TUKWILA, Wash. -- There was a welcome sight at Thursday’s training session: Osvaldo Alonso fully participating in drills and looking very likely to play his first minutes in almost exactly a month.
Alonso last played, coincidentally enough, in the Sounders’ most recent meeting with the Vancouver Whitecaps on Sept. 27. The Cascadia rivals will open their Western Conference semifinal on Sunday in Vancouver. Alonso left that match right before halftime with the Sounders already leading 1-0. They went on to win 3-0, vital points in allowing the Sounders to avoid the Knockout Round.
The Sounders went 2-1 in their other three most recent games without Alonso and have gone 8-2-2 this year in games Alonso has played less than a half.