While it seems likely that Brad Smith will be the starter when the Seattle Sounders take the pitch to start the 2019 season Saturday, his place in the starting 11 should not be considered automatic. That was the message from Sounders head coach Brian Schmetzer Tuesday when asked about the positional battle at left back.
“Nouhou came to training a little bit late,” Schmetzer said. “There were some visa issues that he had to address. That gave Brad a bit of a head start. The competition is real, it’s there. It’s not over. Brad might be the starter one week and then you might see Nouhou the next.