David Falk has followed soccer in the Puget Sound region since 1974. This blog covers Sounders FC, local college soccer, Seattle Wolves FC, Tacoma Tide FC and Kitsap Pumas. Send tips or comments to: goalseattle@gmail.com
Click logos for specific club blogs & news

Seattle Soccer Examiner

Seattle Soccer Examiner

Wednesday, February 25, 2009

Sounders line up Argentine schedule


The Sounders have released notes from the club's first day in Argentina:

Soon after arriving in Buenos Aires on Wednesday, the Seattle Sounders FC set a tentative schedule of training games while in Argentina .

Seattle will play up to five 70-minute matches, beginning Friday morning (11 A.M. local, 5 A.M. PT) at Estudiantes La Plata. On Saturday (10 A.M. PT) the opposition is CED, a squad comprised of local-based free agents.

Action resumes Monday at VĂ©lez Sarsfield (4:30 A.M. PT) with a visit to Argentinos Juniors on Tuesday (4:30 A.M. PT). The final fixture will be either Wednesday or Thursday against River Plate. The Argentine clubs are expected to field a mixture of starters and reserves.

The Sounders FC travel party arrived midday Wednesday in Buenos Aires following a 10-hour overnight flight from Dallas/Fort Worth. Late in the afternoon, head coach Sigi Schmid conducted a 70-minute training session with temperatures in the mid-80s at the Argentinos Juniors youth academy grounds.

Argentine legend and current national team coach Diego Maradona is a product of the Argentinos Juniors youth system and played his first five professional seasons for the club’s first division team.

Joining practice for the first time were Michael Fucito, the fourth-round MLS SuperDraft pick out of Harvard, and invitee Evan Bush, a goalkeeper from the University of Akron. Fucito met the team in Seattle last week after recovering from a hamstring injury sustained last fall. Third-round choice Jared Karkas took part in drills for the first time since a hamstring strain sidelined him three weeks ago.

Central defender Taylor Graham (foot) was held out of practice and is not expected to play in any of the training games. Forward Steve Zakuani (ankle) did not participate in the tri-squad 7v7v7 possession games.

Jhon Kennedy Hurtado, the newly-signed Colombian defender, arrives Thursday in Buenos Aires.

The Sounders FC opens the MLS season on March 19, hosting the New York Red Bulls at the Xbox Pitch at Qwest Field. More than 20,000 season tickets have been sold and single-game tickets go on sale on Monday, March 2.


Players present for the first day of training in Argentina:

Goalkeepers (3): Evan Bush, Chris Eylander, Kasey Keller

Defenders: Evan Brown, Taylor Graham, Patrick Ianni, Jared Karkas, Tyrone Marshall, James Riley, Zach Scott, Nathan Sturgis, Tyson Wahl

Midfielders: Osvaldo Alonso, Brad Evans, Sebastien Le Toux, Stephen King, Sanna Nyassi, Michael Fucito, Ryan Caugherty

Forwards: Jeff Clark, Nate Jaqua, Roger Levesque, Fredy Montero, Steve Zakuani

Photo Credit: Top, Sebastien Le Toux exits the bus at the training grounds. Middle, Chris Eylander greets kids at Sounders FC's Argentina practice field. (SoundersFC.com)

No comments:

Post a Comment

Get gear and support this blog at the same time!