This just in! The Sounders FINALLY win their first match of the 2013 season!

Being that I live in Colorado, I don’t get the pleasure of partaking in every Sounders match in person but today, I did and it was definitely a great match to watch.

Today was the first time Sounders’ #11, Steve Zakuani, stepped on the pitch of Dick’s Sporting Goods Park since that tragic day that left him injured August 22, 2011 (you can read my recap of that match here).

Almost exactly two years ago.

Not only was this steaming in the back of my mind but apparently it was also on Steve’s mind. Zakuani broke his Twitter and Facebook hiatus to lay down his thoughts on the upcoming match.

As I was sitting in the front row, the first half showed a lot of Zakuani and Brian Mullan crossing each other’s paths. The good thing – they kind of ignored each other. Zakuani talked to Seattle Times writer Josh Mayers about his return to the Mile High.

“Just when we landed in Denver, it kind of brought back a few memories from that day, that Friday that I was here,” he said. “I just felt once again I had to reach out (on Twitter, above) to the fans who were great. I don’t know if you guys saw, but as the game started, a section of Colorado fans were singing my name. That’s probably the most emotional moment I’ve had on the pitch, having opposing fans singing my name.

“It just kind of felt right to reach out one more time and say thanks. I tried as best I could to focus on the game. It wasn’t easy with Mullan as the right back, but that’s the way it played out. I just tried to play for my team, as always.”

Now to the actual match.

The Sounders desperately needed a win and a road victory would be even better. Obafemi Martins scored his first goal as a Sounder in the 27′ putting the men in green up 1-nil in the first. Of course, there were backflips involved.

Lamar Neagle stepped up for the Sounders today, playing the ball well all night and almost scoring a goal two minutes after Martin’s. Though the Rapids played a hard fight as they constantly put pressure on Gspurning, kicking shots left and right, testing his quickness.

Early into the second half, the Rapids had two chances that could have changed the match tremendously, once again testing Gspurning’s movement in the box. Dillon Powers curled a left-footed shot to the top of the goal, only to be denied by the dreadful crossbar.

Minutes later, Rapids player Kamani Hill felt a header to the box, hit the crossbar as Gspurning fell to the right only to leave space for Danny Mwanga to attempt another shot on goal which was quickly denied by a quick Sounders keeper.

Rapids players defeated as Sounders keeper Mike Gspurning made two critical, back-to-back saves.

It was at that moment, I thought I had a mini heart attack.

Neagle went in for another chance but was vastly denied access by Clint Irvin.

With four minutes of added stoppage time, the Rapids continued to put up a fight as Drew Moor headed a free kick from Jamie Smith but Gspurning was there for the save, giving Seattle their first victory of the season.

The Sounders don’t play a regular season match until May 4th when they travel to play the Philadelphia Union at PPL Park.

As for me, I’ll be sitting at home watching it via television or internet until October 5th, when the Sounders head back to the Mile High state for one last showdown.

And you can bet that I’ll be there, decked out in Sounders apparel, cheering on my boys to yet another victory!

Stay tuned to Aerys Soccer for all your MLS coverage and don’t forget to follow us on Twitter and like us on Facebook!

Photos courtesy of tumblr and myself.

Real Salt Lake got their second win of the season against the team that eliminated them from the playoffs. Alvaro Saborio is back from national team duty, but hadn’t trained all week due to a a knee injury he picked up when Costa Rica played Jamaica, and wasn’t available for selection for this game. Rookie draft pick Devon Sandoval started in place of Saborio along with Robbie Findley. Right after the first whistle, RSL began their attack. Lots of shots on goal eventually led to a Robbie Findley goal in the 8th minute, breaking the 408 minute goalless streak for RSL against Seattle, and marked Findley’s first goal since coming back to RSL from Nottingham Forrest.

As seen in the 2012 playoffs, Michael Gspurning, much like Nick Rimando, had heroic saves throughout the game to keep his team from going down 3 or 4 goals in the first half, but he couldn’t stop Luis Gil’s diving header in the 35th minute. A short corner from Sebastian Velasquez to Ned Grabavoy resulted in a cross to a wide open Gil, who flew through the air and scored.

The 20,000+ fans at Rio Tinto stadium raised the noise level and fueled the home team to a dominate first half performance, going into half time leading 2-0. The second half was good up until the last 15 minutes of the game, when the team seemed to run out of steam a little bit, but the young attack was relentless, outshooting Seattle 25-8. However, Seattle managed to pull back a goal in the 57th minute off a Brad Evans volley that beat Nick Rimando.

The fans were loud the eintre game, but when Javier Morales came on to make his 2013 MLS debut, the stadium erupted! Chants of, “Javi! Javi! Javi! Javi!” echoed through the stadium and lifted the team to a convincing and reassuring victory.

The streak had to come to an end eventually, didn’t it? The Seattle Sounders traveled to Real Salt Lake Saturday, losing 2-1 at Rio Tinto and marking an end to our 75 straight MLS matches without a loss in two consecutive matches.  We can kiss our 408-minute shutout streak goodbye. Adios. Sayonara.

A diving header from Luis Gil gave RSl the 2-0 lead before the half. Salt Lake controlled most of the first half, constantly challenging Sounders keep Michael Gspurning within the first 10 minutes. For Real, injuries came early as Robbie Findley was taken out in the 12^th minute with a left adductor strain, minutes after scoring the first goal for RSL.

His first goal of the season, Brad Evans brought Seattle up in the second half providing a light at the end of the tunnel. Unfortunately the first half was a forgettable one as the Sounders struggled to find their footing on the pitch.

The second half showed a little more power from the Sounders as DeAndre Yedlin pushed high while Martins and Eddie Johnson constantly stretched out the RSL backline, however, RSL rookie Devon Sandoval forced himself through Seattle’s shaky defense, leaving opportunities for his teammates.

Kudos to Michael Gspurning who kept the rave green army in check, making a total of six saves, surpassing last year’s career high in a regular season match.

The Sounders shift their focus back to CONCACAF Champions League on Tuesday as the semi-final match against Santos Laguna takes place at Century Link Field.

Make sure to follow Aerys Soccer on Twitter at @AerysSoccer and like us on Facebook!

Last night’s game between the San Jose Earthquakes and the Seattle Sounders was truly a tale of two keepers. Michael Gspurning kept his team in the game, blocking shots with his lanky frame. Jon Busch performed straight up acrobatics, and even a Jedi mind trick or two, to prolong his team’s streak of dominance over Seattle.

Jon Busch

There were opportunities for both sides, but it was thanks to these two players that the score was only 1-0. Honestly, I almost can’t fault Gspurning for allowing the one goal through. It was scored, not surprisingly, by Chris Wondolowski, but it was far from a typical Wondo goal. Anyone who has watched Wondo play knows that he is a poacher, usually tapping the ball in from within the 6 yard box. Even I doubted he was going to score from 22 yards out. I saw him take the shot, and in the half second it took for it to hit the back of the net I thought, “It’s not going in.” I should know by now not to be surprised by anything that man does.

I have also learned to not be surprised by the heroics of our stalwart keeper, Jon Busch. At 5’10”, he is on the short side for a keeper. And, having the privilege of working at field level, right on the other side of the boards, I could not help noticing how tall many of the Sounders are. Gspurning himself has Busch beat by a good 7 inches. But the height difference was of no consequence last night. Busch made himself big all night long. He even managed to psych out David Estrada, who seemed to have him beat to a short back pass outside of the box, only to overrun the ball and allow Busch to boot it out of harm’s way.

It seems as though the Quakes have shaken off whatever held them back in the home opener, and are learning to thrive even with so many key players out with injury or for national team duty. Next week San Jose is on the road to face the Houston Dynamo (or the Zombie-Quakes, as they are sometimes referred to at Buck Shaw). I look forward to seeing what other tricks Busch and the rest of the Goonies will pull out of their hats!

Photo courtesy of San Jose Earthquakes Facebook page.

Remember when we said that we would never ever forget to update and that we would always have a post? Well, our fearless leader, Trista had a birthday and everyone should be fully aware that tequila should be barred from ever touching these lips. What’s that? Trista lives many miles from me? I suppose I am the only one that celebrates a birthday long distance. Whatever the case, here we go! And we should really have a sit down with MLS players and the fact they rarely remove their jerseys. On the rare chance they do – well we get a nice dose of under armour. The horror! Seriously, Landon Donovan just cannot uphold this tradition for the entire league. I mean he could but surely there is someone! Anyway, onto what we’re all here for…

MLS Rivalry Week will reach a pitched fever on Saturday afternoon when Seattle Sounders FC meet the Portland Timbers in the latest installment of their Cascadia Cup rivalry at CenturyLink Field. What better way to celebrate this memorable weekend than to oogle the guys?

 Fredy Montero holding the imaginary ladies back…

 Eddie Johnson flexing…well, I’m not sure what muscle that is but we can all appreciate.

 Andy Rose applauding my efforts…for the next photo

 Brad Evans in Hulk Mode…really, it’s fine…I think we will live if we don’t see your abs but please keep going…I won’t stop you.

 Sal Zizzo is what I would imagine Derek Zoolander to be like if he was a soccer player for the Timbers.

If you don’t know Darlington Nagbe – take a moment to watch him play this weekend…he’s a creative player that constantly creates chances for his team.

Jack Jewsbury taking a corner kick…and obviously a view for us to enjoy.

And there you have it! The guys are shy but I think Brad Evans might be coming to the darkside. He should tell his teammates that it’s fun and we have cookies and other goodies. I’m like Switzerland when it comes to Cascadia Cup but I can say that nothing is better than the supporters for each team that constantly up the ante for supporter groups everywhere.

Stay with the ladies of Aerys Soccer as we continue on covering MLS and post recaps of La Liga and EPL. Also, follow us on Twitter at @AerysSoccer!

It has never been before. No MLS club has ever, and I mean EVER, eliminated a Mexican opponent from the two-legged series of the CONCACAF Champions League since Kansas City eliminated Santos in the Champions Cup back in 2002. And it was at home nonetheless!

But it’s different now; the Seattle Sounders beat UANL Tigres on a 3-2 aggregate, heading to the semi finals, the first time in club history. Excuse me while I dance obnoxiously.

DeAndre Yedlin, Djimi Traore and Eddie Johnson scored second-half goals while Elias Hernández had a well-deserved goal before the half.  The first 20’ were hectic for the Sounders as they pushed forward with final touches and beautiful passes, unfortunately finishing was the issue.

Gspurning was tested throughout the whole match but continued to recover quickly saving the Sounders from falling even more behind. Eddie Johnson had incredible chances, the 34-35’ specifically as Alonso and Zakuani fed the ball to Johnson, who couldn’t get past the keeper. Yet again the culprit was…finishing.

It wasn’t until the 44’ when the whole game changed. Manuel Viniegra found his second yellow, being sent off, giving the Sounders that spark they needed entering the last 45 minutes of the match. It was first goals from Yedlin and Traore, who scored within 7 minutes of each other.

Steve Zakuani and Eddie Johnson partnered up in the 79’ when Zakuani fed Johnson the ball giving the Sounders their 3^rd and final goal thanks to terrible, absolutely terrible positioning from Tigres keeper de Leon.

The final score: 3-1 Seattle Sounders.

The Sounders will face the winner of the Santos Laguna – Houston Dynamo match in the semi final.

We head back to MLS action on Saturday when we host our rivals, the Portland Timbers – kickoff is at 5 pm PT.

What a day in the soccer world yesterday! For me, I was pumped the very moment I woke up at 6 a.m. that morning. The news that Real Madrid beat Barcelona for the second time this week was just the beginning. But then I looked at my Avengers calendar, my eyes drawn to the gigantic green & blue star covering today’s date.

Dun dun dun! Yesterday was the first day of the new 2013-2014 MLS season, everybody! I hope you are all just as excited as I am. Last night was the opening match for the Seattle Sounders who faced off the Montreal Impact.

Sadly, the Impact shut us out. At home. In front of 38,998 people. The sea of rave green covering the stands at Century Link field. It wasn’t the best way to start the season but you have to remember, the season is just beginning!

The Sounders were brilliant on the pitch throughout the match and with every chance for a goal; the ball just didn’t want to go in. Eddie Johnson came dangerously close to scoring late in the second half but that crossbar just had to demolish Seattle’s chances of an equalizer.

It seemed as if that crossbar was the 23^rd man on the pitch tonight, blocking shots from Brad Evans and Montreal’s Davy Arnaud. However Arnaud scored early for the Impact in the 34^th minute finding a gap in the midfield (with an assist by Felipe Martins), lobbing the ball through Seattle’s loose defense and past Gspurning for the lone goal of the match.

On Wednesday I pointed out Dijimi Traore, the new signing for the Sounders. Rumors had it that the veteran defender would be playing tonight but that wasn’t the case.

Even with our first loss, it was great to witness the lead up of the first kick. Social media networks blew up with fan anticipation, making even the less die-hard soccer fans excited.

The Sounders next match focuses on CCL when they head down to Monterrey, Mexico to face Tigres.

Until next time Sounders fans…..rave on!

Stay tuned to @AerysSoccer for all your soccer updates and in-depth MLS coverage!

Photo courtesy of Seattle Sounders FC

It’s almost time ladies and gents! We’re 2 days away from the 2013 MLS season! To get you geared up for an exciting weekend, it’s time to run through all of the new jerseys some of the MLS teams will be unveiling this season.

Let’s start things off with New York Red Bulls. Our NY writer, Dani has your complete coverage on the night over here.

Red Bulls Primary Jersey

Philadelphia Union decided to “kick it old school” with their new third kits. It’s a slick look that took more than two years to create. You can read more on how they came up with the new look over here.

Union 3rd Jersey

Colorado Rapids took it to a whole new level with their kits. In place of the hoops on their home jersey, the Rapids decided to put the names of their season ticket holders. Interesting, but pretty awesome. The Rapids also decided to pay homage to Colorado by using the state flag colors on their new second kits.

Rapids Home Jersey

Rapids Second Jersey

Houston Dynamo decided to keep things simple and clean. They are keeping the same third kit from last year, and adding the saying “Forever Orange” to their new kits. They also added the Texas state flag and a tape design after their new BBVA stadium.

Dynamo Primary Jersey

Keeping on the track of paying homage to their cities or states, Toronto FC is at the top of the list. With their new designs, the maple leaf stands out and the jersey is crisp and clean. TFC also added the saying “All For One” on the back of their jersey.

TFC Primary Jersey

Montreal Impact kept their jersey the “old style” and stayed traditional with the collar and buttons. It is a throwback style to their very first jersey they had in 1993. You can read more and watch a video over here.

Impact 3rd Jersey

Sporting KC showed off their primary jersey with a new style as they decided to pay tribute to Kansas and Missouri. They also have a new sponsor, Ivy Funds, which dominates most of the jersey with their logo.  SKC’s jersey also has two Sporting logos; one on the front and one on the back. Nice little details that make up a terrific jersey.

SKC Primary Jersey

Seattle Sounders went back to their signature “rave green” in their new Primary jersey. It features the space needle on the left side in a silver tone. For their secondary ones, they went opposite of their bright jersey, with a black one. It features lime green stripes that pop against the black and out of all the new 2013 jerseys, it’s a personal favorite for me.

Seattle Primary Jersey

Seattle Secondary Jersey

Vancouver Whitecaps kept it simple with their new primary kits. The cool white jersey is off set with the navy diagonal stripes. It’s a classic and crisp look. Simple, and to the point!

Whitecaps Primary Jersey

For LA Galaxy’s new second kit, talk about classy. To tie in with the Galaxy theme adidas decided to put the Quasar as apart of the shoulder and bottom detail. You can read my article on LA’s new kit, plus other things over here. 

LA Galaxy 2nd Jersey

Portland Timbers released their new jersey, and the look is crisp and clean. The kits feature the Timbers Army chant on the inside of the collar. Nice little addition to pay tribute to their loyal fans. You can read more on the new kits over here.

Timbers Primary Jersey

Timbers Secondary Jersey

There you have it! Look for the new kits as the teams take the field this weekend, and during the 2013 season. If you want to order any of them you can do so on MLSgear.com.

Don’t forget to follow @AerysSoccer on twitter to keep up with all of the latest news, and game highlights from First Kick!

We are four days away from First Kick for MLS and let’s just say that we couldn’t be happier. Sure we love other leagues and appreciate all they have to offer but MLS always has a special place in our hearts. Here are our favorites players in no particular order (well, a few just rank a little higher than others but we won’t say who), to help you get a bit more excited about the 2013 season!

Seattle Sounders’ Brad Evans is really under appreciated. Everyone should get to know him this 2013 season. And by everyone, I mean Jurgen Klinsman.

We know he might be dressed to play for Columbus Crew but that’s only because Dilly Duka did in fact play for them but has now been acquired by the Chicago Fire.

Justin Braun, what more can we say? Oh right, he’s wearing entirely too many clothes but give him a break – it is 36 degrees today in Toronto and what’s that? Oh, yeah they are expecting a blizzard. Bundle up, Justin – we wouldn’t want you to get sick and miss First Kick!

 Sporting KC’s Teal Bunbury is just giving us a preview and we like what we see…please don’t stop on our account, carry on!

 Dwayne De Rosario of DC United (and NYRB’s Thierry Henry)…sorry, I lost my train of thought…give me a moment.

I know…I know…but you have to admit that this is the best 2-for-1 special and let’s just say after two back-to-back championships,  will we be surprised if there is a third one in the future? Robbie Keane and Landon Donovan definitely hope so. And while we are aware that Landon is on “hiatus” – this is Hollywood afterall and everyone loves a great comeback.

Be sure to check in with the ladies of Aerys Soccer as we get pumped up for First Kick this weekend! And don’t forget to follow us on twitter at @AerysSoccer, where we post articles, morning headlines and more!

Well this is it! We’re are days, just days away from First Kick 2013 in Major League Soccer! Already, the expectations are high and the ladies here at Aerys Soccer cannot wait for the teams to hit the pitches again.

As we gear up for this season, we’re still looking for some writers to cover teams in MLS. Do you love talking about your favorite team? Feel the need to write up a rant or gush about a new player? Need to call out your coach or sing the praises of your favorite forward? Check out the graphic below listing the teams we have openings for and if you’re interested, let us know!

Hmmm, some great MLS teams listed! If you’re a fan of one or of the league in general, shoot me an e-mail at trista.lutgring@gmail.com! We’d love to bring you on board!

And as always, make sure to follow us at @AerysSoccer as we dive into MLS 2013