Sounders FC Hosts Open Cup Semifinal Wednesday, Visit Salt Lake Saturday

Back atop the Supporters’ Shield standings, Seattle Sounders FC continues its congested August schedule with two games across different competitions this week. Seattle will have the opportunity to return to the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Final in a midweek match and can further extend its lead in league play over the weekend.

PICTURE PERFECT: Wilson Tsoi’s Sounders-Dynamo gallery

In the search for its record fourth championship, Sounders FC hosts the Chicago Fire in the Open Cup Semifinals on Wednesday night at Starfire Stadium in Tukwila, Wash. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. PT and will be streamed live on SoundersFC.com with Ross Fletcher on the call.

In a top of the table clash, Sounders FC will continue its quest for the Supporters’ Shield on Saturday against second-place Real Salt Lake. Kickoff is set for 11:30 a.m. PT at Rio Tinto Stadium in Sandy, Utah. Saturday’s match will be nationally televised on NBC Sports Network with John Strong and Brian Dunseth calling the action.

Sounders FC (13-6-2, 41 points) reclaimed the pole position with Sunday’s 2-0 win over the Houston Dynamo. Marco Pappa and Gonzalo Pineda scored for Seattle as goalkeeper Stefan Frei recorded his seventh shutout of the season.

Seattle now shifts its focus to Wednesday’s Open Cup contest against Chicago. In 2011, Seattle became the first MLS side to win three consecutive titles with a 2-0 win over the Fire, marking just the fourth three-peat winner in the 101-year history of the tournament.

After winning four championships from 1998-2006, Chicago returns to the semifinals for the second straight year, falling to eventual champions D.C. United last year, 2-0. Chicago has reached the semifinal of the tournament nine times in 16 years while Seattle has played in seven semifinals over the past eight years, twice reaching the semis as a USL side in 2007 and 2008.

Sounders FC returns to league play on Saturday afternoon at Real Salt Lake (10-4-9, 39 points) as the two sides battle for first place in the West. RSL is unbeaten in its past five outings (3-0-2), including back-to-back shutout victories.

Saturday’s match marks the second meeting of the season between the two teams, as Sounders FC won, 4-0, at home in the previous matchup on May 31. Across all competitions, Seattle is 7-6-5 in the all-time series against Salt Lake, including 2-4-2 at Rio Tinto Stadium.

Following the week’s action, Sounders FC concludes2dZ its stretch of five games in 14 days with a pair of league contests. Seattle hosts the San Jose Earthquakes on August 20 at CenturyLink Field before visiting the Portland Timbers on August 24 at Providence Park. The month will conclude on August 30 with a home match against the Colorado Rapids.

Tickets for Sounders FC home matches are available now at http://www.SoundersFC.com and 1-877-MLS-GOAL.

Competition Schedule (All times Pacific; subject to change)

August 13, 7:00 p.m. – Sounders FC vs. Chicago Fire, Starfire Stadium

August 16, 11:30 a.m. – Sounders FC at Real Salt Lake, Rio Tinto Stadium

August 20, 7:00 p.m. – Sounders FC vs. San Jose Earthquakes, CenturyLink Field

August 24, 2:00 p.m. – Sounders FC at Portland Timbers, Providence Park

August 30, 1:00 p.m. – Sounders FC vs. Colorado Rapids, CenturyLink Field

Back on Top

After a week in second place, Sounders FC returned to the top of the Supporters’ Shield standings, besting Sporting Kansas City and Real Salt Lake by two points. Seattle has led the Western Conference for 15 of 22 weeks this season, including the past 14 weeks. Sounders FC has not dropped below fourth place in the West, and has been outside of the top two for just three weeks this season.

Busy Two Weeks

Sounders FC is amidst its busiest stretch of the season, playing five matches over a 14-day span, beginning with Sunday’s 2-nil win over the Houston Dynamo. Seattle now shifts its focus to Wednesday’s U.S. Open Cup Semifinal match against the Chicago Fire, before capping the week with a visit to Real Salt Lake on Saturday.

The schedule congestion continues as Sounders FC will host the San Jose Earthquakes in a midweek match on August 20 and will conclude the busy run on August 24 at the Portland Timbers. The 14-day stretch from August 10-24 will feature more games than the team played in the months of March, April, June and July (four matches each month). Following the two-week stretch, Sounders FC will have just 10 remaining MLS regular season fixtures.

Familiar Foes

Seattle has already faced each of its next four opponents at least one time this season, going 4-1-1 against Chicago, Salt Lake, San Jose and Portland, outscoring opponents 14-7. Sounders FC earned wins in all three home matches against its next four opponents, and went 1-1-1 on the road.

In the next three MLS matches, Sounders FC will have the opportunity to win three more season series, holding the advantage against Real Salt Lake (1-0-0) and Portland (1-0-1) while sitting level with San Jose (1-1-0). Overall, Seattle has won seven season series (Kansas City, Montreal, Dallas, Philadelphia, Chicago, D.C. United, Houston) and has lost three (Toronto, Columbus, New England). Eight season series are yet to be determined, and Seattle already holds the advantage in four of the eight.

Record Champions

Wednesday’s Open Cup clash features two of the winningest teams in tournament history. The Chicago Fire lead all MLS teams with four championships, most recently taking the title in 2006. Sounders FC can match Chicago’s record after winning three-straight titles from 2009-11, and will look to reach the final for the fifth time in six years.

All told, 10 teams in the 101-year history of the tournament have won three or more championships. Maccabi Los Angeles and Bethlehem Steel lead all teams with five wins, while the Greek American AA, Philadelphia Ukranians, Chicago Fire and Fall River Marksmen have all captured four titles. Along with Sounders FC, the other three-time winners include the New York Pancyprian-Freedoms, Stix, Baer and Fuller and D.C. United.

U.S. Open Cup Championships – MLS

Team Championships Runners-up Chicago Fire 4 (1998, 2000, 2003, 2006) 2 (2004, 2011) Seattle Sounders FC 3 (2009, 2010, 2011) 1 (2012) D.C. United 3 (1996, 2008, 2013) 2 (1997, 2009) LA Galaxy 2 (2001, 2005) 2 (2002, 2006) Sporting Kansas City 2 (2004, 2012) 0

How They Got Here

Wednesday marks the fourth match of the tournament for both sides after the 16 U.S.-based MLS clubs entered the competition in the fourth round. Sounders FC opened the tournament with a 5-0 win over PSA Elite of the U.S. Adult Soccer Association and advanced past the San Jose Earthquakes after a penalty shootout in the fifth round. In the Quarterfinals, Sounders FC beat the Portland Timbers, 3-1, after extra time. The Chicago Fire ousted the Pittsburgh Riverhounds (USL Pro), 2-1, in the fourth round, the Columbus Crew, 4-2, after extra time in the fifth round, and beat the Atlanta Silverbacks (NASL), 3-1, in the Quarterfinals.

Seattle Sounders FC Results

Date Result Location Goal Scorers June 18 Sounders FC 5 vs. PSA Elite 0 Starfire Stadium Evans (23), Scott (39), Cooper (45, 56), Okoli (84) June 24 Sounders FC 1 vs. San Jose 1 (4-1) Starfire Stadium Cooper (26) July 9 Sounders FC 3 vs. Portland Timbers 1 (AET) Starfire Stadium Alonso (69), Cooper (110), Pappa (115)

Chicago Fire Results

Date Result Location Goal Scorers June 18 Chicago Fire 2 vs. Pittsburgh Riverhounds 1 Toyota Park Ward (22), Magee (40) June 25 Chicago Fire 4 vs. Columbus Crew 2 (AET) Toyota Park Ianni (34), Anangono (83, 108), Amarikwa (92) July 9 Chicago Fire 3 at Atlanta Silverbacks 1 Silverbacks Park Amarikwa (50), Larentowicz (82), Alex (85)

USOC Final Location

The winner of the Seattle-Chicago match will visit the FC Dallas-Philadelphia Union victor in the 2014 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Final. Sounders FC has twice played the championship game on the road, winning its first-ever trophy against D.C. United at RFK Stadium on September 2, 2009. In its most recent finals appearance, Sounders FC fell to Sporting Kansas City in a penalty shoot at Sporting Park on August 8, 2012.

2011 Open Cup Final Flashback

Seattle and Chicago met in the 2011 U.S. Open Cup Final as Sounders FC became the first MLS team to win three straight championships. Fredy Montero and Osvaldo Alonso scored to lead Seattle to a 2-0 victory on October 4, 2011, in front of an Open Cup record crowd of 35,615 at CenturyLink Field. Four active Sounders FC players started the match, including Alonso, Brad Evans, Leo Gonzalez and Lamar Neagle. Marco Pappa started and played 90 minutes for the Fire, and Jalil Anibaba played the final 30 minutes of the match for his former club. Goalkeeper Josh Ford and defender Zach Scott were included in the 18-player gameday roster.

Match Profile

Game 2011 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Final Result Seattle Sounders FC 2 vs. Chicago Fire 0 Date October 4, 2011 Location CenturyLink Field, Seattle Attendance 35,615

Scoring Summary

Sounders FC Fredy Montero (Jeff Parke) 77′ Sounders FC Osvaldo Alonso 90+6 Chicago Fire None

Lineups

Sounders FC Keller, Riley, Hurtado, Parke, Gonzalez, Neagle, Alonso, Evans, Fernandez (Friberg 46), Montero, Fucito (Levesque 89). Chicago Fire Johnson, Gargan (Grazzini 85), Mikulic (Anibaba 61), Gibbs, Segares, Pause, Pardo, Pappa, Paladini (Chaves 80), Nyarko, Oduro.

Stats Summary

Category Sounders FC Chicago Fire Shots 24 6 Shots on Goal 8 4 Saves 4 6 Corner Kicks 10 6 Fouls 12 18 Cautions 1 3 Offside 0 3

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Record at Starfire

Sounders FC enters Wednesday’s match looking to extend its near perfect record of 14-0-1 in Open Cup play at Starfire Stadium. Seattle beat PSA Elite and the Portland Timbers, and advanced past the San Jose Earthquakes in a penalty shootout in three home games in the 2014 tournament. In the 15 all-time games at Starfire Stadium, Sounders FC has outscored opponents 42-9 with six shutouts. Against MLS opponents, the club is 10-0-1 at Starfire, posting four shutouts and a 25-7 goal advantage.

Sounders FC after Cup Play

Sounders FC is 7-6-7 in MLS games immediately following an Open Cup match, earning points in 14 of the 20 league games. During the previous runs to the final from 2009-12, Sounders FC went 4-6-7 in MLS play immediately following a Cup match. Seattle has not dropped the next match in league play over the past two seasons, going 2-0-0 this year.

Top Two in the West

Saturday’s match at Real Salt Lake features the top two teams in the Western Conference. Sounders FC leads Salt Lake by two points with two games in hand, averaging 0.25 more points per game. Seattle leads MLS in points and wins, and ranks third in goals scored. Salt Lake ranks just behind Sounders FC, and is level with Sporting Kansas City in the Supporters’ Shield race. The match marks the second time this season that Seattle and Salt Lake have faced off as the top two teams in the West.

Top Two Snapshot

Category (MLS Rank) Seattle Sounders FC Real Salt Lake Points* 41 (1st) 39 (T-2nd) Points Per Game 1.95 (1st) 1.70 (T-2nd) Wins 13 (1st) 10 (T-4th) Goals 37 (3rd) 36 (T-4th) Goals Against Average 1.33 (7th) 1.17 (5th) Shutouts 7 (T-2nd) 7 (T-2nd) Shots on Goal Percentage 40.3 (1st) 39.1 (3rd) Multi-Goal Games 12 (T-1st) 10 (T-4th)

*Western Conference Rank

The Last Time

Seattle and Salt Lake last met on May 31 at CenturyLink Field. Sounders FC entered the match as the top team in MLS while RSL had matched the league record for longest unbeaten streak (6-0-6) to start a season. With a 4-nil victory, Sounders FC matched its club record for largest margin of victory as four different players (Pineda, Pappa, Barrett and Martins) scored goals. Following its first defeat of the season, Salt Lake dropped three of its next five before its current five-game (3-0-2) unbeaten run.

Sounders FC and Real Salt Lake have become familiar foes over the past six seasons, meeting 13 times in the regular season, four times in the MLS Cup Playoffs and once in the U.S. Open Cup. The 18 total meetings between the two sides are the second-most in club history (Los Angeles – 19).

SEA-RSL Series Fast Facts

* Sounders FC holds the all-time all competitions advantage with a record of 7-6-5, and is 4-5-4 in the regular season series

* Seattle is 2-4-2 at Rio Tinto Stadium, including a win in the 2012 Western Conference Semifinals

* Sounders FC has outscored RSL, 14-11, but has been out-shot, 130-155

* Lamar Neagle and Obafemi Martins (two goals) and Robbie Findley (3) are the active goal scoring leaders in the series.

* Kenny Cooper leads all Sounders FC players with six career goals against RSL. A total of nine active Sounders FC players have scored against RSL.

* The two sides met in the 2011 and 2012 Western Conference Semifinals, with Seattle ousting RSL in the 2012 series.

About Real Salt Lake

Real Salt Lake sits second in the Western Conference with 39 points (10-4-9), including a 6-1-5 record at home this season. The club is currently riding a five-match unbeaten streak (3-0-2), most recently earning a 3-0 home win over D.C. United on Saturday. The Claret-and-Cobalt rank fourth in MLS in both goals (36) and assists (32), and its plus-nine goal differential is tied with Seattle for third in MLS. Along with Seattle and Los Angeles, RSL is one of three teams to make the playoffs each season since 2009, winning the MLS Cup in 2009 and falling to Kansas City in the final last season.

Salt Lake Notables

First-year Head Coach Jeff Cassar’s attack is led by Joao Plata and Javier Morales, who have combined for 16 goals and 13 assists. Plata, an Ecuadorian international, has a career-high 10 goals this season and has scored a goal in four of his last six starts. Morales is second in MLS with nine assists in addition to his six goals. The Argentine midfielder has 34 goals and 62 assists in 177 appearances since joining RSL in 2007.

Salt Lake also boasts a pair of U.S. World Cup players in midfielder Kyle Beckerman and goalkeeper Nick Rimando. Beckerman is fifth all-time with 342 career MLS appearances, recording 34 goals and 46 assists. Rimando recently recorded his 113th career clean sheet against D.C. over the weekend, giving him the most all-time in MLS. The UCLA alum also ranks second all-time in goalkeeper appearances, starts, and minutes, while ranking third in saves.