It was most certainly an interesting weekend in soccer for the Pacific Northwest. The Sounders managed to pull out a 1-0 win on the road against Toronto FC despite playing a man down for most of the 2nd half. Fredy Montero ended his most recent dry spell with an absolute wonder-strike off a free kick. Sure, the Toronto wall were pretty negligent, and left keeper Stefan Frei to twist in the wind, but that hardly takes away from the beautiful curl on the shot.
The win is nice boost of confidence for Montero and the team as they face a double this week against the New York Red Bulls and the New England Revolution. You can see highlights from the game here.
Crazy Game in Timber Town: The action on the pitch was even more frenzied down south as the Portland Timbers faced the NYRB. The scoreline was a hefty 3-3, but the highlight of the match was the red card to Thierry Henry in stoppage time. It's unfortunate that hardly anyone was able to see what happened as the stadium camera was focused on the two coaches rather than the field. According to Adam Moffat, the Arsenal legend gave him a couple of hard knocks on the back of the head. Moffat shoved back and received a yellow for the retaliation. You can see for yourself. Henry will miss his next match this Thursday against our very own Seattle Sounders, though they are appealing his suspension.
More after the jump:
USMNT Advances: I'm sure Bob Bradley and the rest of the USMNT are breathing a sigh of relief after advancing past Jamaica in the Gold Cup this weekend. The US side looked confident and composed in the 2-0 victory although they had to deal with an early injury to striker Jozy Altidore. You can see highlights here.
Hanauer Talks Toronto: Sounders GM Adrian Hanauer talked about the situation in Toronto before the Sounders game this Saturday. He acknowledges that the Sounders learned a lot about Toronto's early success in attracting urban fans, using technology and utilizing marketing to build a brand. He also seems very much aware of the need to keep improving on the field to keep those supporters loyal.
Stevanovic Goes Back to Italy: The hits continue for Toronto FC coach Aron Winter. Midfielder Alen Stevanovic, the one who helped Jhon Kennedy Hurtado pick up his 2nd yellow, is returning to Italy to play for Torino FC. Torino FC and Inter Milan are co-owners of the young midfielder's contract.
Revolution Fans Tossed for Potty Mouths: Apparently the New England Revolution had a group of supporters tossed from this weekend's game for using the You Suck A@#H*LE chant. The front office's press release cited complaints from other season ticket holders. Now that the potty-mouthed offenders have been dealt with, I'm sure the Revolution front office won't have a problem filling their half-empty stadium to the brim.
Jack Warner is Finally Gone: The shinning, glimmering icon of FIFA corruption has resigned from soccer's governing body after being suspended on corruption charges. One down and 24 more to go.