At their best, friendlies are an opportunity to see new talents, try new styles of play, test youth, and maybe even convince a player to eventually join the Seattle Sounders. At their worst they are a money grabbing event with little sporting interest.
The friendly against Eintracht Frankfurt does have compelling stories. Gonzalo Pineda is the acting head coach. A few years ago he was a starting midfielder, then a television personality, then the least experienced coach on the staff. Now, he is Brian Schmetzer’s fill-in.
Plus, the Sounders will play a bunch of talents who are on the fringe of the 18.