SEATTLE -- The Seattle Sounders may be forced to lean on some young faces as they attempt to survive an early season depth test on the road against FC Dallas.
Already without injured All-Star midfielder Osvaldo Alonso (groin), Seattle will also be without forward Clint Dempsey, who suffered a hamstring injury while training with the US Men’s National Team in Zurich. Guatemalan midfielder Marco Pappa will also miss Saturday’s game while on international duty.
This means the Sounders will have to contend with the unbeaten, untied Western Conference leaders without two of their most dangerous attackers.
Things are not much better in the defense. Center back Chad Marshall and right back Tyrone Mears are both nursing hamstring injuries, although neither is listed as questionable on Seattle’s latest injury report leading up to Saturday’s match.
All of which leads to a chance for some other, younger players to rise to the occasion.
“You’ve got guys missing so it’s an opportunity for other players,” head coach Sigi Schmid told the media after Seattle’s Friday training session in Frisco. “I think we have a good young group. I think they showed that against Tijuana [in a midweek friendly], and now they’ll get an opportunity to show it in an MLS game. Young players sometimes go a little hot and cold on you but I think the quality of our [young players] is good.”
Schmid pointed to youngsters
Aaron Kovar
,
Cristian Roldan
and
Oniel Fisher
as standout performers in the club’s 2-2 tie last Tuesday against Liga MX leaders Club Tijuana.
Midfielder Gonzalo Pineda believes that the young players will relish the role and thrive, which will also help them show they deserve to compete for minutes as the season progresses.
“We have too many regular starters that are not here but still, we have a good team – a competitive team,” Pineda said. “They just need an opportunity, and I think tomorrow some of them will have that chance and they will take it.”
- Get the latest Sounders news atSoundersFC.com
But it's not only the less-proven kids who will get more minutes. Veteran forward Chad Barrett also figures to be a candidate for increased minutes in Dempsey’s absence, and like others he is looking forward to it.
“That’s something we pride ourselves on: the depth we have,” Barrett said. “The guys are excited. It’s a chance for them to come in and show what they can do on TV, in front of a lot of fans, on the road, under a lot of pressure. It’s a completely different situation than you find in a Sunday reserve game.”
