A day following the 2-1 loss to Molde, the entire squad was on the practice field at 10:30 a.m. Yesterday's starting eleven went through a light workout, jogging around the complex and doing stretching exercises before sitting down with head coach Colin Clarke and assistant coach Steve Morrow to review the game and week-to-date.
The remainder of the team (11 field players) had a more intense training session, working on offensive and defensive drills, on widening the field, as well as stepping up and covering for each other on defense.
Midfielder Richard Mulrooney ran timed intervals with Morrow, while David Wagenfuhr continued his rehab with Head Athletic Trainer Josh Watts. Ramon Nuñez, who suffered a left quad-strain near the end of practice on Saturday, was kept off the field. Jeff Cassar and Ray Burse continued their training-regiment with goalkeeper coach Alan Knight.
At training's end, the full team got together for a round of
Survivor that saw five teams get eliminated
in a four-hole round of Soccer Golf.
Following lunch, the starting eleven as well as Mulrooney and Wagenfuhr met up with the coaching staff in the Las Lomas gym for a weight training session. An hour later, assistant coaches Marco Ferruzzi and Oscar Pareja took the 14 reserves back to the training field for a workout as the group prepares for tomorrow's noon game versus Sandefjord, also from the Norwegian Premier Division (Tippeligaen). Nuñez worked out with Watts during the session.
Coach Clarke is considering a couple of options for the lineup he'll use in the second game of the European preseason leg.
Possible starting lineup for Tuesday's game (12:00 p.m. local time):
00-Jeff Cassar, 23-Blake Wagner (left back), 21-Alex Yi, 22-Michael Dello-Russo, 24-Justin Moore (righ back), 29-Mario Torres (left mid), 13-Dax McCarty, 27-Aaron Pitchkolan, 28-Miguel Guante (right mid), 33-Kenny Cooper, 7-Abe Thompson.
Another possible option is to start Drew Moor, who played 25 minutes on Sunday against Molde, at center back with Yi. In that event, Dello-Russo would move to right back and Justin Moore would likely replace McCarty at center midfield alongside Pitchkolan to start the game.
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