1. Svensson has newfound appreciation
If you’ve managed to hold onto your job in the current climate while others around you lose theirs, the chances are that you are extremely thankful for what you have. Gustav Svensson is no different, as per the Sounders’ YouTube channel:
"“It feels great to be back. I’ve been training a lot by myself and it’s nice to be around these guys again. It reminds me why it’s so nice to play and why we have this job again.”"
Even though the Sounders are one of the most consistent and best-run clubs in MLS, little things like this can help in terms of not resting on your laurels. If Svensson feels like this, it’s reasonable to expect his teammates to also have a similar sentiment about how fortunate they are to play football for a living.
In this respect, Svensson has been able to look past all the guidelines which have been put in place for training. With fitness coaches pushing him again and teammates close by, he said training has almost felt normal to him.
Overall, the sentiment amongst all players and coaching staff was that they were happy to be back at Starfire Sports while remaining respectful of social distancing in the current climate. There may still be some way to go until games are actually played again, but returning to training is still an important step in this direction.
Does the Seattle Sounders returning to training give you any reason for optimism? Or do you believe we are still a long way off from the 2020 MLS season resuming? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.