Sounders Season Thread ***YEDLIN SOLD***

[Glasgow Seahawk]

This is definitely a rebuilding year. I'm going to keep my expectations low and hopefully be surprised. Still frustrated we kept Hurtado and lost Rosales albeit I understand why they got rid of him. I felt Rosales made Johnson with his crosses.

 

[Uncle Si]

This is definitely a rebuilding year. I'm going to keep my expectations low and hopefully be surprised. Still frustrated we kept Hurtado and lost Rosales albeit I understand why they got rid of him. I felt Rosales made Johnson with his crosses.

Still alot to be seen. Rosales seemed to be reduced to a walk on role late in games. yes he could change things with his quality, but they needed to infuse something else.

Still to be seen what that would be. Diskerud (alluded to by Smurf) is a very nice player. Creative, impactful, could play underneath Dempsey or Johnson. He is the type of player the MLS should be elevating as one of its young stars.

the issue with suggesting this is a rebulding year is the decision to bring back Sigi... hes not here to pick up pieces and bridge any gaps. So far these moves all seem to be addressing specific issues while adding flexibility to do something bigger.

Smurf..sound about right?

 

[Glasgow Seahawk]

Zakuani got drafted by Portland. That one kind of stings, Sounders stuck by him for 2 years while he was injured and never played while claiming a fair chunk of cap space. He'll probably never be the same player he was but going to a rival sucks.

 

[Glasgow Seahawk]

Traded Moffat for Kenny Coopers right and allocation money. Moffat was crap so quite happy with that, I take it that means EJ is away. Hope we get rid of Caskey and Rose as well.

 

[Smurf]

This is definitely a rebuilding year. I'm going to keep my expectations low and hopefully be surprised. Still frustrated we kept Hurtado and lost Rosales albeit I understand why they got rid of him. I felt Rosales made Johnson with his crosses.

Still alot to be seen. Rosales seemed to be reduced to a walk on role late in games. yes he could change things with his quality, but they needed to infuse something else.

Still to be seen what that would be. Diskerud (alluded to by Smurf) is a very nice player. Creative, impactful, could play underneath Dempsey or Johnson. He is the type of player the MLS should be elevating as one of its young stars.

the issue with suggesting this is a rebulding year is the decision to bring back Sigi... hes not here to pick up pieces and bridge any gaps. So far these moves all seem to be addressing specific issues while adding flexibility to do something bigger.

Smurf..sound about right?

Yeah, these are not moves to rebuild....we are not bringing in young guys to grow with the team....we are bringing in MLS veterans who know how to get the job done.

Chad Marshall, Kenny Cooper....over 400 MLS games between them...


I really think the team is making solid moves to this point. We are addressing things that need fixing, and we are being ruthless about playing favorites. Zakuani, Rosales, Burch, Gspurning....all fan favorites....all gone...and in a matter of days.

These moves are all about experience, cap space, and seem to be leading to something big happening soon.

 

[Smurf]

Here are my thoughts on the last few moves.

Kenny Cooper for Adam Moffat - This is a move that signals the end of either EJ or Oba, IMO. This is a striker who has played over 150 games in this league and has the ability to get it done. That said...if you thought Montero was a streaky player....watch out for Cooper. He'll score 10 in 6 games then be dry for 12 strait. This trade makes me dislike the Carrasco-Moffat trade even more. I really valued Carrasco as a player. Everything went to crap after he was traded.

Chad Marshall is exactly what I wanted from a CB. Experience, can get it done. Knows how to win in this league. He makes Ianni, Hurtado or Traore expendable.....

Tristan Bowen is an OK pick up...he'll struggle to see the field...Oba, EJ, Dempsey, Neagle, Cooper, Estrada, Zavaleta...I think they are all ahead of him right now for time on the field.


I think the biggest move is yet to come....and It will likely be after EJ or Oba are traded/sold....and will probably coincide with the January transfer window.


Recently the club had their annual business meeting with the Alliance Members (both hour long segments are on youtube if you want to watch)....the biggest thing I took away from is that Adrian is adamant that the roster will be set by the first game of the season, and that there will be no clout as to what the team will look like. You'll remember that we lost a host of players right before the season started and then the whole Oba scenario.

 

[hawkfan68]

I like most of the moves the Sounders are making. Rosales for Bowen is one I'm not sold on. Kenny Cooper and Chad Marshall are good gets in trade. Cooper played for Portland a couple of years back and was the type of player that Nate Jaqua had the potential to be. A tall, strong forward. I believe he's aggressive too. Something Jaqua never was. Is Traore still on the books? He and Marshall will make a solid center defense.

 

[Smurf]

I like most of the moves the Sounders are making. Rosales for Bowen is one I'm not sold on. Kenny Cooper and Chad Marshall are good gets in trade. Cooper played for Portland a couple of years back and was the type of player that Nate Jaqua had the potential to be. A tall, strong forward. I believe he's aggressive too. Something Jaqua never was. Is Traore still on the books? He and Marshall will make a solid center defense.

Traore is still on the books...


And Cooper plays nothing like his size would dictate....He plays more like a crappy Niklas Bendtner than anything.

 

[hawkfan68]

Smurf, I gather you're not a fan of Kenny Cooper. Cooper knows how to finish goals. Something this team sorely needs. Didn't score much last season but his production would have been in the top 2-3 scoring on the Sounders. In 2012, he netted 18 goals for the Red Bulls. I think it's a good addition. Obafemi is a DP so if he leaves that would open up a DP spot, correct? Right now Alonso, Dempsey, and Oba are DPs right?

 

[Smurf]

Smurf, I gather you're not a fan of Kenny Cooper. Cooper knows how to finish goals. Something this team sorely needs. Didn't score much last season but his production would have been in the top 2-3 scoring on the Sounders. In 2012, he netted 18 goals for the Red Bulls. I think it's a good addition. Obafemi is a DP so if he leaves that would open up a DP spot, correct? Right now Alonso, Dempsey, and Oba are DPs right?

Yes. Alonso, Dempsey, and Oba are DP's. If one left, a spot would open.


And yes. I dislike Kenny Cooper. I've not fancied him as a player way back to when I saw him play at FC Dallas (the first time). Throw in the fact he's a former Timber and out of form.....

 

[Uncle Si]

I like most of the moves the Sounders are making. Rosales for Bowen is one I'm not sold on. Kenny Cooper and Chad Marshall are good gets in trade. Cooper played for Portland a couple of years back and was the type of player that Nate Jaqua had the potential to be. A tall, strong forward. I believe he's aggressive too. Something Jaqua never was. Is Traore still on the books? He and Marshall will make a solid center defense.

Traore is still on the books...


And Cooper plays nothing like his size would dictate....He plays more like a crappy Niklas Bendtner than anything.

saying "crappy Niklas Bendtner" indicates there is a non-crappy Niklas Bendtner, which we know does not exist.

Cooper is an awful signing. He is the type of player the league should be avoiding at this point.

 

[KitsapGuy]

Aaron Levine ‏@AaronQ13Fox 9m
The @SoundersFC re-sign defender Leo Gonzalez.

 

[Smurf]

Aaron Levine ‏@AaronQ13Fox 9m
The @SoundersFC re-sign defender Leo Gonzalez.

1.03 Goals Against Average when Leo plays.


2.00 Goals Against Average when he doesnt.


Glad he's back.

 

[Smurf]

Reports are coming in that EJ has been traded to DC United for a boatload of allocation money.

 

[knownone]

This is looking more and more like a complete rebuild.

 

[Smurf]

This is looking more and more like a complete rebuild.

This is a Salary cap forced rebuild.


Something had to give...and it has thus far. I think this was the last major exit we will see. From here on out we should see a few players added, maybe a big one or two..and then another moderate/average player or 3.

 

[Uncle Si]

This is looking more and more like a complete rebuild.

This is a Salary cap forced rebuild.


Something had to give...and it has thus far. I think this was the last major exit we will see. From here on out we should see a few players added, maybe a big one or two..and then another moderate/average player or 3.

so Kenny Cooper for EJ?

I've lost interest in the MLS (again)

 

[Sarlacc83]

This is looking more and more like a complete rebuild.

This is a Salary cap forced rebuild.


Something had to give...and it has thus far. I think this was the last major exit we will see. From here on out we should see a few players added, maybe a big one or two..and then another moderate/average player or 3.

so Kenny Cooper for EJ?

I've lost interest in the MLS (again)

I can't tell you how happy that trade makes me.

 

[Smurf]

so Kenny Cooper for EJ?

I've lost interest in the MLS (again)

You're looking at it wrong....its not Cooper for EJ.

Its EJ and Mauro for Cooper, Bowen, #2 in allocation order and somewhere north of $700k in allocation money.


We have the pieces to bring in some good players with that.

with that much allocation money we can get a player like Alvaro Fernandez, or Christian Tiffert. Or a Mario Martinez. Buy a Herculez Gomez. We could pay for a player like Valeri, or Chara. We could use that money to buy down Alonso's contract below DP status.

We have the ability to bring in some good players.


We are far from done adding players.

 

[hawkfan68]

H. Gomez would be nice....does Sporting KC still own rights to him?