[Editor's Note: This post is by SoundersNerd, LaRoche, not Josh.]

Montero: The comeback kid?

The Sounders got a cosmic boost this week when our allies FC Barcelona thoroughly spanked corporate behemoth Man U on Wednesday in the Champions League Final.  (You know soccer's made it big in the US when the NPR morning news roundup includes the results of the Champions League final.) 

Why is this important to us? Any true fan of Sounders FC better support Barcelona: Not only was Sounders Football Club inspired by a visit to and modeled after FC Barcelona, but Barcelona was also a bastion of freedom–literally- from the brutal Franco dictatorship—which cements their relationship to the People's Republic of Puget Sound.  (Anyone who supports Manchester, unless they’re from Manchester, is just a trendy poser.)  We’re also playing Barcelona in August, and the upper bowl will be open and packed. 

Beyond soccer as geopolitical analysis, there's this: Last week's "good tie" in Colorado sets up a nice springboard to this week's game against Columbus. We proved that we can excel under difficult circumstances. Keller put on a hell of a show, and most importantly, Fredy Montero made a comeback.  I've been very concerned about him—in the first two games, scoring three goals, he was the poster child of the Sounders, cute boyish smile beaming and all.  Then he was blind-sided by a sexual assault investigation and virtually disappeared, little more than a ghost on the field, obviously distracted.  I hope his goal and assist last week signaled a turn for the better. 

The Sounders are also energized by their quieter win over Colorado on Tuesday in a US Cup preliminary. The US Cup touts itself as “the oldest soccer tournament in the country,” and though not nearly as important as the MLS games (nearly half of Tuesday’s team was from the reserve camp, including four new local boys) it’s certain to add to our momentum. 

Some good news/bad news in the Crew camp: The good news is that their captain, Frankie Hejduk, has been called up for the national team in a World Cup qualifying game in Costa Rica (more on that next week). The bad news—for Columbus—is that he’s in Costa Rica, not Seattle.  Two other starters are leaving to play for their respective national teams and Brian Carroll—called the “third leg of the Hejduk-Schelotto-Carroll stool”- dislocated his shoulder last week.  

All this doesn’t bode well for Columbus: Weakened opponents visiting versus an energized, experienced roster with a home field advantage and stadium packed with Sounders fans.