As Seattle Sounders FC 2 prepares for the start of the 2017 USL campaign on March 26 at home against Sacramento Republic, there is a heavy Sounders Academy influence within the group. Here’s an in-depth look at the five Sounders Academy players you should keep an eye on this season.
Shandon Hopeau
The high-flying attacker enters the USL campaign in scorching form on the back of several match-winning performances for the Academy. Hopeau, 18, signed with the second team earlier this week and possesses all of the traits one looks for in a modern wide player: skill, vision, speed and an innate ability to find dangerous pockets of space. Hopeau often operates as an inverted No. 10, meaning he starts out wide but tends to drift centrally in search of space. Although this is his first professional contract, Hopeau already has several appearances for S2 and the first team under his belt, and his time spent with the first team during preseason will certainly ease the transition to USL.
Sounders Academy Technical DirectorMarc Nicholls: “Shandon is a talented player, and he’s capable of moments of pure brilliance. We’ll be looking for him to add some consistency to his play and to improve key areas of his game. If Shandon can improve his runs in behind without the ball and his defensive positioning, I think he has the potential to go a long way.”
Sounders FC Director of Player Personnel Kurt Schmid: “We signed Shandon to a professional contract because we think he’s done well and has the potential to push on further. He’s an attacking midfielder who can play as a second striker or underneath a striker. He can play wide on either side and has great 1-v-1 ability. He can cut inside and shoot or get dangerous crosses off, which makes him an exciting and dynamic player.”
Trey Muse
Muse, 18, is one of several prospects signed to Sounders Academy from an out-of-catchment area. Since joining the Rave Green youth system two years ago, the gifted goalkeeper has turned in some truly impressive displays. Muse’s influential performances for the young Sounders earned him his first ever United States youth national team call up. The past few months have been a whirlwind of once-in-a-lifetime opportunities for Muse, as he’s split time between U.S. U-18 camps, first team preseason, S2 training and Academy matches. The talented young goalkeeper finds himself in the perfect environment from a development perspective, as he regularly trains and learns with the likes of Club Director of Goalkeeping Tom Dutra, Academy goalkeeping coach Josh Ford and first team goalies Stefan Frei and Tyler Miller.
MN: “Trey is a player that’s developed really well in the program. He’s been called into [United States] national team camps and participated in some international tournaments. He’s a very good goalkeeper with great hands, and his positioning is quite good, but he’ll need to improve his communication and become more commanding.”
KS: “Trey is a solid goalkeeper and he’s done well. He’s earned our confidence and has worked his way up to compete for a spot in the matchday roster for S2.”
Jake Morris
Much like Hopeau, Morris made his debut for S2 shortly after joining Sounders Academy last summer. In the interim, the buccaneering left back has been called up to the U.S. U-20s, U-19s and U-18s. In fact, Morris and Muse flew directly from camp with the U.S. U-18 national team to Tucson, Ariz., to link up with the first team for preseason. The young defender impressed in his brief appearances with S2 at the end of last campaign and will look to emulate the progression of Nouhou Tolo, who signed with the first team this past offseason.
MN: “Jake is a physical specimen. When you look at him, you see someone who is a very well-put-together athlete. He’s blessed with a very good left foot and his ball striking is very impressive. He needs to become better connected to those around him in terms of his defensive positioning, and then also his decision making on the ball to play a bit simpler.”
KS: “Jake is a good attack-minded left back that may also see some time inside [at center back], but he’s good very good instincts going forward. He does well getting his cross off and times his runs forward well.”
Sam Rogers
Although Rogers’ favorite soccer player is Barcelona midfielder Andres Iniesta, his style of play is more reminiscent of the Spanish maestro’s teammate, Sergio Busquets. Going into last year’s edition of Generation adidas Cup, then-U-16 head coach Sean Henderson felt Rogers needed to be more dominant and physically imposing in the middle. Henderson was shocked when he saw the Opta stats from the group stage, as Rogers intercepted far more passes than anyone on the field. Yes, Rogers has size, length and a strong right foot, but his most potent asset lies between the ears. His positioning, reading of the game and composure in possession allow him to cover a ton of ground in midfield. Rogers’ time with the U.S. U-18s and the Sounders’ first team will reduce his learning curve at the USL level.
MN: “Sam is a very good passer of the ball and he’s extremely composed in possession. He’ll have to add a little bit of aggression and a sense of urgency to his game for him to continue to grow, but he has the raw materials to be a very good player.”
KS: “Sam is interesting because he obviously plays in midfield for the Academy, but I think going forward he may drift further back into a center back with us. He’s got great size, very good feet and his range of passing is very good. He’s got all of the tools we look for in a center back, and he’s going to compete for time with S2 this year. If he’s good enough to start, then we’ll start him.”
Azriel Gonzalez
Most supporters had never heard of the 15-year-old striker before his name appeared on the first team’s preseason roster, but they certainly know it now. In three major tournaments with the Academy last summer — the MLS U-14 Academy showcase, the Cayman Airways Invitation Youth Football Cup and the Youdan Trophy — Gonzalez tallied 18 goals and seven assists from just 13 matches against the likes of FC Basel, the LA Galaxy and Newcastle United. And despite missing a handful of Academy matches because of U.S. U-16 national team duty, Gonzalez has already recorded 13 goals and eight assists in 20 games for the Sounders U-16 side.
MN: “Azriel has been able to gather once in a lifetime experiences — national team, Generation adidas Cup, [Sounders Academy] U-18s, first team and S2 — and he’s someone we are looking to give these kinds of experiences to because of his potential. He’s a player that comes alive inside the box and has very good technique. If he works hard defensively and develops tactically off the ball, he is somebody that we think could go a long way.”
KS: “Azriel is one of the younger players in the mix for S2, but he’s got a lot of quality and he’s not here by accident. We think he’s done well in his moments and, despite his young age, he’s got a technical skill set and soccer IQ beyond his years.”
