Set to begin another salary cap-governed year in Major League Soccer, one would expect a bit of
turnover for every team. After only two full seasons of existence, 54 players have graced the
Philadelphia Union roster (55 if you include Danny Cepero's one-game emergency goalkeeping bench
stint), and only 5 remain of the original cast.
Cold air, but sunny skies down at Starfire for the last split session training on the schedule.
Session One, the younger players, saw 10v10 action. They needed a warm body to fill out the full
20, instead assistant coach Ezra Hendrickson (now on twitter) played as a left back in their three
back set.
With rumors of Cordell Cato reaching a contract agreement and Mrisho Ngassa's club still waiting
for confirmation that Tanzanian international will return for another training stint with Seattle
Sounders FC it could be said that Hanauer & Co went for the U-20 Trinidad player rather than the
East African U-23.
It isn't that Seattle Sounders FC's defense was poor, in fact is was quite good. The team gave
up only 50 goals in all 48 competitive games for a 1.04 Goals Against Average. But there were two
chronic issues - a weakness on the counter and probably merely average against set-pieces.
Underlying the stopping of the opposition is a desire and recognition at the club to be better
playing the ball out of the back.
Today's Reserve Game has so many different storylines. There's O'Brian White's probable return
to the lineup. There's the attempt by Seattle to remain perfect in this lower level competition, as
they are currently 7-0-0 with a +8 Goal Differential. Is the game open to the public or not? Which
seems like it should have a simple answer, but there were conflicting reports yesterday, and the
Vancouver Whitecaps statement on the subject provides little clarity.
Today's Reserve game (11AM at Starfire) in the Seattle rain will feature the strongest MLS
Reserve squad at the half way point of their season. The Sounders are 5-0-0 with a +7 goal
differential and face the Los Angeles Galaxy Reserve side that is winless in three played with a -7
goal differential.
While the offense gets the glory, it is the defense that carries the load. One bad play on
defense is a goal. One great play is standard operating procedure. So defenses in MLS don't get
much attention, except when there is a three-way battle for starts, fullbacks that both have
experience as wide midfielders and a young Generation Addidas talent still learning the role.
I noticed a couple of errors yesterday relating to the LA Galaxy's games in the 2000 CONCACAF
Champions Cup (played in January 2001, but still called the 2000 edition). They've been fixed, and
the corrected version can be downloaded here (stats through 2010).
Brian Kelly & Zak Ibsen were each listed with two sub appearances.
