The members of Seattle Sounders Academy’s U-15 squad got a taste of what it’s like to a be a first team player on Saturday, March 25, when they played their final Far West Regional League match of the season at CenturyLink Field. The Sounders won 12-0 over BSC Portland, a team a year ahead of Seattle.
With the first team taking on Club Necaxa in a friendly that evening, the Academy staff seized the opportunity to expose the young Sounders to a professional environment. Since the goal of the Academy is to produce players for the first team, these once-in-a-lifetime opportunities can serve as motivation for talented young prospects in the pipeline.
“It was great to play a league match in the first team stadium,” said U-15 head coach Michael Morris. “Some of the guys who played in the match with us, we specifically invited them so they could get the feel of what it’s like to play and score goals in the stadium.”
The strategy paid off, as several standouts from the U-14 squad were brought up for the match and impressed with their composure in such a daunting setting. Some of the attacking sequences in the build-up to the goals hopefully signal a bright future for the club’s top prospects.
“We had a good discussion with the boys before the match,” said Morris. “We talked about how it’s where the first team plays, it’s also where the Seahawks play, it’s become a fortress known across the United States and the last thing we want to do is come in and wear the Sounders badge and disappoint. The guys came out pretty fired up.”
After a first half short on finishing, Morris made some tactical adjustments at the interval. The young Sounders, who Morris praised for possessing high levels of intelligence, immediately implemented the adjustment and an onslaught of second-half strikes ensured the Rave Green maintained CenturyLink’s status as a Sounders stronghold.
With FWRL play all wrapped up, the U-15s will travel south down I-5 for their next match at Portland Timbers Academy on Sunday, April 8.
