TUKWILA, Wash. – The Seattle Sounders are in the same situation as many other local companies as they prepare for their match with Columbus Crew SC at CenturyLink Field on Saturday (10 pm ET | MLS LIVE on ESPN+ in the US and on DAZN in Canada), as news of the coronavirus outbreak in the U.S. continues to impact the state of Washington.
It’s a delicate situation, to be sure, which made for an odd and uncertain week of preparation for the Sounders players at Starfire Sports Complex, with midfielder Cristian Roldan saying the team has been doing what it can to ensure their safety and encouraging others to do the same. Saturday’s game is currently set to take place as scheduled, with the Sounders putting out a statement on Thursday recommending safety measures that can be taken for fans planning on attending.
“We’re getting all our weights, all that stuff sanitized as often as we can,” Roldan said. “We have all our hand sanitizer in the locker room. If you’re sick, you don’t show up. We just can’t take any chances, take any risks. It’s been a topic, I think for a lot of different companies, a lot of people working. Just be safe, wash your hands as much as possible, be cautious of how you’re feeling, how people around you are feeling. That’s something we’re really throwing into the mix and putting that message out there."
Roldan said he wasn't concerned about his own well-being by playing, however.
“I think we’re in a pretty safe space, I think especially us being young and healthy," he said. "That obviously plays in a factor. But we’re all cautious of what we’re doing and if it gets to a point where you can’t have games or you can’t have people at the games, we have to take the safest scenarios. It’s a tough time right now and you have to be extra safe, so for everybody out there, do as much as you can to help people around you.”
Sounders head coach Brian Schmetzer said the messaging to the players has been roughly similar to what health experts have been telling the general population regarding how to be safe and cautious. As far as how the players have been dealing with everything, Schmetzer expressed confidence that the club’s medical staff has been on top of it as much as possible and the players are internalizing the messaging.
“This is a real situation,” Schmetzer said. “The club obviously keeps me updated and the decisions that the club makes at the higher levels are above my pay grade. I go along with it, because it’s a serious deal.
“[The messaging to the team] is the same thing you guys hear on the national news, the local news, we’re all just trying to be common-sense smart,” he continued. “That’s just it, there’s no reason to sit there and panic and get all nervous and everything, but it is serious. So, you try to balance that with them and say, ‘Look, take good care of yourself, wash your hands, don’t touch your face’ all of those things. If you feel sick, you’ve got to let our doctors know. We have a very competent medical team that’s all over this, so I’m not concerned about our group having a panic attack or getting bad messaging, we get really good medical advice.”
