Training has officially kicked off for Sounders FC, and if you have been following closely, you may have noticed that there are a few unfamiliar faces on the pitch. Over the next few weeks of preseason, Sounders FC coaches and technical staff will be taking a hard look at fresh faces looking to earn a spot on the team. However, there is another motive this season for all the invitees and trialists who have taken the pitch for the Rave Green this week.
Along with the First Team coaching staff, the newly appointed S2 Head Coach Ezra Hendrickson has been keeping an eye on many new players for the club’s new USL PRO team set to begin play in a couple months. In tandem with First Team Head Coach Sigi Schmid, Hendrickson is looking for “young players with high ceilings” in order to start the season with a bang.
“Obviously we are growing as a club. That’s the biggest thing you notice,” said Schmid. “It is becoming a soccer club in its truest form from top to bottom.”
Sounders FC General Manager & President of Soccer Garth Lagerwey has stated that the club will start to implement a form of “vertical integration” over the next few years. The coaching staff at every level of the organization will adopt that mantra as they look to build and develop players from early on, with the hopes to eventually start for the First Team.
“We are going to use S2 to continue to develop our young players, especially the guys who are outside the 18,” Schmid said after the club’s first training session last Saturday. “Last year guys like [Aaron] Kovar or [Sean] Okoli would have been guys who would have gotten a lot of minutes with S2.”
The inception of S2 will give young players a chance to compete and show how they perform in real-game situations. The opportunity has many players hungry for a chance to show coaches what they can do, and even veteran players are noticing.
“[S2] is going to push guys to make sure they are competing every day,” said six-year Sounders FC veteran Brad Evans. “The reality is if you aren’t performing and someone is on S2, why not bring them up and give them a chance if they are hungry and fighting.”
Schmid, Hendrickson and their staffs will be making note of players who have that hunger and fight throughout the preseason, which includes trips to Southern California and Arizona. Hendrickson will also be present at the next round of S2 open tryouts February 13-14 at Starfire Sports.
The number of players training with the First Team will start to dwindle as the S2 roster begins to grow over the next few weeks. Top to bottom, like Schmid said, the organization is growing. Despite the hard decisions that will be made, everyone can still agree, it’s good to be back on the pitch.
