/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/45975238/20150324_Sounders_TIJ-21.0.0.jpg)
There's no real point in reading too deeply into a friendly result and Seattle Sounders' 2-2 tie with Club Tijuana on Tuesday is no different. But we also shouldn't act like it simply never happened. So, what happened?
Aaron Kovar, mostly.
The Sounders' second-year Homegrown Player had assists on both goals and was generally the most dangerous player on the pitch. Kovar has shown flashes of this before, but being able to perform like this in front of nearly 40,000 fans and against Mexican competition suggests he's more than your average training ground stud.
Here's his first assist (via @jose8bs):
And here's his second (via @jose8bs):
Both crosses are with that deadly left foot, but they came from opposite sides of the field, which shows at least some versatility. More than that was how effective he was all night. This was by far the most minutes he's ever played against a team of this caliber -- and even if those were Xolos reserves, mostly, they are a lot better than the competitions he faces in Reserve League or the USL -- and he held his own. Very encouraging stuff.
What's this all mean for the next game that counts? With Marco Pappa out on national team duty and Clint Dempsey's status still in doubt, Kovar seems to have earned the opportunity to start. That will be a real test.