The Seattle Sounders may have lost their scrimmage to the San Jose Earthquakes in Tucson, Ariz., on Tuesday, but it doesn’t mean Seattle wasn’t pleased with the match.
After drawing the Portland Timbers in a Desert Diamond friendly on Saturday, the Sounders played the Earthquakes in their final Tucson tune-up before returning to Seattle and then heading to Charleston, S.C., for the Carolina Challenge Cup from Feb. 18-25.
These early preseason friendlies are all about ramping up the team to full speed and helping newer and younger players acquiesce to their surroundings. That’s all the Sounders are concerned about.
“[We had] another good 45 minutes from [Clint Dempsey] and then we pushed the other guys out to 60,” Sounders head coach Brian Schmetzer said. “The fitness is getting there…Dave Tenney and the fitness guys are happy with the work that’s been put in here.”
Schmetzer deployed three Academy players and two Homegrowns in the second half, opting to give his squad’s youth a chance to earn some valuable minutes. He admitted the soccer wasn’t always great, but he wanted to see how they would respond to the challenge.
“You’re looking for some consistency in their technical ability,” said Schmetzer. “You’re looking for the effort, the energy. You’re looking for a few smarts: Can they identify opportunities and take them?”
The Sounders’ third-year midfielder Cristian Roldan echoed Schmetzer’s statements that the match against the Earthquakes was a bit slow, but that it’s a byproduct of the preseason. The team was focused on gaining fitness and getting more reps.
“I think we accomplished that,” said Roldan. “Everyone can work on their first touch, their second touch, being more aware on the field. These games serve to do certain things like that.
“For me as a young player, I still have a lot to learn, and this is the time to learn some of these qualities and then use them during the season.”
