Sigi Schmid opts for a combination of youth and experience in his Open Cup lineup.
ST. PETERSBURG, Florida – The lineups are in at Al Lang Stadium and the Sounders FC’s XI is one mixed of youth and experience as they face the Tampa Bay Rowdies of the second-division North American Soccer League.
In goal, they start the team’s senior member in Marcus Hahnemann, who is making his third competitive start for the Sounders after one match in the Champions League group stage and one in the semifinal series against Santos Laguna. The 40-year-old former US National Team ‘keeper will be making his first appearance in the US Open Cup.
His back four will be Dylan Remick at rightback, Jhon Kennedy Hurtado and Zach Scott at centerback and Marc Burch at leftback. In the midfield will be Mario Martinez and Alex Caskey as wide midfielders and Servando Carrasco and Andy Rose in the middle. And at forward will be Lamar Neagle and David Estrada.
For Scott and Hurtado, it will be their 12th US Open Cup appearance with the Sounders FC.
On Seattle’s bench will be Michael Gspurning, DeAndre Yedlin, Shalrie Joseph, Eriq Zavaleta, Obafemi Martins and Sammy Ochoa.
The Sounders are looking to start their journey toward their fifth straight US Open Cup final appearance, and fourth title in those five years.
The starters for the 2012 NASL champion Tampa Bay Rowdies will be goalkeeper Diego Restrepo; defenders Jordan Gafa, Daniel Scott, Takuya Yamada and Andre Arango; a midfield of Luke Mullholland, Shane Hill, Keith Savage and Raphael Cox; and forwards Georgi Hristov and Devin Del Do.
On the bench for Tampa Bay will be Andrew Fontein, Kyle Clinton, Jay Needham, Thurstan Johnson, Evans Frimpong, Mike Ambersley and Amani Walker.
