SEATTLE, WASH.– Sounders FC today announced that Marco Pappa has been called in to the Guatemalan National Team for a friendly against El Salvador next Tuesday, October 13 at the Los Angeles Coliseum. Additionally, Sounders FC forward Nelson Valdez and defender Oniel Fisher were called into international duty for Paraguay and Jamaica, respectively, but remain in Seattle due to injury.
Pappa, 27, has 48 career caps and 10 international goals, including nine appearances in 2015. He most recently led Guatemala to the Groups Stage of 2018 FIFA World Cup Qualifying following a 2-1 win on aggregate over Antigua & Barbuda last month. Tuesday’s match vs. El Salvador is the second of a pair of October friendlies for La Azul y Blanco, following last night’s 1-1 draw with Honduras in Tegucigalpa.
Valdez was called into the Paraguayan National Team for a pair of 2018 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers against Venezuela and Argentina, but remained in Seattle after suffering a strained calf prior to last Sunday’s 1-1 draw with the LA Galaxy. The 31-year-old has 68 caps and 12 goals in his career for Paraguay, who beat Venezuela 1-0 on Thursday before taking on Argentina next Tuesday.
Fisher was named to The Reggae Boyz squad for a friendly against Korea Republic in Seoul on Tuesday, but did not travel due to a hamstring strain he suffered in training last week. The Sounders FC rookie has one career cap for the Jamaican senior team, a substitute appearance in a 3-1 win over Trinidad and Tobago on August 11, 2010.
Following Sunday's draw with the LA Galaxy, Seattle Sounders FC (14-13-5, 47 points) enters a bye week before playing its last two matches of the 2015 MLS regular season. The Rave Green next play at the Houston Dynamo on Sunday, October 18 (2:00 p.m. PT / ESPN, KIRO Radio 97.3 FM, El Rey 1360 AM) before the season finale vs. Real Salt Lake at CenturyLink on October 25. At 47 points, Sounders FC sits in fifth place in the Western Conference, three points above the red cutoff line for the MLS Cup Playoffs.