Sounders Season

We had our first unofficial pre-season practice yesterday, and to put it mildly, my body is a little sore today. We worked on core strengthening and a little fitness before playing a 7 v 7 game. It is great getting back into it, but even after an off-season of running and keeping myself in shape, there is no substitute for a ’soccer’ fitness session. And the sad thing is, it wasn’t even that hard - just working some muscles that haven’t been used in a while.

We are all excited for the upcoming season, and defending our championship. It will be an interesting year. I am sure the coaching staff are inundated with calls and resumes on players, all looking for an opportunity to play with the MLS franchise. The Sounder franchise has always been based upon great talent and an attitude to work hard. I just hope the players that come in buy into that philosophy, and don’t take this season as a personal showcase.

Personal awards come from team success.  I have never seen great players in weak teams get top accolades on a consistent basis. The team is the strength, and it is individuals who adopt the team mentality, and use their natural talents for the benefit of the team, who will enjoy the greatest success.

There is a long road ahead until September and October, but it all about laying the foundation for success, and we started on that journey this week.