Sounders FC welcomes international competition

Seattle had already established itself as a top market for international soccer friendlies even before the start of the Major League Soccer season.

That reputation has grown, however, with the announcement of exhibition matches between Sounders FC and Chelsea FC in July and FC Barcelona in August. The second matchup was announced Friday. The two European club powers are booked for matches at Qwest Field, and there seems to be little doubt that both will be played before a full house.

Such games are meaningful, Seattle midfielder Freddie Ljungberg said. Ljungberg should know. He has played his entire career until this season in Europe and knows the fervor over Chelsea, Barcelona and other club teams there.

"I think it's great for the young players that have mostly seen them on TV, to play against the players from the big teams," Ljungberg said. "They'll probably be in the middle of preseason, so there's going to be a lot of substitutions and a lot of players that regularly don't play. But it's a great opportunity for the people in Seattle to see those teams."

Ljungberg hopes his less experienced teammates learn from playing the European teams so they can improve their games. As for the fans, he understands the mass appeal of such teams.

"If you look at Arsenal, Man United, Chelsea or Liverpool in England and the equivalent in Spain or Italy, they're the best clubs in the world, and of course that's an appeal," Ljungberg said. "There's a massive following and now it's starting in America as well, but before that in the rest of the world. Everybody wants to see a good football [soccer] game, and that's what it's all about, so hopefully we can fill the stadium and have a great day."

After Friday's practice at Qwest Field, Sounders FC coach Sigi Schmid told a story of how he sat in the eighth row behind one of the tunnels at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum as a 7-year-old to watch Real Madrid play an exhibition against a team of L.A.-area stars. The day was unforgettable, he said, and Schmid doesn't seem to have a problem with the Barcelona game being right in the middle of the MLS season and adding a third match in seven days in early August for Seattle.

"Something like that is not a distraction, it's just something that brings a smile to your face," Schmid said. "It's a great opportunity for this organization. It's a great opportunity for the team. It's a great opportunity for the fans and the city to be able to see a team like that up close."

Note

• Forward Jarrod Smith is eligible to come off the team's disabled list but has yet to be removed. It doesn't appear he will be an option at forward in place of suspended Fredy Montero on Sunday because Smith left practice Friday with a strained left hamstring.

José Miguel Romero: 206-464-2409 or jromero@seattletimes.com