Practice Report: Evans & Alonso Healthy, Bryan Meredith Joins Team

Day before game practices tend to have very limited access to players. The team also does not let the media watch but the last 15 minutes or so. Although if you are a legendary player or coach from the original NASL you get to watch. This all makes sense. The number one focus of any team should be winning games. For the Seattle Sounders some of their focus was also on getting the team back together. Their trip to Costa Rica didn't have all of their players with them as three key players were home with minor injuries. Brad Evans, Osvaldo Alonso and Erik Friberg all stayed in Seattle. Sigi Schmid gave an update on Seattle's injury situation particularly as pertains to the central midfield and the season ending injury list.

Sigi noted that both Evans and Alonso came through fine and today's training went well. There was no mention of Friberg. It could be an oversight, or he is still only Questionable (that's a 50/50 call v the other two's Probable with a 75% chance of playing). He also clarifies that Steve Zakuani, Terry Boss and Mike Seamon  are all on the injured list and unavailable for any MLS regular season and MLS Cup Playoffs games this year. Per the rules one of them could appear in a US Open Cup or CONCACAF Champions League match, but that would only be if healthy. O'Brian White is not on the injured list at this time.

The team isn't quite to the point where they are scoreboard watching, although that won't stop the fans. Schmid noted the scenario as the following;

Isn't there a number of things that have to happen? We have to win somebody has to lose. Somebody else has to lose? Something like that? And then somebody has to have lunch at Denny's. All those things are included in there. It's there when it's there. We just want to keep getting points and hold onto what we have right now, which is second place. We want to maintain that and be there so that if there's any slip-ups on the Galaxy's part that we can take advantage of that.

Schmid noted that Josh Ford will be the number two keeper for the weekend game. Bryan Meredith spoke about how he and Ford get along and he looks forward to challenging him for a spot in the gameday 18.

As rookie goalkeepers going through the same thing we kind of are there for each other. To pick each other up when one of us is having a bad day. 'We'll get 'em next time.' We definitely have a good relationship and I'm happy that we do because it would have been a pain having to room with him in pre-season if we didn't. We're really good friends. The relationship is going to get better.

SaH: You look forward to forcing challenging decisions on gameday too now?

Meredith: Of course. I'm sure he looks forward to it too. Competition is a healthy thing. It makes every one around you better. I welcome it and know he feels the same way.

Meredith did pull out of school to pursue his dream from when "I was 8 years old." His future is unknown and he'll take next season when it comes.

Notes: In more somber news, Electron Boy, the Golden Scarf recipient and inspirational young man, passed away this morning.