SEATTLE — Just minutes before the start of the Seattle Sounders’ scoreless home draw against Atlanta United on Friday, center back Chad Marshall gave the red light to head coach Brian Schmetzer.
Marshall was battling an illness, but was initially in the starting lineup and wanted to give warmups a shot. They didn’t go well, and Marshall shut it down. Schmetzer turned to second-year defender Tony Alfaro in Marshall’s stead to round out a back line that was already being run by committee.
Regular center back starter Roman Torres played 180 minutes in two World Cup Qualifying matches with Panama last week and began on the bench for rest. Oniel Fisher, who would presumably start at right back when healthy, has been battling a hamstring injury. Despite clearing a fitness test on Thursday, he was still ailing enough to the point where Schmetzer didn’t think Fisher could play a full 90 minutes. Jordy Delem, a center midfielder by trade, made his MLS debut at right back.
So there was the Sounders’ rag-tag back line, a scrappy bunch comprised of Alfaro, Delem, Gustav Svensson (who himself is still out of position) and Joevin Jones, who also just played 180 minutes in WCQs with Trinidad and Tobago, welcoming the hottest offensive team in Major League Soccer — and they shut Atlanta out. It was the Sounders’ first clean sheet of the year and the first time Atlanta was held scoreless.
“That [shutout] is a pretty big statement,” said Schmetzer. “Positionally they were very sound. As individuals they defended well, and also as a group they defended well. It’s credit to the back four, it’s credit to [goalkeeper Stefan Frei], but I thought the whole team played well defensively.”
The Sounders returned to MLS action on Friday after the FIFA international break, during which they hosted a friendly against Liga MX side Necaxa. Three of the four defenders who started versus Atlanta started against Necaxa, an experience that’s hard to overstate.
“We had no issues and no drama,” said Schmetzer. “You just plug the next guy in and he does his job.”
Alfaro was particularly solid considering his number was called at the last moment. Friday was Alfaro’s first MLS appearance in 2017 and he made a strong case to see more minutes.
“I always come into every game preparing as if I’m going to play,” said Alfaro. “Today I got that chance, and I was happy I could help the team get a shutout.”
Alfaro credits playing with Marshall and Torres every day in practice as part of the reason why he was successful and continues to improve. He watches how they play, studies their tendencies and tries to implement some of the best aspects of their game into his own.
“I’m training with them every single day, and I learn from them day-to-day,” said Alfaro. “There’s things they help me out with, they give me advice.
“We know each other’s tendencies,” Alfaro added. “Even if it’s a last-minute change, like today, we can always improvise and get the job done.”
