Hey Everybody

So here we go again!  Another game another draw.  When asked how I feel about  5 draws in a row, all I can say it is better than 5 losses in a row and not as good as 5 wins in a row.  Once again lots of talking points.  Another red card, one of the best goals you will see all season, a missed penalty, chances to win the game and chances to lose the game.  If you are a neutral fan you can’t say that our games aren’t entertaining.  The big question is how can we change these draws into wins?  The million dollar question!  Everyone has their own ideas and you know what they say about opinions, everybody has one.   I’m no different, but all I can do is control the controllables.   You may ask what does that mean?  I’m not the coach, I’m not the GM, I’m not the ownership.  I’m the team captain and the Goalkeeper.  I do my job to the best of my ability, I try to help the players around me be better, I lead by example.   I’m sure some of you are as frustrated with some of the recent results just as I am, but you have to admit it has been a pretty damn good start!

I was asked the question why some games long pants and why some games shorts?  I have worn shorts on the grass pitches and long pants on the artificial surfaces.  The artificial is better than it used to be,  but I still like the skin on my body where it belongs.  I don’t want to get into a situation where I might think before I react because of what might happen to my skin if I were wearing shorts on the turf.  This might change if the weather gets too hot but for now it has worked out pretty well.

Looks like a great week of weather is coming our way.  For once the sunshine is going stick around while I’m actually going to be around for the week.  Maybe it will start raining when we leave this weekend for LA?  Have fun in the sun Seattle!

Kasey

Hey Everybody,

What a great day here in the beautiful Northwest.  I hope you didn’t have to spend  the majority of your day in an office.  Then, on the other hand, not bad having a job in the current economic climate.

We had a good training at Qwest this morning.  With the game on Tuesday and only a couple of days before the game on Saturday, today was a pretty light day.  Just making sure we are ready and not tired come game time, especially those of us who played on Tuesday.  Days like today are more of a tactical session, working on how we are going to try and play against our opponent.  Although the physical side of the game might be easier on days like today, the focus has to be sharp.  Nothing is worse than having a practice fall apart because the team is not there mentally.  Practice went smooth and looks like we should be ready to go against Columbus.

This afternoon I was able to meet up with my Dad and a couple of friends to do some Trap Shooting.  It was a great day to go out and blast some defenseless flying clay discs.   I’m a decent shot, but one of the guys that I shot with is one of the top shooters in the state.  Very humbling !  That’s ok, I don’t think he would have saved that header from Conner Casey in Colorado!  

Thanks for all the great comments and a few questions.  One that I would like to answer is about getting on players backs when they are not performing.  I fully understand when fans get frustrated and voice their displeasure.  The problem is when it goes too far.  If you want to go on talk radio and say that someone had a bad game and have some legitimate reasons to back it up, that is your right and most players respect that.  What we don’t like is when it gets personal.  Cursing players families and just being obnoxious is taking it too far.  Several years ago Eric Cantona, a famous French player for Man U,  got a red card in a league match.  As he was going off the pitch he was getting unbelievable abuse.  Eric lost it and jumped over the sign boards and kicked a fan in the chest. At the time, most of the players in England were on his side because the abuse we took on the field was unbelievable. No matter what, we were expected to just take it.  After the incident,  I was doing a radio show in England,  and a  caller called in and said it was his right to abuse the players because he paid for his ticket, and therefore it was his right.  I made the point then that I should be able to come in to his job while he was stocking shelves at a local supermarket and scream at him for 90 minutes.  Tell him how useless he is, that he is the worst stocker in the store, maybe even in the whole chain of stores.  Then maybe his mother was in the oldest profession in the world, and his father was disappointed that he can’t legally marry his friend Steve.  After all, I was shopping there and spending my money, so it was my right.  It is all about  limits.  By all means voice your opinion, but do it with a little class.

Are you ready for the weekend Seattle?

Kasey

Hey Everybody,

With all the changes it was great to pull out the 1-0 win!  I was very happy with the way the guys approached the game.  They gave everything they had to give.  When you can out work the opponent, that is half the battle.  On top of that, we had some guys step up to show the coach they can do the job when called upon.  

I was particularly happy with the back four.  I feel the partnership between Hurtado and Ianni worked very well.  Ianni stepped in for Tyrone who has been great all year and was one of our regular starters that had the night off.   The two outside backs had solid games as well.  Wahl was very comfortable and Evan Brown’s first start was good except for the one time he let his man free, but fortunately their players couldn’t get the header on goal.

It was a good confidence boost for Kevin Forrest on his first start to score the game winner.  Always a tough situation for young players waiting for their  chance to show what they can do.   Part of being a young pro is working and working all season just hoping you have done enough to convince the coach you won’t let the team down if you play.  When he finally gives you that chance, do you take it, or have you convinced the coach that he needs to buy a different player.  You know what they say, you only get one chance to make a first impression.

Had a fun time this morning on the BJ Shea Show.  Always nice to start your day with a good laugh.  We definitely did that this morning.  After the show went to VMAC, the Seahawks training facility, to watch the Champions League Final.  Good game!  In the first 15 minutes looked like Man U was going to run away with the game.  Barcelona scored against the run of play and totally changed the complexion of the game.  After creating several chances to double their lead, they were rewarded for their effort by getting the second off a great cross and a superb header from Messi.  A well deserved 2-0 win be Barcelona.

Training at Qwest tomorrow for the preparation against last year’s champs, the Columbus Crew. Looks like we can welcome back a few players we have missed over the last few games.  We need everyone ready to go if we want to get back to winning ways in the league.

“If you’re not first, you’re last”

Kasey

Hey everybody,

Sometimes when you feel like you have just finished with one game, you find yourself preparing for the next.   The Open Cup journey continues tomorrow night at Starfire against the same Colorado Rapids we drew with on Saturday.   Of all the teams we could have played, of course it is the team we just played 2 days before.  Funny how that works sometimes.  

With the injury list growing by the day, tomorrow’s line-up could not only be a little different than Saturday, but also from the last Open Cup game where we beat Salt Lake 4-1.  I’m  interested to see what team Colorado brings.  Are they coming with the full first team or are they going to give some of the reserves a chance to get some playing time?  For us, with the injuries, looks like some guys will get another chance to shine.  If we approach the game  the same as the last cup game we should be fine.

After 4 consecutive draws it would be nice to get back to winning ways.  At the same time, we have to look at what the goal of the team is?  Do we want to risk anymore injuries and have the league position threatened, or do we go for it and try to go as far as we can in the Cup?  The only person who can answer that question is Sigi.  Any way the team lines up, I feel we have the depth to win with whoever is on the field.  

I hope everyone had a great Memorial day weekend.  The weather sure did its part.  I had a mixed weekend with the results of a couple of my old clubs.  Moenchengladbach got the draw they needed to stay in the Bundesliga, but Millwall conceded two late goals to lose the play-off final to not go back up to the English Championship.  I wish them both all the success in the next season.  

Maybe I’ll see you tomorrow at Starfire, if not then Saturday at Qwest.  Keep living the dream Seattle!

Kasey

Hey everybody,

Wow!  Sometimes it’s great just being lucky.  Last night’s game started well enough with Fredy Montero getting back on the score sheet early in the first half, but that was where the game changed.  Quickly, the Rapids were level with a pretty good move down the left, then a good cross and an easy finish.  For the rest of the half it was hold on for dear life.  Somehow we happened to go into half -time all square.  That didn’t last long into the second half.  After all the good scoring chances Colorado created it took a big deflection for them to take the lead.  After we found ourselves down we seemed to gain a little bit of composure.  Colorado still had the majority of the play but we were finding our way slowly back into the game.  We were rewarded with about 15 minutes left, we got the ball into the box and Nate Jaqua smashed the ball in from close range.  Somehow against the run of play we found ourselves tied.  Colorado seemed a little stunned.  As they pushed forward to try to find the winner we found ourselves with space to counter attack.  Montero just misses wide with a good effort from the top of the box.  Colorado force me to make a good save late.  Them Zakuani had a great chance for us to win it and steal all three points.  Pickens, the Colorado goalkeeper , also made a good save and the game was halved.

Tough night, but just goes to show that if you never give up, keep fighting,and work hard for one another you just might get something for your effort.  Now as the injury list deepens, it’s even more important for the guys to step up and prove their worth.  Big cup game Tuesday and a time for some guys to prove they can do the job.

Better pilot for the flight home!  Enjoy your day off tomorrow, don’t get sunburned.

Kasey

Hey everybody, 

Decent training this morning, no surprises, everybody is good to go.  Little delayed, and a little bumpy on the way in to Denver.  We were circling for a while, and then proceeded to land, and at about 1000 feet, the pilot punched it and aborted the landing.  He got on the intercom just to let us know that he wasn’t happy with the tower’s instructions and thought we were coming in too steep, so he pulled up and aborted.  In all the years I have been traveling, I have never had this happen on a landing, just glad we landed safely.  I have been in some interesting situations over the years, but that was a first.  I took an Aeroflot flight from Madrid to Moscow, and on take-off I thought the plane was going to fall apart, and during the flight something was dripping from the ceiling, and things were falling out of the overhead compartments. Communism at its finest.  For those of you who have never taken a flight out of South Africa, my wife and I were flying back to London and on the flight they told us to close our eyes and cover our mouths as they released  some kind of chemical into the cabin, awesome, not quite sure to this day what that was,don’t think I want to know.  The stories are endless.  Enough of that, once again we leave a perfect Seattle day to arrive in Denver for thunder storms.

Hope you all tune in tomorrow night for the game, enjoy the sunshine, and we hope to bring all three points back to Seattle.

Kasey

Hey everybody,

Today at training was very typical of a late in the week session.  A little shorter, a little more direction, and a little less physically demanding.  You don’t want to peak on a Thursday when the game is on Saturday.  Later in the week the legs get less work and the brain gets a little more.  Often on a Thursday after a good warm-up it is an eleven vs eleven full field exercise.  Today was no exception.  This is where we try to work on the concepts of how we are going to play on the weekend.  I say concepts because things change in the game.  You might have worked on how to stop the opponents most dangerous striker to find out a hour before kickoff  he is sick with the flu.  We also work on how we want to influence the game .  Same thing, we might have late changes that put all that work out the window.  Once again we are going to have to make some changes to our lineup.  Looks like Ljungberg might be out for the second week in a row.  Evans although not as bad as once feared will most certainly miss the trip.  Zach Scott having to be subsituteded in the first half against Dallas looks uncertain to be fit.  On the positive, Riley is back from suspension,  Sturgis was in full training today, so it is not all doom and gloom.  This is a team sport, a third of the way through the season and it’s time for some guys to show that they belong on the field.

Because of  the flight to Colorado, we will be training a hour earlier.  That’s ok , I’m up anyway.  Kids have to get ready for school.  This wasn’t supposed to be the case though, a make up snow day!  The kids loved it when they didn’t have to go to school because of the snow.  I bet they wish they could be out in the beautiful weather that we will have tomorrow instead of in a classroom.  How come whenever we have to fly to another city the weather is great here in Seattle? We don’t get enough nice days to be leaving all the time when the weather is nice!

For those of you asking for a picture of my car  I will try to post a picture for you all.  If you see me in the fast lane coming up behind you please move to the right.

Have a great Memorial Day Weekend!

Kasey

Hey everybody,

Today was a fun day at training.  We (the goalkeepers) started with our normal warm-up / training day.  We joined the field players for some 6 v 6 games, but with a little twist.  The teams were picked out of a hat, then players were randomly changed for each game.  Individual players were judged on a point system based on their teams results.  My teams went 1-1-1 , which was somewhere in the middle.  Only one player lost all three games.  A couple of players finished with two wins and a draw.  A lot of fun because as a player you have to adapt to different roles and with different groups of players.  Great exercise!  Takes some planning from the coaching staff and tells them subtle  characteristics about each player. Of all the coaches and teams I have played for over the years this is the first time I have participated in this drill.  Just goes to show you are never too old or experienced to learn new things.  It is always nice when you can have a day at work where you learn something new and have a good time.

Having fun with the car!  So far so good!  Looks like the mechanics did a good job.  Had the sunroof open cruising around enjoying the day.  Hard to keep from getting in trouble, this car just wants to drive fast.  It is still longing for its time driving 170mph on the German Autobahn.  I miss that road everyday!  

Have fun in the sun tomorrow, and its not paranoia if they are really out to get you!

Kasey

Hey everybody,

A pretty good day back at training.   Looks like everyone took the time off  to reflect upon the result.  Looked like a new focus today at training.  We looked at the video of the game, both the good and the bad.  I have a good feeling that everything happens for a reason, and we are going to be a better team in the end  because of the game the other night.  It looks like the injury Brad Evans sustained isn’t as bad as first anticipated.  Lets hope the MRI confirms this, and we welcome him back sooner rather than later.

Had a cool speaking engagement tonight at Qwest for the box holders.  A little soccer 101 for the box holders and fans that might be newer to the sport.  Sigi did a little presentation on the basic rules of the game.  James Riley, Evan Brown, and Sebastien Letoux all gave insight.  I MCed the event and also gave a few stories myself.  Adrian Hanauer helped answer some of the business and MLS technical questions.  Overall, a great panel, some great questions and I think a good time had by all.

Picked up the car today.  Had a small heart attack with the bill, but it is running well.  Lets hope this continues.  Now I have to get the plates switched over.  Tried to do this the other day.  Apparently I had the right paper work to take possession  of the car from the Port, but not the right paper work to register the car with the State of Washington. You got to love government bureaucracy.  

Looking forward to another good day of training tomorrow.  Body feels great and long may that last.  Go away rain!  I’m ready for the summer!

 Remember Seattle:” If it moves kick it, and if it doesn’t move, kick it until it moves!”

Kasey

Hey everyone,

Yep, today was a nice day off.  You might be asking yourself, what does a professional soccer player do on their day off?   Normally I would take the plane to Maui, but instead I mowed the lawn and did some much needed yard work.  Big thrill I know, but someone has to do it.  

My car that broke down on the day I picked it up at the Port of Tacoma is supposed to be fixed tomorrow.  Fingers crossed the car decides to behave itself for awhile.  It will be nice to have it back, it is a fun car when it decides to run the way it should.

I thought today would be another good day to answer a few questions:

There was a question about the travel in the Premier League.  First thing England is about the size of  Washington State, so not the same logistics that MLS has, so most of the time we went by bus.  When I was at Leicester City we traveled almost always by bus.  Leicester is in the middle of the country so the rides were usually shorter than 3 hours.  Actually, it was one of the nicest buses I encountered in my playing career.  The bus had large seats, a full kitchen, and a full wait staff.  At the time, it was one of the nicest buses in the UK.  At Tottenham we mostly flew on our own plane the team chartered, or a similar bus to what we had a Leicester.  At Fulham we traveled by train for distances further than a 3 hour drive.  That was pretty cool.  We had two private train cars, very comfortable and we were able to walk around.  My favorite way to travel of the three.

As for the Dallas goal the other night?  As much as it pains me to say it, the linesman got it right.  A player kept the play on-side off camera.  I thought it was offside as well from my angle, but the officials got it right.

So back to work tomorrow, should be a nice wet spring day!  Keep on truckin’ Seattle!

Kasey

Hey everybody, 

So yesterday’s game didn’t quite go as planned.  For the first 44 minutes things were going well with only two exceptions.  The first was when we survived an early scare where Dallas should have scored around the 6th minute.  The second, was that we didn’t take advantage of the great goal scoring chances we created to put the game out of reach.   Instead, with the very last kick of the first half we gave Dallas a huge boost of confidence.  They got the goal against the run of play.  We then went into the half feeling defeated by the fact that Dallas tied up the game.   I don’t feel we ever totally recovered from conceding so late in the half.  Dallas were energized by the fact they were still in the game, and came at us in the second half with a new conviction.  It was too late for us to turn it up a notch.  Dallas had the better chances to win the game in the second half.  I know that if you draw away and win at home you are having a great season, but we really feel we let 2 points slip away last night. 

It was the first time this season Sigi gave the team a good verbal lashing, and really the first time it was truly deserved.  It’s always been a professional code that what is said in the locker room stays in the locker room .  I’m not going to break that code, but I really hope the guys take to heart what was said.  It will only make us a better team in the long run.  We have had a good start, but if we want to win the whole thing, we need to keep getting better throughout the season, so when the  play-offs come around we are ready.

A good week of training and a win in Colorado is just the answer!  I hope everyone had a great weekend besides the draw.

Kasey