Marco Pappa became the sixth different Sounders FC player to be named to the MLSsoccer.com Team of the Week after a remarkable free-kick goal and late assist helped land Seattle a 4-0 win over Real Salt Lake Saturday at CenturyLink Field.
Sigi Schmid also earned Coach of the Week honors for the third time this season after a thorough performance in a clash of the top two teams in MLS, as Seattle put a five-point cushion between itself and RSL.
Pappa scored his first goal of the season in the 55th minute, curling a left-footed free kick from just outside the box into the net to give Seattle a 2-0 lead. He also recorded an assist on the club’s fourth goal in 90th minute, playing to Kenny Cooper on the right side of the box for a cross that found Obafemi Martins for a tap-in at the far post. A two-time MLS All-Star, Pappa is showing his creative flair more and more as he grows more accustomed to his teammates with Sounders FC.
He was joined on Team of the Week by goalkeeper Jon Busch (San Jose Earthquakes); defenders Chris Klute (Colorado Rapids), Jeff Parke (D.C. United), Amobi Okugo (Philadelphia Union) and Bakary Soumare (Chicago Fire); midfielders Pedro Morales (Vancouver Whitecaps FC), Issey Nakajima-Farran (Montreal Impact) and Jean-Baptiste Pierazzi (San Jose Earthquakes); and forwards Deshorn Brown (Colorado Rapids) and Jermaine Defoe (Toronto FC).
Sounders FC's representatives on Team of the Week have been:
Week 1: DeAndre Yedlin.
Week 3: Djimi Traore.
Week 5: Clint Dempsey.
Week 6: Clint Dempsey, Sigi Schmid.
Week 7: Obafemi Martins, Chad Marshall.
Week 8: Clint Dempsey, Sigi Schmid.
Week 9: Chad Marshall.
Week 11: Obafemi Martins.
Week 13: Marco Pappa, Sigi Schmid.
DAVID VILLA IS NYCFC'S FIRST SIGNING
New York City FC made as big a splash as possible in announcing its first signing for the 2015 season, 2010 World Cup champion David Villa. The Spanish forward has played his whole career in La Liga, winning three of the last four league championships with Barcelona and Atletico Madrid.
His signing is a landmark deal for MLS, but also an emphatic statement from the club that it is going to bring the best and brightest to MLS.
"Above all, it was the quality and capacity of the project and the desire they have to improve in MLS, which is really growing in importance," Villa said on a video interview on the club's website. "More than anything, the interest they have shown in me to be a figurehead of this project. I'm happy and really looking forward to helping the City Group grow even bigger with the team in New York."
Villa will play with Spain in the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil, where he will look to further his grasp as Spain's all-time leading scorer.
FUTTY LANDS IN MONTREAL
On Monday, the Portland Timbers sent center back Mamadou "Futty" Danso to the Montreal Impact in exchange for a second round pick in the 2015 MLS SuperDraft. The 31-year-old Gambian was the last of the players that moved with the Timbers from the USL to MLS in 2011, making 60 MLS appearances after his two seasons with Portland in the USL.
ON THE AIR
This week on Seattle Soccer Talk on Sports Radio 950 KJR, Dick Fain will fill in as host for Mike Gastineau and he will be joined by Lamar Neagle, who picked up his fourth assist of the season in Seattle's 4-0 win over Real Salt Lake on Saturday. Dave Clark of SounderAtHeart.com will also join the show, which will broadcast from the George and Dragon in Fremont and can be heard on Sports Radio 950 KJR from 7-8 pm on Tuesday. It will also be available to hear via podcast after the conclusion of the show at www.sportsradiokjr.com/sst.
