TUKWILA, Wash. -- When Seattle Sounders manager Sigi Schmid asked Brad Evans to play center back at the start of this season, it took an extended trip in the Wayback Machine for Evans to remember the last time he had played the position. It was when he was 11 years old growing up in Phoenix.
"I had an English coach at the time who played three in the back and I was one of the right center backs," Evans said in an exclusive interview following Tuesday's practice session. "I'd played there a little bit here and there, but nothing too concrete, nothing too advanced."
Not for the first time in his career, Evans' versatility and adaptability have proved to be a boon for the Sounders, who tied the Vancouver Whitecaps for the best defensive record in the league, conceding just 36 goals. That's not to say that it was a beautiful smooth road for the UC-Irvine product all season long. An early 3-2 defeat against the San Jose Earthquakes, in which Evans was at least partially culpable on all three goals sticks in the memory, this after looking comfortable in a 3-0 win over New England to start the season.
"It came a little bit too easy in the beginning," Evans said. "Then you play very good teams with very experienced strikers, and they'll make you pay for the tiniest little mistake. That was a big reality check for me. If you make a mistake, you're the last man."
Evans soon smoothed out those rough spots on the defensive side of the ball, and his vision and ability to connect passes revealed themselves as well. His strength while dribbling the ball out of the back also gave Seattle a different look in terms of the team's attack, a nice wrinkle for an offense that has at times lacked some creativity outside of linchpins Clint Dempsey and Obafemi Martins.
The Evans Experiment then seemed set to come to an end when the Sounders acquired Panamanian international center back Roman Torres in August. Evans was soon back to manning one of the midfield spots, but Torres tore his ACL in a game against San Jose on Sept. 12. So it was back to playing in the center of defense.
Such versatility usually cuts one of two ways. In one scenario, the player in question is never able to make one position his own, so when a better option emerges it means a return to the bench. The player becomes the ultimate afterthought. But Schmid has always valued Evans' contribution going back to their MLS Cup-winning days in Columbus. Thus, the second scenario -- one where a starting spot for Evans somewhere on the field has never been in doubt -- is the one that comes to pass.
"Brad's a trooper," said Schmid. "He's a team guy, he's going to do what the team needs. I think he's been consistent in his games at center back."
The moving around doesn't seem to bother Evans either. It certainly hasn't hurt his international prospects. While Evans was one of the final cuts for 2014 World Cup, he's been a frequent call-up in 2015.
"If it had played one position consistently throughout my whole career I don't know where I would be now," Evans said. "I don't know if I would be in this position. But I'm happy where I am now, happy with my involvement with the team, where I sit and obviously at the national team level too, that's a bonus. Doing well here, then going into the national team, that's all kind of icing on the cake I guess."
On Wednesday, Evans will be subjected to his biggest test yet. He will be part of a Seattle back line intent on prevailing over an LA Galaxy side that features Robbie Keane, Steven Gerrard, and Giovani dos Santos. And if you focus too intently on those three the likes of Sebastian Lletget, Gyasi Zardes and Juninho can hurt you as well.
Evans and the Sounders will also be fighting history to a degree. The two teams have met in the postseason three times previously, and the Galaxy has prevailed every time, though Seattle has edged closer with each attempt. It lost both matches of the aggregate series in 2010, fell on aggregate despite winning the second leg in 2012, and then was ousted via the away-goals tiebreaker last year.
The Sounders do have the happy memory of securing the Supporters' Shield on the last day of the 2014 season against a Keane-less Galaxy side, but it's clear that the subsequent playoff defeat weighs heavier on the team's collective psyche.
"It's a loss and we got knocked out, and that's all people are going to remember. It's all we remember," said Schmid. "But we beat them up here last year and we want to do that again."
Seattle may have to do that without midfielder Osvaldo Alonso, who was held out of training for a second straight day after injuring his groin late in the Sounders' 3-1 defeat of Real Salt Lake last Sunday. Schmid noted that Dempsey was limited in training as well in a bid to get him more rest, but at least the U.S. international was visible. Alonso was kept inside.
"We'll decide [Wednesday]," said Schmid.
If Alonso can't go, that will put even more pressure on the back line to contain the Galaxy's array of attacking options. But Keane is likely to get the most attention from Evans and Co., if for no other reason than the Irishman's tendency to lull defenses to sleep and then pounce with a warp speed attack.
"[Keane is] deceptive," Evans told reporters earlier on Tuesday. "I think when you look at Keane, you don't look at him and really see an explosive player from the outset. But once he gets on the field, it's experience, it's dynamic, it's just a veteran player [who is] very, very good."
Such has been the rivalry that there are no secrets between the two teams. Not even the relatively new arrivals of Gerrard and Dos Santos hold much mystery, given that the two sides saw each other up close in a 1-1 draw just over three weeks ago.
"You hope to learn from past mistakes and past losses and hope that puts you over the hump in these situations," said Evans.
Perhaps then, Seattle can slay its long time nemesis.