No. 1 – Seattle Seattle had the perfect storm to quickly produce a championship team. A year to...

No. 1 – Seattle
Seattle had the perfect storm to quickly produce a championship team. A year to build on before coming over. The money to go out and grab the best coach in the league and to do the work on the scouting side of things. Extra allocation to spend. A spectacular home field advantage (From the Field Turf as much as the noise – although both are a great combination). I see a dream season. 55 points, first in west, treble winner – Supporter’s Shield, MLS Cup and US Open Cup champion.

Duane Rollins at the 24th Minute

Sometimes we live in our own echo chamber out here. Here's someone who has little love for Seattle itself, but has high expectations for the 2010 Sounders. Odd but we still get the tired concept that Seattle just can't score, ignoring that none of the Rave Green offensive players had ever played together. Regression by itself means that the offense will be better.

about 2 years ago Dave Clark 31 comments 0 recs |

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Duane's post

made me very happy. And I wondered if you’d be mentioning it.

The CBA sucked out excitement, and it’s hard to build it up in five days. It’s nice that a TFC supporter is helping me do that.

by Cornchops on Mar 22, 2010 9:40 PM PDT reply actions

Why not go for the Quad Yeah and hit the CCL as well?

Now blogging on the OTHER sports in Orlando: http://www.sportcluborlando.com

by Orlando Rays on Mar 23, 2010 6:34 AM PDT reply actions

Sounders are in the CCL that ends in 2011

I am not a Supporter
I am not a Fan
I am a Sounder
Sounder At Heart

by Dave Clark on Mar 23, 2010 7:30 AM PDT up reply actions

Another site with predictions puts Sounders at a Double

This time it is MatchFitUSA

Sounders are no longer underdogs, no longer unexpected.

I am not a Supporter
I am not a Fan
I am a Sounder
Sounder At Heart

by Dave Clark on Mar 23, 2010 7:31 AM PDT reply actions

I love what he's saying

But being more of a pessimist as far as soccer goes, I can’t buy it. MLS is all over the board as far as who does well. It’s not like football, where it’s always the big names winning. In MLS (and soccer in general) it seems like on any given day, anybody can beat anybody. And with poor pre-season performance, I don’t feel confident. I see us making playoffs again, but we’ll be part of that group of 4-5 teams fighting for the last spot, or maybe slightly above that. Nkufo will help us out though. I just can’t get past our inability to finish that was very apparent in Vancouver and here against Portland.

by chrisperry1983 on Mar 23, 2010 7:52 AM PDT reply actions

I wouldn't take preseason matches too seriously.

by Graham MacAree on Mar 23, 2010 10:06 AM PDT up reply actions

Can't help it

Maybe there really is a different mindset in the pros, but I figured having a pumped up crowd watching would’ve made them play at a higher level than they did against Portland. But if they were just taking it easy, I guess that’s a different story.

by chrisperry1983 on Mar 23, 2010 10:17 AM PDT up reply actions

Triple does not include SS

I see the triple as
CCL Champs
MLS Cup Champs
and
US Open Cup Champs.

Who cares who is leading before the playoffs ? I don’t want to be the pathetic Columbus fan still thinking they were the best inspite of losing 3 out of 4 games to Salt Lake (THE REAL CHAMPS )

by Charles J on Mar 23, 2010 10:36 AM PDT reply actions

Supporters Shield is huge

and a major trophy in this league.

I am not a Supporter
I am not a Fan
I am a Sounder
Sounder At Heart

by Dave Clark on Mar 23, 2010 10:49 AM PDT up reply actions

For now

I don’t think it will be. When they get 18 teams in the league and are still playing 30 games, less so. IF they expand beyond that, it starts to become a huge joke.

It already is a joke, The Sounders played a tougher schedule than Columbus and lost by two points. How is that fair ? It isn’t.

by Charles J on Mar 23, 2010 10:58 AM PDT up reply actions

Supporters' Shield

gives us a CCL berth, and a group berth at that.

Most important to me is that we qualify for that tournament every year. In doing so, it ensures we have had at least some form of a successful season.

by Cornchops on Mar 23, 2010 7:31 PM PDT up reply actions

Good call

I never really thought of it that way. Luckily there’s many ways to qualify

by chrisperry1983 on Mar 24, 2010 8:36 AM PDT up reply actions

Love the turf !!

I have always loved that we play on turf…WAY faster game.
I like how this guy turns that into home field advantage.

……..about 55 hours !!!!

by Charles J on Mar 23, 2010 10:38 AM PDT reply actions

I hate turf

It prizes speed and athleticism over technical ability, which makes the game far more ugly.

by Graham MacAree on Mar 23, 2010 11:07 AM PDT up reply actions 1 recs

Good point

I still love the turf.

by Charles J on Mar 23, 2010 11:21 AM PDT up reply actions

I ask every opponent of turf this

If grading surfaces on a 1-10 with 10 being perfect grass, how bad would grass have to be to fall below the best Turf in the world?

I am not a Supporter
I am not a Fan
I am a Sounder
Sounder At Heart

by Dave Clark on Mar 23, 2010 11:30 AM PDT up reply actions

I would say 6 myself, but I also have to admit bias.

I had two knee injuries on old Astroturf. I also had my most recent soccer knee injury in 2005 on the new FieldTurf at Memorial Stadium. Never had a single one on grass and I played on some bad grass.

by Sec 108 on Mar 23, 2010 11:43 AM PDT up reply actions

It depends how you play

If you’re reliant on long ball and speed, who cares what the pitch is? Turf is fine.

If you’re reliant on skill and a short passing interchange, I’d say a 5 or 6. At some point turf just destroys technical ability (or it does in my experience, anyway; I’m an all technique, zero athleticism player).

by Graham MacAree on Mar 23, 2010 1:04 PM PDT up reply actions

And yes, I know that we have to use turf in Qwest.

But whatever, that doesn’t mean I have to like it or what it does to the feel of the game.

by Graham MacAree on Mar 23, 2010 1:08 PM PDT up reply actions

I agree with that

Being satisfied with the best of a situation does not mean being happy with it.

I am not a Supporter
I am not a Fan
I am a Sounder
Sounder At Heart

by Dave Clark on Mar 23, 2010 1:22 PM PDT up reply actions

I just don’t think grass is viable with a American football team and a Soccer team sharing the same stadium with out having the owners cough up more money to replace it every so soften.

by gstommylee on Mar 23, 2010 12:39 PM PDT reply actions

Trebel or sophomore slump?

My prediction for Seattle is a similar or perhaps slightly better season than last year, any real reason to think they will do better and go to the top? Steve Davis has them as #3 in the league in the pre-season poll, but has Chicago (always strong) Toronto (same fan support as Seattle with advantage of no marching bands ;) ), LA (wouldn’t bet against Arena and LD) and RBNY (best stadium in the league and JPA) below them, all of whom could show strong. And of course have to put my DCU (Quaranta coming on strong, Pontius racking up goals, Phoenix Moreno and Perkins back to guide the back line) in the mix!

by Irrlicht on Mar 23, 2010 12:56 PM PDT reply actions

Many

I read soccer blogs for a living ( it doesn’t pay, but neither does my job )
Many are picking Seattle or LA in the West, BUT

I don’t see how LA isn’e affected by Beckham not coming back, they were a tie machine before he joined them. So unproved new additions players are going to save them ?

Seattle needs to start finishing. Pre-season is just pre-season, but it showed the same problem as last years regular season.

by Charles J on Mar 23, 2010 2:04 PM PDT up reply actions