MLS 2009 Preview: Seattle Sounders FC

By: Laurie | March 3rd, 2009

(Oh, what? If I didn’t post a photo of Freddie in his Calvins, how would you know it was me writing this?)

Can you believe MLS season starts again in just over two weeks? The opening match will be Sounders FC vs. New York Red Bulls on March 19, televised on ESPN2 and ESPN Deportes.

To get us in the mood, let’s take a look at how things stand for our MLS teams in the preseason. In the next couple of weeks, we’ll be giving you a preview of each MLS team and talking about how things look as we head into the 2009 season. (For more on MLS, be sure to check out MLS Offside.)

Today we’re taking a look at my team, Seattle Sounders FC. And when you’re done reading, be sure to stop by the Sounders blog and discuss the team. (Current topic? Is Laurie completely lacking in blogging integrity, or only mildly? Discuss.)

Nuts and Bolts
Seattle are the new kids of the block. The expansion team. The guys who hadn’t taken the pitch together until a few weeks ago. What does this mean? It means anything can happen. Most inaugural years for expansion teams kind of suck (See: Toronto FC 2007 and San Jose Earthquakes circa 2008), but occasionally alchemy occurs and gold appears. (See: Chicago Fire 1998.) Which way will Seattle go? I have no idea, but it should be a fun ride.

The star:

If we’re talking about glamour, the answer would, of course, be our resident underwear model Freddie Ljungberg, (pictured) a man I once saw described as “the man who looks the way Beckham thinks he looks.” (Ouch.) Oh, and he’s also a pretty good soccer player.

At the other end of the field, we have former US International goalkeeper Kasey Keller, who has returned home to the Pacific Northwest to end his career. The man may be 39, but he still has the skills.

DP or not? And how will that affect the team?

Freddie is also our Designated Player — the guy who’s paid outside the salary cap. He’s currently recovering from surgery and probably won’t play the first match or two.

Freddie is good for the game here for several reasons. First, because he ups the glamour level of the team, and second, because he’s bringing with him all those years of technical and tactical Arsenal experience which should work to elevate the games of the homegrown players.

The best news about Freddie the DP, though, is that while Freddie will be an integral part of the team, he won’t be the team. From what I can see from my pre-season perspective, the team has been built to survive both when he’s on the pitch and when he’s not. And this is a good thing.

Another fact working in Seattle’s favor is that Freddie is a retired international. Since MLS still refuses to join the rest of the world in recognizing international breaks, this means he won’t go missing during international weeks.

The newcomers:

Since we’re an expansion team, everybody could technically be consdered “newcomers.” But besides Freddie and Kasey, look for our new 21-year-old Colombian international Fredy Montero (pictured) to explode onto the scene. This kid has been a goal-scoring machine in the preseason. If he can keep it up, we’ll be closer to Chicago’s expansion team experience than to San Jose’s.

And our biggest newcomer might be head coach Sigi Schmid, who left the MLS Cup-winning Columbus Crew in the off-season for the greener pastures of Seattle. What I’m seeing so far is a steady hand and a good eye for talent.

Keep an eye on:

I also have high hopes for our former Sounders USL players Sebastien LeToux (playing somewhere in attack), Sanna Nyassi (midfielder), Chris Eylander (hoping to take the reins in goal once Kasey retires) and Taylor Graham (defender.) I’m choosing to firmly believe that this hope is reality-based and not sentimentality.

I’ve also got my eye on Nate Jaqua, the big target forward who was royally screwed over by the Galaxy in the pre-Beckham run-up, and who returned from Europe to play with Houston last year on the condition that he be left unprotected in the Expansion Draft so he could come back to the northwest.

We’ll win the league if…?

Fredy Montero gets his work permit, our key players remain uninjured, and all of the team’s parts can gel into a cohesive whole.

We’ll be in trouble if…?

The team doesn’t mix well and we’re struck by the expansion team jinx.

You might not know…

Where was Freddie Ljungberg when he agreed to meet with owner Joe Roth about becoming a Sounder? In New York City, getting a tattoo.
Joe Roth happens to be a Hollywood mogul, and the British tabloids have reported that Freddie joined Sounders FC because he wanted a film career after soccer. Feel free to believe or not, as desired.
Most franchises are awarded based on the owner’s willingness to build a soccer-specific stadium. Seattle got permission to hold games in the Seattle Seahawks’ (and owner Paul Allen’s) Qwest field with the promise that they’d open only the lower bowl to keep the experience intimate.
Seattle has sold more season tickets than any club in league history. They’re having to cap season ticket sales at 22,000 to be sure there are some single-game tickets available. They’ve also had to alter the seating arrangements of the lower bowl of Qwest field to accommodate more seats.
In my personal and humble opinion, Seattle has by far the coolest sponsor. San Jose gets Amway, we get X-Box. No offense, San Jose, but…
Actor Drew Carey agreed to come on board with the ownership team on two conditions: 1) that fans have the option of voting out the General Manager if they’re unhappy with his/her performance, and 2) that the club have a marching band. He got both wishes.