The club completed its final preseason tests against LA Galaxy today before flying south to San Pedro Sula, Honduras for their Concacaf Champions League match on Thursday, February 17.
The pair of preseason friendlies featured two 90-minute scrimmages, with Head Coach Brian Schmetzer deploying a separate lineup for each contest. The opening match played to a 1-1 draw with the Sounders featuring a lineup made up of First Team players, ending with Raúl Ruidíaz scoring the lone goal for the Rave Green in the 41st minute through an assist from Albert Rusnák. The second 90 minutes featured a combination of First Team players, 2021 Tacoma Defiance players, Sounders FC Academy players and unsigned SuperDraft selections.
THREE TAKEAWAYS
Raúl x Rusnák Connection
The attacking duo played the entirety of the match together, with the most notable moment of the match coming from a Rusnák pass that found the feet of Ruidíaz to score the lone goal for Seattle in the 41st minute. The goal was Raúl’s second in a row, scoring last on February 1 in a preseason friendly against Western Conference rival Colorado Rapids at Kino Sports Complex in Tucson, Arizona. The assist was Rusnák’s first goal contribution with the Rave Green, setting up what could be the first of many following a 2021 MLS regular season tally of 11 goals and 11 assists.
Obed’s Potential
Homegrown signing Obed Vargas played a full 90 minutes in the first match of the day — the youngest player on the field throughout the match. The youngster produced fluid sequences of play throughout the game, delivering tidy passes in the midfield through the opposition’s pressure. Vargas joined the First Team in December 2021 after being a mainstay for USL side Tacoma Defiance during its 2021 campaign. At 16 years old and being the club’s 18th Homegrown Player, Vargas could contribute more solid performances through the 2022 season.
National Team returners take the field
Cristian Roldan, Alex Roldan, Jordan Morris and Xavier Arreaga made their long-awaited return, with all four starting the first match and playing a complete 90 in the 1-1 draw. Following their return from an offseason filled with World Cup Qualifiers for their respective national teams, Head Coach Brian Schmetzer was able to deploy the quartet after rejoining the squad in Seattle on Tuesday, February 9 before flying to Palm Springs, California. All four players had a notable presence on the pitch, slotting right back into their favored positions.
