For Darwin Jones, finding the back of the net after subbing on in the second half of Saturday night’s preseason clash against the Portland Timbers felt a little bit like déjà vu.
What happened next, though, was something he was hoping to avoid.
The Sounders FC Academy product picked up his second goal in as many preseason games in Tucson, Ariz., but the Sounders ultimately fell 2-1 to the Portland Timbers for their second loss in four days in the desert.
For Jones, though, the hot start is validation for an offseason of hard work. While he picked up significant minutes with S2 in its inaugural season last year, the Homegrown Player wants to find time among the Sounders’ 18 come the start of the regular season.
“I think I started out stronger this year than I did last year,” Jones said. “I know I have to keep building and stay consistent. I dedicated a lot of time to my offseason. I worked on a lot of things, and it feels good to hit those points.”
