Johnson and Evans starting for US National team, and other Sounders notes

The Sounders season opener is still more than a month away, but you can see two Sounders in action tonight as the US National Team takes on Canada (6 p.m., ESPN 2). Forward Eddie Johnson and midfielder Brad Evans are both in the starting lineup for tonight's game, which is a tune-up for the National Team ahead of the next round of World Cup qualifiers.

In other Sounders news from Tuesday, head coach Sigi Schmid said an MRI on Patrick Ianni's foot revealed a "slight fracture" on the defender's foot, which will keep him sidelined four to six weeks. If Ianni can't make it back in time for the March 2 season opener, Zach Scott is the most likely replacement at center back.

Following Tuesday's practice, the Sounders flew to Arizona where they'll spend a week training in Casa Grande.

"It’s a little bit of team building, team bonding," Schmid said. "We spend some time with each other, they spend some time with each other. . . They get together, they talk a little bit, so it’s a good thing for us to get together. We get to know them better, we have more time to call them and have talks with them, where when it’s here they’re going home in between (training sessions). They’re sort of a captive audience there, they’ve got no place to go."

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