Preseason Friendly: Recap and Info vs. TSK Bačka

Danny Ciaccio

Our first game action of the 2024 preseason took place this afternoon at Marbella Training Center.

Scrimmage #1:

Lineup: Andrew Thomas; Alex Roldan, Nathan, Xavier Arreaga, Cody Baker; Josh Atencio, João Paulo - (C); Cristian Roldan, Paul Rothrock, Georgi Minongou+; Raúl Ruidíaz

Bench: Mohammed Shour%, Gallatin Sandnes%, Snyder Brunell+, Braudílio Rodrigues

+ Tacoma Defiance player
% Sounders Academy player

GAME SUMMARY

1’ Goal Bačka. Less than 30 seconds into the match, the opponent sends a deep ball down the left flank, where a winger crosses into the middle of the area. The goal scorer delivers a shot into the top right corner of the net.

3’ After the early blip, the squad settles into possession and builds out of the back. Some quick combination play between the Roldan brothers.

5’ Bačka gets the ball near goal, and after a clearance from Arreaga, Atencio and João Paulo clear the danger following some calm passing in a tight, dangerous space.

5’ CHANCE! Alex Roldan’s shot from top of the area sails just wide.

6’ CHANCE! JP takes the corner, and the ball bounces to Ruidīaz, who barely misses wide of the goal.

8’ SAVE! Bačka corner finds a player in front of goal, and the ensuing leaping header is saved by Thomas, who jumps to his right to push the ball over the crossbar.

11’ Cristian’s through-ball gets to Alex on a counter, then Alex drives a cross to far post, but it just misses Ruidíaz.

15’ A hard tackle from Arreaga stops a Bačka counter for a really nice defensive play.

19’ Atencio and JP have been extremely active in the first 20 minutes, with Atencio a bit more involved in the attack and JP staying back as he looks to advance the ball.

23’ Georgi Minongou’s first attempt of the afternoon is a well-struck shot that is immediately deflected by a defender. The ball still takes a high bounce, though, and requires the opposing goalkeeper make a jumping catch in front of his net.

26’ Alex Roldan makes a long run to the far side of the field to stop a counterattack. Those Roldans are everywhere.

29’ ALMOST! João Paulo sends a beautiful free kick to the far post, where a charging Arreaga delivers a diving header into the back of the net. Unfortunately, he was ruled offside on the play, and suffered a knock, but returned to play.

33’ Cristian finds space and sends a couple of crosses into the area, but both are knocked away by imposing defenders.

34’ GOAL! Ruidíaz sends a low shot to the bottom left corner of the net, which was deflected and then pawed by the goalkeeper, but Georgi Minongou is first to react and knocks home a leaping header from close range.

35’ CHANCE! Paul Rothrock evades a defender and gets a clear path to goal, but he is whistled for a foul.

37’ An onrushing Thomas thwarts a Bačka counter by absolutely booting a ball deep into the other side of the field.

41’ CHANCE! Alex Roldan’s cross finds Georgi, but his first-time shot is saved, then Ruidíaz makes a reactionary acrobatic volley that just misses the goal. That would have been epic.

45’ A couple more chances before half! First Georgi takes a shot that is deflected but recovered by Seattle. After some calm team passing a look opens up for João Paulo, whose shot from the top of the area sails a bit high.

48’ SAVE! A free kick from Bačka puts the ball in a dangerous spot. The first shot goes off the crossbar, and a second chance is saved by Thomas.

51’ A nifty play by Cody Baker as he gathers a pass with his chest and evades a crunching tackle to switch possession to the far side of the field. The play ends with Cristian going down in the area, but no whistle is blown.

58’ CHANCE! Alex Roldan gets a clean look at goal from outside the 18, but his shot sails wide. Seattle regains possession and immediately creates a chance for Rothrock, but his shot from 15 yards out is saved by the goalkeeper.

60’ In the final moments of the first scrimmage, Bačka takes a couple corner kicks, but neither pose a serious threat and the score remains 1-1.

NOTES:

The squad settled well after the early goal against a physically imposing Serbian side. The Sounders had more total chances, often playing through the Roldan/Roldan channel.
As expected, Atencio and João Paulo proved to be a reliable force in central midfield, and newcomer Nathan showcased his athleticism.
Ruidíaz was hungry for goals, and he had three or four looks, but none were clear chances.

Scrimmage #2:

Lineup: Jacob Castro; Kalani Kossa-Rienzi^, Antino Lopez^, Stuart Hawkins, Jonathan Bell; Danny Leyva, Obed Vargas, Dylan Teves, Albert Rusnák, Léo Chú; Jordan Morris - (C)

Bench: Mohammed Shour%, Gallatin Sandnes%, Snyder Brunell+, Braudílio Rodrigues

+ Tacoma Defiance player
% Sounders Academy player
^ MLS SuperDraft selection

GAME SUMMARY

2’ A sliding tackle from Bell cuts off a chance from Bačka.

4’ Morris draws a foul from the 30 yards out, just as he is turning on the ball. Rusnák takes the free kick, but the bail goes a bit wide of goal.

7’ A fantastic ball from Leyva springs Léo Chú into space, who gets a look but is unable to put on frame.

12’ Some commotion here. First, Leyva earns a hard foul and the Bačka player is given a yellow. Leyva is still able to move the ball up field, though, and Morris earns an opportunity at goal, but is tackled from behind. Hard to say, but the Seattle bench was looking for a whistle there.

16’ Great combination play between Rusnák and Chú on the left side, but then the defense closes in and prevents an opportunity

20’ The opening 20 minutes is a bit slower paced than the first match, and it seems like fewer chances from both sides.

21’ Kossa-Rienzi earns a foul in the center of the park. The UW product’s athleticism has been on display all preseason – turns out he did gymnastics as a kid!

23’ GOAL! Léo Chú finds Dylan Teves at the far post, who is sprinting in and knocks home the goal from close range.

27’ Speedsters Chú, Morris, and Kossa-Rienzi go on a blistering counter that results in a long pass from Morris to Kossa-Rienzi, but it is gathered by the keeper.

29’ Obed Vargas is showing incredible composure in the first half, constantly dispossessing the opponent and being a cog.

32’ Chú and Teves nearly combine for another, but the ball takes a difficult bounce off Teves’ first touch in front of goal.

39’ A cheeky backheel from Rusnák to Vargas gives Chú an opportunity to take the ball towards goal, but the opposing defense closes in and prevents a serious threat to goal.

45’ Goal Bačka. Castro is in a one-on-one position with the Bačka player, but the opponent sends the ball past the Homegrown goalkeeper for the equalizer.

48’ Another close look for Bačka, as a shot from distance strikes the crossbar and a follow-up chance trickles just wide.

49’ SAVE! A crowded shot¬ sneaks through Seattle’s defense, but Castro gathers the low shot.

52’ A couple of close chances. Chú and Morris each get a look at goal, but neither can convert.

57’ CHANCE! Leyva’s through ball to Chú might have been the play of the match, then it is immediately followed by a Leyva volley off a corner kick that barely goes over the bar. Lots of “well done, Danny!” shouts from the sideline after that series.

60’ GOOOALLL!!!! Rusnák scores from close range on a lovely sequence. Chú sends in a cross to the middle of the area, Morris’ dummies the ball for Rusnák, who knocks home the winner.

NOTES:

It was a compelling backline with new and young faces. Recent addition, Jon Bell, and teenage First Teamer, Stuart Hawkins, were joined by a pair of MLS SuperDraft picks, Kalani Kossa-Rienzi and Tino Lopez. They did well in the hour together on the pitch.
The team always feels dangerous with the ball at Rusnák’s feet, especially when combined with Chú’s big-play potential. At any moment it feels like Chú can burst open into open space, and that was the exact play that resulted in the game-winning goal at the death.