Open Tryouts 2005: Boot dreams live on

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The Starfire Soccer Complex at Fort Dent hosted the first session of 2005 Seattle Sounders open tryouts on an overcast and chilly February 5th afternoon. In an effort to see fewer numbers at a time, the Sounders made this the first of two choices for tryout hopefuls. (The second weekend comes in March on the 19th and 20th.) It worked, as a hardy group of around 30 athletes gathered to impress Coach Schmetzer this time around. It was different in many ways over the large turn-out in 2004. The main thing I noticed was that a good 90% of these guys looked like soccer players: young, fit, defined muscles in the legs...not merely hangers-on who had let the dream slip by years ago.

Abdou Ni Ang warms up. The Senegal striker hoped to impress the Sounders.

Among the hopefuls was Abdou Ni Ang, a sprite forward originally from Senegal, west Africa. Ni Ang currently resides in Salt Lake City, and heard about the tryouts via the internet. At age 23, and with good foot skills and speed, Ni Ang was paid attention to as the session progressed. He currently has a US visa and has played small-college soccer in the Midwest.

Kyle Alm of Port Townsend plays winger / midfield.

Kyle Alm of Port Townsend, Washington, arrived at the tryouts with the idea of showing Seattle his skills at winger. Kyle, who is 26, was attending his first Sounders open tryouts.

Dan Molino of Highline gets his boots ready.

Dan Molino has played on club teams and been a high scorer in the Highline area for the Highliners. At age 26 this was Dan's second year in a row of coming to open tryouts. 

Coach Schmetzer gathers the gang for a pre-tryout pep talk.

Also present were local college graduates such as Will Weatherly (more on Will here.), a forward from Bellevue who played his college ball at Santa Clara. It was another Santa Clara product, Kyle Smith, who is the most prominent Sounder player mentioned as having been discovered at an open tryout session. Another player created buzz by traveling from Philadelphia for the tryout session.

The weather, made extra-cool by the northern winds gusting across the fields, was more like winter than spring...but when spring comes it wouldn't be surprising at all if someone from this year's tryouts stuck around. Maybe even more than one. For the rest, the boot dreams will have to live on in their hearts and hopes while the strong and more-talented take the pitch proudly wearing the 2005 Seattle Sounders kit.

David Falk