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Notebook: Sounders still missing key players ahead of Saturday’s playoff semifinal

Paul Rothrock, Jackson Ragen and Jordan Morris and the Seattle Sounders return to MLS playoff action on Saturday.  (Kevin Clark/Seattle Times)
By Jayda Evans Seattle Times

RENTON — It’s the final lead-up to Saturday’s Western Conference playoff semifinal in Los Angeles and the Seattle Sounders remain without two players in training.

Paul Rothrock missed Tuesday’s session due to having a “heavy feeling in his legs,” according to Sounders coach Brian Schmetzer. The forward hasn’t trained since playing 74 minutes in Game 2 of Seattle’s opening round sweep of Houston earlier this month.

“We want to take that ultra cautiously,” Schmetzer said.

Sounders defender Nouhou was expected to return from international duty Wednesday and rejoin training. He played the full 90 for Cameroon in an Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifier win Tuesday.

The Indomitable Lions finished atop their group and are one of the 24 nations qualified for AFCON, which will take place in Morocco in December 2025.

Nouhou and Rothrock have been key in Seattle’s run the latter half of the season. Rothrock scored three goals in the final six matches of the regular season slate.

Schmetzer didn’t appear concerned about the missing first-choice starters as the team goes through their final prep to play No. 1 seed Los Angeles FC on Saturday. The fourth-seeded Sounders recently returned leading goal-scorer Jordan Morris (hamstring) and assist leader Albert Rusnák (hip) from injury.

Sounders midfielders Obed Vargas (Mexico) and Reed Baker-Whiting (U.S.) also returned from their call-ups with U-20 national teams. Vargas appeared to have a black eye, but Schmetzer said he’s fine.

“If I can get two training days with everybody, that’s all we’re going to need,” he said.

Scrimmage findings

The Sounders held a 60-minute intrasquad scrimmage last Saturday. The reserve team played the role of LAFC for some tactical work, but it was hard to simulate a match without everyone available.

Seattle last played Nov. 3 in Houston.

“We just wanted a competitive game, which it was,” Schmetzer said. “And we wanted the fitness component, which it was.”

Sounders midfielder Cristian Roldan also liked getting a release for the building excitement leading up to the playoff match. The team returned to their normal training routine this week.

“We’re antsy, we’re ready to get this game going,” said Roldan, whose team experienced their longest gap between games of the season. “The last two weeks have been a little strange. We essentially had a bye week leading into an international break. We haven’t had the full squad here, which is also very interesting.”

Due to the FIFA men’s international break, the Sounders will have a 20-day layoff between playoff matches overall. LAFC had 15 days because the Black & Gold needed a decisive Game 3 to get past eighth-seeded Vancouver in the opening round.

LAFC had five players called up last week in attackers Denis Bouanga (Gabon), Mateusz Bogusz (Poland), Kei Kamara (Sierra Leone), Cristian Olivera (Uruguay), and Nathan Ordaz (El Salvador). Gabon also qualified for AFCON.

Roldan feels the Sounders were productive with the extra time. The biggest benefit is getting everyone healthy.

“I wish we had every single player here so that we can really utilize what we think our starting lineup will be,” Roldan said. “We’ve used these last two weeks to be able to reflect on our games against LAFC and what they’ve done well and what we’ve been OK at. Implementing that into training has been crucial. Hopefully we can apply that into the game.”

Rules change

Tuesday’s training ended with practicing penalty kicks. Every player takes a shot, including the goalkeepers.

Focus on penalties was essential this season because Leagues Cup and the opening round MLS playoff series rules have matches going straight to shootouts to decide the winner if tied at the end of regulation. The Sounders won shootouts against the Dynamo in both matches to advance to the semifinals. LAFC’s matches were decided in regulation.

MLS will return to the standard competition rules for the remainder of the playoffs. There will be two 15-minute halves and if still tied, the match will then be decided by PKs.