From Joe Roth to Adrian Hanauer to Sigi Schmid to players like Mike Fucito Seattle Sounders FC
has been quite clear about their goals for this year. Another US Open Cup title will not be enough.
It is a consistent organizational chorus that started at the End of Year Business Meeting and is
hinted at in most conversations about the upcoming season.
STARTERS
US Soccer has named Clint Dempsey as the 2011 Male Athlete of the Year. And Brek Shea was named the
Young Male Athlete of the Year.
dN
Richie Williams, the original Ankle Biter, has been named the new head coach of the USA U17 team.
He had been serving as coach of the U18s, so I guess they are looking for a new boss now.
When the Alliance Council asked for a larger role in the planning and execution of the End of
Year Business Meeting the goal was for a more streamlined event, less repetitive Q&A and an
increase in participation overall. On those three goals we probably got 2.5 right. This recap is
built from the team's official live blog, my tweets from backstage and my memory of the event.
So if there is one thing I learned last night at the end-of-year Alliance "Business" meeting it
is that it apparently takes two years for adidas to scour the globe to look for the most hideous
color combinations of highlighter shades to use in our 3rd kits... well, that and the fact that the
Sounder training staff doesn't give "happy endings" and Drew Carey likes pain killers (but who
doesn't?
Time To Vote For Constitution/Charter Running Out
Click on the title/link above to vote. I've made the case for yes, but I beg you
vote.
If you are an Alliance member you may also be interested in the Alliance End of Year Meeting.
Speakers include Drew Carey, Joe Roth, Gary Wright and Adrian Hanauer.
Arlo White did not come to the Seattle Sounders with expectations of becoming an icon. Surely,
he had expectations that he would be successful, but any hopes were far exceeded, as he said in
Part 1 of our rather lengthy interview.
In Part 2 of the interview, we delve a little deeper into his relationship with the team and the
fans and how that turned a virtual "no-brainer" decision to join NBC into what that required far
more thought.
Any dreams that Seattle Sounders fans had that the Arlo White to MLS on NBC thing was going to
fall apart is gone. The loss for the Seattle Sounders and its fans will be the gain of MLS and the
United States national team. White's comments on twitter today clearly show an appreciation for the
team, the players and the fans.
NBC Sports announced today that it has hired Arlo White as the play-by-play voice of its MLS
coverage starting in 2012. White had served as the voice of the Seattle Sounders the past two
seasons.
His first broadcast with NBC Sports will be March 11 on opening weekend.
"It is a tremendous honor for me to join the NBC Sports Group, an organization that I have
revered from afar for many years," said White in a news release.
The bright blue leaked kit is in fact the official third kit for the Seattle Sounders. Today the
team announced that the "super cyan" and "electricity yellow" kit will be the primary kit used in
CONCACAF Champions League, US Open Cup and Friendlies. It will be worn in a cyan-cyan-cyan system
from top to bottom.
When Joe Roth announced the Seattle Sounders Football Club he said that he wanted to compete on
the international stage. In just two short years they showed up on that stage, and were crushed.
Now, in just their third year the advance to the CONCACAF Champions League Championship Round after
a 2-2 draw against CSD Comunicaciones of Guatemala.
The long-rumored friendly against Manchester United has been made official. The Seattle Sounders
will play the Red Devils at Qwest Field on July 20, a team release announced:
"Our fans deserve the best and we have provided a blockbuster match," Sounders majority owner
Joe Roth said.
