Sounders media release:
With an opportunity to bring its record level going into the World Cup break, Seattle Sounders FC hosts D.C. United on Thursday night before the 24th consecutive sellout crowd and a national television audience. It will serve as the planet's final fixture prior to the curtain going up on the FIFA quadrennial extravaganza in South Africa on Friday. ESPN2 and ESPN Deportes will air the match, which is set for 7 p.m. PT on the Xbox Pitch at Qwest Field.
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Sounders FC, coming off its most impressive performance so far, is bidding to win two in a row for the first time in 2010. Seattle (4-5-3, 15 points) is 4-2-1 against teams in the MLS Eastern Conference. A win would vault it from a tie for sixth in the West to fourth.
Matching its record margin for a victory and breaking a standard for shots, Sounders FC scored three first-half goals in downing New England, 3-0, at home last week. It was the first win in three games and the first at home since April 17.
D.C. United (2-8-1, 7 points) resides in the East basement and is tied with Philadelphia for the lowest point total. After starting 0-5-0 under new coach Curt Onalfo, United has begun to settle in and has collected four points from its last two outings. D.C. drew 0-0 with MLS Cup champion Real Salt Lake at home last week.
In 2009, Sounders FC was unbeaten (2-0-1) in three meetings with D.C. United, with both wins coming on the road at RFK Stadium. The two sides finished 3-3 after a late two-goal comeback by United in Seattle. Sounders FC won the second meeting, the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Final, 2-1, and won again by an identical score in MLS play 10 days later.
Seattle set an MLS season attendance record in 2009 and is on pace to smash that mark. Last week's crowd of 36,344 joyful supporters was the largest yet for a home MLS date. After this week, the next scheduled home fixture is July 11 versus FC Dallas.
For tickets to Sounders FC home matches, call 1-877-MLS-GOAL or visit www.SoundersFC.com.
The Seattle-D.C. United match's final whistle will signal the start of two-week break for MLS. Sounders FC will return to action on June 27 at Philadelphia Union in another ESPN2 telecast. The first match at Union's new PPL Park in Chester, Penn., begins at 2 p.m. PT.
Broadcast Information
National TV: ESPN 2/Deportes
Talent: Glenn Davis, Kyle Martino
Local Radio: 97.3 KIRO FM
Talent: Thom Beuning, Pete Fewing
Pregame Talent: Alan Hinton and Jimmy Gabriel with Matt Gaschk (Radio)
Local Spanish Radio: 1210 AM Homero
Talent: Rene Aleman, Noe Menendez and Victor Hernandez
Reach Galen Helmgren at nextseasonsports@gmail.com
