And then there were three. Taylor Graham, Roger Levesque and Zach Scott are the final three members of the USL-1 Seattle Sounders team still on the Sounders FC roster.
In the past two seasons, these three players have managed to etch themselves into the club’s history books. Scott started the franchise’s first match. Levesque has scored critical goals in the US Open Cup, including the winning goal in the 2009 final. Taylor Graham has been limited by injuries but is a clubhouse favorite and provides a vocal presence in defense.
More importantly, the three 30-year-olds have helped cultivate Seattle’s locker-room atmosphere, taking with them the merry mentality that characterized the USL teams.
“The thing that was great about the USL team is it was just a group of guys who loved to play, loved being around each other,” Levesque said. “We would just come out for half the year and put everything we had out there.
“That’s one of the things that has continued on with all the guys who have made the jump from USL to the MLS, even though some of those players aren’t here. That spirit lives on with this team and you can definitely see it.”
In Major League Soccer, the stakes are definitely higher, as Levesque acknowledges. The jovial Levesque—who has played in 30 MLS matches over the past two seasons—now qualifies as a “veteran” as he enters his ninth professional season. However, this will be only his third season in Major League Soccer, a fact that benefits Seattle in regards to the salary budget.
According to Sigi Schmid, each member of the trio carries a lower cap number than contemporaries who have more MLS experience. This allows the Sounders to reap the benefits of veteran players who played in Seattle for most of the past decade.
“They have a great love for this organization and for this city,” Schmid said. “There’s always that desire when they step on the field. They want to do well because this is their home, as much as anything.”
Each player can contribute. Levesque seems to be as energetic as ever, while Scott—who started four matches in 2010—continues to be a solid option at outside back.
Sometimes forgotten as a capable center back with a team that already has three MLS starters, Graham is especially eager to compete in defense after missing time this preseason with a calf strain. He played the final 26 minutes of Seattle’s 2-0 loss against FC Dallas and should get plenty of time to play in this week’s crowded fixture of preseason matches.
“My role now, as I’m getting older, is to communicate, organize defensively and make the game easier for everyone else,” Graham said.
For these three players, sticking with the squad has been no easy feat, especially with the continued strengthening of the Sounders roster. There are other players from those USL teams knocking around the league, most notably Sebastien Le Toux and Sanna Nyassi. Even Josh Gardner, a left-sided player with the USL Sounders, worked his way through the lower divisions to a multi-year contract with the Columbus Crew.
With the club once again set to compete in the Champions League and Open Cup, there will be plenty of opportunities for the former USL Sounders to contribute.
“For the three of us, the love for the game, I’d say,” Levesque said when asked about the reason for the trio’s longevity. “We were fortunate to get the opportunity to stick around.”
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