TUKWILA, Wash. – The Seattle Sounders hit the practice field at Starfire Sports in Tukwila on Wednesday, putting in one last shift before the team embarks on a three-game East Coast road swing that starts this Saturday against the New England Revolution at Gillette Stadium (4:30 p.m. PT; JOEtv, Univision-Seattle, ROOT Sports; KIRO 97.3 FM, El Rey 1360AM).
Sounders head coach Sigi Schmid addressed a couple of glaring health concerns following the Wednesday training session, the first being the status of starting center back Chad Marshall, who was held out of Seattle’s 1-0 loss to the Colorado Rapids on Saturday with a hamstring injury.
“Everything was good from yesterday and he progressed through everything today,” Schmid said of Marshall. “He’s full-in.”
On the flip side, the Sounders will not have the services of forward Oalex Anderson for the upcoming road trip as the speedy rookie works his way back from a hamstring injury of his own. The 20-year-old picked up the knock just seconds after entering the match against Colorado as a substitute, an injury Schmid said on Wednesday could keep Anderson sidelined for around three to four weeks.
Seattle come across a New England side that is coming off a tough 4-2 loss to FC Dallas last weekend, and is also in the process of integrating a new weapon: Former Columbus Crew SC striker Kei Kamara, who was dealt to the Revs earlier this month.
“Obviously, I’m sure New England isn’t very happy with their result from last weekend,” Schmid said. “So they’re going to be motivated to play well at home. Big addition for their team in Kei Kamara as they get that understanding down between him and [New England midfielder] Lee Nguyen.”
Sounders forward Herculez Gomez also spoke with reporters following Wednesday’s practice, explaining what led to his recent foray into the world of broadcasting.
After initially trying his hand as a media member with the MLS Digital Department last year, Gomez is scheduled to be a part of the FOX Sports broadcast team for this summer’s Copa America Centenario.
“I didn’t know whether it’d be in the cards or if I even wanted to do it, but why not try it out? I tried it and it was refreshingly fun,” Gomez said. “It was something new. I did it with the MLS Digital Department and it went well and from there I got a few phone calls from a few networks. I started seeing it as maybe something I can do after [retirement].
“I got my first taste with FOX this past weekend and my off days and it was fun,” he added. “It’s a lot of work. I didn’t realize how much goes into it. So it’s a newfound respect I have for those guys. It’s a lot of work but it’s definitely fun.”
