We break down another eventful week for the Seattle Sounders as they continued training camp in the warmer climate of California. Here are five takeaways from the week that was.
This time last week MLS Multiplex recapped an eventful seven days for the Seattle Sounders as training camp got underway at Starfire Sports Complex.
Since then, key players have returned to the squad, the preseason ‘match’ of the year has been played, and the CONCACAF Champions League preparations have stepped up with the premier domestic competition now just weeks away.
And so, with the club now continuing preparations in California, we share another five takeaways from the second week of training camp.
5. We’re all in this together
No matter how enjoyable it might be to practice in the snow, it still doesn’t compare to the opportunity to train in a warmer climate. After holding a final session in Seattle on the morning of Saturday. Jan. 18, the team flew out to California.
Seattle made a point of taking players from the first team, Tacoma Defiance and the academy. This is important in terms of team bonding and building a camaraderie throughout the entire organisation.
It also provides an invaluable opportunity to expose the youngsters to how they should behave professionally, on and off the pitch. And what better way than to have them travelling and training with the likes of Stefan Frei, Nicolas Lodeiro and Raul Ruidiaz.
However, as per Joseph Mondello of soundersfc.com, head coach Brian Schmetzer stressed those same youngsters will also be held to a higher standard in Long Beach. As a result, on the initial day, the veterans spent the afternoon in the gym lifting weights and doing extra fitness work while the younger first-team players joined the Defiance and academy for a second training session.