Sounders FC's Freddie Ljungberg says migraine appears to be easing

TUKWILA — Freddie Ljungberg says only 1 percent of migraine sufferers experience the kind he does, the kind that forced the Sounders FC midfielder to miss the past two games.

They cause him vision loss, numbness on one side of the body and vomiting, and the only way to get over the headaches is plenty of rest in a darkened room.

The good news is that the worst of this migraine appears to be over for Ljungberg, who practiced Monday. If he can regain his strength and avoid another headache by the end of this week, he says, he should be ready to play Saturday when Seattle hosts the Columbus Crew.

"It takes a long time to recover, and it's just how it works," Ljungberg said. "Every situation varies, and there's not much I can do. Lucky I only get it once a year."

Ljungberg said cheese and red wine can trigger the attacks, so he avoids those. He said he has had bad migraines since puberty and that he has accepted them as part of his life. He has also learned that he has to work his way back to normal health slowly.

"If you do exercise then you're more likely to have an attack again," Ljungberg explained.

"We'll see how he feels [this] morning, and then we'll make the determination on the rest of the week with him," Sounders FC coach Sigi Schmid said.

Alonso likely out

Midfielder Osvaldo Alonso, who strained a lower quadriceps in the first minute of last Saturday's game at Colorado, will not play in today's U.S. Open Cup tournament play-in match against the Rapids and is probably not going to play in Saturday's regular-season game, Schmid said.

But there is hope for midfielder Brad Evans, who missed the past game with a sprained ankle. Evans practiced Monday and will be re-evaluated today for the possibility of playing in the Open Cup match and/or the Columbus game.

"We sort of had an idea which way we were going to go," Schmid said when asked about how the injuries affect the lineup for today's game, which kicks off at 7 p.m. at Starfire Sports Complex. The winner is the last of eight Major League Soccer teams to get into the U.S. Open Cup bracket.

Midfielder Stephen King, who replaced Alonso and played the rest of the match, could be facing triple duty this week if he plays today and then again for Alonso this Saturday.

Smith called away

to New Zealand

Sounders FC forward Jarrod Smith, who has yet to play in a regular-season game because of injuries, will leave the team to join his national team, New Zealand, for friendlies and Confederations Cup matches next month. Smith departs Sunday.

Forward Fredy Montero was reportedly on the roster for his native Colombia's national team for World Cup qualifying matches in June, but has yet to be officially named to that squad, though he is in the pool to be selected.

"It would be a dream," Montero said in Spanish. "It's the dream from when you start playing professional soccer to be part of the national team."

José Miguel Romero: 206-464-2409