Health updates, more before Vancouver trip

After Sounders training today, coach Sigi Schmid covered a variety of topics as the club works toward its Saturday match at Vancouver. Some highlights:

On Vancouver: It’s a tough place to play. We had good success when we went up there earlier in the year. Hopefully we can replicate that. But they’re a team that’s got a lot of confidence right now. They’re playing very well. They’ve got a good playing rhythm also, so it will be a tough game.

On what the Sounders did right in that in first game: We held onto the ball, we maintained possession of the ball, we made them chase it. And we did a good job defensively taking away their speed. Obviously their speed is always a factor. They rely on their youth and exuberance. I know they think we’re an old team, so they want to try and run us, but we just have to make sure we negate that and we do what we do well, which is possess the ball, and we’ve got some guys up top who can finish.

On impact of Vancouver playing in CCL last night: I don’t think it’s much. I think of the guys who played yesterday, I don’t know if any of that group is going to start or play. I don’t think it makes a difference.

On the Saturday match also deciding Cascadia Cup: Really haven’t talked to the guys about that. For us it’s all about being focused, getting into a good rhythm, making sure that we can establish our ability to get results on the road – which we did last week at San Jose – and get another good result on the road here. We’re concerned about our rhythm, and so if Cascadia Cup comes along with it, we’re certainly going to take it. But we’re not going to put ourselves in a situation where winning that takes us away from our end focus, which is to get to the playoffs and make a run at MLS Cup.

Schmid also had several health updates. He said: Brad Evans (concussion protocol) has been cleared and should be available assuming no setback. Nelson Valdez and Clint Dempsey were coming along from their various knocks. Osvaldo Alonso is 100 percent back from injury although not necessarily 100 percent in game fitness. Andreas Ivanschitz is probably ready to play 60-75 minutes, after playing his first 45 minutes as a Sounder last weekend in San Jose. He also said that central defender Chad Marshall was held out of training after receiving a cortisone shot for leg tightness.

This story was originally published September 17, 2015 at 2:43 PM with the headline "Health updates, more before Vancouver trip."