Another day, another training session for the Sounders FC in beautiful Tucson, and quite the productive one it was.
Tuesday’s morning practice will be the club’s last full one before a pair of friendly matches, first against FC Tucson in the Desert Diamond Cup on Wednesday and then against Minnesota United FC on Thursday.
Here’s a few things that went down at the Kino Sports Complex on a lovely sunny morning.
Clint Shoots Some Hoops
Before the club even got outside on the training field, Deuce had a little fun with the mini basketball hoop set up inside the locker room. Attempting to launch the ball underhanded from the opposite side of the 50 foot changing space, Dempsey was adamant the shot could be made, despite the low ceilings and long distance. I took video of his efforts but it was a bit too NSFW, as they say, so a shortened version is below.
A Worldy From Marco
As the session got underway, we were all privy to more magic from Marco Pappa in the five-a-side drills the team had been working on. Deflecting a pass intended for Andy Rose in the middle of the half-field area, the Guatemalan took the ball on the bounce and ripped a looping half volley over the head of Troy Perkins and into the net from about 25 yards out. A tidy finish to say the least. Want to see it for yourself? Check out the video below.
Lots Of Finishing Work With Razov
You don’t become the 4th all-time leading goal scorer in Major League Soccer without knowing how to finish your chances. Sounders Assistant Coach Ante Razov netted an impressive 114 league goals over his 10-year career, and since joining the coaching staff has been hard at work with the forwards on their finishing and technique. He’s a very vocal guy and has been showing it thus far in helping the guys deposit the ball in its home, the net.
Speaking Of Forwards
A guy perhaps flying a bit under the radar this preseason is the fully fit Kevin Parsemain. The Martinique frontman has quietly deposited a number of chances in training over the last few days and seems pretty sharp coming back from a serious knee injury. Good to see him back on the pitch performing up to his standards.
Oba The Goalkeeper, Again
That guy Obafemi Martins just loves to play goalkeeper at the end of training. For a good 15 minutes or so following Tuesday’s only session, Martins got between the pipes and tried to stop a number of shots and penalties from Lamar Neagle, Vic Mansaray and more (see main image). Always a smile on his face, as well, as you'll see in the video below.
A MLS Who’s-Who
With five teams training at Kino in Tucson, there is no shortage of MLS talent walking through the halls in the cozy facility. Former Sounder Tyrone Marshall, now an assistant with RSL has been seen often, as have USMNTers Matt Besler, Kyle Beckerman and Nick Rimando to name a few. It’s crowded, but fun to see the faces.
It’s Nearly Game Time
The Sounders will play their first match of the 2015 Desert Diamond Cup on Wednesday against FC Tucson from the main stadium at Kino. You can find a live stream here on SoundersFC.com and, as always, a full slate of live tweets compliments of yours truly. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. PST.
