April 16 Matchday Program - Sounders FC vs. Philadelphia Union by Seattle Sounders FC

DEFENDER TYRONE MEARS

Seattle Sounders FC vs. Philadelphia Union April 16, 2016 路 CenturyLink Field

3 Matchup 4 Sounders FC Central 6 Heroic Goal Gives Rave Green Much-Needed Momentum 10 Storylines 12 Team Rosters 15 Posters by the People

17 Men in Kilts 20 Throwback: 2014 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open cup Final 23 The Super Subs 25 3 Clutch Goals 29 2016 Season Stats 30 The Ninety

Seattle Sounders FC Editorial Offices 159 South Jackson, Suite 200 Seattle, WA 98104 (206) 512-1200 Editorial · Sounders FC Communications Advertising · JT Newton Program Design · Janet Jensen, Jensen Graphics Photography · Corky Trewin, USA TODAY Sports Images, Rod Mar, Jane Gershovich, Josh Weisberg, Stanton J. Stephens and Dan Poss

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Sounders FC (1-3-1, 4 points) returns to the Xbox Pitch at CenturyLink Field to take on the Philadelphia Union (3-2-0, 9 points) on Saturday evening. Last Sunday, the Rave Green escaped Houston’s BBVA Compass Stadium with a point after scoring the equalizer four minutes into second-half stoppage time. Defender Chad Marshall recorded the score from close range

after forward Oalex Anderson sent a dangerous ball into Houston’s area in the match’s final seconds. Last week, the Union defeated Orlando City 2-1 to surge to a tie for first in the Eastern Conference. The week prior, Philadelphia fell 1-0 at Chicago after winning 2-1 at Columbus and 3-0 versus New England.

DID YOU KNOW??? After scoring the equalizing goal against the Dynamo on Sunday, Marshall now has three career goals across all competitions since joining Seattle prior to the 2014 season - all in the 84th minute or later - including a stoppage-time strike in the second leg of the Western Conference Semifinals against FC Dallas last season. MATCHDAY · 3

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Heroic Goal Gives Rave Green Much-Needed Momentum by Will Parchman Chad Marshall singlehandedly changed the tenor of discourse around the Sounders’ locker room this week. Marshall enjoyed a fine defensive match last weekend in Houston, sweeping away a number of attacks and otherwise blunting the Dynamo’s quick-strike counter-based offense. But it was the Oalex Anderson cross he turned in on the game’s last kick to salvage a draw that elevated his afternoon to cult status.

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Had Marshall not cleaned up the refuse of Anderson’s low-slung cross, Seattle would’ve been looking at losses in four of its first five MLS games to start the year. But soccer has a funny way of upending the seemingly predictable. And now, entering a match this weekend against the Philadelphia Union that has suddenly ballooned in importance, Seattle has another point in its rearview instead of a cratering loss.

Ask Sounders coach Sigi Schmid about the relevance of Seattle’s start in the broader scheme of things and he’ll give you an answer heavily seasoned by his prodigious experience in MLS. It’s April, Schmid is quick to note. Overanalyzing MLS results in April is tantamount to judging a play entirely based on its first act. The picture isn’t yet clear, and anyway the thing was written to be seen from beginning to end. So it goes in Sounderland as the inexplicably hot Union ride into town. Since joining MLS in 2010 the Union have struggled to carve out a niche in the league, and it’s been four straight seasons now of postseason-less soccer in the City of Brotherly Love. In that sense things are different yet the same this season. On one hand, Philly’s skated through its first five games with the same star-less cadre of players, relying on a rotation and steady if unremarkable teamoriented play to make its mark. And yet the Union have done it as well as they have at any point in their history over the past month-plus. They currently sit atop the Eastern Conference, tied with the Montreal Impact with nine points from five matches. The Sounders, meanwhile, are at the bottom of the West, with four points from their first five. Not the traditional positioning, here. The Union may not have an international name brand superstar upon which to rely, but they might have the most in-form American striker on their roster right now. C.J. Sapong might just be playing his way into U.S. Men’s National Team contention. Sapong struggled through an injuryshortened 2015 and still managed to score nine goals for the Union. Philly

locked him up with a long-term deal in the offseason, and Sapong rewarded his employers by scoring three goals in his first five games of 2016. It’s worth noting that his confidence has to be soaring; before the season started, Sapong publicly set his sights on a 20-goal season. Based on his current form, he’s on target to get there. Sapong hasn’t been called into the USMNT since 2012, and he’s only had two caps, but there are few - if any - American forwards doing more good things at present. It’s a good thing Brad Evans recently returned to the lineup, because the back line will see Giles Barnes v. 2.0 this weekend in Sapong. Lots of stabbing runs into the box. It’s worth noting Seattle lost Barnes last weekend, allowing the Jamaican to score a looping strike that took the Sounders nearly the entire match to equalize. One more dangerous cog Seattle needs to track this week is Ilsinho. The dangerous Brazilian midfielder has been a terror

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for Philly this season, and the creative force of nature missed the Orlando City match last weekend with a hamstring strain. Earlier this week, Union coach Jim Curtin said Ilsinho will “at least be in the discussion for Seattle,” which is enough to keep him on the scouting chart. He can be that difficult to track defensively. As for the Sounders, much of the talk out of training has been a simple focus on what it can do well. Of late, that has not been generating goals from the run of play. The good news? Seattle got one of those last weekend off Marshall’s last gasp equalizer. Sometimes all it takes to start an avalanche is a single snowflake, and in this case it was touched off by the incendiary Anderson. And the biggest building roster question this week is whether the Caribbean wide player has done enough to earn a starting spot this weekend.

So far this season the Sounders have been decidedly narrow. There’s an argument to be made that Anderson is the only true winger on the entire roster. Jordan Morris, Clint Dempsey, Darwin Jones, Andreas Ivanschitz, Herculez Gomez and Aaron Kovar have all had turns out wide in the 4-3-3 this season, while Michael Farfan, Cristian Roldan and Victor Mansaray have all filled in at wide positions in the past. And yet arguably none of those players are either most comfortable in a wide position or capable of filling a long term starting role there. Whether Schmid opts to stick with the 4-3-3 or roll back the clock and turn to the 4-4-2 he’s run for the majority of his coaching career, he’ll run into the same issue; he’s lacking width. Anderson could help fix that problem. The question is whether he’s ready. To date, Anderson’s largely filled in as a raging spark off the bench, and his run to the end line that produced Seattle’s goal against Houston was one of the team’s few truly dangerous moments over the entire 90 minutes. If Schmid wants to roll with the hot hand and perhaps rest a higher profile name, he has that option this weekend. As the Sounders’ scouting arms fanned out into world this week to seek out reinforcements, Schmid will no doubt want more out of an attack that’s produced the third-fewest shots on target in the league this year. In their first five games, the Sounders are averaging just shy of four shots on goal per game. Meanwhile, only one team has fewer than Seattle’s four goals, and perhaps more worryingly, the team only has one collective assist so far this season. If Marshall’s goal does indeed spark something in Seattle’s attack, now would be a good time for it to start bearing more fruit.

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MATCHDAY STORYLINES Radio Play-by-Play Commentator Matt Johnson tells you his three storylines to follow in tonight’s match vs. Philadelphia Union Use the late tying goal as a positive push of momentum Last week the Sounders got away with a tough first half at BBVA Compass Stadium. The Dynamo could have been up more than the 1-0 they were up, but that was the deficit that Head Coach Sigi Schmid needed to adapt to at halftime. In the postgame press conference, he told me that the adjustment was to put holding midfielders Alex and Ricardo Clark under more pressure and not allow them much space at all. With this move in place, the Sounders bossed the game and easily won the possession battle with the Dynamo. On top of this, to my eye, the Sounders kept pressing and running while Houston seemed to start falling flat in the 65th – 70th minutes of match. I really believe that if Oalex Anderson can toe-poke home his chance in the 80th minute the

Sounders go on to win the match. But Anderson came up again in the 94th minutes getting around Miranda, forcing GK Joe Willis into a save that bounced perfectly to Marshall for him to slot home. All week the players have said that this can jumpstart things for the squad and the positive result will lead to great things. Now what will the Sounders do with this tie that felt like a win? We’ll find out on Saturday.

A nice run of games at Century Link Field An MLS season is really a week-to-week endeavor but the Sounders have a nice little run with very little travel in the next 6 weeks. Seattle plays three of their next four at home. Their lone road trip is a short one out to Colorado. After the trip to face the Rapids, the squad comes home to face Columbus then San Jose before heading to Dallas and coming home to again face Colorado. This takes the Sounders to the end of May. No mid-week games and the majority at home is a perfect time for the Sounders to move up the table in the West and that’s what I expect them to do.

Herculez Gomez and Oalex Anderson With every season, the depth of a team sorts itself out as things move deeper into the schedule. What we are find-

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ing out is that Coach Schmid is adding and trusting Oalex Anderson and Herculez Gomez for much needed offense off the bench. Last week in Houston both made a significant difference when they were introduced into the match. The veteran Gomez entered the match in the 79th minute and immediately started running at defenders. He was close to finding Dempsey on one occasion and with the defenders forced on their back foot this allowed space to open up on the top of the box. The 20-year-old Anderson played the most minutes he’s ever played (27) and started to attack Houston’s Jalil Anibaba right away. As mentioned before, he broke through in the 80th with a chance and provided the goal tying cross deep into stoppage time. With the Sounders offense still in need of a break out game look for Sigi to rely on these two more and more as we move into May.

Make URBANE part of your game day ritual. Featuring sustainable and farm-to-table fresh ingredients found locally in the Pacific Northwest, Urbane is the perfect location for pre and post match gatherings. Offering easy access to the Link Light Rail, join us for our daily happy hour specials. Urbane is located in Hyatt at Olive 8, the official hotel of Seattle Sounders FC and the only dual LEED and Green Seal certified hotel in town. Happy Hour 4p â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 6:30p (daily) 1639 8th Ave (at Olive) 206.676.4600 urbaneseattle.com

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No. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 20 22 23 24 25 29 31 33 39 80 91 99

Name Tyler Miller Clint Dempsey Brad Evans Tyrone Mears Jimmy Ockford Osvaldo Alonso Cristian Roldan Erik Friberg Herculez Gomez Aaron Kovar Michael Farfan Jordan Morris Chad Marshall Dylan Remick Nelson Valdez Darwin Jones Nathan Sturgis Zach Scott Charlie Lyon Andreas Ivanschitz Stefan Frei Tony Alfaro Rom谩n Torres Damion Lowe Joevin Jones Oalex Anderson Victor Mansaray Oniel Fisher Andy Craven

Pos. Height Weight Age GK 6-4 195 23 F 6-1 170 33 M/D 6-1 170 30 D 5-11 163 33 D 6-1 185 23 M 5-11 155 30 M 5-8 165 20 M 5-11 154 30 F 5-10 160 34 M 5-10 155 22 M 5-19 160 27 F 6-0 185 21 D 6-4 190 31 D 6-0 165 24 F 5-10 160 32 F 5-10 175 24 M 5-10 160 28 D 5-11 175 34 GK 6-2 215 24 M 6-0 180 32 GK 6-3 195 29 D 6-2 190 22 D 6-2 195 30 D 6-3 175 21 D 5-11 160 24 F 5-8 155 20 F 5-11 180 19 M/D 5-9 155 24 F 5-11 167 24

No. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 12 13 14 15 16 17 19 20 23 24 25 27 28 33

Name Andre Blake Warren Creavalle Taylor Washington Ken Tribbett Vincent Nogueira Roland Alberg Brian Carroll Maurice Edu Sebastien Le Toux Tranquillo Barnetta Keegan Rosenberry Chris Pontius Eric Ayuk Joshua Yaro Richie Marquez C.J. Sapong Cole Missimo Walter Restrepo Anderson Matt Jones Ilsinho John McCarthy Raymond Gaddis Fabinho Leo Fernandes Michael Lahoud

Pos. Height Weight Age GK 6-1 170 25 M/D 5-9 168 25 D 5-10 170 22 D 6-2 170 24 M 5-7 140 28 M 5-11 160 25 M 5-10 153 34 M 5-11 187 29 F 6-0 155 32 M 5-10 164 30 D 5-8 163 22 M/F 6-0 179 28 M 5-6 167 19 D 5-11 163 21 D 6-2 185 23 F 6-1 185 27 M 5-10 160 23 M 5-8 170 27 D 6-1 159 26 GK 6-3 180 29 M 5-10 189 30 GK 6-3 192 23 D 5-7 148 26 D 5-7 169 31 M 6-1 179 24 M 5-8 162 29

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Presented by:

ARTIST: LISA JEAN WORDEN Lisa Jean Worden is currently a graphic designer in Bellevue, WA and is a fellow super commuter (from Tacoma). When she is not making pretty things, Lisa is trying to get on a soccer field as much as humanly possible. Creating this poster has been one of her favorite projects because she got to combine three of her most beloved things; art, soccer and the beautiful city of Seattle. See more of Lisa’s work at http://www.lisajworden.com.

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LET THE

MARCH BEGIN. THE STARTING XI IS READY. Delta is proud to kick off the season as the presenting partner of the Starting XI. Hereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s to another raving season.

SCARVES UP!

It’s that time of year! Men in Kilts is back for 2016. This time, Director of Community Outreach Roger Levesque has teamed up with captain Brad Evans and midfielder Erik Friberg this year to represent the Sounders. “The Men in Kilts campaign gives us a great opportunity to engage on a lot of different levels,” said Levesque. “On the community level, we’re huge supporters of Ronald McDonald House and the great work they do for families here in Seattle. This gives us a chance to have a conversation with supporters, encourage them to vote for the King of the Kilt and ask them to vote. Each vote equals a donation and that’s a fun way to engage fans.” In the past, Levesque and Sounders captain Brad Evans have been featured in the campaign. This year, Erik Friberg joined the duo to help raise money for the worthy cause.

“We spent a lot of time visiting with patients and children during our 30 for 30 for Childhood Cancer Awareness Month,” said Levesque. “This is another way for us to continue connecting with them in a different way and support them at this time of year.” Each vote is $10, with three votes sponsoring a night of housing for a family at Ronald McDonald House. Click here to cast your vote and don’t forget to return often; voting runs through April 22.

VOTE NOW

Proceeds benefiting

FULL SOUNDERS FC MEN IN KILTS PHOTO GALLERY

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THROWBACK: 2014 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Final – September 16, 2014

While every match between MLS sides is important, the biggest contest between the two sides came in September 2014. The stakes? The Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup trophy – and an opportunity for the Sounders to win its unprecedented fourth tournament title in six years. Star forwards Clint Dempsey and Obafemi Martins scored in extra time as the Sounders captured the title against the Union at PPL Park. The win gave the Rave Green its fourth Open Cup title (2009, 2010, 2011), tying the Chicago Fire for the most among MLS teams.

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The Union got on the board first in the 38th minute when Cristian Maidana’s free kick found Maurice Edu in the box for a header past Stefan Frei. Sounders FC equalized just after the half when Chad Barrett knocked in a rebound attempt for his second goal of the tournament. Vincent Nogueira nearly gave Philadelphia the winner in the 90th minute when he collected a ball over the top in the box and smashed a shot off the post, keeping the game at 1-1 and forcing extra time.

Seattle’s stars took center stage in extra time, with the first goal coming in the 101st minute when Martins slid a pass into the box for Dempsey, who slotted a shot past Zac MacMath to break the tie. In the 114th minute, Martins put Seattle up 3-1 when he chipped the onrushing MacMath after getting behind the defense. Sounders FC then celebrated its fourth trophy on the field in Chester, PA in front of a strong traveling contingent of Rave Green faithful.

WATCH 2014 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Final Highlights

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The Super Subs wing. For the final 10 minutes of the contest, the 2014 World Cup veteran delivered a steady stream of crosses into the Dynamo area. Although the attempts didn’t result in a goal as the clock seeped into stoppage time, the threat from each wing was tangible.

HERCULEZ GOMEZ

One is a 20-year-old speedster from St. Vincent and the Grenadines in his first MLS season. The other is a grizzled 34-year-old veteran from Las Vegas, who has appeared in the top domestic leagues of North America since 2002. Together, they became a unique supersub tandem who helped Sounders FC escape Houston with a point last Sunday.

At the turn of the 94th minute, Gomez sent his final cross into Houston’s area. Clint Dempsey went up for the aerial duel, but the ball bounced out to the left wing. Anderson coolly collected the ball and swiftly turned toward the net. Off a heavy dribble, Anderson’s low cross was deflected by goalkeeper Joe Willis to the feet of defender Chad Marshall, who conveniently struck the equalizer in the match’s final seconds.

OALEX ANDERSON

Oalex Anderson made his fourth MLS appearance in a reserve role when he came onto the pitch in the 62nd minute. Immediately, the St. Vincent and the Grenadines international made his presence known. His fresh legs and explosive spurts of energy exploited the Dynamos’ jaded backline, which led to dangerous chances along the left flank. Gomez, meanwhile, made his club debut in the 79th minute on the right

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3 CLUTCH GOALS

First, Chad Marshall earned his third MLS Defender of the Year award – the first to do so in the league’s 20-year history. Then on Sunday, Marshall earned his third goal for Sounders FC – giving the Rave Green a hard-earned point in the match’s waning moments. Whether it’s a season-long effort of successful challenges or a last-gasped goal on the road, Marshall’s success boils down to his knack for being at the right place at the right time. “Obviously it’s a tough place to play, “Marshall said after the game. “They had a number of players behind the ball, so it was tough to break them down – I was just glad I could go out

there, throw the body around and get lucky enough to score one.” The 31-year-old defender may claim that luck was a factor, but his impeccable positioning resulted in the equalizing score. On the goal, substitute Oalex Anderson sent in a low cross that got by Dynamo goalkeeper Joe Willis and fell to the feet of Marshall, who tapped into the net to secure the draw. Seconds later, the final whistle blew. The situation in Sunday’s contest was strikingly similar to the final competition of the Sounders’ 2015 season. In the 90th minute of play of the Western Conference Semifinals second leg, Chad Marshall rose to meet a Marco

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Pappa corner-kick, leveling the match at one-apiece. Marshall’s goal was the latest strike in Sounders FC postseason history. Marshall’s first goal for the Rave Green traces back to May 3, 2014 against Philadelphia at CenturyLink Field. With the match tied at 1-1 in the 84th minute, Marshall rose above the defense on a corner-kick service from Marco Pappa. All three of Marshall’s goals for the Sounders have been in crucial situations in the 84th minute or later. A game-winner in the 84th minute. A 90th minute equalizer in the postseason. A game-tying score in the final seconds. Three clutch goals from the three-time MLS Defender of the Year.

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2016 MLS REGULAR SEASON STATS UNF POS Player

GS MIN

3 M Andreas Ivanschitz 5

A SHT SOG FC/FS OFF CK

C/E

5 448 1 1 7 4 2/9 2 33 2/0

6 M Osvaldo Alonso

5 450 1 0 7 2 6/9 0 0 0/0

2 F Clint Dempsey

5 450 1 0 21 6 8/10 2 0 1/0

14 D Chad Marshall

5 450 1 0 4 3 4/4 0 0 1/0

7 M Cristian Roldan

4 432 0 0 2 0 2/7 1 0 0/0

24 GK Stefan Frei

4 360 0 0 0 0 0/0 0 0 1/0

4 D Tyrone Mears

4 360 0 0 0 0 3/1 0 0 1/0

33 D Joevin Jones

4 357 0 0 1 0 7/1 0 0 2/0

13 F Jordan Morris

4 342 0 0 3 1 4/2 3 0 0/0

16 F Nelson Valdez

4 317 0 0 4 2 3/9 5 0 0/0

3 D Brad Evans

3 269 0 0 1 0 1/2 0 0 0/0

20 D Zach Scott

2 200 0 0 0 0 3/7 0 0 1/0

11 M Aaron Kovar

2 123 0 0 4 1 0/0 0 1 0/0

D Dylan Remick

1 GK Tyler Miller

1 90 0 0 0 0 0/0 0 0 0/0

1/2

0/0

91 D Oniel Fisher

1 41 0 0 0 0 2/1 0 0 0/1

39 F Oalex Anderson

0 75 0 0 5 1 2/4 0 0 0/0

8 M Erik Friberg

1 18 0 0 0 0 1/0 0 0 1/0

17 F Darwin Jones

0 14 0 0 0 0 0/0 0 0 0/0

Team totals

5 450

4 1 59 20 51/72 13 34 9/1

5 450

Opponent totals

64 26

72/51

10/0

GP-games played; GS-games started; MIN-minutes; G-goals; A-assists; P-points; SHT-shots; SOG-shots on goal; FC/FS-fouls committed/fouls suffered; CK-corner kicks; OFF-offsides; C/E-cautions/ejections GAME-WINNING GOALS: Dempsey (1) GAME-WINNING ASSISTS: Ivanschitz (1) PENALTY KICK GOALS/ATTEMPTS: None

SEATTLE SOUNDERS FC INDIVIDUAL GOALKEEPING UNF POS

Player

Stefan Frei

Tyler Miller

GP GS MIN

SHTS SV GA GAA

PG PA W-L-D SO

360

1.00

1-2-1

2.00

0-1-0

Team totals

450

1.20

1-3-1

Opponent totals

450

0.80

3-1-1

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MILK ISN’T ORANGE. SO WHY IS YOUR CHEESE?

NATURALLY

WHITE

Cheddar.

What is THE NINETY? THE NINETY, located at 406 Occidental Avenue S., is a cultural hub of soccer and a gathering place for all soccer fans to celebrate the world’s game.

What type of events are held at THE NINETY? Be on the lookout for new events every week! We will host radio shows and podcasts, Sounders FC player autograph sessions, chalk talks, speaker series and more. THE NINETY is also open before every home match and hosts away match viewing parties while the team is on the road. Follow along at #TheNINETY and check our calendar frequently to plan your next visit! This week: Come meet S2 players and coaching staff in before Saturday’s match, with doors opening at 4:30 p.m. PT. Players will be available for autographs and photos and you’ll have the opportunity to win tickets to the next home match at Starfire Stadium!

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