Preview Quick Hits: Sounders FC
Related
Sounders FC ticketsXBOX Pitch at Qwest Field (capacity: 27,700)
Head Coach: Sigi Schmid (first year with club)
PROJECTED STARTING LINEUP
GOALKEEPER
Kasey Keller: An in-form Keller will be key to the Sounders fortunes this season. Seattle's offensive mindset -- paired with a prepared-from-scratch back line -- could lead to several goal-scoring chances for opposing teams. Seattle will rely on its vocal skipper to keep the defense organized and keep the score down.
DEFENDERS
Nathan Sturgis: Sturgis missed large portions of the past two seasons with muscle problems. However, technical director Chris Henderson overcame similar problems early in his career and took a chance on the Clemson product. A veteran of the U.S. youth national teams, the 21-year-old possesses the ability to be one of the best defenders in the league -- if he can stay healthy.
Jhon Kennedy Hurtado: Scrambling for central defenders, Seattle found this Colombian center back after his trial with AC Milan and placed him directly into the lineup. The 24-year-old's talent is not at issue; his ability to communicate with his backline in English is. Hurtado's conditioning needs work but he can cover for defensive mistakes with his superb footspeed.
Get pumped for First Kick '09 >Tyrone Marshall: One of many late additions to the roster, the Jamaican international brings much needed experience. Marshall won't drop any jaws but has proven himself as a heady, capable defender for Toronto FC.
James Riley: Left unprotected in the expansion draft by San Jose, Seattle was happy to snatch up this versatile defender. As seen during his Columbus days with Frankie Hejduk, Sigi Schmid likes his fullbacks to get up the field and join the offense. Riley's experience as a midfielder and crossing ability make him an ideal choice to fill this role.
MIDFIELDERS
Sebastien Le Toux: The Frenchman scored 24 goals in 54 league matches as a striker for the USL-1 Seattle Sounders. But with the starting spots up front claimed by Fredy Montero and Nate Jaqua, Seattle will deploy him on the left wing to take advantage of his tremendous conditioning. Diego Ferreira, from Argentinean club Tigres, will also challenge for the starting role.
Brad Evans: With Freddie Ljungberg's debut delayed inevitably, Brad Evans holds down the middle for Seattle. While he won't provide exceptional attacking flair, he's a solid MLS midfielder who can switch the ball ably and does get forward on occasion.
Osvaldo Alonso: This tenacious Cuban defector plays as a classical defensive midfielder in the vein of Javier Mascherano. Alonso left the Cuban national team during the 2007 CONCACAF Gold Cup and played last season for the USL-1 Charleston Battery, earning Rookie of the Year honors from a traditionally little-heralded position.
Sanna Nyassi: He might not match the blazing start his brother Sainey provided last season in New England, but Sanna boasts many of the same qualities. Small, quick, and fearless, Nyassi provides some attacking flair on the wing position. The Gambian teenager needs to work on his crossing and tackling to secure his place in the starting XI.
FORWARDS
Nate Jaqua: The prototypical target forward, Jaqua's bounced around in the past three seasons, including an MLS title in Houston and a short stay in Austria. An imposing 6-foot-4, Jaqua has the technical skill to hold the ball up and is an aerial threat on free kicks.
Fredy Montero: Based on Montero's preseason, MLS fans can expect great things from this young Colombian. The 21-year old has been scoring at will in preseason and has developed excellent chemistry with strike partner Jaqua. With his diminutive stature and considerable skill, Montero reminds one of Barcelona's Lionel Messi.
OUTLOOK
Make no mistake, any expansion team will have its ups and downs. But for the over 20,000 fans who purchased season tickets -- the largest such fan base in the league -- the game-day experience will trump the team's performance. Since the club was announced back in November 2007, rave green flags and Sounders FC scarves have been popping up in homes and restaurants all over the Puget Sound region. The buzz surrounding this team has been building to a fever pitch. That pressure will be released on First Kick, which figures to be one of the seminal days in Seattle sports history.
GRADING THE SEASON
The ownership has laid out a five-year roadmap to compete in the FIFA World Club Cup. While that goal may be ambitious, playoffs in the first season would be an excellent start for this expansion team. Designated player signing Freddie Ljungberg still hasn't played with the team after hip surgery and might not see the field. But even without the Swede, Seattle collected a solid group of contributors in the expansion draft and has paired them up with a flashy signing (Fredy Montero) and the No. 1 draft pick (Steve Zakuani). Throw in the reigning MLS Coach of the Year Sigi Schmid and playoff trip isn't an unreasonable expectation for Seattle's maiden voyage.
NEWCOMER(S) WITH THE BIGGEST IMPACT
Fredy Montero. Montero's signing could represent a paradigm shift in the way MLS teams look for foreign talent. Montero isn't some aging superstar with 1-2 years left in his legs; SSFC nabbed him from Colombia at the age of 21. Should Montero dominate, it could force other teams to follow Seattle's lead and sign young internationals on the rise, rather than established players looking for one last victory lap.
-- Andrew Winner
