RENTON — At the start of preseason, there are a few of clichés you can almost set your watch to. Invariably some veteran will show up and proclaim they are “in the best shape of my life.” There’s also bound to be plenty of discussion about how “no one’s spot is guaranteed.” Both should usually be taken with a grain of salt.
While no one on the Seattle Sounders proclaimed themselves to be in peak physical condition on Day 1, there seems to be something to the idea that there will be ample competition for playing time.
When asked about some of the position battles that will be ongoing throughout preseason, Sounders head coach Brian Schmetzer ran through a list that included virtually every spot. While the degree to which each of those is actually an open competition varies, it did underscore that the Sounders will once again be among the deepest teams in MLS.
Perhaps the most notable area of competition is at goalkeeper. Stefan Frei has had that spot on lockdown since he joined the team in 2014. But entering a season in which he’ll turn 40, Frei seems more likely to be backing up Andrew Thomas, who led the Sounders to the Leagues Cup title last year.
Schmetzer wasn’t quite ready to make that call just yet, though.
“There’s going to be open competition for that spot, and I will decide in the preseason who goes first, who goes second,” Schmetzer said. “But it’s open competition.”
Another position worth watching over the next few weeks is central midfield, where the Sounders have undergone the most transition from last year, albeit on a team that is returning virtually all of its key contributors. Out are Danny Leyva (transferred to Club Necaxa) and João Paulo (out of contract) and replacing them are veteran Hassani Dotson (free agent) and U22 Nikola Petković (loan).
Dotson, in particular, seems to have at least an outside shot at winning a spot as a regular rotation piece, if not more. When healthy, the Federal Way native has been a regular starter during his seven MLS seasons and at his best was considered a top 5 box-to-box midfielder.
“That was a good move,” Schmetzer said about the decision to sign Dotson. “I’m very happy about that. He’s a tough competitor. The competition in that midfield is going to be really intense and I think it’s great.”
Dotson’s primary competition for minutes will likely be Obed Vargas, who is coming off a season in which he was named the top player in MLS’s 22-Under-22 list, was runner-up for Young Player of the Year and has put himself in contention for Mexico’s World Cup roster.
Potentially complicating his place in the team is his contract status. Vargas is going into the final year of his current deal and has reportedly turned down both the Sounders’ extension offers and potential moves to Liga MX. The Sounders are reportedly trying to transfer him to somewhere in Europe — where he has said he wants to play in the next phase of his career — but will likely lose him on a free at the end of the year if a deal isn’t made before the season starts.
Schmetzer said he’s not considering any of that when it comes to playing time, but that it’s up to Vargas to not let it become a problem.
“We talked about making sure that that doesn’t become a distraction, that he is focused on what he does on the grass, let his agent deal with that,” Schmetzer said. “As far as I’m concerned, the expectation is that as long as Obed Vargas is here at this club, he does what is best in the best interest of his teammates. That has to happen.
“If he becomes distracted, then I have to step in. But I have plenty of confidence in Obed that he understands that.”
Training camp participants
The first day of training camp included a host of new faces. Right at the start Dotson, Sebastian Gomez and Yu Tskunome all took pictures with plaques that read “First Session as a Sounder.” Sounder at Heart’s Niko Moreno later confirmed that Gomez and Tsukanome had both signed first-team contracts. Also joining training were Tacoma Defiance players Mo Shour, Peter Kingston and Antino Lopez; SuperDraft picks Joe Dale and Trace Terry; and Sounders Academy players Landon Lucero, Mitchell Emert, Noah Newman and Gallatin Sandness.
Not participating in training were Kim Kee-hee and new signings Max Anchor and Ryan Sailor, all of whom observed from the sidelines and are expected to join training soon. Also missing were Petković, Pedro de la Vega (injured), Georgi Minoungou (international) and Nouhou (international). Minoungou and Nouhou are expected to meet the Sounders later in preseason after competing in the Africa Cup of Nations during most of their club offseason.
Preseason plans
The Sounders will train at Longacres for the rest of this week before departing for the Iberian Peninsula, where they will spend almost three weeks. First, they’ll head to Quinta do Lago, Portugal where they will play one preseason match before heading back to Marbella, Spain where they are expected to play three more matches. The Sounders will then return to Seattle and resume training at Longacres around Feb. 8 ahead of the season opener on Feb. 22.
Photos by Noah Riffe / Sounder at Heart
