Training camp opens with USL players getting their shot

Sounders FC are in need of defenders and seasoned midfielders. That's good news for many of the United Soccer Leagues (former) Sounders players who will join the drafted, invited and signed players at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center for the first-ever day of camp Wednesday at 10:00 AM.

(GOALSeattle.com will be on hand with two photographers to capture the historic moment and will have much to share from the first-ever practice sometime Wednesday evening.)

Defenders Taylor Graham, Danny Jackson, John Fishbaugher, Adam West, Zach Scott and Kevin Sakuda will show at camp with midfielders Leighton O'Brien, Hugo Alcaraz-Cuellar, Kenji Treschuk, Nik Besagno, and Youssouf Kante, and forwards Roger Levesque, Jason Cascio, Andre Schmid and Craig Tomlinson. Goalkeeper Ben Dragavon will try to impress enough for the club to consider carrying a third stopper. The recent Sounders will join with the rest of the MLS-gathered Sounders and compete for the eye of head coach Sigi Schmid.

The group is deep in defense and middle defense, with Jackson, Graham and O'Brien all with previous Major League Soccer experience.

The club training roster confirms the arrival of Freddy Montero. How long he stays will be one of the stories of camp. The USL players will write many of the others. Can these guys make the roster of a new club that has the same name as their former one? Can they follow Seattle on the jump 'up?'

MLS rosters are set at 24 for the 2009 season. Sounders FC will enter camp with 36 names on the pre-season training roster.

Media reports: The Olympian, Seattle Times, Soccer America

Photo credit: Zach Scott will compete for an MLS defender spot for Sounders FC. (Jenni Conner)

Sounders FC pre-season training roster

Alcaraz-Cuellar, Hugo M 31 (4/6/77) Guadalajara, Mexico 5-11 160 Seattle (USL)
Besagno, Nik D/M 20 (11/15/88) Maple Valley, Wash. 6-0 190 Salt Lake (MLS/loan Seattle USL)
Brown, Evan D 21 (5/1/87) Raleigh, N.C. 5-11 165 Wake Forest (NCAA)
Cascio, Jason F 22 (3/5/86) Gilbert, Ariz. 5-10 170 Seattle (USL)
Dragavon, Ben G 25 (12/31/83) Monroe, Wash. 6-1 195 Seattle (USL)
3 Evans, Brad* M 23 (4/20/85) Phoenix, Ariz. 6-1 160 Columbus
Eylander, Chris* G 24 (3/14/84) Auburn, Wash. 6-1 185 Seattle (USL)
Graham, Taylor D 28 (6/3/80) Fair Oaks, Calif. 6-4 190 Seattle (USL)
Fishbaugher, John D 23 (10/7/85) Redmond, Wash. 5-10 175 Seattle (USL)
Fucito, Michael M 22(3/29/86) Westford, Ma. 5-9 165 Harvard (NCAA)
Jackson, Danny D 29 (10/20/79) Leeds, England 6-0 185 Seattle (USL)
Jaqua, Nate* F 27 (10/28/81) Eugene, Ore. 6-4 205 Houston
Kante, Youssouf M 24 (8/13/84) Paris, France 5-10 160 Seattle (USL)
Karkas, Jared D 22(8/7/86) Upland, Calif. 6-0 160 Azusa Pacific (NAIA)
Keller, Kasey* G 39 (11/29/69) Olympia, Wash. 6-2 190 Fulham
King, Stephen* M 22 (3/6/82) Medford, N.J. 5-8 153 Chicago
Le Toux, Sebastien* M/F 25 (1/4/86) Rennes, France 6-0 155 Seattle (USL)
Levesque, Roger F 27 (1/22/81) Portland, Me. 6-2 174 Seattle (USL)
Ljungberg, Freddie* M 31 (4/17/77) Vittsjo, Sweden 5-9 162 West Ham
Montero, Freddy F 21 (7/26/87) N/A 5-9 N/A Deportivo Cali (Colombia)
Nyassi, Sanna* M 19 (1/31/89) Bwiam, Gambia 5-8 145 Ports Authority/Sounders (USL)
O'Brien, Leighton M 32 (3/14/76) Federal Way, Wa. 5-10 160 Seattle (USL)
Parke, Jeff+ D 26 (3/23/82) Downington, Pa. 6-1 185 New York
Riley, James* D 26 (10/26/82) Colorado Springs, Co. 5-10 150 San Jose
Sakuda, Kevin D/M 28 (6/18/80) Fremont, Calif. 6-0 170 Seattle (USL)
Scott, Zach D 28 (7/2/80) Haiku, Hi. 5-11 175 Seattle (USL)
Schmid, Andre F 25 (4/5/83) Sacramento, Calif. 6-4 200 Seattle (USL)
Smith, Jarrod* F 24 (6/20/84) Havelock, New Zealand 6-1 180 Toronto
Smith, Khano* M 27 (1/10/82) Warwick, Bermuda 6-3 190 New England
Sturgis, Nathan* D 21 (7/6/87) St. Augustine, Fla. 5-10 150 Salt Lake
Tomlinson, Craig F 36 (10/31/72) Kingston, Jamaica 5-9 160 Seattle (USL)
Treschuk, Kenji D/M 26 (12/1/82) Honolulu. Hi. 5-10 160 Seattle (USL)
Vagenas, Peter* M 30 (2/6/78) Pasadena, Calif. 5-8 157 L.A. Galaxy
Wahl, Tyson* D 24 (2/23/84) Newport Beach, Calif. 6-2 185 Kansas City
West, Adam D 22 (5/7/86) Gig Harbor, Wash. 5-10 160 Seattle (USL)
Zakuani, Steve* F 20 (2/9/88) London, England 6-0 160 Akron (NCAA)

Coaches

Head coach: Sigi Schmid
Assistant coach: Brian Schmetzer
Assistant coach: Ezra Hendrickson
Goalkeeper coach: Tom Dutra
Fitness coach: David Tenney

*Players under contract
+Free agent; Seattle holds MLS rights