The Seattle Sounders held their first day of preseason training in Tucson, Ariz., on Monday, and the main focus was on integrating newcomers into a side coming off its first MLS Cup title.
“It’s nice to get to know the new guys on the team,” said midfielder Cristian Roldan. [Harry Shipp, Will Bruin and new acquisition Gustav Svensson for instance] are good players and experienced. That’s what we need on this team. As of late, we are pretty young, and those guys will add depth.”
Svensson, who the Sounders signed on Monday, will be a great fit in the midfield for head coach Brian Schmetzer, who likes Svensson’s vision and how composed he is on the ball.