When center back Shane O’Neill joined the Seattle Sounders in mid-January, he, like the club, was excited to start the season, one filled with hope of defending MLS Cup and the promise of CONCACAF Champions League. Less than two months later, the COVID-19 global pandemic hit and everything came to a halt.
The challenges, stress and anxiety were myriad for anyone, but especially for someone like O’Neill, who had just moved across the country and was still adjusting to life in a new city, bereft of close friends and family.
“It was definitely a tough time,” O’Neill said.