SEATTLE – The Seattle Sounders looked quite smooth in Sunday’s 3-0 rout of the New England Revolution to open their 2015 season.
But the performance was all the more impressive considering it was pulled off without the services of one of their best players: midfielder Osvaldo Alonso. He was held out of Seattle’s season opener as he works his way back from a groin injury suffered in the second leg of last year’s playoff matchup against FC Dallas.
Preparing without the typically durable Alonso – who led MLS in passing accuracy last season and is also known as a tenacious, lockdown defender – has been an adjustment for Seattle head coach Sigi Schmid and his squad. But picking up the slack capably on Sunday was Micheal Azira, who held his own as the starter against New England and could continue to see a fair chunk of the minutes at the position.
Azira’s role as the starter, however, isn’t necessarily set in stone as the Sounders await Alonso’s return.
The 27-year-old has been battling with Andy Rose for minutes, a back-and-forth that has become a friendly competition for the starting role. It’s a dynamic built on mutual respect, something Azira said has made each player push and help one another to keep Seattle’s midfield afloat without arguably its most important piece.
“It’s really competitive, but it always comes down to the respect we have for each other,” Azira told MLSsoccer.com following Seattle’s practice at CenturyLink Field on Thursday. “Me and Rose or Ozzie or [Gonzalo] Pineda, we just try to help each other out as much as we can because it’s all about the team. ...There’s no need for me to look good and [Rose] look bad. We have to look out for each other. That’s how it is.”
Schmid discussed the comparison between Rose and Azira after Tuesday’s training session, highlighting the different set of strengths that he has to weigh as he decides who to plug in with Alonso out.
“[Rose is] more of a Brad Evans-type of midfielder who can also get forward and join the attack,” Schmid said. “At this stage I think Andy is a little more of a box-to-box midfielder. Micheal is a little more comfortable sitting in.”
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As for Alonso, his rehab has been progressing on schedule according to Schmid. But he doesn’t appear to be in line for a return for Seattle’s home matchup against the San Jose Earthquakes on Saturday (10 pm ET; MLS LIVE), meaning the Sounders figure to rely on some combination of Azira and Rose once again.
For Azira, the chance to be starting on an MLS team represents the culmination of a long and winding path. The Ugandan international spent three seasons on the USL circuit with the Mississippi Brilla and Charleston Battery after college before finally getting his shot with Seattle.
“It’s a great experience because you’re chasing your dream, you know?” Azira said. “You always want to play at the highest level possible so you just have to continue to work hard and prepare and I’ve learned a lot from the guys. It’s been awesome.”
