The core mandate of Sounders FC Academy is to develop players for the first team. There are plenty of methods the club uses to achieve this goal. In 2016, one of the most effective ways that Sounders Academy helped to accelerate the development of some the brightest prospects in the pipeline was by having them train and play with older teams in the club.
“It’s very important that talent doesn’t stand still, and that we continue to push players that are ready to play up,” said Academy Technical Director Marc Nicholls. “It increases the test for the players and can speed up development.