Sounders FC backups deal with frustrations

TUKWILA — Observations about Sounders FC's playing rotation:

• Patrick Ianni is the primary backup at central defender. He started the team's past two games in place of Tyrone Marshall and Jhon Kennedy Hurtado.

• The first midfielders off the bench are Sebastien Le Toux, Peter Vagenas and Sanna Nyassi. Stephen King had been in the mix, but a hamstring injury has slowed him.

• Roger Levesque is the lead reserve at forward, though he started in Houston last Sunday, and in two of the past three games, defender Zach Scott has come on as a substitute to either provide defense when Sounders FC is ahead in a game or to spell starting left back Leo Gonzalez, who is still rounding himself into top shape.

That leaves other veteran players, like Nathan Sturgis, Tyson Wahl and Taylor Graham, out of coach Sigi Schmid's regular rotation for the time being.

"At this stage, it's about trying to put out what you think is the best team on that particular week," Schmid said.

The reserve players understand, but that doesn't mean they're completely fine with coming off the bench. Scott started the Rave Green's first five games of the season before being replaced at left back by Sturgis, who was later replaced by Wahl before Gonzalez joined the team.

Scott's role for now, as he sees it, is to push the starters in practice and make Schmid's decision difficult as to who will play from week to week.

"Because I was able to start those first couple of games this season and get a taste of what it is to start consistently, it's harder not to be out there," Scott said. "For me personally, it's tough all the time knowing that I'm not starting."

Scott appreciates his coach is straightforward about informing players of his lineup decisions.

"Not phasing me out, but just coming to me man-to-man and saying, 'This is what we're looking for, this is why we're going to change things, and you need to continue to stay sharp and you might get a chance again,' " Scott said.

"Sometimes it's more difficult mentally to stay in it when you're not in the group that's playing day in and day out, but that's part of the battle," Levesque said. "I feel like I've been around long enough, and I'm a little bit better equipped to deal with it than any of the younger guys."

Note

• Levesque's 63 minutes of action last Sunday were a regular-season high for the veteran forward. Before the Houston game, he'd appeared in just eight Major League Soccer matches, all as a substitute, and hadn't played since the Real Salt Lake game Aug. 8 when he logged 21 minutes.

"I was excited to get out there and contribute," Levesque said.

How he actually felt physically was a different matter. Levesque needed an adrenaline rush in the 90-degree heat and humidity.

"Houston in the middle of August, not an easy place to play," Levesque said. "But after the first 10 minutes completely exhausted, then I kind of caught my second wind and sort of got into the flow of the game a little bit."

José Miguel Romero: 206-464-2409 or jromero@seattletimes.com