Cascadia clubs to hold preseason summit at Sounders’ facility | Soccer By Ives

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By JOSE M. ROMERO

Soccer fans in the Pacific Northwest wont have to wait until the regular season starts to see their teams face off against their regional rivals.

The Portland Timbers, Seattle Sounders and Vancouver Whitecaps (and their fans) will come together March 4-6 at the Starfire Sports Complex in Tukwila, Wash., where Seattle trains, for a weekend-long summit that includes preseason matches against each other.

Seattle and Portland kick off the series of games with a match at 7:30 p.m. on March 4 at Starfires main stadium. Seattle has played all but one of its home U.S. Open Cup matches at the stadium, which holds around 4,000 people.

Portland and Vancouver play March 5 at 5 p.m., and the Sounders and Whitecaps finish off the weekend with a match at 3 p.m. March 6. Before that is a noon match between the Sounders FC U-18 Academy and the WhitecapsResidency developmental club.

Additionally, there will be forums involving the coaches from each MLS club and their supporters groups beginning at 1 p.m. on March 5.

Tickets are $10 for each day and go on sale February 1 at SoundersFC.com or by calling (800) 745-3000. There is a two-day Sounders FC package for $18 that is good for both Seattle matches. No ticket is necessary for the Supporters/Coaches Forum.

Portland and Vancouver supporters will each be allotted 500 tickets in specific sections for their matches with Sounders FC. For the Whitecaps-Timbers match, each group will be allotted 1,300 seats, with 500 for Seattle fans.

Soccer Saturday: Your Running Commentary | Soccer By Ives

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Revenge will be on the mind of some of Englands top teams today in a loaded schedule of soccer around the world.

Manchester United dropped points in controversial fashion when the Red Devils visited Birmingham City last month, but Sir Alex Fergusons side will look to take all three points at Old Trafford today. Meanwhile, Arsenal will look to defend home turf against the same Wigan side it dropped points to in December.

If you want to see some dominating teams in action, look no further than Germany, where first-place Borussia Dortmund is running wild in the Bundesliga. Barcelona is also in action today and will be looking to erase the memories of a disappointing mid-week Copa Del Rey loss.

If you are watching todays action, please feel free to share your thoughts, opinions and some play-by-play in the comments section below.

Enjoy the action (Todays TV Schedule is after the jump):

TODAYS SOCCER ON TV

7:45pm- ESPN2/ESPN3.com- Wolverhampton vs. Liverpool

8am- Fox Soccer Plus- Derby County vs. Nottingham Forest

8:25am- Pay Per View- Australia vs. Iraq (Asian Cup)

9:30am- GolTV- Borussia Dortmund vs. VfB Stuttgart

9:30am- ESPN3.com- Bayern Munich vs. Kaiserslautern

10am- Fox Soccer Plus- Arsenal vs. Wigan

10am- Fox Soccer Channel- Manchester United vs. Birmingham City

11:30am- GolTV- Hamburg vs. Eintracht Frankfurt (Delayed)

Noon- Fox Soccer Plus- Palermo vs. Brescia

Noon- ESPN3.com- Sevilla vs. Levante

12:30pm- Fox Soccer Channel- Aston Villa vs. Manchester City

2pm- GolTV- Barcelona vs. Racing Santander

2:4pm- Fox Soccer Channel- AS Roma vs. Cagliari

3pm- ESPN3.com- Argentina vs. Venezuela (CONMEBOL Under-20 Tournament)

4pm- GolTV- Valencia vs. Malaga

5pm- Fox Soccer Channel- Newcastle United vs. Tottenham

5:10pm- ESPN3.com- Chile vs. Uruguay (CONMEBOL Under-20 Tournament)

6pm- Fox Soccer Plus- Everton vs. West Ham United (Delayed)

6pm- Azteca America- Cruz Azul vs. UNAM Pumas

6pm- Telefutura- Queretaro vs. Morelia

6pm- Telemundo- Monterrey vs. Atlante

8pm- Galavision- Santos Laguna vs. Pachuca

8pm- Telemundo- Chivas Guadalajara vs. San Luis

10pm- Telefutura/ESPN3.com- USA vs. Chile

1am- Fox Soccer Channel- Central Coast Mariners vs. Sydney FC

Dempsey nets pair, Spector scores on banner day | Soccer By Ives

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There were only two American field players in action in the English Premier League on Saturday but that didnt stop them from nearly equaling the goal total of all the English Players in the EPL combined.

Clint Dempsey scored a pair of goals to help Fulham defeat Stoke City, 2-0, while Jonathan Spector added his own goal to help West Ham register a 2-2 tie against Everton.

The three combined goals was just one less than all English players produced in Saturdays eight Premier League matches. Keiran Richardson (two), Darren Bent and Aaron Lennon scored the four goals among English players in the Premier League on Saturday.

Dempsey and Spector were the only American field players to play, while goalkeeper Brad Friedel posted a shutout in Aston Villas 1-0 win against Manchester City. Tim Howard was in net for Everton. Jermaine Jones is set to make his Premier League debut for Blackburn on Sunday, while Stuart Holden and Bolton face Chelsea on Monday.

Here are Dempseys goals if you havent seen them yet, and here is Spectors goal.We will post official video highlights of all three goals when they become available.

For now, tell us what you thought of todays performances by Dempsey and Spector. Impressed with Dempseys run of form? Starting to believe in Spector being a contender for playing time in the U.S. national team midfield?

Share your thoughts below.

USA vs. Chile: The Pre-Game Tailgate | Soccer By Ives

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The U.S. mens national team will open a new year and new four-year World Cup cycle tonight when the Americans take on Chile at Home Depot Center (10pm, Telefutura/ESPN3.com).

Bob Bradley will be fielding a young squad against a Chile side made up of domestic league players. The match should offer a good test to some of the defensive newcomers on the U.S. roster, while also showcasing many of the exciting new attacking players in the current U.S. camp.

I will be providing a live commentary on tonights match so be sure to follow along.

For now, share your pre-game thoughts, and check outa look at potential lineups, as well as the latest video preview from the folks at USSoccer.com.(Ill update periodically right up until game-time):

PRE-GAME- Im about to launch the Match Night Commentary, so be sure to move on over to SBIs live match night coverage when it launches (and we close this post down). (THE MATCH COMMENTARY POST IS NOW LIVE).

PRE-GAME- Lineup should be out soon. Heres the lineup Id like to see (in a 4-3-3):

-Bunbury

AgudeloBedoya

Diskerud

-Larentowicz-McCarty

De La Garza-ReamGonzalezFranklin

Rimando-

PRE-GAME- Here is the full USA match-day roster:

Goalkeepers- 1-Sean Johnson 18-Nick Rimando

Defenders- 6-A.J. DeLaGarza 4-Omar Gonzalez 12-Zach Loyd 15-Sean Franklin 5-Tim Ream 3-Anthony Wallace 2-Marvell Wynne

Midfielders- 19-Eric Alexander 7-Alejandro Bedoya 16-Mixx Diskerud 8-Jeff Larentowicz 10-Dax McCarty 14-Brek Shea

Forwards- 17-Juan Agudelo 9-Teal Bunbury 11-Chris Wondolowski

PRE-GAME- Im sure some folks are a bit disappointed that Eugene Starikov didnt make the match roster but considering how new he is to the U.S. national team set-up (not even on the youth level) it shouldnt be a surprise.

PRE-GAME- As a reminder, well be having a live commentary on tonights match. Seems like there are about a thousand live commentaries on the web tonight for USA-Chile, but Ill recommend SBIs as the one youre going to want to follow.

PRE-GAME- Apologies for having Franklin on the players not dressing list earlier. I thought he would start this game so that seemed a bit surprising. Hes in and I think he could start.

PRE-GAME- The players who wont dress for tonights match are Dom Cervi, Matt Pickens, Ryan Miller, Sam Cronin, Eugene Starikov.

Not that surprised about Sean Johnson, but its a great step for a talented young goalkeeper. Im betting a lot of teams are kicking themselves for passing on him in the 2010 MLS Draft.

PRE-GAME- If I were a betting man, and I am, I would bet against a straight 4-4-2. I think a 4-2-3-1 is more likely, or perhaps a straight 4-3-3.

Lets talk defenders. I wonder if well see Marvell Wynne. He enjoyed a good season for Colorado at centerback, but I dont see him being an international centerback. Does Bradley give him a run at right back?

Bigger question. Which of the natural right backs starts at left back tonight? I dont think Anthony Wallace, the lone natural left back, will get the call. So will it be Sean Frankline, Zach Loyd or perhaps A.J. De La Garza?

PRE-GAME- No word on which players arent dressing tonight yet, but its a safe bet two of them will be goalkeepers. Ill post as soon as the info is released.

PRE-GAME- Since formations and lineups are always fun to consider, heres another lineup idea, in A 4-3-3 formation:

-Bunbury

SheaAgudelo

Bedoya

-Larentowicz-McCarty

Franklin-ReamGonzalezDe La Garza

Rimando-

Okay, so maybe a 4-3-3 against a Chile team that could run out a 3-4-3 might not be ideal, but it would sure be fun to watch. Also remember that Bradley used a 4-3-3 against Colombia, at least thats what he called it. Brek Shea didnt get forward nearly enough for it to be a true 4-3-3.

PRE-GAME-So what lineup might we see tonight: So many possibilities. Here are a few:

4-2-3-1

Bunbury-

AgudeloDiskerud-Bedoya

-Larentowicz-McCarty

Franklin-ReamGonzalezDe La Garza

Rimando-

If Bradley chooses a standard 4-4-2, we could see this:

Bunbury-Agudelo-

Shea-Bedoya

-Larentowicz-McCarty

Franklin-ReamGonzalezDe La Garza

Rimando-

If Bradley decides to sit Agudelo and slow down the hype machine:

Bunbury-

SheaDiskerud-Bedoya

-Larentowicz-McCarty

Franklin-ReamGonzalezDe La Garza

Rimando-

If Bradley decides to bring young standouts Agudelo and Mikkel Diskerud off the bench:

BunburyWondolowski

Shea-Bedoya

-Larentowicz-McCarty

Franklin-ReamGonzalezDe La Garza

Rimando-

Yes, we keep the same back four, but not because its a lock. The idea of having three Galaxy defenders wouldnt be that surprising, but Marveil Wynne and Ryan Miller could definitely crash the party. At this point it definitely seems like a Ream-Gonzalez pairing in central defense is a safe bet.In goal, it should be Rimando.

Some other thoughts. Brek Shea was pretty abysmal in his national team debut against Colombia, but I think he could get another run-out on the left tonight.

Heres a video preview on the match from U.S. Soccer:

Remember to share your pre-game thoughts on tonights match in the comments section below.

USA vs. Chile: Match Night Commentary | Soccer By Ives

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The U.S. mens national team begins the new year tonight by taking on South American side Chile at Home Depot Center (10pm, Telefutura/ESPN3.com).

Bob Bradley will be fielding a very young squad against a Chile team that also has plenty of new faces. Neither team will feature its best players, but the chance to impress their coaches should have both teams in attack mode.

SBI will be providing live commentary throughout the night so please feel free to join us. As always, you are welcome to share your own thoughts and opinions in the comments section below.

Enjoy the action (Commentary is after the jump):

Agudelo, Bunbury provide sparks in USA draw | Soccer By Ives

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BY ADAM SERRANO

CARSON, CALIF The U.S. mens national teams first match of the new year didnt start well, but ended with some promising signs as the young forward tandem of Juan Agudelo and Teal Bunbury helped the United States salvage a point on opening night.

Bunbury scored a 75th-minute penalty kick drawn by Agudelo to tie the match after Esteban Paredesopened the scoring for Chilein front of a crowd of 18,580 at the Home Depot Center.

The match was a fast paced one with each side featuring players with little or no national team experience.Seven Americanplayers earned their first cap on Saturday night and the entire roster consisted of players with no more than sixappearanceswith the national team, which made adjusting to the speed of the international game crucial.

TheAmericans struggled early on againsta Chilean team thatutilizedits speed to put the home side under pressure at the start of the match. With the Gold Cup and other international matches on the horizon, Bradley was optimistic about how his young sidehandled the pace of the match.

There was certainly some moments when we lost some balls and they were dangerous, but there was a strong response when we were down, which I thought was quite good, Bradley said. When you have a lot of young guys in the camp at an end of everything you want to put it to the test and get a good picture of where people are and from that point it was excellent.

The U.S. team struggled to get close to goal and nearly conceded a goal off a free kick in the 6th minute of play. In the early stages, the United States was unable to create chances, but came close to taking the lead in the 12th minute when Dax McCarty fired an audacious strike from 40 yards that forced a save from Chilean goalkeeper Paulo Garces. Chile opened the scoring in the 53rd minute when Felipe Seymour fired in a cross to Paredes. The World Cup veteran, left unmarked by defender Marvell Wynne, slotted home the opening goal.

TheU.s. team struggled to create chances in the first half, but drew a tangible spark from the inclusion of Bunbury and Agudelo in the60th minute. The pair worked well to create attacks and put pressure on the Chilean defense, combining well with midfielddistributorMixx Diskerud.

The United States struck pay dirt in the 75th minute when Alejandro Bedoya worked a give-and-go with Agudelo, who drew a penalty after beingtripped inside the box. Bunbury immediately called Agudelo off the penalty and slotted it home for his first international goal.

We were down and we wanted to make something happen so I worked with Alejandro and we earned the penalty, said Agudelo. Then Teal stepped up to take it and was very sure that he was going to make it. Im just happy that we made it and Ill run up next time to take the next [penalty].

Similarto the United Statessituation, Chile is approaching a vital 2011 with the Copa America in July. Following the match, head coach Marcelo Bielsa announced that he would be making an announcement on his coaching future with La Roja next week in Santiago. Bielsas return for the Copa America has been in some doubt after disagreements with the Federation in the past.

The United States will take on its next opponent on February 9thfacing Egypt in Cairo. Due to the success of the combination of Bunbury and Agudelo, the pair may have a chance of inclusion with the full squad. Throughout the camp, the pair have continued to work well and Bunbury who Agudelo referred to as like a brother after the match hopes that the two see moreopportunitiesto work together in the future.

Our chemistry is really going well and Im looking to more games with him in the future, said Bunbury. Were always trying to work well together and push one another to make each other better it really showed for us tonight.

Soccer Sunday: Your Running Commentary | Soccer By Ives

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Jermaine Jones is set to make his English Premier League debut for Blackburn against West Bromwich Albion in one of todays key matches to watch.

Jones joins Blackburn on loan and should slide right into the starting lineup for a Rovers side currently in 12th place. He wont be the only American central midfielder in action, with Michael Bradley and Borussia Moenchengladbach facing Bayer Leverkusen.

If you will be watching todays action, please feel free to share your thoughts, opinions and some play-by-play in the comments section below.

Enjoy the action (Todays TV schedule is after the jump):

TODAYS SOCCER ON TV

6:30am- Fox Soccer Plus- Udinese vs. Inter Milan

8:30am- ESPN3.com- VVV Venlo vs. PSV Eindhoven

8:30am- Fox Soccer Plus- Queens Park Rangers vs. Coventry City

9am- Fox Soccer Channel- Sampdoria vs. Juventus

9am- ESPN3.com- Bologna vs. Lazio

9am- ESPN3.com- AS Bari vs. Napoli

9:30am- ESPN3.com- Borussia Moenchengladbach vs. Bayer Leverkusen

10:30am- Fox Soccer Plus- Fulham vs. Stoke City (Replay)

11am- Fox Soccer Channel- Blackburn vs. West Bromwich Albion

11am- GolTV- Sporting Gijon vs. Atletico Madrid

11am- DirecTV- Real Zaragoza vs. Deportivo La Coruna

11am- DirecTV- Getafe vs. Espanyol

11:30am- ESPN3.com- Brazil vs. Bolivia (CONMEBOL Under-20 Tournament)

1pm- ESPN3.com- Real Madrid vs. Mallorca

1pm- Telemundo- Toluca vs. Jaguares

1pm- Azteca America- Puebla Estudiantes Tecos

1:40pm- ESPN3.com- Ecuador vs. Paraguay(CONMEBOL Under-20 Tournament)

2:45pm- Fox Soccer Channel- AC Milan vs. AC Cesena

2:45pm- ESPN3.com- Nice vs. Olympique Lyon

3pm- ESPN3.com- Villarreal vs. Real Sociedad

5pm- Univision- Club America vs. Tigres UANL

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