Chen no longer with Sounders as club prepares for Mexico trip

The Seattle Sounders returned to training at Starfire Sports Complex today. However, they were without Roberto Chen, a center back trialist from Panama.

“He’s not (in camp) right now,” coach Sigi Schmid said. “Something might change, but right now we’re moving forward. … A little bit (not the right fit). Also numbers – we still have to look at numbers. Obviously with Oba leaving we’ve still got to determine where we’re going to go with that, how we’re going to move forward with that. We didn’t want to hold him up as well. So it’s a thing of foreign spots on the team, it’s a thing of what are we going to do in terms of a couple of positions, and we didn’t want to take away other opportunities for him.”

Schmid also was unclear if centerback Damion Lowe will return after his ongoing trial with Minnesota United of the North American Soccer League.

“I don’t know,” he said. “They asked to see him on trial. We agreed to it. He agreed to it as well. So he’s been down there on trial, so his trial continues through tonight.”

The club will work Sunday in a session closed to the media before traveling to Los Angeles, working out there, and then continuing on to Mexico City for their 5 p.m. Wednesday match with Club America, which will resolve their CONCACAF Champions League quarterfinal series.

I’ll have more from today’s session shortly.

This story was originally published February 27, 2016 at 1:50 PM with the headline "Chen no longer with Sounders as club prepares for Mexico trip."