Arrow-right Camera
The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

They mean business

If James Riley had any doubts about how special 2011 could be for the Seattle Sounders, they were erased on what turned out to be one of the most special nights of the season. After winning their third straight U.S. Open Cup title at home on Oct. 4, Riley was struck by the different perspective in the locker room amid all the rejoicing. “The turning point for me was after our Open Cup win, it was a different type of celebration,” Riley said. “The guys knew we really had different business to attend to. There were so many goals we had reached – how many points we had, how well we wanted to play on the road. After the celebration died down, the guys wanted to get right back to work.” The Sounders did, wrapping up the best of their three MLS seasons with the second-best mark in the league at 18-7-9 and 63 points. Now, they’ll get right back to work tonight trying to find some elusive playoff success when they open a two-game, aggregate-goals Western Conference semifinal at Real Salt Lake. – AP