You have to check out Goal Seattle's report of the game.

Apparently after a 2-1 Sounders win over Montreal in the first leg of the first round of the USL playoffs, the Impact coach went into the stands at Starfire and was getting into it with the fans.

The match was testy too, with a bunch of cards and chippiness. Click to continue reading...

Peter Vermes chatted with Martin Rogers of Yahoo! Sports last week, and the article came out late last night. Rogers used the chat as a platform for discussing some of the big-money investors to join the League in the last couple of years such as Neal Patterson, Cliff Illig and the rest of OnGoal. Rogers also calls PV the most wanted man in MLS and references job offers from LA and Seattle. Click to continue reading...

Goal Seattle guided me to this Ole Ole post on potential Sounders FC mascots.

Do MLS teams have mascots? I think the Galaxy had some ridiculous space alien thing.

Some of the options: Sal the Salmon, Echo the Orca and Tuggy (pictured, my projected winner).

Go check it out. Click to continue reading...

Ok. Bring it. I think you'd make a bang up replacement for Donovan in LA if there is anything to all the Landycakes-to-Europe talk. Or you can come to New York and be French with Youri Djorkaeff on your days off. Or perhaps you are feeling adventurous...I bet Seattle could use someone like you. Click to continue reading...

(Rick Morrison for Goal Seattle with the photo, if you couldn't tell)

It was a pretty inconsequential game in the standings, Seattle and Vancouver had already qualified for the playoffs, but the Cascadia Cup was lost.

The Northwest derby might not be around for awhile, so it's sad that the Sounders couldn't hold onto it until then. Click to continue reading...

In a final flurry of very ruffled feathers, the Cary-based Carolina RailHawks flap into a doubleheader against the Charleston Battery and Portland Timbers in USL-1s final regular season weekend. The stakes are high, as anything less than six points will snare no better than an 8th-place finish for the sophomore Hawks. Click to continue reading...

From Ives' Q&A today: IVES- Here are my odds on who will be Seattle's next coach: Sigi Schmid- 2/1 Paul Mariner- 5/1 Brian Schmetzer- 10/1 Fernando Clavijo-25/1 What does Ives know to put Sigi leaving the Crew at 2/1? Crew fans should be asking the same thing? Losing the likely Coach of the Year to an expansion team certainly won't do much [. Click to continue reading...

Because it's been alleged that I have a Portland bias (and believe me I do). Click to continue reading...

Two games, two protests. Another weekend watching the Premier League from afar. Another reason why the English top flight is so fascinating, especially from an uncultured, ignorant American. In American pro sports, from time-to-time fans try to stage protests of some sort, mainly about money. Remember when A-Rod was pelted with Monopoly money when he first returned to Seattle after signing Click to continue reading...

Goal Seattle has a great rundown of rumors and news surrounding the team's coaching search.

Added is a report from Ives that the K.C. technical director Peter Vermes turned down the job.

While current Sounder coach Brian Schmetzer remains in the pool, there is one name that's getting some mention. Click to continue reading...

Hey, hey, check out the MLS owner who is blogging and thereby revealing his love of the ellipses.

The post got me thinking, however, about other MLS owners. I got a little wistful when I thought about the antics about Mark Cuban, really. Honestly, most MLS owners are pretty bland by comparison. Click to continue reading...

Okay, Saturday night is behind me. Time to regroup and prepare for Wednesday. For inspiration, I went back to something I wrote shortly after the Brazil tilt in Seattle. But the most important take away from this game for me was that we came back. Not once, but  twice. Besides showing some real flair on the [. Click to continue reading...

With the trade yesterday for Abe Thompson, the Wizards had to make room on their senior roster for him. To make room, the Wizards waived 3rd year midfielder, Ryan McMahen. Most of you are probably saying "Who?", well I'm going to give you some information on what McMahen's been doing with us the past almost 3 years. Click to continue reading...

I've got some more shwag to give away so get your random information skills together. In the clip above Cobi Jones is seen at SafeCo Field in Seattle...why is he there? The first person to email the correct answer to that question to TheOffsideRules [at] Gmail.com wins a copy of Gamebreakers AND The History of MLS Cup on DVD.

Click to continue reading...

Of course, Seattle's rivals couldn't even wait until the Sounders got in the league before crashing the party.

But honestly, both cities have great bids. They both love soccer, which means full stadiums and excitement for all.

Portland, which calls itself Soccer Town U.S.A., is planning on renovating PGE Park to make it a soccer specific stadium. Click to continue reading...

Not to be left standing with their d*ck in their hands, Vancouver Whitecaps have made the next move in the Pacific Northwest MLS Expansion Death Race 3000™. One day after Portland fired it's shot across the bow, they launched a two-pronged attack today on both the world-wide web and, as seen above, British Columbian morning television. Click to continue reading...

Was he fired? Did he resign?

Does anybody know what's going on?

We should know by the weekend, right?

• Was the fix is in for Brazil-Ghana '06 World Cup game? [Yahoo!]
  
• Naming the Sounders F.C. sections. [Goal Seattle]
  
• Antonio Puerta, one year later.

Click to continue reading...

Portland Timbers owner Merritt Paulson held a press conference this morning formally announcing his MLS intentions and I for one am solidly behind him. Not that my opinion carries any weight in the real world but there you go. Also, I enjoy pandering to the Timbers Army constituency (hey, Seattle loves Ives so I'm not too concerned about upsetting Jet City). Click to continue reading...

I read plenty... online. Books? Not so much.

But the cleverly named Max Deale sent me a copy of a publication that sounded intriguing and original.

It's called 'Sold out, So what?' and it's the grassroots guide to not only getting in to all the events you want, but also at a price that all us empty-pocketed bloggers can enjoy. Click to continue reading...

Time for Seattle to beat down another MLS team.

This time in a September 2nd friendly at Buck Shaw Stadium.

And yes, this is the start of a rivalry. Maybe not a blood, sweat and tears one, but one nonetheless.

"We are excited to welcome Seattle to MLS next season," said Earthquakes Executive Vice President David Alioto.

Click to continue reading...

It wasn't a big surprise, but it is a big move. Seattle now has a world-class 'keeper tending it's nets.

Listening to Keller though, who was born in Olympia and grew up in Lacey I believe, it appears as though playing on the field is only one of his goals.

I would love to be what (Franz) Beckenbauer has become to Bayern Munich for example.

Click to continue reading...

We hadn't heard much from Kasey Keller since the end of the season in England, and many speculated that he may be joining MLS.  Keller's contract expired at the end of the previous season, and Keller at 38 is ready to return to the US, to Seattle in particular.   Today at 2 PM, the Sounders [...] Click to continue reading...

(Sorry, I couldn't resist.)

Despite playing a midfield of toddlers and Eboue (who has the maturity of one), and by all accounts playing, um, not at our standard, let's say, we're still leaving Enschede with two away goals and a win.

Unfortunately, I can't say for myself how they played, since Champions League games are not scheduled for Seattle's viewing times.

Click to continue reading...

Superstar Adam has the photo-report of the all-USL semifinal, in which Charleston edged the Sounders in a shootout.

Seattle technically never scored, getting a 20th minute own-goal for its only tally, so it can't expect to win.

On the other side, D.C. overwhelmed the Revolution 'C' team 3-1 behind two goals from Luciano Emilio. Click to continue reading...

From Behind the Badge comes video of DC United's 3-1 defeat of the Revolution last night at RFK. Since there was no TV broadcast --as is Open Cup custom-- this is pretty much the definitive document of the evening, which was something of a shock defeat for New England.

On the other side of the Open Cup table, Seattle lost to Charleston on PK's so the final will be an all Southeast affair (if you consider DC southeastern) at RFK. Click to continue reading...

Photo: Matt Mathai

Some call the East Coast of the USA the spiritual home of soccer/football in America. Those people are likely itchin' for a fight with people from St Louis but nevermind that for now. This year's final in his nation's oldest tournament, the 94 year old Lamar Hunt US Open Cup is an all east coast affair as New England and Seattle crashed out of the semi-finals leaving DC United to host the Charleston Battery at RFK Stadium September 3 at 7:30 pm live on Fox Soccer Channel. Click to continue reading...

D.C. United Advances to U.S. Open Cup Finals

Look, I want to be ecstatic. We have a game to play, and it's a game for silverware. And if we win, we get another year of international competition. And we won with multiple goals, right?

I can't fake it. We beat the New England reserves.

Click to continue reading...

Does anyone know what Kasey Keller is up to on Thursday? Click to continue reading...

The Sounders and Timbers will surely play again -- most likely in the U.S. Open Cup -- but yesterday saw what will likely be the last league match between the two for a while.

Seattle won 1-0 in Portland, the Columbian has the story.

Now I've some a couple of these matches live. Click to continue reading...

It's over. Dunzo. Outta here like last year. And to put it in the most eloquent way I can think of...it totally sucks. The oldest existent soccer rivalry in the country has gone the way of the dodo and even though I'm not a supporter of either club --at least not officially, but I do have my preferences-- I have to say I'm kinda bummed for a few different reasons. Click to continue reading...

Hell I'll lobby for 'em also.

I talked to a couple Timbers fans back in the day, and they said if Portland couldn't, they'd support Seattle getting an MLS team.

So if Seattle's already booked a ticket to the big dance, I'd love to see a bitter rival of a neighbor there also. And this D. Click to continue reading...

The photo above was taken at the the Kansas City at DC Unite game. It is a show of solidarity between DC United's supporter's groups and the Timbers Army in sending a message that Portland wants in MLS in 2011 as per the Paulson plan.

The other side of this is that Timbers Army members are planning to support DC United in Seattle should both Seattle and DC United advance to the 2008 US Open Cup Final Click to continue reading...

What? You thought I forgot there was a little three decade-long grudge match tonight? Blogger please. I will not rest until I get a call from FSC's Mitch Peacock himself saying "you can stop now, we really don't have the bandwidth for an audience this size." Until then, I'm going to keep reminding you to do whatever you have to do to watch the game on FSC at 11pmEST. Click to continue reading...

It sure appears to be the case. I just got word about the possible championship scenarios for the 2008 US Open Cup today. Under three of four possible scenarios, either Seattle or Charleston from the USL-1 will host the title game next month. The only MLS side that could host is DC, that is if D.C. [. Click to continue reading...

We haven't talked USL around here in while have we? Typically I try to watch FSC's game of the week with some consistency but for whatever reason it hasn't grabbed me this season. This Thursday though is the most-anticipated USL match if the season; the final Portland v. Seattle match of the season and --with Seattle leaving USL-- perhaps ever. Click to continue reading...