MLS Preview: Seattle Sounders Prepare for Portland Timbers Game (original) (raw)

March 10, 2010

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The Seattle Sounders FC will host the Portland Timbers in its only home preseason match on Thursday, March 11, at the Xbox Pitch at Qwest Field.

Kickoff is 6 p.m. PST.

The Sounders will be looking to extend its preseason shutout streak which is up to 293 minutes after the 0-0 draw against the Vancouver Whitecaps last weekend.

More than 13,000 tickets have been sold to Thursday's game. Qwest Field gates open at 5 p.m.

In the Vancouver game, the speed of the Sounders attack was obvious and Sounders FC head coach Sigi Schmid spoke about that yesterday when he met with reporters.

“Obviously we are a team that is built around quickness and speed, especially on the offensive part of field. The essence of our game with Ljungberg, Montero, and Zakuani and people like that is their ability to get isolated and use their quickness and use their individual skills and abilities to create space and make plays that way. When things are going well for us it means the ball is moving quickly and it means we are getting the ball early to our front runners and giving them some time and space to take people on.”

For the Timbers game, Schmid spoke about getting some playing time for Brad Evans, Patrick Ianni, and Roger Levesque, who all returned to training yesterday after recovering from injuries.

"It's good obviously to get those guys back in. We have been a little cautious with [Brad] Evans because of the type of injury it was. He probably didn't need to get held out as long as we did but he's back. [Patrick] Ianni looks like he is full-throttle. And Roger [Levesque] getting back in there is a big plus for us. It gives us more options and also when you get more options you get more competition and then everybody's game picks up a little bit."