TUKWILA — Soccer players running is a completely normal and expected sight on the field. Soccer players running through the streets of downtown Seattle during the evening commute is not, however.
Yet, thanks to the overturned semi-truck that closed Highway 99 and in turn crippled traffic in and around Seattle Tuesday night, a few Sounders players were forced to get to their game by foot.
Players were supposed to be at CenturyLink Field for Tuesday’s 7 p.m. game by 5:30, and when goalkeeper Stefan Frei realized traffic wasn’t moving and that he was running out of time, he parked at the Westin Hotel and jogged the remaining 1.5 miles.
“I got from my house to the Westin, five blocks, in 45 minutes of driving,” he said. “I was like, ‘I’ve got to park the car.’ Took me like 15, 20 minutes to run.”
Some fans noticed players like Frei, Lamar Neagle and Chad Barrett heading to the game on foot and mentioned it on Twitter. As the Twitter account for KOMO News noted, the “March to the match” was probably the most efficient means of getting to Tuesday’s game.
“I got a couple of tweets that were like, ‘Oh, we just saw Frei run past us,’” Frei said. “It’s a bit embarrassing. I’m actually lucky they let me into the stadium, because I came in from the north side, and had to go through security and they’re like, ‘Whoa, whoa, slow down.’ I said, ‘I’m a player, please let me in.’ It worked out, so that’s good.”
Frei caught a ride back to his car after the game from Brad Evans, so he at least avoided a foot commute home. According to Sounders coach Sigi Schmid, Barrett walked more than two miles from lower Queen Anne to the stadium.
“It’s a good warm-up, might not have helped his game,” Schmid quipped.
As is normally the case a day after a game, Wednesday’s practice was a light session to allow players to recover, something that Frei joked he could really appreciate after some extra running.
“That’s about as much fitness as a goalkeeper should be doing,” he said. “That’s why I chose that position, right?”
Injury update
The Sounders could have Osvaldo Alonso on the field for the first time this season when they face Dallas this weekend, which would provide a big boost to their midfield. Alonso, one of the team’s three designated players, has not played yet this season while recovering from groin surgery. But he practiced Wednesday and Schmid sounded optimistic that he, as well as right fullback Tyrone Mears (hamstring) will be available.
“They went through training today, and both came through no issues,” Schmid said. “We’ll make our decisions later today on them about the Dallas game, but we feel pretty good about both of them.”
Schmid had no new update on Clint Dempsey following Wednesday’s practice, though he confirmed the forward is out for Saturday’s game. Dempsey suffered a hamstring strain while training with the U.S. national team in Switzerland Monday, an injury estimated to keep him out two to three weeks according to a press release put out by U.S. Soccer. Dempsey returned to Seattle Tuesday, and while he’ll be out this week, Schmid indicated after Tuesday’s game that it shouldn’t be a long-term injury.
“I talked to him last night,” Schmid said Tuesday. “…He feels that it’s not that bad.” Schmid added that he talked to U.S. national team coach Jurgen Klinsmann, and that Klinsmann thought Dempsey might have had a chance to play next week’s game against Switzerland, but didn’t want to push it for a friendly.
Herald Writer John Boyle: jboyle@heraldnet.com
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