Seattle Sounders 2016 season thread

[SeatownJay]

Oba was sold this morning. Multi year deal. $3M is the fee....which is stupid low.

Morris better be ready to go. He's officially first 11 now.

Damn. I would've preferred to have sold Dempsey and kept Martins. Does China allow their players to wear oxygen tanks on the field?

 

[Smurf]

This likely doesn't change the Sounders newly favored 433.

 

[JSeahawks]

Oba was sold this morning. Multi year deal. $3M is the fee....which is stupid low.

Morris better be ready to go. He's officially first 11 now.

That's a bummer, I really liked watching him play.

 

[Uncle Si]

This likely doesn't change the Sounders newly favored 433.

Come on Smurf.

Of course it doesn't change the 433. They were never going to play a 433 with Oba and Jordan Morris in the line up. They dont have the wingers to play a 433, which should be the concern. Morris will either be cast out wide which is a waste of his skillset or set up above Dempsey in a 4-4-1-1 (not a 433 with wingers, but with true wide midfielders). If they play with true wingers Morris made a big mistake joining the Sounders.

and how valuable is Oba? Texeria- 35 million, Ramires- 25 million, Jackson Martinez- 48 million, Oba.... 3 million?

 

[Sgt. Largent]

and how valuable is Oba? Texeria- 35 million, Ramires- 25 million, Jackson Martinez- 48 million, Oba.... 3 million?

I understand this is the MLS, but 3 million seems low for giving up our most productive goal scorer.

Unless the idea all along was there was too much money tied up top, and now we can get a quality DP midfielder to work with Clint and Morris? Idk, time will tell.

But now we're hamstrung until the summer transfer window, unless we want to spend even more than 3 million prying a good player away from another club.

 

[Uncle Si]

Its ridiculously low. I don't know what the Sounders were thinking...have to feel like they couldve gotten no less than 10

 

[Smurf]

Its ridiculously low. I don't know what the Sounders were thinking...have to feel like they couldve gotten no less than 10

Agreed, I'd put fair market price at $8 Mil, and with China probably higher than that.

 

[Smurf]

This likely doesn't change the Sounders newly favored 433.

Come on Smurf.

Of course it doesn't change the 433. They were never going to play a 433 with Oba and Jordan Morris in the line up. They dont have the wingers to play a 433, which should be the concern. Morris will either be cast out wide which is a waste of his skillset or set up above Dempsey in a 4-4-1-1 (not a 433 with wingers, but with true wide midfielders). If they play with true wingers Morris made a big mistake joining the Sounders.

and how valuable is Oba? Texeria- 35 million, Ramires- 25 million, Jackson Martinez- 48 million, Oba.... 3 million?

Having watched the preseason matches, they are playing a 433 in the most normal way possible.

 

[Uncle Si]

meaning? Morris as the 9? who are the wide players?

My thought: there are two types of wingers:

a. true, speed winger: Zakuani was one of these. Ronaldo, Di Maria, Sterling, Depay, Turan, Bale, Walcott/Chamberlain are these types

b. attacking wide player/ expanding attacking mids: Hazard, Silva, Coutinho, Robben, Ribery, Sanchez, Neymar are these types.

What are the Sounders going with?

 

[Smurf]

meaning? Morris as the 9? who are the wide players?

My thought: there are two types of wingers:

a. true, speed winger: Zakuani was one of these. Ronaldo, Di Maria, Sterling, Depay, Turan, Bale, Walcott/Chamberlain are these types

b. attacking wide player/ expanding attacking mids: Hazard, Silva, Coutinho, Robben, Ribery, Sanchez, Neymar are these types.

What are the Sounders going with?

Combinations of players have been varied thus far. We have a mix of A players, and a mix of B players.

A: Darwin Jones, Myron Samuel, Oalex Anderson.

B: Kovar, Ivanschitz.


We have also played players "Out of position":

Dempsey, Valdez, Morris, Mansaray.


Darwin Jones has been on fire thus far in preseason (I think he's at 6 goals in 5 games) playing at RW. Kovar has been playing well with the first 11 as well.


Morris has played all three forward positions thus far.


While the 433 we have deployed may not be as wide as some others, the front three are playing pretty high up the pitch (not multiple lines).

 

[Uncle Si]

I like the sounds of Darwin Jones. Promoted Academy player is he not (Husky too?)

The b. group is the positional skillset the MLS needs to to develop (in fairness, America needs to develop) more of. Bradley and a younger Dempsey seem to be the only two that ever closely fit that mold. But in terms of keying a team's forward movements it's the most critical at the moment across most teams (minus Leicester).

Who slots into the holding roles then?

 

[Sgt. Largent]

Who slots into the holding roles then?

Against Celaya the mids were Friberg, Ozzie and Ivanschitz.

I don't think Ozzie is the sort of CM you want in a 4-3-3.......................while he has the workrate and hustle to be a CM, his technical/passing skills aren't sharp enough IMO to distribute and create like you need your CM to do in a 4-3-3.

I honestly don't see a 4-3-3 CM on this roster, so hopefully that's the plan with Oba leaving and opening up a DP slot.

 

[Sgt. Largent]

3 million transfer confirmed, of which we only get 2 million

http://www.sounderatheart.com/sounders- ... inese-visa

Makes no sense to me, unless Oba said he wanted out and this is the best we could do.

China's overpaying for players left and right, and we only get 3 million? That's crap.

 

[Smurf]

I like the sounds of Darwin Jones. Promoted Academy player is he not (Husky too?)

The b. group is the positional skillset the MLS needs to to develop (in fairness, America needs to develop) more of. Bradley and a younger Dempsey seem to be the only two that ever closely fit that mold. But in terms of keying a team's forward movements it's the most critical at the moment across most teams (minus Leicester).

Who slots into the holding roles then?

Yes, Academy product and Husky.

The middle 3 has been far more consistent.

Ivanschitz at LCM, Alonso at CDM and Friberg at RCM.


Both Ivanschitz can provide balls into the box and are excellent distributors. Alonso is the ball winner in the middle, and responsible for finding the 5 players further forward. I think he will succeed in the role, but my concern is his fitness.

 

[Smurf]

Who slots into the holding roles then?

Against Celaya the mids were Friberg, Ozzie and Ivanschitz.

I don't think Ozzie is the sort of CM you want in a 4-3-3.......................while he has the workrate and hustle to be a CM, his technical/passing skills aren't sharp enough IMO to distribute and create like you need your CM to do in a 4-3-3.

I honestly don't see a 4-3-3 CM on this roster, so hopefully that's the plan with Oba leaving and opening up a DP slot.

Christian Roldan is the player you are looking for. I think he'll replace Ozzie in due time.


I think Ozzie will be successful in the middle of the 3, but much of that depends on his fitness.

 

[Smurf]

3 million transfer confirmed, of which we only get 2 million

http://www.sounderatheart.com/sounders- ... inese-visa

Makes no sense to me, unless Oba said he wanted out and this is the best we could do.

China's overpaying for players left and right, and we only get 3 million? That's crap.

Something drastic has changed since "I want to do whatever it takes to win MLS Cup for the fans" to selling for below market value......it could be as simple as China giving him a monster contract.

 

[Sgt. Largent]

I think Ozzie will be successful in the middle of the 3, but much of that depends on his fitness.

Well if the last couple of years is a barometer for dictating 2016 Ozzie? Not good.

 

[Glasgow Seahawk]

Makes me think Morris was told in advance he would get lots of playing time. $2 million seems low for Oba though, especially when we really struggled to score when him and Dempsey were out. I'm guessing they took Oba's age into account and are looking long term.

What do we do with the DP spot? I don't think we have many international spots unless we cut Lowe as Oba had a green card. I fear ownership cheap out and give Evans an undeserved raise and use it on him or use it on Chen.

I feel we were kind of predictable at the end of the season. Dempsey & Martins became ineffective come play off time. FC Dallas was able to squeeze Oba & Clint out of the play, thereby denying us chances to score and them having to drop back to create anything. We couldn't get the ball to them in dangerous areas. So wouldn't mind a proper winger or a good play maker.

I think we bank on Marshall, Torres and Evans staying healthy and on form all year and Scott as extreme back up. At least for a season. So I wouldn't put a DP spot here.

Up front, I think Valdez, Dempsey and Morris should be enough for now. I'm guessing Dempsey will drop back the older he gets. I'm assuming the Sounders really hope Darwin Jones can step up at this level and play like he has done in pre season and for Sounders 2. So far he hasn't but things change.

If we do get a DP, hopefully it's someone with something left in the tank and has a few years with us. No thanks to Fernando Torres or John Terry. Maybe look to South America or Mexico and try find someone young and promising similar to Montero (not necessarily a striker though).

 

[Smurf]

New kits today.

Primary and Third. Assuming White remains as first alternate.

 

[JSeahawks]

New kits today.

Primary and Third. Assuming White remains as first alternate.

Do they come in mens?