Major League Soccer has invaded Manatee County. The latest club to make Bradenton its training ground for the 2012 season is the Seattle Sounders.
The Sounders join the Columbus Crew and D.C. United as other MLS franchises to train at IMG Academies in February.
United and the Crew have already been here for a few weeks, while the Sounders just arrived.
Seattle scrimmaged Orlando City Soccer Club on Monday, and have three more scheduled friendlies this week.
They are against the Crew at 11 a.m. on Wednesday, against the U.S. U-17 team that has a residence at IMG on Thursday and against Florida Gulf Coast University on Sunday.
The match against the U-17 squad is scheduled for 10 a.m., while the game against FGCU is set for 4 p.m.
The scrimmage against Orlando City was open and available for the public to watch.
Hoops showcase
This weekend also features an elite basketball showcase event at IMG. About 32 teams from 10 states are expected to participate in the third annual Beach Blast tournament Feb. 17-19.
Programs like West Oaks Prep (Orlando), Queen City Prep (Charlotte, N.C.) and St. Ignatius Prep (Cleveland, Ohio) join the hosts for the three-day, 48-game tournament.
“The Beach Blast is the largest showcase event in the Southeast, and the quality of the teams and athletes is the best in the country,” said Loren Jackson, head coach of IMG’s post-grad team, in a news release. “We are extremely excited to host the event and offer colleges a chance to see so many talented Division I prospects in one place.”
One of those D-I players is Kamari Murphy. The 6-foot-8 power forward from Brooklyn is already signed to play college basketball at Oklahoma State University following his post-grad year at Bradenton’s IMG Academies.
Blazing the ice
The Manatee County Hockey Club’s Golden Manatees continue to stay hot. The club picked up two more victories last week with an 8-3 thrashing of Seminole last Wednesday and a 4-2 triumph over Steinbrenner this past Friday.
Luke Bafia (four goals, two assists), Matt Bennette (three assists), Charles Schukay (two goals), Paul Lochner (goal, assist) and Chase Bafia (two assists) recorded a multi-point game against Seminole.
Chase Bafia (two goals) and Dylan Longo (goal, assist) had a two-point game in the regular-season finale against Steinbrenner.
The Golden Manatees finished the regular season in second place in the Lightning Conference’s Central Division standings on 29 points, posting a 14-4-1 record.
The top four teams in both the Central and Western divisions earn playoff berths.
In the Central Division’s quarterfinals, the Golden Manatees face No. 3-seeded Jesuit at 8:45 p.m. at the Ellenton Ice and Sports Complex.
Manatee hasn’t lost since Dec. 9, picking up seven wins and one draw during the eight-match unbeaten streak.
Pop Warner spots open
There’s still time to register for the East Manatee Bulldogs spring flag football season. The registration fee is $95, with practices beginning Feb. 27 and games starting March 17. Interested parties should contact the East Manatee Bulldogs for more information and to register at www.eastmanateebulldogs.com or email info@eastmanateebulldogs.com.
Jason Dill, sports reporter, can be reached at 745-7017 or via email at jdill@bradenton.com.
