Tuesday, September 2 | The San Jose Earthquakes will host the Seattle Sounders...

The game will be held at Buck Shaw Stadium and will be season ticket holder bonus game "A." Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. PT.

Prior to the match, season ticket holders will have the opportunity to enter early for pregame festivities. Gates will open at 5 p.m. for season ticket holders and light refreshments will be served by Sweet and Savory Catering. Season ticket holders will also have the opportunity to get autographs from players between 5:15-5:45 p.m. at the stadium.

Individual tickets for the game are on sale now. Tickets are available online at sjearthquakes.com, by calling (800) 225-2277 or by visiting your local authorized Tickets.com outlets. Prices for individual tickets range from $20 to $60. Season ticket holders should use their Bonus Game "A" ticket for the match and they will have the ability to purchase additional tickets at a discounted price.

"We are excited to welcome Seattle to MLS next season," said Earthquakes Executive Vice President David Alioto. "We are looking forward to a long and friendly rivalry with the Sounders beginning with this match."

The Sounders are the defending USL First Division champions and have also been impressive in Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup play recently. In 2008, the Sounders knocked off two MLS clubs to reach the semifinals of the competition for the second straight year. In the third round, Seattle knocked off Chivas USA 2-0, before knocking out Kansas City 6-5 on penalty kicks after a 0-0 tie following regulation and overtime. They were eliminated from the competition by the Charleston Battery on Aug. 12 in the semifinals in a penalty kick shootout. Last season, the Sounders defeated MLS clubs, Chivas USA and the Colorado Rapids to reach the semifinals before losing in overtime to FC Dallas.

The Earthquakes have faced the Sounders six times in franchise history and with the Sounders holding a 3-2-1 lead in the series. Two of the Sounders victories came via penalty kick shootouts after ties in regulation. All six previous games took place in the state of Washington. This will be the first time that the Quakes face the Sounders since Aug. 5, 2003 in the U.S. Open Cup when the Sounders defeated the Quakes 1-0. The previous year, on July 17, the Earthquakes defeated the Sounders 4-3 in overtime in the Open Cup with goals scored by Ronnie Ekelund (2), Dwayne De Rosario, and Ariel Graziani.

Four players with Earthquakes ties are currently playing for the Sounders. Roger Levesque spent three seasons with San Jose from 2003-05, while Leighton O'Brien played four matches in his career for tor San Jose. Kevin Sakuda was a 2002 Earthquakes draft pick, while Noah Merl was a 2005 Supplemental Draft pick. Merl also played in reserve games for the Quakes in 2005.

Seattle is in its final year in the USL First Division. Seattle Sounders FC will enter MLS as an expansion team in 2009.

http://www.SoundersFC.com  , http://www.MLSNet.com