Another chilly day of preseason is in the books. With the fitness test completed yesterday and out of the way, the team spent most of the session working on passing and moving the ball in traffic. There was a lot of focus on first touches, and the cobwebs of eight weeks spent off the field were cleared very quickly.
The first drill of the day was passing and moving with a drill designed to thread a series of passes across the field, dodging sticks and other players.
The team then moved into a half-field 10-a-side with a floater possession drill. Considering this is only the second training session of the year, the speed and passing accuracy looked very sharp. With a few key lineup spots up for grabs, everyone has a lot to play for.
Head Coach Ben Olsen said after training that he was very impressed by several of the trialists today and that Kevan George and 2nd round draft pick Paul Clowes looked sharp in the center of the field, especially as the half-field possession drill opened up and the team went box-to-box and to goal.
The coaching staff was also pleased with 3rd Round draft pick, Liam Doyle, a centerback from Ohio State, who anchored the back alongside Bobby Boswell at one point. The two seemed to communicate and move together with ease. At 6’4 he is a presence in the center of the box, and commanding in the air. I expect we’ll see him in the box during Black-and-Red corners, getting on the end of some of those dangerous Patrick Nyarko crosses.
Chris Korb, who underwent ACL reconstructive surgery after tearing it on August 13, 2015 against NYCFC is progressing well and even took a few touches on the ball during his rehabilitation work with the medical staff.
The team lifted after training and has the rest of the afternoon off. After a couple of light days, the team begins two-a-days tomorrow morning, culminating in a match against Elfsborg EF on Friday, January 29 at 7:00 p.m.
Check out the preseason roster here.
