TUKWILA, Wash. — Marcus Hahnemann came into the Seattle Sounders’ preseason training camp aiming to win the starting goalkeeper job.
That didn’t quite work out, but the former United States international will be the Sounders’ starter as long as they last in the US Open Cup. His first start will be Wednesday against PSA Elite at Starfire Soccer Stadium (10 pm ET, streamed live at SoundersFC.com).
“We told Marcus we were going to give him the Open Cup,” Seattle head coach Sigi Schmid told reporters on Monday. “We expect his experience will be able to help carry us in those games. It’s something I know he’s looking forward to and we’re looking forward to as well. We have two quality goalkeepers, so it’s good for him to get this opportunity.”
There was a similar plan last season, but Hahnemann only ended up with one start after Seattle were upset in the third round by the NASL’s Tampa Bay Rowdies.
The Sounders are obviously hoping this run lasts a bit longer, and they seem comfortable with the idea Hahnemann is in the right state of mind to help make that happen.
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“He’s handled it well,” Schmid said about Hahnemann being limited to backup duty. “Any player who’s sitting on the bench saying, ‘Man, I love it here,’ that’s not the guy you want. You want them to be upset to an extent. You want them to want to get after it, to want to get on the field and disappointed that they aren’t.
“[By] the same token, they are pros and have to act like pros. They have to understand what’s going on within the team and Marcus has done all of that. He’s been a good pro, worked hard at training. He’s a guy who wants to play more minutes, so he’s frustrated. But that frustration is what makes him work hard. He’s done what I would expect anyone in his position to do.”
