Sounders rounding into health

The injury bug has been biting the Seattle Sounders squad for weeks now, and last weekend’s game against FC Dallas was no exception. Jackson Ragen was forced off the field at halftime with a right hamstring injury that looks like it will keep him out of action for a little while. Ahead of their first home game in nearly a month, Head Coach Brian Schmetzer provided an update on the team’s injury situation at training on Wednesday.

Ragen’s situation was front of mind, as the severity of his injury wasn’t known immediately following Saturday’s game. Schmetzer confirmed that the right hamstring issue would keep Seattle’s star centerback out for “four to six weeks,” putting the severity on par with similar injuries sustained by Pedro de la Vega and Jordan Morris over the last month and change. That prognosis will likely keep Ragen out until at least May 17 when the Sounders hit the road to face the Portland Timbers, or the following week for the home fixture against Dallas on May 24.

Apart from Ragen, the outlook for the team’s other injuries – aside from Paul Arriola, obviously – was much more positive, with “everyone else out there,” at training according to Schmetzer.

Pedro de la Vega has made a strong return from injury over the last two weeks, first playing half an hour as a substitute against San Diego FC then starting and playing 45 minutes against Dallas, where he set up Danny Musovski’s goal with a shot off the post. Jordan Morris was set to make his return from injury against Dallas but the team opted to shut him down for that game to give him more time to recover, while Alex Roldán and Albert Rusnák both missed the Dallas game after picking up injuries against San Diego. “They’ll all be involved in the game,” said Schmetzer during his availability. “Just depends on, you know, what the final lineup decisions are."

The Sounders aren’t just getting players back, as new signing Ryan Kent could potentially make his first appearance in the coming weeks. Schmetzer advocated for patience with Kent’s integration, saying, “I’m going to manage some expectations here. He hasn’t played a significant amount of games in the last couple of years, and so for him to get back up to where he was, like he was at Rangers and all the highlights that we see, it’s going to take him a bit.” That doesn’t mean there’s not cause to be excited, though. “He’s working hard and integrating with his teammates as far as, you know, the social aspect – talking, interacting – and the soccer is going to come because he’s a talented player.” Kent could potentially be used as a spark off the bench against Nashville SC on Saturday.

With Ragen out for some time, someone will need to step into his spot on the field and fill his role as a distributor from the back line. Against Dallas it was Sounders returnee Kim Kee-Hee, and he could certainly be called on again this weekend. “Someone has to do it,” said Schmetzer. “I mean, we’ve had Jonathan Bell do it when Jackson was out, Kim Kee-Hee will get a chance. Jackson’s calling card is his ability to make the right pass, not just the technical piece of the pass but also the decision-making. So we’ll miss him, but Kim will step in and do a good job. Jonathan Bell can step in and do a good job."

Missing Ragen will pose a challenge, but it’s good to see the Sounders getting healthy and coming off of a valuable win as they head into a difficult and important stretch of the season starting when they host Nashville on Saturday at 4:30 pm.