Steve Dean typifies the typical Sunderland AFC fan. He'll go anywhere to see his Black Cats.

The 45-year-old Dean, who lives 8 miles from Sunderland in Jarrow, England, would let little interfere with watching the club that first caught his eye at age 8.

Only a serious car accident in 1992 — when he was delivering 50 tickets to the Jarrow branch of Sunderland supporters — caused Dean to miss considerable time traveling wherever the Black Cats played.

Dean made this trip overseas with his twin brother, Paul.

"I very rarely miss a game home or away," said Steve Dean. "It started up as a family thing and I took it from there.

"It's in our blood, really."

Dean, who has owned season tickets for Sunderland matches since 1976, traveled to South Carolina when Sunderland made a preseason trip last year. In 1973, Dean made every match of the season except the final, when Sunderland, then in the English Second Division, stunned top-level Leeds United 1-0 to take the FA Cup at Wembley Stadium in London.

"It's far easier for fans to support a successful team," he said. "This team hasn't had as much success as some. [But] we always travel and make a friendly atmosphere."

That 1992 car accident left Dean in intensive care with two broken legs and various other injuries. He spent a year in the hospital recovering.

Dean was told by doctors that he might lose both legs and "never walk again ... [but] I kept fighting it."

"The car accident probably heightened my enthusiasm," said Dean, who walks with the aid of crutches.

Notes

• Sunderland, which debuted a new uniform in Vancouver, B.C., on Saturday, made a slight modification last night, wearing a black jersey and new silver shorts. The new kit was a departure from the red- and white-striped jerseys for which the English club has become recognized.

• Sunderland manager Mick McCarthy took a cautious approach to playing on the FieldTurf surface at Qwest Field, holding out winger Matt Piper, who recently returned from a long-term knee injury. The Black Cats play all of their games in England on natural grass.

"The surface is OK but there will be no slide tackles," McCarthy said before the match. "We'll run and compete and try to keep the ball. The grass surfaces so far have been long, and it does not allow the ball to zip. This surface will allow us to do that."

• The Black Cats conducted a two-hour morning workout before the match. MF Andy Welsh (groin) and D Nyron Nosworthy (hamstring) returned yesterday. Danny Collins (Achilles) missed last night's match.

• MF Leighton O'Brien joined the Sounders last night on loan from Real Salt Lake of Major League Soccer.