TUKWILA, Wash. — Zach Scott is retiring at the end of the 2016 season, and the only one seemingly uninterested by it is, in fact, Zach Scott.
The Seattle Sounders veteran defender has been with the club since 2002. He spent the first six years of his professional career with the USL Sounders and is the only remaining player on Seattle’s roster from its pre-MLS days.
He is fondly known as Mr. Sounder, but it’s neither a moniker he wants nor one with which he is comfortable. As he prepares for his final regular-season match on Sunday in Seattle’s Decision Day home fixture against Real Salt Lake (1 p.m. PT; ESPN, 107.7 The End, El Rey 1360AM), he’s doing everything he can to downplay the attention showering him.
“I never expected to play this long,” Scott said. “Every moment I’ve had to train with the guys and step out on the professional soccer field has been a joy, and I haven’t taken that for granted. To me, it’s just any other day.
“The fact that there’s a celebration around me doing my job is a bit bizarre to me. I’m just doing what’s expected of me.”
Scott called the celebration awaiting him at CenturyLink Field on Sunday “ridiculous” and wanted to take a back seat on the ceremony planning. He doesn’t even want Sounders interim head coach Brian Schmetzer to try and find a way to get him into the match if he starts on the bench.
“I [don’t] want any focus to come off the team and what we were trying to do together,” Scott said. “I tried to keep [my retirement announcement] as quiet as possible, but unfortunately I didn’t do a very good job.”
Schmetzer and Scott have a long relationship. Schmetzer was the USL Sounders head coach from 2002-08 and signed Scott from an open tryout at Memorial Stadium, where the Sounders used to play. It may not mean much to Scott, but Schmetzer fully understands everything Scott has given to the club and what he means to the players, coaching staff and fans.
“[Scott] represents what a lot of the qualities are that the Sounders are all about,” Schmetzer said. “He’s a hard worker, he’s a smart worker, he’s a good athlete, he’s a gifted soccer player.”
Scott has played limited minutes this season, but Schmetzer wants Scott to be remembered for more than just a team leader from the sideline. Schmetzer wants people to remember that Scott provided the club with countless on-the-field memories over the course of his 15-year career in Seattle.
“He’s had moments and this is what we all forget,” Schmetzer said. “The penalty kicks down in Portland, the Open Cup game down in Philly in 2014 …There’s plenty of soccer moments that make all of this worthwhile.”
If there is something that Scott does feel comfortable honoring, it’s his relationship with his past and present teammates. A consummate pro, the rapport he’s formed with the players around him are part of what make his legacy so great and lasting — even if he, himself, finds it unwarranted.
“If there’s one thing I can pass on to these young guys, it’s that this is such a unique experience, one that very few people get to have,” said Scott. “That’s been the biggest joy for me, that I’ve loved coming out and training every single day.”
