NOUHOU TOLO DEFENDER
29 ROMÁN TORRES DEFENDER
TOM DUTRA GK COACH
DJIMI TRAORE ASST. COACH
GONZALO PINEDA ASST. COACH
Dire Straights Brothers in Arms. I was old even back then.
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by Robert Casner PHOTOS BY Jane Gershovich
Wandering the streets of the Chinatown-International District, Gustav Svensson finds something that he rarely enjoyed during his one-year spell in Guangzhou, China: space to walk. “It was impossible to do anything on the weekends,” the 30-year-old recalled while walking under the Chinatown Gate on 5th and King St. “The malls were so crowded. You had to go into stores even when you didn’t want to buy anything, just to avoid the crowds.” While mall visits in Guangzhou – the thirdlargest city in China with 15 million residents – presented throngs of people walking shoulder-to-shoulder, the Chinese Super League (CSL) bestowed an opportunity for Svensson to ply his trade in a market eager to become a global soccer powerhouse. In January of 2016, while on duty with the Swedish National Team in Dubai, Svensson received a call from his agent stating interest from Guangzhou R&F F.C. Svensson soon boarded a flight to China where he toured the city and team facilities. He was convinced that China would be a good fit for him and
That was quite a big change coming from Sweden where everything is – not small, but it’s like a small city where everyone says hello to everybody and there are big parks with playgrounds and it’s very friendly. 14
his family. However, before signing, Svensson sought counsel from former Swedish National Team and Guangzhou R&F Head Coach Sven-Göran Eriksson on the inner workings of the CSL. “I texted him just to make sure there was nothing I had missed,” Svensson said of his conversation with the 69-year-old Swede. “He liked it; he actually wanted to stay [with Guangzhou], but Shanghai (SIPG FC) offered him twice as much money so he couldn’t stay there, but he liked it and only had good things to say about the team.” After four days in China, Svensson signed a three-year contract and moved into the same neighborhood where Eriksson had lived while coaching Svensson’s new team. And so began a new life in a modern and bustling China for Svensson, his wife Sara and their baby son Charlie. They found home in a gated community full of foreigners and just so happened to become neighbors with Luiz Felipe Scolari, the famed Brazilian coach and current Head Coach of rival club Guangzhou Evergrande Taobao F.C. The Svenssons decorated their new apartment with all IKEA products, of course, and settled in. They utilized a private driver to navigate the city and had a different driver, contracted by the club, to take Svensson and other players to and from training and matches each week. They vacationed in Vietnam, Hong Kong and the resort town of Sanya on the southern end of China’s Hainan Island. Adjusting to life in China, the Svenssons came across new difficulties that could only be found in a country with the largest population on the planet. There were lines just to get into the malls and onto interior elevators. Schedules had to be planned in advance, with the stipulation that any activities take place during off-hours to avoid large crowds. “That was quite a big change coming from Sweden where everything is – not small, but it’s like a small city where everyone says hello
to everybody and there are big parks with playgrounds and it’s very friendly,” Svensson said. “The community is built around having a lot of space and then you come to China and there’s no space at all and you walk into people everywhere you go.” They even had to adjust to the persistent photo opportunities the Chinese sought with their blonde-haired, blue-eyed baby, Charlie. Chinese men and women frequently took Charlie from his stroller to take a photo. At first, the Svenssons were alarmed, but eventually they grew to expect it as part of the culture and let it happen. “They took a lot of pictures with my son. A lot,” said a smiling Svensson. On top of the crowds and surprise photo ops, there was the adjustment to the hot and humid climate. It was often too warm to go to parks, so they went to the malls where they were protected with air conditioning. The weather became so unbearable that Sara and Charlie traveled back to Sweden for June, July and August. Add in air pollution, where a convergence of population increase and industrialization has seen air quality diminish, and there were some uncomfortable moments for the Swedish family. Svensson admits that he
thought the pollution was going to be worse, but recalled one match in Beijing where he truly felt the effects of the poor air quality. “You go outside the hotel and you’re like, ‘Wow, I can just feel it,’” he said. “So, I think all of us went to the manager asking for more money after that game. It shortened our lives a couple of years. “I’ve never taken a deep breath behind a car but I imagine it’s something like that. You don’t really want to breathe in fully.” On the pitch, Svensson found the daily activities of a CSL team to be different than previous stops in his career. The number of players attending training sessions would fluctuate from one day to the next and there was often uncertainty in who was going to show up. Players would arrive 30 minutes before training without the medical attention that they so often receive in other parts of the world, and then leave upon training’s completion. This allowed for Svensson to spend more time with his family than previously in his career. Training sessions also presented language barriers between staff and players. “Our coach (Dragan Stojković) spoke English
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and then we had interpreters speaking English to Chinese,” Svensson recalled. “We had a South Korean guy who has his own interpreter who didn’t speak English but spoke Chinese so it was from English to Chinese to South Korean. It was quite funny sometimes, but it worked out.” In his lone season with Guangzhou, the club finished 6th with 40 points from 30 matches. The media coverage of the club was more or less insignificant and Svensson lived his daily life in relative anonymity. Ask Svensson if soccer is popular in China – even with the numerous, big-name players playing in the CSL – and he’s quick to say no. “It’s growing but it’s not popular. The league is not that bad especially when you have as many good foreigners as they do. They tried to use the names of the bigger players as much as they could [to promote the sport].” Sounders General Manager & President of Soccer Garth Lagerwey, who credits former Sounder Erik Friberg and current VP of Soccer and Sporting Director Chris Henderson for bringing Svensson to Seattle, views the rising CSL as a competitor to MLS. “They’ve obviously attracted a number of high-profile players,” he said. “It’s a league that pays very, very well and certainly a league that’s growing. It’s something that we need to worry about ourselves, honestly, and continue to develop domestic players in particular through our academies, through our player development. I think that’s the long-term solution for MLS.” The quality-of-play is something frequently on the minds of Chinese soccer constituents as they constantly change the rules in attempt to accelerate the level of play, especially with their domestic players. Case in point in January of this year when the CSL – just six weeks before the start of the new season – implemented a new rule limiting clubs the ability to field a maximum of three non-Chinese players per game. Previously, teams were able to field one non-Chinese player from the Asian confederation plus three nonAsian foreigners per match. Just like
We had a South Korean guy who has his own interpreter who didn’t speak English but spoke Chinese so it was from English to Chinese to South Korean. It was quite funny sometimes, but it worked out.
that, foreigners such as Svensson were dispensable. “We were expecting to be there three years or at least one more year so that came as a surprise when we came back there and they just changed the rules,” Svensson said. The rule change clearly benefitted the Sounders who were able to sign Svensson only a few weeks later, on January 30. Now filling all sorts of needs for the Rave Green, Svensson is comfortable in his new home in the Pacific Northwest. An easy-going personality, the seasoned veteran jokes that he can read Mandarin as he strolls by Hing Hay Park. He reads a street sign slowly to appear as though he doesn’t see the English lettering posted below. Here in Seattle, Svensson can walk around casually and not be bumped into. There’s no expectation of someone picking up his child for a photo op. Simply put, there’s plenty of space to meander. “You just feel that Seattle is a very good place to be.”
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PRIDE: UNIQUELY SEATTLE UNIQUELY SOUNDERS BY JASON RANTZ “We are in a spotlight,” Seattle Sounders FC original Brad Evans says. “And at the end of the day, truly we have the responsibility while the light is shining on us to do what we think is right.” Evans is speaking about inclusiveness and equality and when it comes to LGBTQ pride – and acknowledgment – that the city of Seattle and its soccer club have taken the right approach. It’s a genuine effort to support the club’s diverse fan base and propelled forward by team leaders like Evans, Jordan Morris, Cristian Roldan and so many more. Why? Because it’s in their DNA. Even though I’m gay, I’ve not always understood why the team’s leadership on this issue was so important. Then I spoke to the players behind the message and found one can clearly see how soccer has the ability to enact positive social change and how Seattle is such a special city to make that happen. Last June, Morris and Roldan came to the KIRO Radio studios for an on-air
interview with me ahead of the Sounders’ Pride Match. As a gay man and member of the Sounders radio broadcast team, I felt an internal pressure to explore why the Sounders get involved in LGBTQ issues, even though no one asked. In truth, I didn’t necessarily want to. But something both Morris and Roldan said changed my outlook on an issue that was far more important than I was giving it credit.
together in a lot of ways other things can’t and show their support for the general community.”
“I think sports are a really good medium to use to show your support,” Morris said. “Sports bring a lot of people
I can’t help but wonder how much more supported I would have felt to hear Morris and Roldan speak
Roldan took a similar view, noting that we live in a city that generally shows acceptance to the LGBTQ community, but that’s not the case everywhere and soccer can be transformative. “It’s so much bigger than just the Seattle Sounders,” Roldan declared.
“ WE ARE IN A SPOTLIGHT AND AT THE END OF THE DAY, TRULY WE HAVE THE RESPONSIBILITY WHILE THE LIGHT IS SHINING ON US TO DO WHAT WE THINK IS RIGHT. ” S O U N D E R S D E F E N D E R B R A D E VA N S
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“ THE MORE PROGRESSIVE CITIES, IN MY OPINION, HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY TO BE LEADERS. WE NEED TO MAKE SURE EVERYBODY IS REPRESENTED.” S E AT T L E R E I G N F C F O R W A R D M E G A N R A P I N O E so positively about my community. I can’t help but wonder the comfort or pride I would have felt to see Brad Evans proudly don a Pride armband in front of tens of thousands of fans. I can’t really imagine many teams – in or out of MLS – that would willingly take a position on inclusiveness the way the Sounders do. Brad Evans doesn’t need to be involved in LGBTQ issues. He’s got a lot on his plate; he always has. Whether it was captaining the Sounders or helping the team earn its first-ever MLS Cup or acclimating to the right-back position after a knee injury,
Evans could very easily have decided to sit this issue out and focus on other things. But Evans doesn’t sit issues like this out.
has the responsibility to be at the forefront of this fight. “We are under a microscope here,” Evans says. “What we do here that’s positive, I think that spreads like wildfire. And if we weren’t to do it, I’m not sure others would follow along. And I think that it’s good that we take onus on ourselves and we put pressure on ourselves to express our views and our rights on what we feel.”
“For me it’s a no brainer,” Evans states. “This is an inclusive city. We want to be a part of that. Equality is number one. To make a successful society, a successful team, I think you have to have that in you.”
Evans credits his compassion to how he was raised. As a kid growing up in a conservative city, he remembers his family, “always bringing others into the house and making sure that our house was sort of like a safe haven.” And those values, instilled in him at an early stage, inform how accepting he wants all major-league sports to be.
Like Morris and Roldan, Evans views the team’s position on equality as much more than a regional issue. He loves that Seattle is progressive on this topic, but for him, Evans says the team
“[It] is up to players like myself to make sure that everybody feels welcome. Nobody on our team, as far as I know, is gay or bi but if they happen to be, it isn’t an issue. I think when you’re
speaking of a locker room I think – and I’ve said this in the past – a soccer locker room is probably the most accepting.”
“We’re not there yet,” Rapinoe explained to me. “We can talk all we want about equality and being progressive, but there are still people who are Indeed, for U.S. Soccer and discriminated against in this Seattle Reign star Megan country and very blatantly. Rapinoe it has been accepting And in sports, I think we have in the locker room, but that a real problem with it. I think doesn’t mean there isn’t until everyone is treated more to be done to ensure all equally… I think we all have a are treated equally. responsibility to take care of
the communities in which we live in. Obviously, sports are a huge part of that.” In an interview with Out in 2012, Rapinoe discussed her sexuality for the first time to the media. She has no regrets, though perhaps, she wonders, if she should have done it sooner. For many young LGBTQ soccer fans, it was one of the few
professional athletes they could identify with. “I feel like every time I’m interacting with fans,” Rapinoe recalls, “I have an endless number of stories of parents who have kids who are LGBT who thank me for just being who I am and being a role model for them. It’s a never-ending gift in my life. It’s really quite incredible, actually.” As much as she loves the kudos from those she’s helped, it’s not why she’s so outspoken. Rapinoe is really seeking to make some major changes in sports. “Men’s sports are still homophobic,” Rapinoe explained. “I think the more progressive cities, in my opinion, have a responsibility to be leaders. We need to make sure that everybody is represented and everybody feels comfortable.”
As a club, the Sounders have stepped up and are a clear sports leader on LGBTQ equality. And being based in Seattle, with a thriving and active LGBTQ community and fan base, the Sounders could have just as easily sat back and focused primarily on winning another MLS Cup, rather than planning a third-consecutive Pride Day event. But that’s not how the Sounders operate. It’s not how Evans operates. “I don’t want to look back, in three or four years when I’m done, and look back and say, ‘Man, you know, I had this opportunity to make an impact. Why didn’t I do it?” To the benefit and delight of many in the LGBTQ community, Evans and the entire Sounders organization are making much of the opportunities they’re offered. And it’s strengthening their bond with the community.
BY ALEX CAULFIELD 26
It’s a crisp spring day on the campus of Starfire Sports Complex in Tukwila, with the sun bursting through somber Puget Sound skies for what feels like the first time in months. The transitional nature of the weather is fitting as Sounders FC Assistant Coach Djimi Traore sits down for a conversation about one of the most tempestuous matches in the history of professional club soccer. For a man with more than 250 professional appearances for the likes of European giants Liverpool and Marseille, in addition to his two seasons in Rave Green, one specific match stands out above all others. “What I realized after the game – and even today – is how important this match was. People still ask me about that game. It’s crazy for me. There are so many games you play in your life, in your career, and people still remember what I did that day,” said Traore. The match in question is the 2005 UEFA Champions League Final. The most prestigious and lucrative continental club football championship in the world, the Champions League pits the top professional sides in European football against one other in a no-holds-barred knockout competition. The 2005 Final took place in Istanbul between traditional powers AC Milan of Italy and English side Liverpool, and as Traore reflects on the contest ahead of this year’s Champions League Final, he’s still struck by the events that unfolded 12 years ago. “Even if a movie was made about this match, no one would be able to watch it and take it seriously. They would say, ‘No that’s too much. It’s not possible.’ But we did it,” remarked the former Liverpool defender. The match itself is famous for perhaps the most miraculous comeback in soccer history. After conceding three first-half goals to perennial Champions League contender AC Milan – seven-time winner of Europe’s elite continental championship – hope was extinguished for Liverpool and its throngs of LEFT: Traore hoists the UEFA Champions
League trophy on the pitch at the Atatürk Olympic Stadium in Istanbul, Turkey.
traveling supporters from northwest England by the first half whistle. Once a storied side that had survived the crucible of the European Cup on four title-winning occasions between 1977 and 1984, the achievements of legendary players like Kenny Dalglish, Graeme Souness and Ian Rush seemed like a distant memory. Though no English side has won more European Cups than Liverpool, a fifth title in 2005 seemed all but impossible following the first 45 minutes of play at the Atatürk Stadium that night in Istanbul.
“WHAT I REALIZED AFTER THE GAME – AND EVEN TODAY – IS HOW IMPORTANT THIS MATCH WAS. PEOPLE STILL ASK ME ABOUT THAT GAME. IT’S CRAZY FOR ME. THERE ARE SO MANY GAMES YOU PLAY IN YOUR LIFE, AND PEOPLE STILL REMEMBER WHAT I DID THAT DAY.” DJIMI TRAORE ON PLAYING IN THE 2005 UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE FINAL
Traore continues, “There’s the pressure before the game, the start of that match, and then suddenly you’re down 3-0 by halftime. My wife was in the stands that day. She was crying, because she thought the match was over.” Milan’s side that season was a virtual all-star team, led by all-time greats like captain Paolo Maldini, a virtuoso midfield anchored by Holland’s Clarence Seedorf and Italian maestro Andrea Pirlo, in addition to a forward line comprised of lethal Argentine striker Hernán Crespo, Ukrainian standout Andriy Shevchenko and eventual FIFA World Player of the Year Kaká. Even Milan’s more understated players carried weight, with hardmen like Gennaro Gattuso and Jaap Stam packing a punch that Osvaldo Alonso would admire. From the outset, it was a slaughter. Maldini grabbed the match by the horns, recording the first goal in the opening minute of play. Liverpool was forced to weather attack after attack from Milan until Crespo finally broke the match wide open by bagging
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a brace late in the first half. The former Chelsea forward’s goals came in the 39th and 44th minutes, respectively, leaving Liverpool gasping for air and searching for answers at the intermission. Sounders FC television play-by-play voice Keith Costigan has covered Liverpool for FOX Sports extensively throughout his career, and as a proud supporter of the club since childhood, his memory of the occasion remains sharp. Said Costigan, “The game had everything. You had a superstar AC Milan team who were conquering and 3-0 up at halftime, led by Crespo, Shevchenko and Kaká. And then you had a Liverpool team that was essentially pieced together. You had Steven Gerrard, a young up-and-coming midfielder, and then you had young players like Djimi. It didn’t seem possible, but that unlikely group of players put together the greatest comeback you’re ever going to see in a Champions League match.”
“THERE WAS A TACTICAL SHIFT NEEDED IN THE SECOND HALF... FORCING DJIMI TO DEFEND A REALLY OPEN GAME. YOU HAD TO BE A CERTAIN KIND OF DEFENDER WITH PACE THAT COULD DEFEND IN OPEN SPACE AGAINST MILAN.” KEITH COSTIGAN ON TRAORE’S SECOND HALF PERFORMANCE
The counterpunch that Liverpool mustered in the opening portion of the second half is still a sequence of events that defies logic. “It happened so fast,” said Traore. “One thing I learned in England is that you never give up until the referee blows the whistle. That was the mentality of our group. We had been together for many years, and we had been in bad situations and had come back before. And then in six minutes you score three goals. But when the third goal happened, that is when the game changed for us. Because there was still a lot of time still to play!”
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Gerrard was becoming one of the world’s top midfielders in 2005, but the Merseyside native and future England captain cemented his legacy throughout this installment of the Champions League tournament. His first goal in the 54th minute planted a seed of belief into his club, and when veteran Czech midfielder Vladimir Šmicer bagged the second tally two minutes later, Liverpool’s fans erupted. Riding this tidal wave of momentum, redemption was near after Gerrard won a penalty and Xavi Alonso stepped-up to take it in the 60th minute. Even the spot-kick itself was improbable, with the Spaniard converting his own rebound after Milan’s Brazilian goalkeeper Dida made the initial save. Costigan cites Traore’s toughness and versatility throughout the contest, particularly with so much time remaining in the second half to defend against Milan’s potent attack. “The game really encapsulated Djimi, because there was a tactical shift needed in the second half. With Liverpool down so heavily, [manager] Rafa Benitez had told Djimi he was going to come off for another midfielder. But [defender] Steve Finnan was injured, forcing Djimi to defend a really open game in that second half. You had to be a certain kind of defender with pace that could defend in open space against Milan, and with Liverpool living on the edge, Djimi played a big part in one of the best defensive displays to weather the rest of that game.” For his part, Traore played the entire contest through booth periods of extra time, even making a goal-line clearance to keep his side level. And when Liverpool ran the penalty shootout gauntlet, it was euphoria for Traore, his teammates and Liverpool supporters across the globe. “The best moment was celebrating with my teammates … with that group of players we have a connection for life now. When we got back to Liverpool, you realized what a crazy thing we did. I’ve never seen so many people all together in my life.” Traore’s distinguished professional career reached its crescendo in Seattle, with the Frenchman plying his trade in the Emerald City from 2013 through 2014, culminating
ABOVE: The Liverpool squad celebrates their famous victory in Istanbul. LEFT: Traore poses with the
UEFA Champions League trophy in the locker room after the game.
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in the 2014 Supporters’ Shield and Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup titles. Yet beyond those trophies, it’s Traore’s continued cultural impact on the club that holds the most meaning from him personally and the people he influences.
ABOVE: Traore heads the ball clear in a match versus Columbus Crew SC during his Sounders playing days.
Former Sounder and current Newcastle United defender DeAndre Yedlin underscores this notion, speaking about Traore following Newcastle’s recent promotion to the English Premier League.
a father figure…he’s been huge for me. My ex-girlfriend and I would babysit for his kids, and he would have us over for dinner. I was 20 at the time and he was inviting me over for dinner and taking me out to places. It just showed how much he cared and obviously I appreciate that. He made me feel much more comfortable.”
“I think the first day I met Djimi he introduced himself and I knew who he was, obviously, but I didn’t know how much of a mentor he would become for me,” said Yedlin. “He’s almost like
Traore remains close with Yedlin, and the mentorship aspect of his current position is something he’s retained from his days as a veteran player.
“HE’S ALMOST LIKE A FATHER FIGURE... HE’S BEEN HUGE FOR ME. IT SHOWED HOW MUCH HE CARED AND OBVIOUSLY I APPRECIATE THAT. HE MADE ME FEEL MUCH MORE COMFORTABLE.”
“When I was young, I always went to the veteran guys to learn on and off the field, especially off the field. Guys I respected gave me good advice, and you always learned from it. When I arrived in Seattle, we had players like DeAndre, and we became friends. And even though there was a big age difference, he always approached me and asked me questions, and I tried to help him and give him the same advice I received. I wanted to pass that experience onto someone, and that’s the same reason I chose my path in coaching.”
DEANDRE YEDLIN ON BEING MENTORED BY TRAORE
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“THE FIRST DAY DJIMI STEPPED ON THE FIELD, YOU COULD TELL RIGHT AWAY HIS CHARACTER AND HIS INTENTIONS ON HELPING THE TEAM WIN. IT WAS CLEARLY EVIDENT. WE FEEL, I FEEL, THAT THE CLUB IS A RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE FANS AND THE PLAYERS. THAT’S THE CLUB. DJIMI UNDERSTANDS THAT BECAUSE HE PLAYED FOR THE CLUB AND GETS THAT AND HE FELT THAT. HE’S PLAYED IN SOME BIG GAMES FOR OUR TEAM AND ACROSS HIS OVERALL CAREER. HIS [EXPERIENCE] HELPS PERPETUATE THIS IDEA OF A CLUB, A TRUE CLUB.” HEAD COACH BRIAN SCHMETZER ON TRAORE AND HIS INFLUENCE ON SEATTLE SOUNDERS FC
Sounders FC Head Coach Brian Schmezter recalls the first day Traore arrived in Seattle, and how his obvious leadership continues to be an asset for the club. Said Schmetzer, “The first day Djimi stepped on the field, you could tell right away his character and his intentions on helping the team win. It was clearly evident. We feel, I feel, that the club is a relationship between the fans and the players. That’s the club. Djimi understands that because he played for the club and gets that and he felt that. He’s played in some big games for our team and across his overall career. His [experience] helps perpetuate this idea of a club, a true club. These are moments that continue to be created through good people like Djimi.” Traore has embraced Seattle and received a reciprocal display of warmth from the community as both a player and a coach. His relationship with the city and feelings of affection toward it are a central part of why Traore and his wife Malena, along with their nine-year-old son Noah and four-year-old daughter Malia, have put down permanent roots here. When he looks back at the totality of his playing days, there’s a smile on the Frenchman’s face when recounting his good fortune and experience. “One thing I feel very lucky about from my career is that I experienced playing for three top clubs in three different leagues. I
learned a lot playing for the most popular team in France, Marseille. It’s a big club. With Liverpool, it’s also a big club in England. Everybody knows it. And with the Seattle Sounders, it’s the same. For me, I was lucky to experience three different cultures at three big clubs. I’m lucky to have enjoyed those experiences, they helped my character as a player.” Especially that one night in Istanbul. After returning from a recent trip to Liverpool on behalf of FOX Sports, Costigan noted that Traore has made more than a few permanent marks on his former home. Upon seeing Liverpool’s famed Spion Kop – one of the world’s largest supporters’ sections that is steeped in tradition – Costigan noted the following: “There’s a big mural on the side of the Kop right now, and it’s of the 2005 players running as they win the penalty shootout and realize they’re going to lift the Champions League trophy. Djimi is right there in the mix. He’ll always be remembered for the part he played in the greatest night of Liverpool’s history.”
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The Diligent Jordy Delem by Ryan Krasnoo
Last year, Jordy Delem almost quit soccer. The Seattle Sounders 24-year-old defender, who has started five matches this season and admirably filled in on a banged-up Sounders FC back line, nearly walked away from the sport in 2016. Delem signed his first professional contract in 2015 with AC Aries-Avignon B in southern France, roughly 60 miles northwest of Marseille. AC Aries-Avignon competed in the Championnat de France Amateur, the fourth Division of French football, but following the ’15 campaign, the club president left and the team folded. Distraught and disappointed, Delem returned home to Martinique unsure of his future. “My mother told me, ‘No, Jordy, you must continue, continue,’” Delem said. Delem grew up awed by French legend Zinedine Zidane and his club, Real Madrid, where Zidane spent the final five years of his illustrious career. Delem’s favorite team is still RC Lens, a small Ligue 2 side in northern France. His uncle played for Lens, and it was where Delem saw his first professional match. There are no professional clubs in Martinique. Players compete on amateur teams and hold regular day jobs, playing soccer on the side. Nestled south of Dominica and north of St. Lucia, the Windward island is tiny; it’s six times the size of Washington, D.C., geographically, but has roughly two-thirds the population of the city of Seattle. An overseas region of France that primarily speaks Antillean Creole, half the island is covered in mountains and the culture is a mixture of French and West Indies. The list of recognizable Martiniquais footballers is not a long one. While some current players ply their trade in France and other small European leagues, half of the current national team still competes with amateur clubs on the island. When Delem was 20 years old with Club Franciscain in Le François, a town on Martinique’s eastern coast, his team qualified for the Cup of France and earned the right to play against Ligue 1 side FC Nantes. It was the first professional club against which he
had ever played. Club Franciscain lost, but no one on Delem’s team cared about the result. It was the first time a team from Martinique had played a match against a top French side. “Martinique is a small island,” said Delem, who has 32 international appearances with the Martinique National Team. “When someone does something like [play overseas], it’s amazing. Your friends, your family, everyone follows you. Everyone knows and everyone is happy for you. They follow you every time and ask you so many questions. You are like a star in your country. You must keep your calm, stay focused.” After following his mother’s wishes to keep playing, Delem went to a local Major League Soccer Caribbean combine where scouts from the league evaluated talent. It was a yearly event put on by the Caribbean Football Union, a week-long session consisting of training exercises and games. He was one of the four best players in his age group and caught the eye of S2 Head Coach Ezra Hendrickson. Playing his preferred position of center back at the combine, Delem won the majority of his duels and was technically sound passing and building from the back. “His tactical ability was very keen for me,” Hendrickson said. “It was a no-brainer for me to try and get him here.” Delem is almost aggressively nice. It’s noticeable the moment one greets him. Rarely not smiling, he goes out of his way to be respectful and kind, traits Hendrickson is not only accustomed to, but for which he searches. “[Delem] is 100 percent Caribbean,” Hendrickson said. “He is very laid-back, very soft-spoken, he’s not a flashy guy. He’s a guy who wants to come in, do his work and work hard…You need those.” Despite Hendrickson’s predilection toward Delem, his move to Seattle nearly didn’t happen. One of the Martinique players who was supposed to continue his trial in the United States had a problem with his passport and couldn’t go. Hendrickson called Delem and told him he wanted him to join S2. Delem wasn’t sure at first; he had still not yet decided if he wanted to continue playing. His cousin, Kévin Paresemain, was a former
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Sounders player from 2014-15 and persuaded Delem to go. Parsemain told him he would love the city and the fans, and it helped ease Delem’s mind. “I went because I had nothing to lose,” Delem recalled. “So I came, and now I’m in America.” He smiled. “It was a bad team in France, but now I’m on a very good team.” Delem’s transition from dissolved fourthdivision French club to reigning MLS champion Seattle Sounders has been nothing short of fascinating. Delem is incredibly versatile. Hendrickson recruited him as a center back, but for Martinique, he has lined up as a ball-winning defensive midfielder and a playmaking attacking midfielder. In his debut with Sounders FC on March 31 vs. Atlanta United, he started at right fullback, a position in which he had never extensively played before, and went 80 minutes. He helped lead Seattle to its first clean sheet of the season. “[Versatility] is one of my good qualities,” Delem said. “I think [Head Coach Brian Schmetzer] likes this, too. Right back is not really my first position, but I am working to be better everywhere I play on the field. It’s just good to play on the First Team.” Added Schmetzer: “Remember, he’s been put in not the most ideal situation because right back really isn’t his first position. It was difficult for him at first. He’s learned the right back position a little more. He’s gaining the confidence from the team by playing a little bit more with them.” Delem’s development at S2 was crucial, as much off the field as on it. Playing with the second team allowed him time to adjust to an entirely new environment in a new country. He had taken English in school in Martinique, but he took more intensive English classes when he arrived in Seattle. There were several Caribbean players on S2 last season, as well as some Cameroonians, which allowed Delem to speak his native French. By not being immediately thrown to the rigors and pressures of the First Team, Delem settled in and excelled, prompting Hendrickson to recommend him to a First
Team promotion to Schmetzer and General Manager & President of Soccer Garth Lagerwey. “When you’re an amateur and you go to be a professional, I grew up quickly because of football,” said Delem. “S2 was a good thing for me. When I came back home with the national team, they told me it was good progression.” Added Hendrickson: “That’s what S2 is all about. You see the potential. They have a high ceiling. We’re not always going to get it right, but for the most part, we want to get 9 out of 10, 8 out of 10 right. He’s one of those guys we thought, ‘Let’s bring him in, give him a year or so with S2, get him some games.’” Delem has jelled with the First Team this season, too. He can speak French with Cameroonian and fellow 2017 S2-to-FirstTeam signing Nouhou, as well as assistant coach Djimi Traore. Delem can even translate English for Nouhou. Delem has also bonded with Trinidadian Joevin Jones and Jamaican Oniel Fisher, each of whom plays against Delem regularly internationally. They welcomed him and made him feel closer to the team. Delem loves living in Seattle and playing for the Sounders and admires the way Osvaldo Alonso has spent his entire MLS tenure in the organization, competing at such a high level for so long. When Delem’s career eventually does end, he’s already prepared to tackle a different field. He has a college degree in finance from a university in Martinique and would be more than content to return there or to France and work for a bank. For now, though, Delem is happy to represent his country, his teammates and the city of Seattle and see where his young, budding career can take him. “He’s a fighter, he’s a hard worker,” Hendrickson said of Delem. “Guys like that, when you have some talent, and then you put in that kind of effort, you’re always going to succeed. I expect great things for him in the years to come.”
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DR. STEPHEN NEWBY: IT’S NOT GOODBYE, IT’S SEE YOU LATER. Over nine seasons, no one person has sung the national anthem at Sounders FC matches more than Dr. Stephen Newby. The long-time resident of Seattle has sung the anthem well over 100 times, includuing at the club’s inaugural match in 2009. And anyone who has seen Dr. Newby perform – leading 40,000+ supporters in full voice moments before kickoff – can immediately see the pride he feels in representing his club and country. “We are a community doing this together,” says Dr. Newby of leading the national anthem. “This is the hymn of our nation. I want to represent our nation well, I want to represent our community well.” This month, Dr. Newby will perform the national anthem at CenturyLink Field for the final time as the club’s primary anthem singer. The Seattle Pacific University professor wants to spend more time with his family, but it’s important to note that this is not a goodbye, it’s a “see you later.” “It’s not that I’m stepping away for good,” Dr. Newby says. “I’m going to come back. It’s just going to be on a less frequent basis. I want to spend time with my son and my wife. This will be my son’s last year in high school and he runs track and I need to be a little more present. My son’s calendar is my calendar.” Hailing from Detroit, Michigan, Dr. Newby received his doctorate in Music Composition from the University of Michigan in 1994. He currently teaches composition classes, worship and the theology of music at SPU where he has been since 2004. Despite his extensive experience singing the national anthem at CenturyLink Field one thing has not changed: He still gets the prematch jitters.
“I don’t take it lightly,” he says. “It’s almost as if – and it’s not militaristic – it’s an important discipline to be able to lead this group in the anthem and I don’t take it lightly. After I pray and after I breathe, it goes away.” Working with Sounders FC has introduced Dr. Newby to people from all walks of life and professions and helped him understand the diligence required to put on a matchday experience that the club takes so much pride in. “I’ve gotten to know so many people behindthe-scenes from elevator workers to chefs, cooks, waiters and waitresses, security people, ball boys and sound engineers. It takes a big family community to put this thing on every time we gather together.”
Maybe one day I can return at a higher frequency but where I am in my life I really want to be able to spend more time with my family. While the club, fans and everyone who knows Dr. Newby will be sad to see him move on from his regular matchday duties, his optimism and compassion have undoubtedly left a meaningful mark on those who have been around him over the last nine seasons. “Maybe one day I can return at a higher frequency but where I am in my life I really want to be able to spend more time with my family and follow my son around with his track career.” For his many contributions to the club, Dr. Newby has been selected to receive the club’s Golden Scarf, an honor given to those who have made a significant impact on Seattle and the local soccer community. As Sounders FC fans can attest, his impact on matchday has been indelible. While we may not see – or hear – him as often, when he does return to CenturyLink Field fans will know they’re in for a moving, heartfelt performance.
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