TUCSON, Ariz. — Seattle Sounders captain Osvaldo Alonso was devastated to miss MLS Cup against Toronto FC last December, forced to the sideline with a quad strain that he had aggravated against the Vancouver Whitecaps in the Western Conference Semifinals. Now, as he enters his 10th season with the Rave Green, he’s excited to get back on the field and contribute.
“First, I want to get healthy so I can give everything I have,” Alonso said. “It’s my 10th season, and I want to win everything. That’s why I’m pushing hard to get back to the field. I didn’t expect when I came here that I’d spend 10 years with the Sounders, but I’m very happy to be here and do my best for the team.”
The last remaining Sounders original from 2009, Alonso enjoyed a relaxing offseason with family in Cuba and Miami and was able to recharge ahead of what figures to be another lengthy season for the twice-reigning Western Conference champions. He isn’t satisfied with how Seattle finished its season last year, and he’s prepared to return to MLS Cup and reclaim the title.
“We are a good team, we went to the final last year,” Alonso said. “Now we want to win the championship this year, that’s why [the front office] brought in a lot of good players to this team.
“But our goal is not to just get there, it’s to win it,” he continued. “But first you do have to get there. It’s little by little, step by step, from the first game to the last one. It’s a long season, but step by step, we’re going to get there.”
