TUKWILA — If the Sounders needed an indication how their newest player would blend with the current roster, Xavier Arreaga was there with an ear tickle.
The Ecuadorian defender walked behind Sounders midfielder Handwalla Bwana as the latter spoke with a reporter and playfully fiddled with Bwana’s ear. The two players — who had only met hours earlier — laughed.
“He’s a funny guy,” said Bwana of his new teammate, Arreaga, whose first language is Spanish. “He doesn’t really speak English, but we joke around with it and suddenly just bonded.”
Still grappling with Wednesday’s announcement that legendary defender Chad Marshall has retired, the Sounders on Thursday welcomed a future replacement in Arreaga.