Please visit the nearly endless Sounders Tanzanian photo gallery by clicking here www.seattlesounders.net.

(Seattle)- As the Sounders concluded the soccer portion of their trip to Tanzania with a record of 0-1-2, rookie Gabe Sturm and veteran Craig Tomlinson wanted to share a few stories with Sounders fans.

The Sounders are currently on a three day African Safari and will return home to Seattle on Saturday, December 3rd.

(Dar es Salaam)- Hello Sounders Fans from hot and humid Tanzania,

Upon our arrival into Dar es Salaam on Friday, November 18th everyone was excited for the adventurous trip to begin. Even though we were exhausted from the two days of traveling we departed the plane and were immediately refreshed in the 86 degree heat and 92 percent humidity…yea right! It was definitely weather we were not used to, it was nothing like cold and rainy Seattle. However, we were all jazzed to be embarking on a new journey and experiencing what Africa has to offer.

Once we had gone through customs and retrieved our bags we proceeded outside where we were greeted by members of the local media who had come to take pictures as well as interview a few of our players. We were all thrilled to find out that our arrival had been long awaited and that we were going to be part of a very important event to the people of Tanzania. The remainder of the day was spent at the hotel resting and meeting about what was to happen on the following days of the trip.

Accommodations are pretty good for the most part. We are staying at a western hotel just outside the city of Dar es Salaam. We feel very safe and comfortable here at the hotel and outside the hotel premises. We eat and shop outside the hotel using good judgment. It's a lot of fun. Even though customer service isn't quite the same as in the US. (it’s very slow) everyone takes their time to do just about anything. The traffic is a little crazy. For two lane traffic, drivers create a passing lane in the middle or on the shoulders. Traffic goes in the opposite direction in relation to United States. It's very easy and convenient getting around the city. Most, if not all, public transportation is owned by private citizens. There is a taxi ready to go whenever and buses operate 24 hours. The costs of fares are very inexpensive to us.

The cost of food is also not very expensive. All the players have the convenience of using an Internet/business center during business hours to check and send e-mails. It cost about $1000 shilling ($1.00 USD) to use the Internet for an hour. Things are very different here once we step outside the hotel. Not really in a bad way, but different from what we're all accustom to. You have to be very clever when you go shopping. Most items or products don't have price tags.

Saturday, Nov. 19th

Once everyone had eaten breakfast we proceeded to the National Stadium for training. Since the closure for remodel, no team had been able to step inside. We were the first team to set foot inside the stadium and the first team to set foot on the field. We were going to be part of an event that would see the official reopening of Tanzania's National Stadium. After training the remainder of the day was spent at the hotel relaxing and still adjusting to the time change in Africa, since we are 11 hours ahead of Pacific Standard Time.

Sunday, Nov. 20th

Today we had our first game. As we waited at the hotel we were all anticipating a fun and challenging game in which we were going to be playing in front of some 20 thousand fans. At the stadium the atmosphere was great. We were greeted before the game by the U.S. Ambassador, as well as the Tanzanian speaker of parliament and the President of the Tanzanian Soccer Federation. The stadium was officially opened when the Tanzanian speaker of parliament took a penalty kick from each goal in which he scored both- although if Jimmy Ward had been in goal it might have been a different story (The Tanzanian backup goalie was funny though). Nonetheless it was a great game, that we unfortunately tied 1-1 on a goal from Josh Hansen. After the game we proceeded to the hotel to eat and relax for the remainder of the night.

Soccer Summit: The Tanzanian people are very proud to have us here, just having the opportunity of sharing international friendship and cultural exchange. For the entire team, one main concern heading into the tournament was the heat and the humidity. The first training session last Saturday was a killer in the heat. Inside twenty minutes of the training session, we were all exhausted from the conditions, literally, it was hard catching our breath. After the session, we all looked at each other and knew the weather conditions would be a factor the coming week during the games.

Monday, No. 21st

Today we ventured out into the city. Most of us went shopping in the markets for fun souvenirs and to walk to streets of Dar es Salaam. We stand out like sore thumbs here. It is very obvious that we are not from Dar es Salaam or any place near here! However, we have been recognized by civilians from the first game we played. When Kevin and I (Gabe) were out shopping the vendors were asking where Jimmy was. We couldn’t believe they remembered him from the game.

We are also in demand here outside of the games. On Monday, several of the players including myself (Craig) spent the day with about fifty kids from the local community. We instructed youth clinics for the kids for six hours. It was a lot fun just hanging out with the kids. Most of the kids don't speak English but it's pretty neat to connect through soccer. Pretty amazing! They're all great kids and have very little. One thing for sure, they all love their soccer. Soccer shoes or no shoes! Soccer is life for most of these kids. They'll play all day in the heat.

Tuesday, Nov. 22nd

We played our second game today. We lost 5-1 to the Tanzania's league champions. We didn't have our best performance as a team, it was a very physical game. Andrew Gregor was red carded inside 15 minutes of the game. It was also scorching 90 degrees...They ran all over us in the second half. We'll play our final game tomorrow Cool stuff...each game our team bus is escorted to and from the games by police bikes and cars:-)

Wednesday, Nov 23rd

We lost our third and last game of Soccer Summit today, 1-2. This was the most physically demanding game most of us have ever played in. The opponent was hacking at us, pulling jerseys and slide tackling from behind. Jake Sagare was red carded! All and all the soccer experience was great. We really enjoyed being a part of the grand reopening of the Tanzania National Stadium.

Thursday, Nov. 24th

Today at camp it was so funny because there was this one boy that kept talking to Jimmy and I (Gabe) but we could not understand a word that he was saying. He was a cool little kid. It is amazing to see the conditions these kids play in. Their field is horrible and most of the kids barely have any cleats left on the bottom of their shoes. I gave my shoes to some kid to keep, he was really excited. They need the shoes more than I do so I was happy to do it. These kids are so grateful when we give them stuff and you can tell that it just lightens up their day.

In the evening we traveled by ferry to dinner. It was a total travel time of 2 ½ hours including 45 minutes on a bus. Dinner was great, but I think we were all tired of traveling and just wanted to relax especially after a long day of coaching camps. It was nice to spend Thanksgiving with the team and we are all very thankful for being here.

Until we can write again, Go Sounders! Gabe and Craig

DON'T MISS PHOTO GALLERY AT BOTTOM OF STORY

Simba beat Seattle Sounders 2-1

By Majuto Omary

Former Mainland soccer champions Simba defeated Seattle Sounders of United States 2-1 in a friendly match played at the National Stadium November 24th.. It took Simba only 50 seconds to score the first goal through Nico Nyagawa who used Mussa Hassan ’Mgosi’ pass to beat the visitors.

Sounders equalised in the 52nd minute through a well-taken penalty by Andrew Gregor. Referee Victor Mwandike awarded the penalty when Christopher Alex roughed Josh Hansen in the danger zone.

Emmanuel Gabriel used Nyagawa’s pass to score the second goal.

Sounders played a 1-1 draw against the national soccer team, Kilimanjaro Stars, in their first match before going down 1-5 at the hands of Mainland champions, Young Africans (Yanga) in the second match. From IPPMedia.com

Sounders fall to Yanga 5-1

Andrew Gregor's 2nd yellow card for dissent in the 18th minute squashed any hopes that the Sounders had of getting their first win on their Tanzanian excursion. Gregor was sent off with the Sounders leading 1-0.

Yanga, the Tanzanian Premier League champions equalized shortly after the sendoff and took the lead seconds before half time.

An quick second half goal made it 3-1, and the Sounders could do very little to get back into the game. The team worked hard but several finishing opportunities were either saved or struck wide.

Peter Hattrup played the final 30 minutes and even Preston Burpo was pressed into action for the final 10 minutes of the match at forward. James Ward played 90 minding the nets.

The Sounders played hard, but Yanga were speedy, physical, well conditioned, used to the heat, and gained confidence once the Sounders were forced to play shorthanded.

The crowd of approximately 18,000 was thrilled by the result as their squad was presented with the premier league championship trophy following the match.

The Sounders play their final match on Thursday at 4:30 versus premier league runner up Simba.

Sunday's match against the Tanzania National Team - The Seattle Sounders played the Tanzanian National Team to a 1-1 draw on Sunday. The entertaining first half ended scoreless. The Sounders had a goal called back at the 53rd minute, when Scott Jenkins Challenged the Nat's keeper, flicked a ball on to a wide open Chris Wondolowski, who tapped the ball in unchallenged. The goal was disallowed for a questionable offside call.

The Nats drew first blood, however, as they scored first on a scrappy play in the box. A scramble led to a low shot to the left of Burpo that he couldn't quite get a finger on. (60th minute.) Sounders equalized in the 82nd, from a set piece taken by Jason Farrell. 3 Sounders timed the free kick well and got in onside behind the Tanzanian defense. Josh Hansen headed it by the keeper.

Nats started strong and had several very good opportunities in the first half. If their finishing had been crisper, they might have gone into half time with a 2-0 lead. Their speed and individual play was plenty for the Sounders to handle in the relatively cool 82 degree heat and 85% humidity. The previous morning, the team had trained in 90+ temperatures and the same humidity.

It was clear from the start that the Sounders had heavy legs after the 30 hour trip, jet lag, the weather, and the overall change in environment. They started out conservatively, trying to conserve energy. Geordie Lyall was on the bench with a slight knock, and the Sounders emptied their bench in the 2nd half, using subs Hansen, Percell, Tomlinson, and even coach Peter Hattrup.

The Sounders had several good scoring chances in the second half, including a 26 yard rocket off of the crossbar from Jason Farrell. After the equalizer, the Sounders really started to pressure the Nats and looked as though they might get the winner.

The match was preceeded by much pomp and circumstance, as the US Ambassador to Tanzania, the Speaker of the House of Tanzania, and the President of The Tanzanian Football Federation christened the re-opening of the National Stadium in Dar es Salaam. A concert of local music also preceded the match.

The match was played in front of a curious and spirited crowd of close to 20,000. The fans were extremely knowledgable and enjoyed the wide open play of both teams.

On Monday, 1/3 of the team (Jenkins, Tomlinson, Farrell, Burpo, Gregor, Percell) went to the offices of the Tanzanian Football Federation to conduct clinics for several young Tanzanian teams. The quality of the skills of these 12-17 year olds is remarkable. They just need infrastructure/structure to help develop these young players. Often, there are 30-40 kids out training and only one ball. The Sounders carried 8 extra bags of balls, jerseys, cones, and gifts to distribute to the children of Tanzania. And the children were very appreciative. (We will try to forward photos, but there are some amazing ones.)

On Tuesday evening, the Sounders will face 2005 Tanzanian Premier League champions Yanga in the second match of their tour. Yanga should also be a very strong opponent as 8 of their players are part of the Tanzanian National team, and as opposed to the Nats, they are a club team that plays together regularly.

The Sounders have been travelling on a mini bus for the past several days which now is plastered with Seattle Sounders bumper stickers. People in Dar es Salaam are beginning to recognize the Americans and are waving and welcoming them to their country. Everyone has been incredibly friendly and the players are having an enjoyable visit.

The Seattle Sounders arrived safely in Dar es Salaam on Friday morning. They were met by about 2 dozen reporters and cameras, as they are the first professional soccer team to ever visit the East African nation. The Friday morning Saturday morning newspapers Craig Tomlinson, Gabe Sturm, and Preston Burpo plastered on the covers of the newspapers.

The team rested in their rooms at The New Africa Hotel and had a wonderful lunch buffet of typical Tanzanian cuisine.

On Saturday morning, the team trained at 11:00 a.m. at the National Stadium, where Sunday's match versus the Tanzanian National Team, will be held. The temperature was near 90 with high humidity, and the Sounders will be challenged in their 3 matches by the weather.

Training went well, with all participating other than Geordie Lyall, who has small knock on his ankle. Hopefully, he will be able to play on Sunday.

Everyone here is indredibly friendly and has been very supportive, although the still want their national team to win!

The team is having a formal dinner tonight with the president of the Tanzanian Football Federation as well as the Minister of Sport for Tanzania.

(Seattle, WA) – The Seattle Sounders, 2005 United Soccer Leagues First Division Champions, in conjunction with Sister Communities, the Tanzanian Football Federation, the United States Embassy and the Tanzania Tourist Board, today embarked on a three-week journey as part of the Tanzania Soccer Summit in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.

While in Tanzania, the Sounders will take part in community soccer clinics, play three matches against select African sides and go on a four-day safari.

Soccer Summit event coordinator, Laurel Hubert, said, “The Tanzanian Football Community is buzzing with excitement for the arrival of Seattle Sounders on November 11th. The Sounders should be prepared for a fanfare of select governmental officials, press, etc. upon arrival at the airport in Dar es Salaam. We look forward to the Sounders participation in the Tanzania Soccer Summit.”

On the way to Sea-Tac International Airport for the team flight to London (and subsequently, Tanzania), Sounders goalkeeper, and Championship match MVP, Preston Burpo commented, “This is a great opportunity to visit another culture, play against some great teams, hang out with kids and enjoy another country…we’re all looking forward to heading over.”

Other players on the trip include current or former Sounders Jimmy Ward, Scott Jenkins, Kevin Sakuda, Jason Farrell (player/assistant coach), Andrew Gregor, Gabe Sturm, Jake Sagare, Ben Somoza, Craig Tomlinson, Peter Hattrup (player/head coach), Shawn Percell, and Josh Hansen. Aaron Heinzen, Chris Wondolowski (on loan from San Jose developmental squad), Geordie Lyall (on loan from Vancouver), and Julian Nash (on loan from San Jose developmental squad) round out the team.

The Sounders first match will be against the Tanzanian National Team (Kilimanjaro Stars) on November 20th, and two top Tanzanian sides, Yanga and Simba, on November 22nd and 24th, respectively.

Each match will be held at the National Stadium of Tanzania, the largest venue in the country. The match on November 20th will serve as the grand-reopening of the stadium, as it has undergone extensive renovations in past years. On hand for the match will be Tanzanian President Mkapa, the U.S. Ambassador to Tanzania and several other high ranking government officials. Not only will the Sounders be the first U.S. team to play in National Stadium, but they will be the first U.S. team to visit Tanzania.

Soccer Summit coordinator Hubert estimates crowds of over 30,000 will attend each match.

On November 28th, the Sounders will depart of a four-day safari in the Tanzania Game Parks. On hand to document the safari (as well as the entire Soccer Summit) will be a U. S. based film crew hired by the Tanzanian Tourism Board. The crew will shoot footage from the national parks and will capture the Sounders interacting with elements on the safari. The documentary film project, Discover Tanzania, will be used to encourage Tanzania tourism to a global community.

Several players will be providing stories, emails and pictures from the Sounders African journey. In addition, video footage from the trip will be taken, and, if possible, placed on www.seattlesounders.net. Check the website often for updates.

Activities Schedule

After 10 days of clinics, matches and time in Dar es Salaam, the Sounders are now on a safari to northeastern Tanzania.

Monday, November 28 – Thursday, December 2, 2005. Safari to Arusha and Ngorongoro Crater

Friday, December 3rd Return to Seattle

For more information on the Tanzania Soccer Summit, call Joelle Muchlinski at 206.622.3415 extension 118 or email at [email protected].

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