Sigi Schmid recaps Sounders FC’s tie with Houston, previews San Jose match

By Sigi Schmid

Editor’s note: Sounders FC head coach Sigi Schmid will blog weekly for the Sounders page on MyNorthwest.com. Check in each week to see coach Schmid’s thoughts on the team.

Finally a goal

Well there is no truth to the rumor that the goal we are attacking is wrapped in cellophane. We finally broke through and scored on Friday night. All you can do as a coach is to help your team in create chances; finishing has a lot of other factors to it. Skill, positioning, desire, and a little bit of luck. Not to mention a hot goalkeeper who can frustrate your day.

The task now is to continue to create and score some more goals. During this week, we played a 6-versus-6 tournament to regular size goals to get the players geared toward finishing. We also played 8-versus-6 half field to goal to work on our passing and finishing. We also played 5-versus-5 in a 40-yard grid to encourage play in front of goal.

On top of all that, we also did technical finishing work with the forwards after training, and shooting from distance for the midfielders. We want to leave no stone unturned in our effort to get goals.

San Jose

Do you know the way to San Jose? Our team does and we need to replicate our win there last year. Playing on the road is a mentality as much as a plan. We believe in our ability to play on the road and approach the game similar to a home game. We want to impose our style on the opponent and they try to impose theirs on us.

The home team tries to attack more and that opens some space to counter attack at times. We need to be prepared and aware to take advantage of these spaces.

Travel days

We fly Friday after we train in Seattle, then it is check into the hotel, team meal, video session, and tactical talk. Travel day is always a full day.

Take care
Sigi