Major Link Soccer - Destroy Houston Edition

Happy Friday everyone. The Seattle Sounders are back in action today at the stadium formerly know as Qwest field as they attempt to stop an early slide to the 2011 season. The Houston Dynamo are not the same side that defeated the Sounders in the 2009 playoffs. The Dynamo are in a rebuilding year having brought in new players to replace those lost to contracts overseas. It will be a touch match-up, but a winnable one for the boys in Rave Green.

Mexico to Play Ecuador in Seattle: Joshua Mayers reported yesterday on his blog that Mexico was confirmed to play Ecuador at the stadium formerly know as Qwest Field on May 28th, 2011. Tickets go on sale today at 10:00 am. You can find out more details on the Sounders website. 

More news after the jump:

Bowl for Japan: Gorilla FC will be holding a fundraiser for Japan tomorrow at Garage Billards. There will be prizes including signed Sounders gear and a chance to meet the players (although none are listed yet). The Garage will also be playing the USA vs. Argentina match if bowling isn't your cup of tea. The Atlantic Crossing will also be showing the game and raffling Sounders gear to help Japan.  

Ianni at Elliott Bay Books: Local author Clare Hodgson Meeker will be at Elliott Bay Books at 1 p.m. on Sunday to promote her new book: Soccer Dreams. Sounders defender Patrick Ianni will be joining her to talk to the kids and sign books. A portion of the book sales will support scholarships for local children who need financial help to attend Sounders FC youth soccer camps.

Red Bulls to Play Shorthanded: It's a shame the match between the Sounders and the New York Red Bulls wasn't scheduled a week later. NYRB will be severely short-handed for their match against the Columbus Crew. Thierry Henry will be out due to a injured hamstring. In addition, the Red Bulls will be missing four starters due to international duty. I think the NYRB are still the favorites to win this one.

Confusion Reigns in Whitecaps Land: The on-field debut of the Vancouver Whitecaps went swimmingly on Saturday. Things were quite different off the field. Reports came out early this week that the front office had sold its entire allotment of 500 tickets to the Cascadia derby games to a local travel company Uniglobe. Uniglobe would then resell the tickets at inflated prices as part of a bus tour package. Further 'clarifications' by the front office indicate that single game tickets will be available at a limited mark-up.

Whitecaps Unable to Get Foot Out of Mouth: Unfortunately, as soon as the ticketing issues for away supporters was resolved, the front office proceeded to stick its foot in its mouth again in an interview with a local print reporter. CEO Paul Barber helpfully pointed out that the Whitecaps were absorbing other expenses for the away trips such as a club appointed chaperon for every 50 supporters and pictures to be taken by every traveling fan as required by the agreement between MLS and the Cascadia clubs. This however, is all new news to the Vancouver Southsiders and other supporter's groups in the Northwest. No word on how any of this applies to traveling supporters from Seattle and Portland.

Merritt Paulson Honored:  The owner of the Portland Timbers was named one of 40 sports business leaders under 40 by the Sports Business Journal. For your general information Paulson is the son of the former Treasury Secretary Hank Paulson Jr., was a senior director of marketing at the NBA and listens to Eminem. Clearly Merritt Paulson is the real Slim Shady.