Schmid: ‘I believe in our team’

The Sounders are off the training pitch for another day.

One of the highlights of the day was a bicycle kick goal by Djimi Traore, an assistant coach and former Sounder who ended his playing career in 2014.

Otherwise, coach Sigi Schmid spent about as much time talking about his international players and the United States senior and U-23 national teams as he did about his own Sounders.

Those international Sounders are traveling today and expected back at training tomorrow. Schmid said he will have to word on their fitness or availability for Saturday’s home game with Montreal until they return and he gets a chance to talk with them.

Schmid and players Nelson Valdez and Stefan Frei all expressed continued confidence that the Sounders are playing well and that soon enough that will pay off in the MLS standings, where they are still looking for their first point.

"I believe in our team, and I believe in the way we’re playing," Schmid said. "I think we’ve played well over the three games. … I think we’ve had a little bit of bad fortune. I don’t feel that bad fortune will continue, that it will even things out. I believe in my players. We’re all still in this together and fighting for each other. I’m very confident that we’ll head in the right direction, but the important thing is we can’t be 3-3 until we’re 1-3, so we have to take it one step at a time."

Another quote from Schmid:

On possible tweaking of the way his three forwards are positions on pitch: “You always look at different option and you always look at tweeking your team. Obviously when you are without a win at this stage, how can I maybe jumpstart this. So that’s something we’ve considered , along with probably five or six other options.”

On Clint Dempsey’s goal last night, which gave him the USA record in World Cup qualifying matches : I think it’s fantastic for Clint. Records are made to be broken and at the end of the day that will be broken at some point. To score that amount of goals in qualifying is certainly a great honor. It’s fantastic for him. It’s great for him to get a goal as well, because every player wants that, needs that to just keep going with their own confidence level. I thought it was a fantastic moment for him.

This story was originally published March 30, 2016 at 2:03 PM with the headline "Schmid: ‘I believe in our team’."