It was the first goal of what is beginning to look like a promising sophomore campaign for the homegrown player. Thanks to Bwana, the Sounders remain undefeated at home (9-0-2) in 11 matches dating back to last September. The goal ended up being the difference between a win and a disappointing home draw after the visitors pulled one back in the 75th minute. The University of Washington product put the Sounders up 2-0 in the 68th minute, streaking into the heart of the penalty area on the counter and redirecting a beautiful cross from Nicolas Lodeiro for the 2-0 lead. If it was ugly (and it was), it would have been uglier if not for Bwana, the speedy, springy, 21-year-old midfielder who replaced an injured Morris (hamstring) early in the second half. “It was a very difficult match,” said Bwana after the Sounders beat Orlando City 2-1 at CenturyLink Field on Wednesday night. What you can read into, though, are the performances the Sounders have received from the likes of Jordy Delem, Handwalla Bwana, Harry Shipp, and Roman Torres. The Sounders have posted a 4-1 win (FC Cincinnati) and suffered a 4-1 loss (LAFC) through 12 games, but it’s not clear how much you can read into either result. Both star striker Raul Ruidiaz and productive backup forward Will Bruin missed time, as did Svensson, Rodriguez, and Marshall. The Sounders went winless in four when the schedule eventually stiffened, but their ranks were deeply thinned by injury just as the marquee matchups arrived. Their first two opponents, FC Cincinnati and the Colorado Rapids, have since fired their managers and have posted a combined record of 3-16-4 - more krill than minnows, actually, and not exactly legit measuring sticks for an MLS Cup contender. They raced out of the gate to national applause, but were feasting on minnows. The Sounders are still something of an enigma despite sitting in second place in the Western Conference standings. If it’s a daunting chunk of schedule (and it is), it’s rendered a bit less so by one thing we’ve definitely learned about the 2019 Seattle Sounders: they are deeper than expected. And the Sounders approach this, the toughest stretch of the season, riding a two-game winning streak but playing far from their best soccer.
To top it off, top-flight starters Jordan Morris, Victor Rodriguez, Chad Marshall, and Gustav Svensson are all already sidelined with injury. Saturday’s match is just the first of four straight road games, a rugged stretch that will also see the Sounders visit Sporting KC, FC Dallas, and the Montreal Impact - all while hemorrhaging both stars and supporting actors to the big stage of international duty. Philadelphia is also a place where the Sounders haven’t won in five all-time regular-season visits (0-3-2), though Seattle did beat the Union at what was then PPL Park in the 2014 U.S.
The Union sit in second place in the Eastern Conference and have won four of their last five, with the four wins coming by a combined score of 13-2. The Western Conference powerhouse plays its third game in eight days on Saturday, traveling across the continent to face the Philadelphia Union. In 2016, the Rave Green signed University of Denver midfielder Jordan Schweitzer and Stanford forward Jordan Morris to Homegrown deals, then added forward Seyi Adekoya from UCLA and Henry Wingo from Washington to the roster last season.SEATTLE - The Seattle Sounders are about to get tested. The club then signed current Sounders FC midfielder Aaron Kovar and former forward Sean Okoli in 2013, before adding forwards Victor Mansaray and Darwin Jones in 2014. National Team defender DeAndre Yedlin was the club's first Homegrown Player in 2012, making two MLS All-Star appearances before being sold to Tottenham Hotspur in England's Premier League. The signing of Bwana marks the 10th Sounders FC Homegrown Player signing in club history. and attended Ballard High School and played for Sounders FC Academy and Seattle United - a Sounders FC Academy Club Partner - prior to his time at Washington.
Originally from Mombasa, Kenya, Bwana moved to the U.S. He followed that up with an impressive sophomore campaign in which he led the Huskies with both eight goals and ranked second with six assists, earning All-Pac-12 First Team and All-Far West Region First Team selections. The Ballard High School graduate tallied four goals and seven assists in 2016, earning All-Pac-12 Second Team and Pac-12 Freshman of the Year honors. Bwana, 18, spent two seasons at the University of Washington, starting 26 of 39 career appearances and recording 12 goals and 13 assists.
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