Scott Sealy has seen his share of injury problems since signing with the San Jose Earthquakes in April, but he may finally be turning the corner.
The Trinidadian striker looked fit during an 11-on-11 scrimmage Tuesday morning and had the Quakes Training Session Play-of-the-Day. Sealy took a pass near midfield, split two defenders then beat a third just outside the box before cutting back on the touchline and keeping his feet despite a thud from Justin Morrow. Off balanced but still determined, Sealy then cranked a shot from a tight angle past Alex Horwath for a triumphant score.
Sealy wasn't the only striker who impressed. Eduardo, while playing as the lone forward atop a 4-5-1, held possession well and created several scoring chances for teammates with nifty passes. There's no word on when Eduardo will be available to play in an MLS match, but the bulky Brazilian could give the Quakes an extra dose of samba during the playoff race.
Speaking of Brazilians, Geovanni had perhaps his best training session since joining the Quakes two weeks ago. The designated-player-signing has come off the bench in each of the Quakes last two matches and is still working to get his legs back after a summer layoff.
ACADEMY WATCH
The Quakes Academy was doubly represented during Tuesday's training session. Assistant coach Steve Wondolowski, brother of Chris Wondolowski, joined U-17 player Nick Lima on the pitch to help fill numbers.
"His touch needs to tighten up, but he definitely has the skill-set, the determination and the work ethic to get out here and hang," Steve Wondolowski said. "To get out here and blend in is definitely saying something about a kid his age."
A native of Castro Valley, Calif., Lima has lined up at striker for the Quakes Academy team this summer. On Tuesday, Lima slotted into the midfield and showed a high work rate.
"The intensity is great and it's a lot faster than I'm used to, but it pushes me to work harder," Lima said.
INJURY UPDATE
Omar Jasseh didn't participate on Tuesday, but isn't listed on the official injury report. The midfielder took a blow during Saturday's 2-0 loss to the New York Red Bulls, but should be back to training this week.
Chris Leitch and Eduardo played every minute during the day's scrimmage. There's no timetable for a return, but both are listed as questionable for this week's match.
