Ljungberg and Kamara battle for possession
during the U.S. Open Cup semi-final match at
Qwest Field on July 21, 2009.
It seems even Mother Nature wants to help avoid a MLS lockout in 2010. The multiple snowstorms that recently pounded the Washington D.C. area have forced yet another extension of talks between players and league officials.
The original extension was set to expire Friday February 12th.
To Continue...
The previous CBA was set to expire January 31, but the two sides were unable to agree on new terms, but concluded that continuing the discussion was in the best interest of American pro soccer. A new deadline has not been set, but talks should resume as the nation's capitol digs out of several feet of snow.
In other Sounders news, the Vancouver Whitecaps fell 3-2 to the Rave Green in a scrimmage in Casa Grande, Arizona. Sanna Nyassi and Lamar Neagle scored a goal each in the second half after trailing 2-0 at halftime. Nyassi scored a second goal to take the lead in the 88th minute on a pass from Nate Sturgis, boosting the Sounders to a 2-0 record against the Whitecaps.
Taylor Graham pulled himself from the match after feeling a tightness in his hamstring and was replaced by Tyrone Marshall, but the defender seems to have avoided any injury.
"Luckily it's not a pull he just felt it really tighten up on him," Sounders coach Sigi Schmid said. "So that's the good news. He's smart enough, experienced enough to say 'if I keep going now it will pull,' so he pulled himself out of the game."
Schmid used a mix of starters and reserves from 2009 mixing in players the team had invited to spring training. The second half saw the coach substitute all eleven players on the Sounders' side.
the teams last met on February 22, 2009 in a closed-door friendly at Qwest Field, a game the Sounders won 4-0. The Sounders make their first trip to British Columbia on Saturday, March 6 at Swangard Stadium in Burnaby, BC. Tickets for that game apparently go on sale to the public February 17th at 10 a.m. PT on ticketmaster.ca.
The team will take the next few days off before regrouping and heading to Spain where they will face Norwegian league champion Rosenborg BK in the La Manga Cup starting February 18.
Reach Galen Helmgren at nextseasonsports@gmail.com
