In all honesty, we only saw one brief (albeit very important) flash of the speed Sunday night that once made Steve Zakuani one of the most exciting players in MLS.
Seattle Sounders fans probably would have felt better about the winger’s recovery if they had seen a little more. But for now, for a man who had not started in 500 days, that’s good enough.
It looked and sounded like that was enough for Zakuani, too. Yes, he said he would liked to have shown more. That burst past Dallas’ right back to set up Seattle’s only goal in a 1-1 draw was a run that he once made “10 times a game,” he said later.
How was the build-up over the last few days, after Sigi Schmid broke the news to Zakuani of an impending start?
“Just excitement,” he said afterward. “I’ve been waiting. I’ve been ready. I feel like I’ve been training well, just waiting for my chance.”
As Sounders manager Sigi Schmid said, at least everyone can feel good with the knowledge that the explosive speed is still there. Now, it’s just a matter of Zakuani regaining the confidence necessary to use it more often.
Here’s what else Seattle’s man of the moment had to say after Sunday’s contest, courtesy of Seattle Sounders FC:
