The Sounders FC finally practiced at home Wednesday after a stretch of exhibition games in California.The team has been away for a week getting non-starters some playing time and trying out different lineups. This week, the club is in Seattle practicing at Qwest Field for the first time and preparing for next week’s trip to Argentina for more pre-season exhibitions before they decide their final roster.
Practicing at Qwest will give the team a chance to get a feel for their home turf and to prepare themselves for their first home opener against the New York Red Bulls on March 19. This week of practice and next week’s games will give the coaching staff a good chance to get a final look at the team and the new players who have been acquired recently.
Up for grabs: The defensive side of the roster will be getting the most looks because they have three open spots up for grabs. According to the Seattle Times, defender James Riley seems to be the only one locked in a starting spot on defense while Taylor Graham, Nathan Sturgis, Patrick Ianni, and new members Tyronne Marshall and Jhon Kennedy Hurtado are all competing for the final starting roster spots.
More defense news: The Sounders FC officially signed their second round draft pick on Thursday, defender Evan Brown. Brown was drafted in the second round of the 2009 MLS Draft in January. Brown played for Wake Forest University and helped the Demon Deacons go 21-2-1 in the 2008 season where they finished as the No. 1 ranked team in the NCAA.
Brown was also an integral part of the Wake Forest team who won the national championship title in 2007. Brown was one of six Demon Deacons who were selected in the 2009 draft. The school set the record for the most players selected from one college in the MLS Draft. Brown was one of the best defensive players in the NCAA and with open roster spots he could become a top contender for a starting job.
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