Hey there! Sounders FC is in Tucson for a third preseason and the players got off to a flying start in training with a session immediately after landing on Sunday, and a long one the following morning.
Held at the Kino Sports Complex, the Sounders bumped shoulders with a number of other clubs who are also down there for season prep. Real Salt Lake and Sporting Kansas City arrived at the weekend and were training at the same time as the Sounders.
Here are some observations from the first two sessions to keep you in the know about your beloved Rave Green while the club is on the road.
Clint Is Back
It is fabulous to see Clint Dempsey back in full training with the club after spending the first part of preseason with the U.S. National Team. Dempsey was in good spirits as the club arrived in Arizona and participated fully in both sessions, doing some Dempsey-esque things along the way. More on him a bit further down.
Movement Up Front
For a big part of the session, the club worked on attacking in the final third with a few five-a-side type setups. The attackers were tasked with breaking down the defense and getting in behind for a chance at goal. Early on in the breakout, Chad Barrett showed some frustration with the pace at which his group was progressing, a clearly veteran move to motivate his teammates. The coaching staff seemed happy with the performances on both ends as the drill came to an end.
One of the most noticeable themes in the session on Monday morning was the play of rookie Cristian Roldan, who while working in the middle of the park, showed a number of moves that you’d expect from someone a few years his senior. At one point, he took the ball on an entry pass with a defender right in front of him, stopped, turned, and flicked it back outside into space in one fluid motion. Was a very calm, confident sequence that drew praise from the staff on hand.
Clint and Oba In Midseason Form
My goodness does this pair look good. Already. After only a few practices together they look like they’re in full stride after last season’s dominance. Connecting on everything, knowing each other’s movements … just on the same page at all times. Really encouraging to see and will be huge to have Clint with the club for this part of preseason compared to last year.
Ozzie Update
The Honeybadger stayed in Seattle for the first part of this preseason trip so he can continue to recover from minor groin surgery. Head Coach Sigi Schmid did note that the holding midfielder will likely join the team in Tucson at some point during the trip and will get going with some full training before the start of the 2015 season.
S2 Coming Together
After the training session, Schmid noted that Andy Craven, Aaron Long and Pablo Rossi have been invited to train with Sounders FC 2 in Seattle and that they’ll be there for the duration of the Tucson trip. In other words, the S2 roster is rounding into shape.
