Seven-year veteran forward/midfielder Pat Noonan, cut by Colorado last week, was at Starfire this morning training with the Sounders.

“Pat is an experienced player,” coach Sigi Schmid said. “Obviously I brought him to Columbus when I was in Columbus and he had some good years in the league before that in New England. I don’t know how many caps he has, probably six or seven or something around there. He is an experienced player. He can play up front. He can also play wide. He has played both flanks. He has played right and left. He has played the …

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Here’s the release from the league:

Real Salt Lake midfielder Javier Morales was voted Major League Soccer Player of the Week by the North American Soccer Reporters (NASR) for Week 1 of the 2010 MLS season. Morales supplied two goals and recorded one assist in Salt Lake’s 3-0 road win over the San Jose Earthquakes on Saturday, March 27 at Buck Shaw Stadium.

Morales opened scoring in the 14th minute. With two deft touches, Morales controlled a pass from Fabián Espíndola and blasted a swerving volley into the upper-right corner of the goal past San Jose Earthquakes goalkeeper Joe Cannon.

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MLS commissioner Don Garber will be in Toronto tomorrow for a 9 a.m. announcement. Also attending will be Toronto FC executive VP and COO Tom Anselmi, Toronto Mayor David Miller, and numerous other local soccer and government officials.

Best guess: the announcement that this season’s MLS Cup will be played on the new natural-grass pitch north of the border.

Here’s a tentative report from CBC sports.

Here’s the release from the club:

The Seattle Sounders Women, a team that’s reached the USL W-League semifinals three out of the past four seasons, near the start of their tenth campaign and fans can catch the action this season at the Starfire Sports Complex.

Single-game tickets for the Sounders Women’s 2010 home schedule are on sale now. Adult tickets cost $10 apiece; with tickets that cost $5 for students that have valid identification. Fans can order online at www.SoundersWomen.com. They can also purchase tickets at the gate on game day.

The first regular-season opponent trying to stop Seattle

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By request (and a good one, EF) I’m opening this post as a UEFA Champions League discussion area.

And for the basics, here’s a link to the Champions League website.

Two of four writers at the SI.com soccer site say the Seattle Sounders FC will win this season’s MLS Cup. (All four pick the Sounders to make the playoffs.)

Grant Wahl: Seattle. The Sounders were a remarkable story in 2009, reaching the playoffs as an expansion team, winning the U.S. Open Cup and averaging a league-record home attendance of 30,897. Look for Seattle to go all the way in 2010, using a mix of cagey veterans (Freddie Ljungberg, Kasey Keller), rising stars (Fredy Montero, Steve Zakuani), smart-buy contributors (Osvaldo Alonso, Brad Evans) and a championship coach (Sigi Schmid).

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I actually could see Red Bulls Arena from the air as I flew out of New York yesterday. But I guess that’s not quite the same as being there.

In any case, the new arena seems to have been quite a hit in its inaugural MLS game as night, a 1-0 Red Bulls victory over Chicago.

Still, it seems a bit of a disappointment that they had to settle for a near sellout, that than a sellout.

Even at that, at least one player implies the place is louder than Qwest.

“I thought Seattle last year was unbelievable.

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Freddie Ljungberg’s latest “Freddie Speaks Up” blog deals with him impressions from the opener.

Three highlights:

* He has a bone bruise, but no fracture, from an NFL-style knee in the back.

* He thinks more than one Union player could have been sent off.

* He thinks Mike Fucito is much improved this season.