Seattle Sounders: 5 takeaways from second week of training camp
By Paul Taylor
3. First ‘match’ of 2020
Whether you considered it any actual match or more of a somewhat casual affair, the Seattle Sounders played their first game on Wednesday against Uruguayan club Atlético Peñarol behind closed doors.
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The Rave Green ended up losing 1-0 to Peñarol, but that wasn’t really too much of a concern. What was important was making sure as many of the players as possible got an opportunity to display their skills during three 30-minute periods, while also improving their fitness.
In this respect, the veterans took centre-stage for the first 30 minutes, before giving way to the youngsters. This opening period was particularly important for players such as recent signing Shane O’Neill, who was seeing his first playing time with the Sounders.
Understandably, O’Neill wants to establish himself as soon as possible, in order to prove he can be a reliable option on the backline. By all accounts, he was strong in the air and, for what it’s worth, he did help his teammates keep a clean sheet during his half an hour of action.