TUKWILA, Wash. – Despite some early optimism that Brad Evans might return for the the Seattle Sounders’ first road match of the year this weekend, the veteran center back and team captain will be held out as he continues to recover from a shoulder injury.
Sounders head coach Sigi Schmid confirmed on Wednesday that Evans will not play against Real Salt Lake on Saturday (1 p.m. PT/JOEtv, ROOT Sports-outside Seattle/KIRO 97.3 FM, El Rey 1360 AM). Evans suffered a shoulder injury in the final minutes of the team’s 1-0 loss to Sporting Kansas City and has not trained at all this week after undergoing an MRI on Monday.
“He’s out for this weekend, and then we have to see how he is for the next week,” Schmid said. “He’s feeling better today, so hopefully he’ll continue to make progress every day.”
Evans went down in the 88th minute after he was undercut by SKC forward Dom Dwyer while leaping for a header near midfield. Evans had to be helped off the field and did not speak with media after the game.
“It takes a while for the pain to subside, but then the chances of it happening again are definitely increased,” Schmid said. “The next time it happens it’s not as bad because everything is stretched out in there, but eventually, at the end of the day, you have to have surgery on it. But that’s not something you've got to do now.”
The loss of Evans muddies an already cloudy picture on the back line for the Sounders. Veteran right back Tyrone Mears did not play against Kansas City while nursing a groin strain, and second-year defender Oniel Fisher is suspended this week after picking up his first career red card in the season opener.
Without Evans, the likely choice to start in the middle with Chad Marshall is Zach Scott, the 35-year-old veteran who came for the final 20 minutes against SKC on Sunday.
Rookie center back Tony Alfaro – who signed a contract with the club on Tuesday after he was picked up in the second round of the MLS SuperDraft in January – is also an option.
Mears trained lightly on Wednesday, and is expected to return to heavier training on Thursday with the hope he can return against RSL.
Midfielder Erik Friberg, meanwhile, made it through the final day of his league-mandated concussion protocol on Wednesday, and, barring setbacks, is expected to return to training on Thursday.
