On paper, the Seattle Sounders dodged a bullet in the Round of 16 CONCACAF Champions League draw. Squaring off against El Salvador’s Santa Tecla, Seattle avoided both traditionally strong Costa Rica clubs in Herediano and Saprissa, as well as Honduras’ Olimpia.
But that doesn’t mean the Sounders are approaching their return to CCL looking past their first-round opponent, the winners of the Salvadoran league comprised of players hungry to make a mark in the region.
“You can’t overlook them at all because they want to show that they can compete with MLS and Mexico and the bigger leagues in North America,” said forward Will Bruin. “Every player could be thinking, ‘If I show out here, I could have a chance to move on to the next part of my career.’ They’re going to come out firing. If we overlook it, we could find ourselves in a hole.”
Bruin has competed in CCL twice early in his career with the Houston Dynamo and understands the potential complications and unforeseen variables that could affect matches. He’s confident, though, in Seattle’s ability to execute its game plan and earn a massive result on the road in the first leg on Thursday, Feb. 22.
“The atmosphere is going to be a lot different the further you go,” Bruin said. “Refereeing is going to be different, that’s just how it is. There are different styles of play for different countries. We have a team where we just worry about ourselves. Our play can take care of itself no matter who we’re playing. You can control what you can control.”
