Sounders look for talent in Yakima
November 21, 2008 by YH-R Sports
YAKIMA — The Sounders FC is looking for a few good men.
This Saturday, the Seattle-based Major League Soccer team will be in Yakima holding open tryouts. The Sounders join the MLS in March and are still filling out their roster.
So far four players have been signed, including veteran goalkeeper and Lacey native Kasey Keller, and former Sweden captain and Arsenal star Freddie Ljungberg, but the Sounders FC hopes that they can find an unknown talent that can make it to the team, says Darren Sawatsky, the club’s Youth Development director.
Similar tryouts were held in Spokane and Seattle the past two weeks.
“We are looking for our diamond in the rough,” says Sawatsky, during a phone interview from Seattle last week.
So far 390 players from all over the world have signed up to make it to the tryout, says Frank McDonald, the Sounders communications director. Even a Norwegian television camera crew is scheduled to cover the event, which also will be taped by another film group for a reality show.
Sawatzky expects the local talent to hold their own against the best.
“Yakima is known for having good soccer players,” Sawatzky said.
The tryouts will be held at Chesterley Park. In addition to online registrations, on-site enlistment will take place from 9-10 a.m., before the tryouts begin at 11.
Hector Vega, the Yakima Reds coach, says he believes that the Valley has true talents who are clearly at a professional level, mentioning Yakima Reds standouts such as Junior García, Al Valencia, Germán Hernández and Juan Viveros.
Unfortunately, they will all be playing for another team in Denver on Saturday, so they will miss the tryouts, Vega says.
“But I spoke with the (Sounders FC) coach and he agreed to include them in another tryout,” he says.
Still, Vega says that he expects good Valley players like Josh Hacker and Dennis Stevens, also Reds players, to show up. In addition, he is convinced that there are many regional competitors that are up to par.
Though at first the Sounders FC auditions sound like a publicity stunt, Sawatzky says that it is based on another open tryout held two years ago by LA-based club Chivas USA — one of the MLS’ top teams. Called “El Sueño” (The Dream), Jorge Flores, then a local unknown high school player, was picked among 2,000 participants.
Flores made it to Chivas USA, where he has scored several goals. He is currently the captain of the U.S. national under-20 team.
Sawatzky, a former professional player who played alongside some of Yakima’s best says he thinks the Valley has some quality talent that can make it to the final round, where three players will be selected. From there, a final audition will be held in February after the Super Bowl, where only one participant is expected to be chosen from the tryouts held also in Seattle and Spokane.
“We believe there is talent out there that people don’t know about,” Sawatsky says. “We are going out there to find them.”
Vega, the Reds coach, says during an interview Thursday that he was scheduled to be at the tryouts as an evaluation instructor but is currently on a soccer-related trip to Tampa. He adds that the talent search is reminiscent of events he witnessed as a youth in Mexico where pro teams like America and Cruz Azul would go out in search of the country’s best.
Still he says that every good Valley player should attend Saturday’s event.
“I think it’s an opportunity and a dream that is being brought to them,” Vega says. “For all who dream of one day becoming a pro, this is one of the best chances for Yakima and I hope that every good player goes and makes the tryouts.”
— Joseph Treviño/El Sol de Yakima
If you go …
What: Open tryouts to join the Seattle Sounders FC MLS team. Everyone over 18 is welcome.
When: Saturday, November 22nd, at 9 a.m. Registration is from 9 a.m.-10 a.m. However, the timeline will be strictly enforced so anyone coming in after that will not be permitted in the tryouts. The tryouts will be held from 11 a.m.-2p.m.
Where: Chesterley Park (40th and River Road), in Yakima.
Info: You can go to the Sounder FC website at http://www.soundersfc.com/ where you can also register before attending the tryout.
Filed under All, Pros, Seattle Sounders/MLS
If you have any stories from the tryouts, send us a message at GoSounders.com
I read about Seattle Sounds giving the opportunity to the Yakima Valley to show their talent. Do you know who was picked. I read that JR Garcia was not going try out because he was going to play out of town? I have seen Jr Garcia play and he is a star. The man can play! Is there another website were I could read about him? Thank you, Silvia