Seattle Sounders: Brad Evans Unaffected by Wearing a Shoulder Brace
By Paul Taylor
In his first game back from a dislocated shoulder, Seattle Sounders captain Brad Evans says he’s having no problems with wearing a brace.
The Seattle Sounders received a welcome boost ahead of last Saturday’s game against the Montreal Impact, with the return of Brad Evans. Coincidentally or not, the team went on to record their first shutout of the season, in a 1-0 victory.
Evans had missed the two previous games, after dislocating his shoulder in the home-opener against Sporting KC. He was understandably eager to get back on the field as soon as possible, after Seattle lost their opening three fixtures of the 2016 campaign – a first in team history.
As a precaution, the Sounders captain wore a shoulder brace for the game against the Impact. He said he’ll wear it as long as necessary, to avoid re-injuring himself.
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Understandably, one of the main concerns was how the brace would affect Evans’ performance. Fortunately for the team, he stressed there was no problem.
Speaking to the media, the 30-year old said: “There were a couple of incidents the trainers reminded me of in the game, that I didn’t really remember. So that’s a good sign if I’m not thinking about what’s going on during the game, and just playing how (I’m) supposed to play.”
Evans also discussed how the brace has helped him: “(I’ve) got full movement. It just provides that extra bit of stability, although it’s more mental than anything.”
Through the Sounders tough start to the season, the team repeatedly stated that morale was still good. As far as they were concerned, it was just a matter of time before results started to turn in their favor.
Evans reiterated this point to the media: “The mood all along, even last week, was that the group was positive. Obviously we’re playing tight defensively for the most part, and now it’s just a matter of finishing our chances.
“Those moments (in the previous games) at this level can change how you look at a month. All along I’ve said positive things about the group and they came in, got their heads down and really worked hard for our first win of the season.”
Next up are the Houston Dynamo in Texas, where the Sounders always seem to struggle. The Phoenix, Arizona native knows the team will have to be at their best to come away with something.
Evans said: “They’re a very physical and fast team and they’ve also got some creativity. It’s a dangerous team who’ve already put a number of goals up on teams this year (the most in MLS).”
Evans finished by saying: “It’s a difficult place to play, it’ll be an afternoon game so it’ll be warm, but we’ve got to be ready to battle.” Fortunately for the Sounders, with their captain back at the helm, they have the ideal player to lead them into that battle.
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Despite what Evans says, are you at all concerned about his shoulder? In addition, what do you expect from the Sounders in Houston, against the Dynamo? Let us know in the comments section below.