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Aloha, Mr. Sounder

Scott reflects on 15-year career ahead of testimonial match

‘The last thing I want to do is celebrate anything I’ve done here. I’ve done it because I’ve enjoyed it, loved it. I don’t think I deserve a testimonial, but if someone’s going to do it, then I’ll be fine.’ – Zach Scott, on receiving the honor of a testimonial from the Seattle Sounders

As Zach Scott looks back at the best soccer career ever for a Maui-born player, even he shakes his head.

The 1998 Maui High School graduate retired from Major League Soccer after his Seattle Sounders won the 2016 MLS Cup in December. On Wednesday, the Sounders and their fan organization Emerald City Supporters will hold a testimonial match in Seattle for the man known as “Mr. Sounder.”

“It truly has been amazing,” Scott, 36, said via phone on Friday. “I never grew up saying ‘I want to be a professional soccer player.’ My dad was a police officer on Maui and a waterman — he would surf and spearfish every day after school. He would take me with him, so everything that I wanted revolved around being on Maui and being in the water.”

Scott made 352 total appearances in a Seattle uniform, including 118 career MLS regular-season appearances, fifth-most in Sounders history. The Sounders won 12 trophies in his 15 years in Seattle, including two USL titles, four Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cups, the 2014 Supporters’ Shield, four Cascadia Cups and, finally, the 2016 MLS Cup.

“Last December, I kind of saw the writing on the wall that the career was coming to a close,” he said. “I knew that I wanted to stay here for a while and raise my family here and made plans to move on into the working world, I guess.”

Zach Scott (right) of the Seattle Sounders battles with Chelsea’s Scott Sinclair during an exhibition match in July 2009. During Scott’s career with the Sounders, the team won 12 trophies, including the MLS Cup in December. * AP file photo

Scott, a math major at Gonzaga University, now works with Slalom Consulting, a company that helps solve business and technology problems. Slalom has been a technology partner of the Sounders for many years.

“Quite a change from what I’ve been doing for the last 15 years, but I also knew that I was eventually going to get out of soccer,” he said. “I didn’t see a life for me in the short term going into coaching or anything like that. … I didn’t want to put my family in that position.”

The Scott children — 11-year-old son Kalei, and daughters Ka’ena, 9, and Lina, 5 — can now look forward to dad watching and coaching some of their teams. The carpool to school was already on the agenda.

Scott, who is married to former Maui High soccer standout Alana Cook, is surprised that he is receiving the honor of a testimonial match.

The ticket proceeds were set to all go to Scott until he stepped in and insisted they be split between the Pediatric Brain Tumor Research Fund — a family friend has a child battling the disease — the Sounders’ RAVE Foundation, and a college fund for Scott’s children.

“I basically told them, ‘If you guys want to do something, I’m fine with it, but I want no part in planning it,’ “ he said. “This isn’t my personality. The last thing I want to do is celebrate anything I’ve done here. I’ve done it because I’ve enjoyed it, loved it. I don’t think I deserve a testimonial, but if someone’s going to do it, then I’ll be fine. I’ll show up. I’m just hoping to not embarrass myself, let’s put it that way.”

Among the former teammates expected to play in the match are Kasey Keller, a former U.S. national team goalkeeper, Roger Levesque and Jhon Kennedy Hurtado, as well as Scott’s fellow Sounders originals Brad Evans and Osvaldo Alonso.

Scott has pioneered the opportunities and opening doors for future Maui hopefuls.

“You often feel like you can’t make it or you maybe have the cards stacked against you because you grew up in a small community,” he said. “The soccer community is a lot different than when I grew up on Maui. It’s definitely a lot more established and it’s a lot more cooperative, which I think is amazing. … We’re actually getting the right talent together and trying to grow as an island.

“I still think kids often think it’s an impossible task to move on to college and play (NCAA) D-I or move up to be a pro. I would honestly say, ‘Don’t be discouraged.’ “

Maui United Soccer Club founder Fred Guzman watched Scott excel for the Sabers while coaching Baldwin. Guzman, the Nunes family, mom Linda, dad Lee, Vance Akinaka, Gundi Dancil, Ken Hayo and Bill King were all names that came rolling off of Scott’s tongue when speaking of those who helped him.

“Collegiately, professionally, it never was easy for him because he’s a big, strong kid by local standards, but he’s just another guy up on the Mainland. And yet, he was able to overcome all of those things. His record speaks for itself,” Guzman said. “We took a team to the Mainland a number of years ago, including his brother (Daniel), and they were proud because they got to meet him. He was one of their guys. I’ve seen that close and that was something that was very, very special.”

Guzman said Scott is right there with Major League Baseball players Kurt Suzuki and Shane Victorino as far as inspiring Maui’s youth.

“It’s the same thing when local kids see Shane or Kurt,” Guzman said. “What a great prideful thing that local kids can accomplish these kinds of things when given the opportunity. Without a doubt Zach is and should be a sporting hero for the kids of Maui.”

Scott felt his time in professional soccer might have come to an end before the Sounders rose from the United Soccer League to MLS in 2009 — he doesn’t have a memory of any thought where he knew he was good at the game.

“I wish I had a memory like that, it might have made my career a little easier, but it’s been a 31-year kind of attempt to prove myself to myself,” he said. “It was never my goal to get to this point.”

* Robert Collias is at rcollias@mauinews.com

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