Jordan Jennings and John Fishbaugher, invited to MLS training camp

Two former members of the Tacoma Tide have received an exciting opportunity to train with the Seattle Sounders FC for the 2009 Training Camp. This camp will give them the chance to show what they can do among MLS Veterans and newcomers, while jockeying for a spot on the ’09 roster. Jennings (goalkeeper) spent ’06,’07, & ’08 with the Tacoma Tide, and Fishbaugher (midfielder/defender) spent ’07 with the Tide. To see their stats while with the Tide, click HERE.

Sounders FC is real now. They came off of the roster and onto the training field at the Seahawks facility in Renton at 10 this morning and were off the field around 11:15.

In that little more than an hour, they jogged, loosened up, kicked the ball around and were divided up into seven-on-seven games.

A few early reactions:

Coach Sigi Schmid: “It’s tremendous to see some bodies on the field. You get tired of looking at things on paper, and shoving pieces of paper around, saying ‘how would this look like this, or like that?’ You actually get to see people out there, and then you see how people work together. Already there were a couple things I put down on paper, like this guy will player here, this guy will play here. And then on the field, you already saw them shift. So you see who is comfortable where. And even though you think you might be comfortable there, it shows right away by his play that he’s more comfortable some place else. All those things start to answer questions for you. I thought it was a good first day. No injuries. That was good too. And I thought everybody came through it very well.”

Keeper Kasey Keller: "You're starting from scratch, so it's a process."

No. 1 draft pick Steve Zakuani, on his excitement to get started: "I could hardly sleep last night. I have a lot of fun. Obviously, there are a lit of new guys. It was fun, you know? Being out there with a soccer ball was fun."

Former USL Sounder Adam West, speaking of the jump from first division to MLS: We know the level -- it's definitely higher. It will take a while to adjust."

I got other reactions from a few players, too, and will try to turn that into something for the Thursday paper.

I suppose the first ball has been struck. The Sounders are about a half hour from the official start of their first training session. However, a few players already are out on the field.

Here's my preview story from today's paper.

Practice is supposed to go until around 11:30, so I should be checking back in in the early afternoon with a first report.