Not Camelot, Just Business

1979 – Around the World and Close to Home

Iranian revolutionary forces take 49 hostages at the U.S. Embassy in Tehran, Margaret Thatcher becomes Britain’s first female prime minister, and Egypt and Israel sign a peace treaty. Pennsylvania’s Three Mile Island nuclear plant releases radiation, car-maker Chrysler asks the federal government for $1 billion in aid, and Magic Johnson’s Michigan State defeats Larry Bird’s Indiana State in the NCAA basketball title game. Local twentysomethings Bill Gates and Paul Allen move their computer software company, Microsoft, from New Mexico to Bellevue, the Hood Canal Bridge sinks during a severe storm, and the Seattle SuperSonics win the NBA championship.

Not Camelot, Just Business

What commenced in a spirit of Camelot is coldly laid bare as a business in the spring of ’79. The Seattle Sounders, five years into their existence and only 20 months removed from their first Cinderella-like Soccer Bowl appearance, are left tattered by infighting surrounding a leaguewide labor dispute.

The NASL Players Association, only seeking to be recognized by owners, votes by 69 percent to authorize a strike for the third weekend of play. The Sounders players meet and all but five vote not to play an April 13 game at Dallas. Two days after that 1-0 loss, they picket the team offices in Pioneer Square. They pointedly say they have no quarrel with Seattle ownership, which has treated them fairly, however, NASL owners elsewhere have been known to release injured players, refuse them proper medical treatment or withhold pay.

Sounders management was not beyond retaliatory tactics. Union representative Tony Chursky, one of the team’s most popular players, was traded in February. Adrian Webster, the new player rep, would be released following the season. The owners would sell the franchise in the offseason, and insiders indicate that while a sale had been contemplated for the past two years, the strike was the final straw.

Until this time, only Major League Baseball had experienced an in-season work stoppage. Over the next decade, MLB would cancel 712 games, and the NFL would go through two strikes totaling 81 days (Note: Following the 1987 NFL strike, the Seahawks were put up for sale by virtually the same ownership group as the original Sounders). The NASL strike lasted just four days, but the Sounders esprit de corps within the squad and the community was broken beyond repair.

General manager Jack Daley blamed the team’s first losing (13-17) record on the strike and its fallout. Attendance fell 16 percent.

Webster, one of the original Sounders dating to 1974, later said, “For the first time in my six years, we had players that were divided.”

“I’m proud of those guys at our club that made a stand,” Webster added, “because they became the pioneers for the welfare of future players in the game. The strike was never just about the players wanting more money. But regardless of what team you were playing for, we felt there needed to be a standard set of rules and regulations.”

Year in Review
SEATTLE SOUNDERS
Season Record
13-17, 2rd West, 17th overall
Coach
Jimmy Gabriel (3rd year)
Top Scorer
Derek Smethurst (13 goals)
State Men's Champion
Sturtevant Sports
COLLEGIATE
Men's Collegiate Postseason
Seattle Pacific, D2 3rd pl
Men's Conference Champions
Central Washington (NWISL), Pacific Lutheran (NCIC)
Women's Conference Champions
Western Washington (NCSC)
Sounders Cup Winner
Seattle Pacific (3-0-1)
WASHINGTON YOUTH SOCCER
President
Karl-Heinz Schreiber/Ozzie Gencoz
Member Associations
18
Players
53,312 (b: 38,672 g: 14,640)
Largest Attendance
34,012, Sounders v Portland, Kingdome

1979: Not Camelot, Just Business

A four-day player strike breaks the spirit of the Sounders which had been six years in the making.

Seattle Ends Skid By Beating Portland
June 30, 1979

Following a skid of six losses in seven games, the Seattle Sounders score four in the second half to smash Portland, 5-1, before a Boeing Night crowd of 34,012. Derek Smethurst nets only the second hat trick in club history by scoring in the 52nd, 66th and 81st minutes. John Ryan converts a pair of penalties. Seattle had scored only three times in those six losses.

McCrath Named Collegiate Coach of the Year
January 20, 1979

Cliff McCrath of Seattle Pacific is voted national coach of the year for all divisions by the Intercollegiate Soccer Association of America in Atlanta. McCrath, the award's first winner from a non-Division I school, led the Falcons to their first NCAA Division II championship six weeks earlier with a huge upset of Alabama A&M. Soccer America magazine names him their winner as well. Three weeks later, McCrath is voted ISAA president.

Western Programs Revert to Club Status
October 7, 1979

Western Washington opens the women's season in a reduced capacity, reverting to club status after the university undergoes financial belt tightening. The Vikings defeat Puget Sound, 3-0, behind Beth Sneeringer's two goals. The men's program also loses its varsity status just two months before fall classes begin. Coach Bruce Campbell's budget is $900.

USA Blanks Canada in International Undercard
February 3, 1979

A Kingdome international double feature begins with the United States Olympic Team blanking Canada, 2-0, before the USA-USSR main event. Don Ebert and Larry Hulcer score, and Paul Coffee gets the shutout. Hermann Trophy winner Angelo DiBernardo starts and plays the first half, then is a USMNT substitute for the USSR game's final 21 minutes. Sounder defender Jeff Stock, a rookie out of Tacoma, starts and plays the first half. Canada center back Ian Bridge is signed by Seattle on Feb. 20.

Strike-Decimated Seattle Falls in Dallas
April 14, 1979

With the striking players watching the televised game back home, the makeshift Sounders go down to defeat, 1-0, at Dallas. Seattle GM Jack Daley signed seven new players, and coach Jimmy Gabriel and assistants Harry Redknapp and Bobby Howe all start. The Tornado's winning goal comes in the 85th minute. Despite a clear majority voting league-wide for the strike, only 135 (27 percent) players carry out the threat. Seven teams account for 91 percent of the striking players.

Durgan, James Become First Prep All-American
January 14, 1979

Joe James of O’Dea High School and Jeff Durgan of Stadium are named to Parade Magazine’s High School All-America team. They become the state's first prep All-American. A week earlier Durgan was chosen by New York in the NASL draft and James went to Houston.

Sounders Take Hamel
December 10, 1979

Fred Hamel, 17, is the only Washington native selected in the 1980 NASL draft, going to the Sounders in the fourth round. Hamel attends Blanchet High School and plays for the Lake City Hawks. The Sounders' other two selections are collegians, including Seattle Pacific's Ric Miller in the third round.

Popular Chursky Traded Away
February 13, 1979

A fan favorite since becoming the starting goalkeeper three years earlier, Tony Chursky is traded by the Seattle Sounders to the California Surf in exchange for U.S. National Team star midfielder Al Trost and the rights to Ray Evans. Chursky is also the team's union representative. In another move in a roster rebuild, John Ryan and Frank Barton come in from Norwich City and Bournemouth, respectively, and John Impey and Jimmy Neighbour arrive on loan. They join newcomer Alan Hudson and the return of veteran goalkeeper Mike Ivanow.

SPU Takes Sounders Cup from UW
October 31, 1979

Bruce Raney figures in all three goals as Seattle Pacific regains the Sounders Cup by beating Washington, 3-1, at Memorial Stadium. Raney’s second goal, an intercepted back pass, proves to be the winner in the 51st minute. He also scores the game’s first goal and is brought down to set-up Mark Metzger’s late penalty. The Huskies, who get a first-half goal from Skip Jinneman, had held the cup since 1977.

Sounders Poised for Indoor in 1980-81
November 15, 1979

Sounders GM Jack Daley confirms that if the NASL plays an indoor season in 1980-81, Seattle will be part of it. Eight Seattle players are involved with MISL teams while Paul Crossley is playing for Minnesota in the NASL. Pittsburgh secured the winter services of Steve Buttle, Micky Cave and Tommy Jenkins. Frank Barton and Mike Ivanow go to Wichita. Buffalo signed Tommy Ord and Jimmy McAlister, Alan Hudson opted for Cleveland and Al Trost is at New York.

McAlister Remains a Sounder
July 6, 1979

The NASL trading deadline passes, and Jimmy McAlister remains a Sounder despite going so far as undergoing a physical exam with the Cosmos. McAlister was not anxious to leave his hometown and GM Jack Daley was dissatisfied with New York’s offer of players. It closes a saga of nearly a year in which McAlister’s form slipped, he admitted his mind and spirit were not in the game and coach Jimmy Gabriel gave him a head-clearing vacation. McAlister eventually misses nine straight games before a July 18 recall.

Aztecs, Cruyff Put Sounders to Sword
August 7, 1979

What had been a difficult season turns disastrous at the Rose Bowl, when the Los Angeles Aztecs become ruthless in the final half-hour in handing the Sounders a record 7-1 defeat. The loss assures Seattle of its first losing season. After John Ryan's penalty kick pulls the Sounders within 2-1 in the 60th minute, a potential equalizer by Ryan is waved off for a handball, and the visitors immediately unravel. Dutch star Johan Cruyff immediately scores to make it 3-1. Within 10 minutes the margin swells to 5-1. Then Cruyff scores again (he also added two assists), and Chris Dangerfield completes his hat trick for the final margin.

Cosmos Trade Up, Take Durgan
January 8, 1979

The NASL champion New York Cosmos select Jeff Durgan of Tacoma 's Stadium High School with the No. 4 overall draft pick. The Cosmos trade away all their draft choices but make the deal with Houston. Durgan, a center back, was a member of the famed Norpoint Royals, where he was a teammate of Sounders rookies Jeff Stock and Mark Peterson. Seattle, which had traded away its top pick a year earlier, drafts Mike Hoag of Fort Steilacoom Community College in the second round.

Kissinger, Chinese Leader Meet Around International
February 3, 1979

Former U.S. Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, in Seattle for the USA-USSR friendly, expresses confidence in America's soccer promise and has a chance meeting with Chinese premier Deng Xiaoping on the morning of the match. Kissinger, a self-described "soccer nut" since boyhood in Germany, tells local reporters he believes the USMNT will qualify for the 1982 World Cup and become both a contender to win and host the tournament by 1990. Kissinger is attending the game in his role as NASL honorary chairman, along with USSF president Gene Edwards and NASL commissioner Phil Woosnam.

Sammamish Coasts Past O'Dea in Boys Prep Final
May 25, 1979

Sammamish smashes a title game record six goals past O'Dea to claim the school's first boys state title in any sport, 6-2, at Memorial Stadium. Bill Watson and Kevin Crooks each score twice in the first half for the Totems, who were runners-up a year earlier. The Irish actually take a 1-nil lead before Watson and Crooks begin clicking. Sammamish had survived a scare from Blanchet in the quarterfinals, going four overtime periods to advance, 1-0, on a Crooks goal.

Seattle Pacific Completes Coast-to-Coast Trip
September 29, 1979

An eight-game road trip stretching across all four domestic time zones ends with Seattle Pacific capturing the Far West Classic title in Santa Barbara, 6-2, over San Francisco State. Tourney MVP Bruce Raney scores twice. The Falcons' trip lasts 17 days. It began at Harvard, then Yale before swinging through Texas, Nevada and onto southern California. They go 5-3-0 with six of the games against Div. I programs.

PLU Settles for Title Share
November 10, 1979

Pacific Lutheran's first year of varsity men's play ends with a share of the Northwest Conference of Independent Colleges title. The Lutes finish tied three ways with Whitman and Lewis & Clark following a 1-1 draw with the Missionaries. Harold Kutz scores for PLU and John Vernon answers for Whitman. Coach Dave Asher goes out on a high note after five seasons as Lutes coach.

WIAA: Girls Tournament Coming Soon
November 21, 1979

WIAA officials indicate that sponsorship of a girls' championship could come as soon as 1981. In 1978, 67 schools fields teams. If a minimum of 80 is reached in 1980, the tournament would begin the following year.

Seattle U Names Pearson Coach
August 22, 1979

Seattle University picks Tom Pearson to be its new men's head coach just a few weeks before the season begins. Pearson was a student coach at Shoreline Community College and director of development for Washington Youth Soccer. He replaces Tom Goff, who was coach for two years while teaching at Enumclaw High School.

Hawks Win Sixth, MT Bullets Fourth State Cup
February 25, 1979

Rick Cochran stops two penalty attempts to enable the Lake City Hawks to win a sixth state cup, 1-1 (4-3), over the Lake Hills Sting in the U19 boys’ final at Renton Stadium. Walter Schmetzer’s Hawks have been playing up for two years since winning the U16 title in 1977. The Mountlake Terrace Bullets claim their fourth straight state cup, downing Pan Am Eagles, 5-4, in the U17 final.

Evergreen Coach Fired for Repeatedly Playing
November 17, 1979

Evergreen State College athletic director Peter Steilberg fires men’s soccer coach Ivan Rasnevich after he repeatedly violated orders not to play in intercollegiate games himself. Rasnevich played one game and was told not to repeat the incident. But in the very next game he again got onto the field. The Geoducks soccer program, in its first year, was 2-1-1 under Rasnevich.

Western Wins NCSC on Final Day
December 1, 1979

Western Washington was pushed to the end but comes away with a Northwest Collegiate Conference title by smacking Washington State, 5-0, in the last match of the season. The Vikings (11-1-1) finish one point ahead of Washington, which beat Western the day before. The top four teams in the NCSC–WWU, UW, Oregon and WSU–are club programs.

Alabama A&M and SPU Go to Overtime Again
November 30, 1979

For the third year in a row Seattle Pacific and Alabama A&M are pitted against one another in the NCAA Division II tournament, and the Bulldogs avenge their loss in the 1978 final. AA&M scores 42 seconds into overtime of the semifinal to win 1-0, in Miami, as Segun Areke squeezes his header past Sergio Soriano. AA&M proceeds to win its second crown in three years, and finish among the D1 top four the next two years. SPU wins the consolation final on Chris Hellenkamp's penalty kick in the second overtime vs. Southern Connecticut.

Davies, Nish and Brand Acquired by Seattle
December 14, 1979

Five weeks after being named Sounders coach, Alan Hinton executes a transformative, five-player trade with Tulsa, his former team. Seattle obtains striker Roger Davies, defender David Nish and goalkeeper Jack Brand in exchange for Tommy Ord, Bruce Rudroff and cash. Davies and Nish were former teammates of Hinton at Derby County.

OG Opens Door to SPU Regional Title
November 13, 1979

An own goal opens the door to Seattle Pacific’s third straight West Region championship. Chapman heads the ball into its own net in trying to clear an Eric Benz throw-in in the sixth minute. Kit Favorite and Bruce Raney score seven minutes apart in the second half for a 3-0 win. Sergio Soriano’s scoreless postseason streak extends to 300 minutes.

Hazen Girls Take Mythical Title
November 17, 1979

Hazen High School of Renton finishes a near-perfect girls' season by beating host Cascade, 2-1, for the Cascade Invitational title at Everett and the mythical state championship. In the tournament, Hazen had trampled Mariner, 10-1, and beaten Shorecrest in the semifinal. The Highlanders go 15-0-1.

SPU Stuns SIU Edwardsville on ESPN
September 11, 1979

Defending NCAA Division II champion Seattle Pacific stuns Div. I power Southern Illinois-Edwardsville, 2-1, at Husky Stadium before a nationwide TV audience. It is believed to be the first soccer match televised by ESPN, which became available to 618 cable companies four days earlier. Mark Metzger puts the Falcons on top of the No. 2-ranked Cougars after 23 minutes, and Mark Smith tallies 11 minutes later. SIUE star Don Ebert is sent off in the 78th. SPU goes on to reach the D2 semifinal while SIUE wins the Div. I title three months later. It's the second night of the Husky Classic. The Cougars routed host Washington, 6-0, the night before.

Gabriel Resigns as Sounders Coach
August 28, 1979

Jimmy Gabriel resigns as Sounders head coach after finishing 13-17 in his third year at the helm. Gabriel had told some in March that this would likely be his final season. Overall, his teams went 43-40-10 (shootouts recorded draws) in regular season and playoffs, including the club's first Soccer Bowl appearance in 1977.

Young Sounders Training in England
November 1, 1979

Three young, homegrown Sounders arrive in London to begin a three-month experience abroad. Eddie Krueger, Mark Peterson and Jeff Stock are training with West Ham United and playing for non-league Woodford Town. Making the arrangements are Harry Redknapp, once a fixture in the West Ham team and former Seattle assistant coach. The players will return to Seattle by Jan. 31, 1980.

Smethurst Strikes for Four Goals, Sounders Nine
August 1, 1979

Derek Smethurst strikes for a record four goals, and the Sounders take out their frustrations by routing Edmonton, 9-0, at the Kingdome. It snaps Seattle's three-match losing skid, all at home, and keeps its slim playoff hopes alive. The Sounders had never before scored nor won by a margin greater than five goals. Jimmy Neighbour assists on three of them. Despite missing eight games, Smethurst's goal total ties Micky Cave's season record of 13. It's the first of four straight games that Jimmy Gabriel starts four North Americans, including local product Eddie Krueger as sweeper.

Stock, Peterson and James Play Abroad
April 16, 1979

Jeff Stock and Mark Peterson start for the U.S. U20 National Team in the Torneo Internazionale Bellizona final versus Inter Milan, a 1-0 loss in Ticino, Switzerland. Peterson scored two goals in the U.S. semifinal win, 3-1, over PSV Eindhoven. Meanwhile, Bernie James plays for the U.S. in Pan American Games qualifying in Bermuda.

Alan Hinton Chosen as Sounders' New Coach
November 7, 1979

Alan Hinton is chosen from among over 30 applicants as the new coach of the Seattle Sounders. Regarded as a strong recruiter, Hinton, 37, guided the Tulsa Roughnecks to the 1979 NASL semifinals in his first season as a head coach. He was a player/assistant coach for Vancouver in 1978. Among the other finalists were Mike England and Bobby Howe. Hinton played three NASL seasons with Dallas and Vancouver, setting the league record for assists in 1978. In 14 years in England, Hinton was a star winger for Wolverhampton, Nottingham Forest and, most notably, Derby County, where he played on two championship teams.

NASL, Sounders Players Vote to Strike
April 13, 1979

An early morning team meeting results in the Sounders players executing a work stoppage. Five decide to cross the line and travel to Dallas later in the day. NASL players' union executive director Ed Garvey announces less than 36 hours prior to the start of 12 matches that the league-wide tabulations are 252-113 (69 percent) in favor of striking. The NASLPA is demanding that the owners recognize the union.

Appearances Leader Webster Released
September 7, 1979

In the wake of Jimmy Gabriel’s resignation, the Sounders roster is churned, with former captain Adrian Webster released along with Cliff Brown. Webster, the only player to see action in each of the first six seasons, holds the career appearances record of 120, combining regular season and playoffs. He signs with the Pittsburgh Spirit of MISL a week later. Meanwhile, Jimmy McAlister contemplates a move to Europe, MISL or elsewhere in the NASL. Mike England's future is uncertain. He is a candidate for Seattle head coach and Wales National Team manager.

Sounders Flounder to the End
August 11, 1979

A most dismal season fittingly closes with a 2-1 Sounders home loss to Vancouver, leaving the club with a losing record (13-17) for the first time. Camelot, it is not. Teamwork, entertaining play and character, hallmarks of the first five seasons, are in short supply. A player strike, misbehavior by key veterans, trade requests and those unhappy with their roles and minutes all take their toll. Attendance sags to its lowest level since the 1976 move to the Kingdome, with an average of 18,998. that's down more than 5,000 from 1977.

Sounders Rebound, Start Upward Trend
April 21, 1979

Five days after players picketed club headquarters, the reunited Sounders pound the L.A. Aztecs into submission, 4-0, to post their first win of the opening three games in the Kingdome. A collision-aided goal by Paul Crossley snaps a drought of 231 scoreless minutes. Seattle doesn't allow a shot for the first 49 and puts the game away when Frank Barton and Micky Cave score six minutes apart. It's the first of six wins over seven games.

Puget Sound Wins Inaugural Varsity Game
September 23, 1979

Puget Sound begins women's varsity play by beating Whitman, 3-1, at home. The Loggers, coached by Bill Kuba, are fueled by the two goals of captain Beth Castagna. The inaugural match ends seven minutes early after the Missionaries' goalkeeper is injured. The new UPS men's coach is John Duggan whose Norpoint Royals have been a top youth side in the state and throughout the West.

Soviets Defeat States in Kingdome
February 3, 1979

Seattle hosts a Cold War friendly which pits the United States versus Moscow for the first time on a pitch. The Soviet Union strikes twice in the first half-hour and rolls to a 3-1 win before 13,317 in the Kingdome. Vladimir Klementiev finds Valery Petrakov at 20' and captain Michael An at 31' for a 2-1 lead following Ricky Davis's 22' equalizer. An 83' breakaway by Nikolai Kolesov seals it. Sounders defenders Jimmy McAlister and Bruce Rudroff both start for the USMNT.

Gillett's Re-fractures Leg
March 5, 1979

In his first training session in the comeback from a compound leg fracture 11 months earlier, Sounders star center back David Gillet's left leg breaks again. Gillett, 27, had spent 11 months rehabilitating and was expected to be match-ready by June.

Sounders Sold to Vince Coluccio
October 15, 1979

Construction baron Vince Coluccio buys the Seattle Sounders for a reported price of $3 million. Coluccio, 49, surfaced as a potential owner just two weeks earlier. The original ownership group paid a $25,000 expansion fee in 1973. Ownership spent $500,000 on new players prior to the 1979 season, about half of NASL champion Vancouver's expenditures. Coluccio becomes the sole owner, replacing a group of 11 that featured six of the current NFL Seahawks ownership and two of the MLB Mariners'.

Central Wins Back NW Intercollegiate Crown
November 17, 1979

Central Washington adds the finishing touches to a perfect men's club campaign by beating Gonzaga, 3-1, to clinch its second Northwest Intercollegiate Soccer League championship in three years. Brian Jones, Bobby Storino and Bernie Holland get goals for the Wildcats, who finish the year at 14-0-0.

Four Washington Selections to Pan Am Team
June 30, 1979

Four young Washingtonians plying for NASL clubs are named to the United States team for the Pan American Games in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Tony Crudo, 20, is a starting defender for Tampa Bay. Bernie James, 20, Mark Peterson, 19, and Jeff Stock, 18, are with the Seattle Sounders. The team finishes fifth.

Dirty Dozen, Sounderettes Win Again
February 18, 1979

Cindy Breed scores four goals as Des Moines-Midway Dirty Dozen win their fifth state championship, 7-2, over New East Arsenal in the girls' U19 final at Renton Stadium. The Dirty Dozen repeat in the age division. Breed is named the tournament’s outstanding player. The Tacoma Sounderettes claim their fourth straight state cup, this time at U17, beating Highline Pontius Truckers, 4-1.

Crudo Changes Coasts
July 8, 1979

Seattle native Tony Crudo, 20, is acquired by the California Surf from Tampa Bay in exchange for a draft choice. Crudo, who signed with the Rowdies in 1977, has earned a starting job at the outset of the season, but after returning from the Pan American Games had lost his spot. He earns an assist in his Surf debut, a 6-3 home loss to Fort Lauderdale.

Hometown Hero McAlister Sent to Toronto
December 12, 1979

Former NASL Rookie of the Year and hometown hero Jimmy McAlister is traded by Seattle to the Toronto Blizzard. McAlister, 22, had played four seasons at left back. In exchange, the Sounders get U.S. Olympic team captain Greg Makowski.

You should pass the ball into the net, not fire it…Sometimes you have to fire it to beat the goalie, but I found four years ago that an easy shot works better.
Sounders forward Derek Smethurst after scoring a record four goals versus Edmonton
I know a gentleman and a splendid human being when I see one, and Jimmy Gabriel is one.
Seattle Times columnist Georg Meyers on the outgoing Sounders coach
The Seattle Sounders players who had been on strike announced today we have been ordered back to work by the National Coordinating Committee of the NASL Players Association. Our cause remains the same. We believe that the owners should recognize our union.
Adrian Webster, Sounders union player representative, on their April 19 return to work
I think it’s an outstanding trade. We got three class guys who are a credit to their profession. We’re absolutely delighted. Davies can score goals and make goals and is a very skillful player. Nish can play fullback or midfield.
Alan Hinton on the Sounders trade for Roger Davies, David Nish and Jack Brand
It was a total surprise. Total.
Jeff Durgan on being selected fourth overall by the Cosmos
With one more American being required to play next season, it is paramount that we not only have three top quality starters but an additional two or three players capable of playing.
Sounders GM Jack Daley on sending young players to England to gain experience in the offseason
I thought I did alright in the first half (marking man), but when I passed that ball to Cruyff, it was like handing the ball to Wilt Chamberlain for him to slam dunk. He’s the best player I’ve ever played against – by far.
Jimmy McAlister after Johan Cruyff leads L.A. to a 7-1 thrashing of Seattle
There was the union activity. We were the happiest club in the league until them. All of a sudden everybody was fighting. American players split from British players, players split from management, management got upset at players. It was unbelievable, incredible.
Jimmy Gabriel citing reasons the Sounders' fortunes plummet in 1979
Management felt that the ratings for soccer broadcasts were not as good as for the regular Sportsline (call-in) show. They felt that the soccer fans either go to the game or, if they stay home, they don’t listen.
KIRO personality Wayne Cody explaining why Sounders broadcasts are allowed to go to KOMO after two seasons
For this age, Durgan’s easily the best player in the draft.
Sounders assistant coach Bobby Howe on why Jeff Durgan was chosen ahead of the top collegians
For the benefit of the club, I believe it is better for them to have a new coach. His methods almost certainly will be different from mine. During the season just ended, players and management often did not see eye to eye. Sometimes I was caught in the middle. At no time was I ever pressured to leave the job.
Jimmy Gabriel explaining his reason for resigning as Sounders coach
Even if they just go and train with the club and spend four or five months in the offseason in Europe, they’d really get involved with the game all the year round. As it is, they spend four or five months a year virtually doing nothing in the offseason.
Sounders assistant coach Harry Redknapp on sending Ian Bridge, Mark Peterson and Jeff Stock to train in England during the offseason
Jimmy has been the heart and soul of this team for six years. There were a lot of things that happened this year there were not of his doing.
Sounders GM Jack Daley after Jimmy Gabriel's resignation as coach
Anyone who is a good soccer player has been given a wonderful gift. He shouldn’t waste it...I’ll have written rules and unwritten rules…But I’m not here to make players’ lives miserable I’m here to make lives very happy...The thing is, if you let players take liberties, they’ll want to take more and more...One of my philosophies is that every player must say to himself: what can I do to help my teammates out. You have to be together.
New Sounders coach Alan Hinton on his preferred management style
I’d started the first eight games in a row. I was playing well, doing well. They brought an English player over. Since they didn’t have to play three Americans, I didn’t play. The argument was he never should have been brought over in the first place, because we had the second-best (goals-against) average in the league.
Tony Crudo, on why Tampa Bay traded him to California
We had a lot of good players but the chemistry, the cohesiveness was never there...Before we add any new players, we are really going to delve deeply into their character and background. We’ll also do a better job of orientation so that the new players will know what to expect when they come to Seattle...And we’ll probably have to achieve a better understanding with the players we now have on the team.
Sounders GM Jack Daley on club's expectations for player character and behavior
Clearly soccer’s strike had come at the wrong time, in the wrong place if for the right motives. A union, yes a strike – you’re kidding.
Seattle P-I reporter Gordy Holt on the risk of NASL players calling a strike
I want to coach here. If I took a coaching job somewhere else, that would mean I’d have to live there, and I would much rather stay in Seattle. I played soccer in 54 countries, and this is the most beautiful place I’ve ever seen. I fell in love with it the first time I saw it, and all my friends are here.
Sounders legend Mike England on his plans beyond playing and wish to become Seattle's coach
Give him two years and he’ll be on the Cosmos’ first team. He would have been wasted if he’d gone to Rochester or San Jose.
Sounders scout Jimmy Johnston on Jeff Durgan's career prospects
I’m going to CARE for this team. Maybe I’m not going to be like the Cosmos people, but we’re going to have a winner…I want to make it so that (the fans) can say that’s OUR team out there – and MEAN it. After all, they’re going to be my partners in this team they’re the ones who’ll be helping me pay for it.
New Sounders owner Vince Coluccio
Thumbs down: on ABC picking Paul Gardner over Cliff McCrath to act as color man for the upcoming televised NASL games. ...McCrath is not only bright, witty and knowledgeable, but he was both the ISAA and Soccer America Coach of the Year for Seattle Pacific University, and he's an American expert in front of the camera and would have made a lot more positive points to the normal fan.
Lynn Berling, Soccer America columnist
If we couldn’t get him, I’m glad he went to a good team. He’s too good a player to go anywhere else.
Sounders coach Jimmy Gabriel on missing a chance to draft local product Jeff Durgan
College & High School All-America (USC)
Player (Hometown) School (Div/Team/Pos)
Jeff Durgan (Tacoma) Stadium (M)
Joe James (Seattle) O'Dea (M)
Collegiate Men's Records
Central Washington 14-0-0 (club)
Gonzaga n/a (club)
Pacific Lutheran 9-7-4
Puget Sound 7-7-1
Seattle University 7-5-0
Seattle Pacific 16-5-3
Washington 11-7-2
Western Washington 2-10-0 (club)
Whitman 9-7-4
Collegiate Women's Records
Puget Sound 5-8-1
Washington 10-2-2 (club)
Washington State 9-4-1 (club)
Western Washington 11-1-1 (club)
Whitman 2-9-3
Washington State Youth Champions
Age BoysGirls
U9 Lake City Jaws (SYSA)Federal Way Hot Socks (FWSA)
U10 Levitz Sockeyes (HSA)Red Gate Pollywogs (LWYSA)
U11 Totem Steelers (FWSA)Golden Grain Swamp Rats (SYSA)
U12 Totem Wolfpack (FWSA)Mr Robert's Hairstyling Redwings (GRJSA)
U13 Highline Sting (HSA)Shorelake Herfy's Thunderbirds (AYSA)
U14 Lake Hills Lancers (EYSA)West Valley Constructions Reds (GRJSA)
U15 Lake City United (SYSA)Washington Avionic Flyers (SYSA)
U16 Plaza Tavern Hotrods (SSCJSA)Lake Serene Upholstery Totems (SSCJSA)
U17 S&R Construction Bullets (SSCJSA)Sounderettes (TPCJSA)
U19 Lake City Hawks (SYSA)Dirty Dozen (HSA)
On this Day in History
February 1, 2019
Scott Cairns, Marcus Hahnemann and Sarah Martinez are among eight inductees to the Seattle Pacific University Athletics Hall of Fame. Cairns helped lead the Falcons to NCAA national championship games each of his four years, and came away winning three titles (1983, 1985 and 1986). He graduated as the school record-holder for single-season and career assists, and he was a three-time all-region selection. Hahnemann is the only three-time All-American in any Seattle Pacific team sport. He led the Falcons to the 1993 NCAA Division II championship and still ranks No. 1 on the school's career list for shutouts (46). Hahnemann went on to earn three caps for the U.S. national team and played with Reading and Wolverhampton in the English Premier League. Martinez scored 49 goals and 25 assists in leading SPU to three GNAC titles and its first two trips to the NCAA finals. She as an All-American as a senior.
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June 16, 2016
Scoring the opener and setting-up the winner, Clint Dempsey stars in America's 2-1 quarterfinal win over Ecuador before 47,322 at CenturyLink Field. In terms of prize money, it's the most important game to ever be played in Seattle, with the victor assured of earning $1 million to reach the semifinals. Dempsey puts the USMNT ahead in the 22nd minute on a header from the penalty spot. In the 65th minute he drives a ball that Gyasi Zardes nods in for a 2-nil lead. Brad Guzan makes two stops, notably a kick-save in first-half stoppage time. The U.S. goes on to take fourth place. Seattle's DeAndre Yedlin misses the game after being sent off vs. Paraguay June 11.
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May 24, 2000
The Women's United Soccer Association begins stocking its eight franchises by allocating 19 U.S. National Team players. Shoreline's Michelle Akers is assigned to Orlando and Kent's Michelle French to Washington, D.C.
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April 20, 2019
Sounders FC Academy becomes the first MLS-affiliated club to win the Generation Adidas Champions Division, edging Spain's Valencia, 1-0, in Frisco, Tex. With the match seemingly destined for penalties, Alfonso Ocampo-Chavez’s cross finds the head of Ray Serrano, who guides his shot past the goalkeeper with only seconds remaining in the second period of extra time. Ocampo-Chavez, wins the tournament's Golden Boot with six goals and one assist in six matches. Valencia, had defeated Seattle in the opening match of the group stage. After that the Rave Green reeled off wins over Brazil's Flamengo, Argentina's River Plate and England's West Ham to reach the final.
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