Before going into the game analysis from last night's match, I'm still on the fence about the CONCACAF Champions League. Perhaps, it's the lack of familiarity with the teams (Marathon, Monterrey and Saprissa) in the Sounders' group that fails to generate much enthusiasm for this competition.

I saw plenty of empty seats in San Pedro Sula, Honduras as the television cameras panned the stadium prior to the start of the match. The malaise and lack of interest could be attributed to a mid-week matchup between two squads unknown to one another and their respective supporters.

We'll see how many fans show up next week Wednesday for the Sounders' next CONCACAF Champions League match against Monterrey. As of yesterday, 14,000 tickets had been sold. This is well below the usual 30,000+ for regular season games.

On the positive side, it's great exposure for MLS and gives Seattle the opportunity to play against squads from other part of the Americas. If anything, these matchups provide a good barometer on the quality of MLS teams.

Game Review

The Good

• Without Steve Zakuani (hip strain) and Sanna Nyassi (yellow card accumulations), the Rave Green lost some speed and quickness on the wings. Their replacements did fairly well. Roger Levesque scored once and should have had a second goal. Alvaro Fernandez played a quiet game and was replaced by Mike Seamon in the 69th minute. He almost notched the tying tally nine minutes later, but hit the post.
• Blaise Nkufo earned his first assist and point as a Sounder. He redirected Fredy Montero's cross to an open Levesque. The former USL Sounder sent a low shot past into the Marathon net to give Seattle the early 1-0 lead.
• Kasey Keller and his quartet of defenders (James Riley, Tyrone Marshall, Jeff Parke and Leon Gonzalez) struggled in the first 20 minutes but gained confidence as the game progressed. The shot that beat Keller barely made it inside the post.

The Bad

• The penalty on Tyrone Marshall in the first half extra time looked dubious. He was attempting to send a backpass to Keller, but the ball slowed on the thick and lush grass. Marshall's legs became entlanged with those of a Marathon player in the penalty area. The subsequent score by Nicolas Cardozo gave the home side all they needed for a hard fought win.
• Head coach Sigi Schmid replaced Nkufo in the 64th minute with Nate Jaqua. The Dutch league veteran had some nice touches and distributions. But, he still seems to be slow and not in sync with the rest of his teammates.
• Without Steve Zakuani (pelvic strain) and Sanna Nyassi (yellow card accumulations) in the lineup, the Sounders lacked speed and quickness on the wings. It could have been the key differentiator in earning at least one point in Honduras.

...And The Rest

• Brad Evans is out until early October and Pat Noonan's return date remains unknown. Those absences and the heavy schedule of MLS, Champions League and U.S. Open Cup matches will impact the Sounders. It's my guess that making the MLS playoffs is the primary goal for Schmid and GM Adrian Hanauer.
• Freddie Ljungberg's return to Seattle next Saturday should be a compelling game. Let's see how the home fans react once he makes his first appearance at Qwest Field, and their responses once the match starts. I predict that he'll score one against his former team.

John Z