RENTON, Wash. — After one week in America, new Sounders midfielder Erik Friberg is looking forward to finding his place with his new team.
The Swede with the long red hair joined Seattle this offseason on a free transfer from Swedish club BK Häcken. In his first few days in the country, the genial 24-year-old has had to make many adjustments as he acclimates to a new culture, including living in a hotel near the practice facilities while he finds more permanent lodgings.
And despite still fighting through jetlag and a touch of the flu, Friberg has a positive outlook as he gets to know his new club and teammates.
“So far, so good,” Friberg said after Friday’s practice at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center. “I like it. [Everything] is kind of different from Sweden, but I think it’s going to be good.”
The Sounders like the depth Friberg adds to the midfield. An excellent passer with a good touch, Friberg showed well in the brief full-field games played at Friday’s practice. Rarely taking more than two touches, he facilitated ball movement much like former Sounders midfielder Nathan Sturgis.
[inline_node:327336]“I like to play with one or two touches, work hard and get the ball to the forwards so they can score,” Friberg said.
Despite his illness, the midfielder also showed his excellent work rate.
“I think today in the 11-v-11, you saw what he is,” head coach Sigi Schmid said of Friberg. “He is sits there in midfield, knocks it around and all of a sudden, you look up and he’s in the box trying to get on the end of a cross, and then you look and he is back in midfield where he needs to be.”
It’s too early to tell how Friberg will fit in with the club. In the brief full-sided scrimmages, the Swede lined up as a central midfielder with what might be considered the second team. However, with his willingness to play anywhere, that could change.
“Sometimes I can play on the left for tactical reasons, if they want me to,” Friberg said, noting that he prefers to tuck into the middle of the field even when playing outside.
In terms of his career, Friberg believes the challenge of Major League Soccer will help him become a better player. Ultimately, the chance to try something new swayed his decision as he chose Seattle over interest from clubs in Denmark, Norway and his native Sweden. He confirmed that the Sounders first scouted him in the summer of 2010 when he played for BK Häcken in Göteborg before contacting him again in December.
Schmid sees Friberg as an important part of the midfield puzzle heading into the 2011 season.
“He gives us that depth in midfield that we needed, especially with the loss of Sturgis and it gives us alternatives,” Schmid said.
Notes:
The Sounders will head to Casa Grande, Ariz., for two weeks of preseason training on Saturday. After Friday’s practice, Schmid indicated the roster would likely be trimmed by three to five players before departing for Arizona.
