I don’t know what I expected. At the close of the 2010 Sounders season, a toothless first round exit against the Galaxy, the problem was clear even to the casual observer: the goals weren’t there. And so in the months that followed, the Sounders lost speed on the right flank (Nyassi), and one of their leading goal scorers (Nkufo, who had his moments in spite of being old and wildly inconsistent), and failed to make any real effort to replace them.
O’Brien White, the former MAC trophy winner and Toronto castoff, is a reclamation project, which is fine, but not an acceptable solution if ownership is committed to winning an MLS cup or Supporters Shield. Aside from the oft-injured Mike Fucito (who I have unrealistically high expectations for just because he wants it so bad and plays so hard), the other options up top are guys like Estrada and Neagle, players who no longer young enough to be considered true development prospects who are likely to spend most of their time in the reserve league.
So what should Seattle do? I guess I don’t know the answer, but it shouldn’t be nothing. I want to feel cautiously optimistic about Hanauer’s cap-space comments following Nkufo’s release, but what free agent could the Sounders pick up now, and can they afford to wait until the summer transfer window for a good option up front?
Fredy Montero, given the right surrounding cast, can be a great MLS striker, and with Zakuani looking good even when playing marginally injured and a step slower, maybe the Sounders can tough it out. It’s hard to tell, and by opening against a great LA team, then flying to New York to play a Red Bull’s team that is better on paper than any other in the league, it may be difficult to get a good read. Still, those are the teams Seattle should be on par with, and for much of the game Tuesday night, the Sounders looked a notch below.
I’m probably not even a real Sounders fan, and I certainly wasn’t going to games back when they were a USL club with a small but loyal following. I’m one of those normal Sounders fans, the kind that goes to games periodically, helps pack the stadiums, and adds to that atmosphere that people across the country call the best in the MLS. As one of those casual fans, I don’t claim to deserve better striking options, but the failure to fix a glaring problem two years running isn’t a great sign for a club that claims to want championships.
So I’ll wait, and pass my time doing the things good soccer fans do. I’ll complain about ESPN’s confused cameramen and bad soccer coverage. I’ll bitch about the boisterous Max Bretos trying to destroy the pretty decent pregame patter between Alexi Lalas and Taylor Twellman (whose scarf looked better than Alexi’s weird gloves). And I’ll hope that someone, anyone, can show up and help Fredy and Steve score the goals they need to win some games.
O’Brien White, the former MAC trophy winner and Toronto castoff, is a reclamation project, which is fine, but not an acceptable solution if ownership is committed to winning an MLS cup or Supporters Shield. Aside from the oft-injured Mike Fucito (who I have unrealistically high expectations for just because he wants it so bad and plays so hard), the other options up top are guys like Estrada and Neagle, players who no longer young enough to be considered true development prospects who are likely to spend most of their time in the reserve league.
So what should Seattle do? I guess I don’t know the answer, but it shouldn’t be nothing. I want to feel cautiously optimistic about Hanauer’s cap-space comments following Nkufo’s release, but what free agent could the Sounders pick up now, and can they afford to wait until the summer transfer window for a good option up front?
Fredy Montero, given the right surrounding cast, can be a great MLS striker, and with Zakuani looking good even when playing marginally injured and a step slower, maybe the Sounders can tough it out. It’s hard to tell, and by opening against a great LA team, then flying to New York to play a Red Bull’s team that is better on paper than any other in the league, it may be difficult to get a good read. Still, those are the teams Seattle should be on par with, and for much of the game Tuesday night, the Sounders looked a notch below.
I’m probably not even a real Sounders fan, and I certainly wasn’t going to games back when they were a USL club with a small but loyal following. I’m one of those normal Sounders fans, the kind that goes to games periodically, helps pack the stadiums, and adds to that atmosphere that people across the country call the best in the MLS. As one of those casual fans, I don’t claim to deserve better striking options, but the failure to fix a glaring problem two years running isn’t a great sign for a club that claims to want championships.
So I’ll wait, and pass my time doing the things good soccer fans do. I’ll complain about ESPN’s confused cameramen and bad soccer coverage. I’ll bitch about the boisterous Max Bretos trying to destroy the pretty decent pregame patter between Alexi Lalas and Taylor Twellman (whose scarf looked better than Alexi’s weird gloves). And I’ll hope that someone, anyone, can show up and help Fredy and Steve score the goals they need to win some games.
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Other Game Notes
Chad Barrett=Woody Harrleson. Think about it.
John Harkes still isn't the answer for ESPN. Around minute 7 he explains that the Sounders are unable to retain possession. He would have a decent point if either team could string even a few passes together, but the reality is that it’s a mess out there and the ball is bouncing around like crazy.
We should hope O'Brian White is rusty, otherwise he's just bad. Got two great balls from Steve, who despite being injured was the best Sounder by far, and couldn't finish either, looking like a fool on the sitter served up in the 24th minute.
Beckham is older now, has lost a step, is no longer universally adored by fans, and looks borderline creepy with his long hair. At the same time, he can still string together some good passes and threaten on set plays. At this point, he's really a pretty good MLS villain, so I have no problem with him staying in the league.
El flaco needs to settle in, because that first game all I noticed was how much the Sounders missed Nyassi's pace on the wing. Alvaro just didn't ever look comfortable, and he needs to find his rhythm quickly or I think he starts losing minutes to Miguel (a move I actually hope the try, together with moving Steve to the right flank where he is consistently more dangerous).
Chad Barrett=Woody Harrleson. Think about it.
John Harkes still isn't the answer for ESPN. Around minute 7 he explains that the Sounders are unable to retain possession. He would have a decent point if either team could string even a few passes together, but the reality is that it’s a mess out there and the ball is bouncing around like crazy.
We should hope O'Brian White is rusty, otherwise he's just bad. Got two great balls from Steve, who despite being injured was the best Sounder by far, and couldn't finish either, looking like a fool on the sitter served up in the 24th minute.
Beckham is older now, has lost a step, is no longer universally adored by fans, and looks borderline creepy with his long hair. At the same time, he can still string together some good passes and threaten on set plays. At this point, he's really a pretty good MLS villain, so I have no problem with him staying in the league.
El flaco needs to settle in, because that first game all I noticed was how much the Sounders missed Nyassi's pace on the wing. Alvaro just didn't ever look comfortable, and he needs to find his rhythm quickly or I think he starts losing minutes to Miguel (a move I actually hope the try, together with moving Steve to the right flank where he is consistently more dangerous).
The Sounders defense looked a step slow. Not sure what they could have done with the LA goal, although Juninho had too much time. Like a basketball team just giving up the perimeter shot, they should have at least had a hand in his face to contest the 3. Just didn't seem totally with it, and given the Sounders anemic scoring rate, that might be an issue. Midfield is solid and they come back to help, so probably won't be a huge deal, but not how you want to start the season.
Final thought: The game got better as it went along, but it started out as a textbook example of why people hated the MLS. Max Bretos is terrible, there were a ton of long balls, no control (I blame the rain a little bit) a non-grass surface...and hey, even played in a football stadium. But it's the first game, so let's just chalk it up to that, and try to stay optimistic.
Next up: New York Redbulls...
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