Sounders FC started another week in Tucson, Arizona on Monday with the squad set to return to Seattle on Sunday. The club’s next match in the Desert Diamond Cup following Saturday’s 3-2 loss to Sporting KC is set for Wednesday at 5 p.m. PST against the New England Revolution.
Before that, let’s take a quick look-see at how things went at Kino Sports Complex on what was a pretty chilly day in the desert.
We Have An Ozzie Sighting
Sounders Designated Player Ozzie Alonso arrived in Tucson on Sunday and rejoined his teammates on Monday morning for some light training that included a pretty extensive jog with Head Athletic Trainer Chris Cornish. Following training, Sounders FC Head Coach Sigi Schmid noted that Alonso was a bit ahead of schedule and that it was important for him to be in Arizona with his teammates before the season starts.
You can listen to Sigi’s full interview below.
Aaron Kovar has had a pretty strong camp for the Sounders and has shown flashes of brilliant wide play in tight spots. In a small-sided game about halfway through training, Kovar displayed some quick footwork to navigate through three defenders and finish on the short goal. Was very tidy and good to see. More of that, please.
Re-Gen And Lots Of It
For the guys who played the most minutes against Sporting KC, Monday was mostly for regeneration. Some extensive warming up, jogging and then some stretching was the order of the day. Some finishing drills rounded out the session. More on that shortly.
Back From The Off Day
Monday was the first day back after an off-day on Sunday which the guys spent doing a number of different things. There were some who went hiking, played golf and sat by the pool. It was the first full off-day of the trip and it came at a great time with another six days to go in Arizona.
Roldan Loves The Social Media
With DeAndre Yedlin – the former superstar of Sounders FC social media – off at Tottenham, there is something of a void in that field. It looks as though rookie Cristian Roldan wants to take up mantle given his massive interest in social and website content. The young UW product spoke to us directly about getting more involved and this weekend he ran the MLS Snapchat for the entirety of matchday on Saturday. Looking forward to seeing what he can add going forward.
Clint Dempsey Doesn’t Like GoPros
See video below. Not nice, Deuce.
