Seattle Sounders FC 2 News Release - www.soundersfc.com

Thursday, April 30, 2015

TUKWILA, Wash. - Returning to Starfire Stadium after a three-game road trip where the team was only able to pick up one point, Seattle Sounders FC 2 (3-2-1, 10 pts) faces Orange County Blues FC (3-1-0, 9 pts) in Week 7 of USL play. S2 is tied for the league-lead in goals, while Orange County has allowed the second-fewest of any team in the league.

S2 has won each game played at home this season, while the Blues won their only road match against defending USL champion and current Western Conference leader, Sacramento Republic FC. The Blues currently sit fourth in the Western Conference with nine points, ahead of Arizona United SC on goal differential.

For a team that started out the season with strong defense as well as potent goal-scoring, it was a rough road trip for the Sounders FC 2 team that gave up six goals in three games as it fell to Tulsa and Oklahoma City before earning a point in Vancouver.

“I think we have been giving up soft goals that we have nobody but ourselves to blame for,” said Hendrickson. “We need to get back to the way we defended in those first three games, defending as a team and keeping the pressure off our back line.”

For an S2 offense that put up 13 goals in its first four games, the team was only able to score two more in its following three.

Meanwhile, Cuban goalkeeper Pepe Miranda has started in net for each game for the Blues, allowing only three goals while recording two shutouts and the fourth lowest goals against-average in the league.

S2 forward Andy Craven has recorded either a goal or an assist in four out of five starts this season. He is currently tied for second in the USL for assists with four. Against the stout defense of Orange County, Hendrickson will look to Craven to create opportunities for the Rave Green to put the ball into the back of the net.

Blues captain Didier Crettenand is currently the team points leader with two goals and three assists this season, including the game-winning goal last week against defending USL champion Sacramento. Crettenand earned USL Team of the Week honors for his performance. Joining Crettenand on the Team of the Week was forward Denzel Slager, who also tallied against Republic FC.

S2 was represented on the USL Team of the Week for Week Six by defender Nick Miele who scored the only goal against Whitecaps FC 2 last weekend.

After sitting out three weeks with a hamstring injury, Sounder FC 2 forward Sam Garza returned to the 18 against Whitecaps FC 2 last Sunday. Garza had played in both games prior to his injury, scoring a goal 15 seconds after being substituted on against Sacramento in the S2 home opener. He made his return against Whitecaps FC 2, subbing on for Darwin Jones in the 77th minute. As one of the few players on the S2 roster with MLS pedigree, Garza will likely remain in Hendrickson’s plans this weekend.