The Seattle Sounders were just about to wrap up Friday’s training session with full squad set pieces at Mulcahy Stadium.
Newly acquired midfielder Harry Shipp lined up to take a free kick from about 27 yards out. Drops of sweat hit his blue Adidas socks and cleats as he approached the kick.
The 25-year-old sent the ball high, whizzing past defenders’ heads and wide right of the net. That is, until Shipp’s new teammate, Clint Dempsey, leapt. Using the right side of his head, Dempsey redirected the ball into the top-left corner of the net.
Shipp and the Sounders will continue their training Saturday night, when they take on the Portland Timbers at Kino North Stadium. The second of two Desert Friendlies will serve as the final tune-up before the Desert Diamond Cup, which starts Feb 18.
The Star talked to Shipp about his training, his new club and what he expects:
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How’s Tucson? Is this your first time training here?
A: ”I came here my rookie year (with the Chicago Fire). We came here for a few weeks and played in the tournament. It is my second time, nice weather; can’t beat it for sure and the fields are nice. It is a good place to get out of the cold weather. … The facilities are nice. It’s nice to have a bunch of teams playing so you are not just practicing against yourself for four or five weeks. You mix in games against MLS teams, which is a positive thing.”
What do these friendlies help you accomplish?
A: “First, it’s game fitness. You can do all the fitness you want in the offseason and first few weeks of preseason, but there is nothing like simulating an actual game. It is different, everyone is at a different spot. For me, being in my fourth year, it’s about sharpness. I’m not really worried about making the team. There (are) some guys here fighting for a contract, but for me it is about getting sharp and getting ready to help contribute once the beginning of March rolls around.”
Is there a particular area you want to improve before the season begins?
A: “There is always things, I think once I get in dangerous spots in the final third finishing, I can do it, just got to get back to doing it well. Also getting back to picking out a final pass, I think I have gotten good at keeping possession in tight spaces and the hard work it takes to get the ball back and now it is getting creative in the final third.”
Going from the Chicago Fire to the Montreal Impact to the Seattle Sounders, how do you handle that?
A: “It’s tough. I think I am a lot better-prepared for it this time around than I was last time. I am in a better place moving to Seattle than I was moving to Montreal. It is about staying positive and getting back to being confident in what I am good at and bringing that forward for the Sounders this year.”
How have your teammates welcomed you?
A: “They have been super-super-great from the first day. … We have integrated a bunch of new guys since preseason started.”
On to something lighter: What’s it like seeing yourself in a video game that is distributed worldwide?
A: ”I have never, ever played with myself in FIFA. I do not play FIFA at all, but the few times I have played, I never even touched an MLS team in my life.”
What music do you listen to during pregame?
A: ”I am pretty relaxed, I like country music so for me I try to stay relaxed as possible before a game. I’m not someone who is going to listen to a bunch of dubstep or heavy metal. For me it is about staying calm and staying focused.”
Do you have an embarrassing song/artist that you do not let other people know you listen to?
A: “I listen to old-school Taylor Swift sometimes, back before she turned pop.”
