By Charles Hamaker
Tukwila, WA – The final preseason contests ahead of the 2024 MLS regular season for the Seattle Sounders FC didn’t particularly end well, as the first team fell by a minimal score of 1-0 and were clearly not fully clicking as a unit just yet. The second scrimmage of the day was split into two sections, as the first half was Sacramento players but the second was Tacoma Defiance players, but that first half yielded some more positive results as Pedro de La Vega was able to show the media in attendance what we’d all hoped to see, while Raul Ruidiaz was also dangerous in his attack. It’s an intriguing session to look deeper into considering the differences in the two sessions and to wonder how the club will line up when we approach the season opener against LAFC on the road.
Seattle Sounders FC forward Jordan Morris will look to find his scoring touch as the clubs #9 this season. (Photo by Jane Gershovich / Sounders FC Communications)
First scrimmage
The first scrimmage of the day featured a mostly first choice lineup, as Brian Schmetzer rolled out the following eleven: Stefan Frei, Nouhou, Jackson Ragen, Nathan, Cody Baker, Obed Vargas, Josh Atencio, Léo Chú, Albert Rusnák, Cristian Roldan and Jordan Morris. That group was able to generate some strong chances throughout the course of the match, as several of the attacking players were able to get through on chances, but none of them were clear cut and the Sounders weren’t able to use enough finishing prowess to score. More times than not, Seattle was able to get the ball into the Sacramento box, it was there that presented challenges for the Sounders, a clear area for them to improve upon. Sacramento won a foul just outside of the Seattle box right before the half, and a curling ball got through the Sounders somewhat minimal wall and tucked itself near post, just out of the reach of Stefan Frei. The second half didn’t see any changes until scheduled substitutions of Xavier Arreaga on for Jackson Ragen and Paul Rothrock on for Josh Atencio, but neither made much difference as this match ended in that 1-0 score line.
Second scrimmage
The second scrimmage today saw a lineup of Andrew Thomas, Jon Bell, Xavier Arreaga, Stuart Hawkins, Kalani Kossa-Rienzi, Danny Leyva, Snyder Brunell, Pedro de la Vega, Danny Musovski, Dylan Teves and Raúl Ruidíaz. The major highlight in this one was seeing Pedro de La Vega in the limited time that he was able to play, as his activity and chance creation was a clear indicator that he will help this team to make more chances on goal. A combination play between Pedro and Raúl ultimately led to the latter winning a penalty, which it appeared he was going to take before he passed off to de La Vega, who slotted it into his left side after a slow walk up. When he was taken off before half, Pedro seemed somewhat upset with himself that he couldn’t do more, and it’s nice to see the competitive spirit within him. The second half saw Sacramento leave the facility and the Tacoma Defiance come in, notably seeing Gio Miglietti’s man bun at forward, and the Sounders second squad was able to net three goals through that half.
“They didn’t play up to their potential. The free kick, I’ll just use that as one example. We do a good job of making sure that all of the set pieces are organized, that everybody knows where they’re supposed to be. But there were a couple of guys that weren’t in the right spots. The wall wasn’t set up properly. Sloppy clearance that didn’t go and a foul that shouldn’t have been committed,” Brian Schmetzer, Seattle Sounders FC head coach, on his thoughts of the first session of the day.
What’s next?
Following the two scrimmages today against Sacramento Republic FC, at least the first match and the first half of the second match, the Sounders now aim their sights to the season opener. The Rave Green face a tough test when it comes to opening the 2024 campaign, as they’ll take on the defending Western Conference champions, LAFC, and they’ll be doing so on the road. That season opening contest comes on Saturday, February 24th with a 1:30PM PST start time at BMO Stadium. It’s a rough test out of the gate for Seattle, facing the club that bounced them from the MLS Cup Playoffs last season, but if the Sounders are going to contend this year, they will need to be able to handle tilts such as this.
Cover photo by Jane Gershovich / Sounders FC Communications
