Just like that, Clint Dempsey and Obafemi Martins showed that the Seattle Sounders haven’t lost a step in the off-season. Dempsey’s goal of the week winner, a fancy team play with lots of crisp passes, demonstrated that the entire team is performing exactly like they did all of last season. Even with new players getting the nod and some old familiar faces rotating into new positions and roles, the Sounders displayed the same grit and playing style fans had become accustomed to in 2014. But can they keep it up?
The Boys Are Back In Town
First, let’s handicap the victory. The New England Revolution were depleted, missing stars Jermaine Jones and Lee Nguyen to injury. Juan Agudelo was back in the lineup after touring Europe looking for a home last year, but this was his first competitive game in over 8 months, a fact that has been somewhat overlooked. Charlie Davies was notably absent after a very good 2014 campaign. And Andrew Farrell started his first game at centerback after playing mainly on the right side of the defense last season. Needless to say, the team was missing quite a few pieces and at the same time was trying to jam some puzzle pieces into places where they don’t fit.
Players Shine
Even with those issues, the Sounders had an easy time last Sunday. They knocked the ball very well around the field. Both outside backs got into the attack, although it was Tyrone Mears who really dazzled. Although he’s a ten year veteran of English soccer, DeAndre Yedlin left big shoes to fill. But he proved that not only was he a competent defender, Mears may have a better head on his shoulders in terms of picking his moments to get into the attack. There were a few occasions last year where a turnover in the middle of the pitch would prove disastrous because the entire right side of the Sounders were way up field. Yedlin’s speed and tenacity are missed in the Emerald City, but it’s nice to have someone who is a little more disciplined and who can cross the ball with pinpoint accuracy. This, of course, comes from his years playing at an extremely high level. There’s no doubt that in a few seasons DeAndre will be just as good, if not better, than Mears.
Brad Evans proved that he can read the game extremely well from any position on the field. Being a centerback requires discipline, communication and positional awareness. You can’t take risks, unless absolutely necessary. Evans proved that not only can he do all of these things, he can do them well. He knew when to stay next to Chad Marshall, and he knew when to go pressure a player with the ball. Sure, he had one bad give-away that led to a New England shot, but every defender makes at least one mistake in the game. The goal is to make sure that the mistakes don’t lead to anything major, and luckily Stefan Frei bailed him out.
Even with Ozzie Alonso missing, Michael Azira did a good job closing down open space in the middle of the field, forcing the New England attack to either turn on its haunches or to knock the ball out to the wings. Alonso is known as a pit-bull; a player who will run anywhere on the field to help out the attack but have the speed and endurance to get back on the defensive end and make a drive-ending tackle. Azira proved that not only could he do this and not sacrifice the Sounders attacking mindset, he could do it well.
Looking Forward
Saturday’s match against the San Jose Earthquakes will be an interesting one. The Earthquakes are in the middle of a rebuild of a sort, with Dom Kinnear taking the helm once again and a few new players getting involved in the mix. In their last meeting, Tommy Thompson proved to be a threat up top with his speed and footwork and they came away with a tie after a typical Chris Wondolowski goal, a simple three yard put-away. But the Sounders were without a lot of starters in that match, and this time the team is well rested and ready to keep the ball rolling with another win.
The Seattle Sounders should have every major player, except Alonso, who is still recovering from an injury. With a bye-week on the horizon and a friendly against Club Tijuana right after, there will be no reason not to see the strongest lineup. San Jose should prove to be tough, with their scrappy style of play sure to disrupt the flow of the pass-heavy Seattle team. But it won’t be enough for Seattle, who is playing like they are in mid-season form, not a team who has only been involved in one full game.
Seattle Sounders F.C. vs. San Jose Earthquakes
7:00 PM PDT, TV: Q13 Fox, MLS Live
