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Seattle Sounders

Seattle Sounders

Cascadia Clash ends with the Timbers on Top

by Michael Martinez
written by Michael Martinez

It was another beautiful Pacific Northwest night as the Seattle Sounders took on the Portland Timbers again in another Cascadia Cup clash. Last time out, fans saw an absolute beating from the Sounders as they topped their rivals 6-2 at Providence Park. Every match between these two is always a fun battle, so it was interesting to see who would come out on top this time.

Unfortunately for Sounders fans, the Timbers would get their revenge in the end. Thanks to horrible luck, poor finishing, and the post, the score would end 0-2 favor the visiting Timbers. So while the Sounders are still at the top of the table, things are potentially looking problematic for the would-be champions.

Lineups: 

Seattle Sounders: 5-2-2-1

Portland Timbers: 4-3-2-1

Match Report

“We are going to try and push past it. We have to. The team is not going to sit back and dwell on that.”

The setting was beautiful for this Cascadia Cup clash with the Portland Timbers. The prematch festivities were grand; Reign beat the Thorns, tributes for Jimi Hendrix and his family, and record-setting crowds in the stadium. Everything was setting up a potential Sounders win. So, what happened? 

The match started with the usual intensity you would expect with a Cascadia rivalry game. However, it looked like it could have gone either way. The Timbers began with the match’s first chance six minutes in as Dairon Asprilla lets off a wicked shot off the crossbar but ultimately leads to nothing. 

Only minutes later, tragedy struck the Timbers as defender Eryk Williamson suffered an ACL tear after getting his feet caught in the turf. From there, there was not much else that happened the rest of the half. A couple of decent chances for either team, but it was far from a dull fest. 

The second half was a bit of a different story. The Sounders came out ready to fight, but the Timbers came out wanting it. 

Overall, the Sounder’s defense, especially Xavi, was playing well. That was until the Timbers got their first goal after a disastrous back-pass from Yeimar. After that, Cleveland had no good choices to make as Blanco finished off a pass from Mora into an empty net to give Portland the lead in the 58th minute. 

That was when the Sounders turned it on. Seattle took control of the half and had a couple of great chances courtesy of Shane O’Neil and Raul in the 61st and 86th minutes. Unfortunately, O’Neil’s header hit off the post, and Clark stopped Raul’s rocket of a shot. Things were not going their way all night. 

Caught sleeping once again, the defense and Yeimar left Clevland alone with Mora. Cleveland came out to win a ball in the air but misjudged the bounce. As a result, Mora was able to gain control and chip the goalkeeper to double Portland’s lead in the dying minutes of the game. 

Post Match Thoughts

Sounders centerback, Yeimar, clears the ball despite a Timbers push in the first half of this Cascadia Cup clash.

Image via Max Aquino

While the Sounders created decent chances, their overall performance was relatively poor for significant game stretches. Considering their usual standard, this was a poor result. Seattle struggled to connect passes, and players seemed to show an uncharacteristic lack of familiarity. 

This loss feels like quite the letdown after coming off of an exceptional three games away from home. To add to the frustration, Lumen Field was the fullest it’s been since Seattle hosted the 2019 MLS Cup Final, and the stadium played host to an OL Reign 2-1 win over the Portland Thorns earlier in the day with over 27,000 in attendance to make history and set an NWSL record.

The Sounders won the Cascadia Cup series thanks to two wins earlier in the season at Providence Park, but the loss tonight continues a strange trend. You have to go back to May  2017 to find Seattle’s last regular-season win at home against the rags. They’ve had five such successes at Providence Park in that time. It almost certainly doesn’t mean anything, but that won’t make anyone feel better about it. For now, it’s just an oddity.

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Seattle Sounders

The kids are alright – baby Sounders bring home unlikely win

by Taylor Bartle
written by Taylor Bartle

Okay, yes, I realize this is probably the 400th time you’ve seen a similar headline. But what else can be said? The Sounders trotted out the youngest starting lineup in MLS history and, thanks to some Ruidiaz magic off the bench, brought home three points that seemed out of the realm of reality.

The Starting XI had an average age of 22.5 and included an MLS record six players who can’t yet enjoy an alcoholic beverage. Three of whom can’t vote and one who can’t even drive. Two of them were even hardship signings from the Tacoma Defiance to make up for the injuries to (deep breath) Jordan Morris, Will Bruin, Nicolas Lodeiro, Jordy Delem, Shane O’Neill, Nouhou, and Stefan Frei, plus the Roldan brothers, who are away on international duty with the United States and El Salvador respectively.

Image

Even backup keeper Stefan Cleveland, who has been steady bordering on solid, got the night off in favor of Seattle native Spencer Richey. Over all, it looked like coach Brian Schmetzer was basically punting this game, hoping for a draw at least, to give his starters some rest and perhaps see what the next generation of Sounders could do. Turns out, they could hold their own.

Through 51 minutes, the youngsters were able to keep form and looked to be able to at least get that 0-0 tie. Then… Rui happened. Ruidiaz came into the game in the 52nd minute, along with Kelyn Rowe and Jimmy Medranda, and really unlocked the offense. While it still wasn’t exactly a flurry of shots and dazzling artistry, the Sounders suddenly looked more dangerous and less like they were just parking the bus. Of course, it took a little bit of luck for them to finally find the back of the net, but when you have a goal scorer like Raul Ruidiaz, luck sometimes comes easy.

In the 67th minute, Rowe tried to sneak a pass in to Raul, but it was blocked by a defender. However, the ball still fell right to Ruidiaz’s feet, who blasted a shot from 41 yards out, curling just past the defender and over goalkeeper Brad Stuver’s outstretched arm.

Twenty or so minutes later, Austin was gifted with a dangerous free kick on a questionable foul call on Kelyn Rowe. Julio Cascante was able to get a head on it and put it past Richey, but a look at the VAR determined Cascante was well offside and the goal was disallowed. Seattle also had a goal disallowed in the 80th minute, when it appeared Ruidiaz had netted another but the side ref called him offside.

After seven minutes of stoppage time for some reason, the final whistle blew and the fledgling Sounders had picked up the victory. “That was a massive team performance,” said Schmetzer. “The message to the group for the last day and a half was, ‘We didn’t come down here to play a bunch of young kids, to make it a good story.’ That was never our intention. Our intention, and the winning culture of this club, is, ‘I don’t care who we put out on the field.’

“The culture of what this club is about is about winning,” he continued. “Those young kids did a great job of demonstrating to all of you that that’s what they believe. Those kids believed they could win.”

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Seattle Sounders

Seattle Sounders Offer For Wesley Turned Down

by Doug Mellon
written by Doug Mellon

According to reports out of Brazil, Copa Libertadores side Palmeiras have declined an offer from the Seattle Sounders for striker Wesley. Niko Moreno of Sounder at Heart originally reported the details with Head coach Brian Schmetzer confirming the club’s interest during an interview with KJR.

Reports are surfacing that the board has decided not to accept an offer of $6.5million with add-ons for the 22-year-old. The striker currently has a contract that has him at the club until the end of 2024.

The Sounders have a long history of making summertime additions to their roster including those of Raul Ruidiaz and Nicolas Lodeiro so it wouldn’t be out of character for them to continue the hunt – whether they continue discussions with Wesleys camp or not.

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Seattle Sounders

Why Weren’t The Sounders Favorites for MLS Cup?

by Michael Martinez
written by Michael Martinez

The Seattle Sounders are first in the Supporter’s Shield race, first in the Western Conference, and they have yet to lose a game this season. So why did it take so long for the Sounders MLS Cup odds to go up? You would think they would have been favorites from the start.

The Sounders are having an excellent start to the season, their best ever in fact.  This has not come as a surprise because the Sounders are synonymous with winning. They have arguably been one of the best teams in MLS over the last 5 years. 

This year specifically has been great for the team. Best goal difference (+11), least goals allowed (3, ZERO from open play), and the second best goal scoring team on top of that (14 goals to SKC’s 15). 

So with all that in mind, you would think that they would have had the best odds to win MLS Cup right? Well, it took the bookies 7 games to finally put them at the top. Why? 

You could argue they should have been at the top from the beginning but it seems others have had their doubts. The reason for this could have been our injury problems to some key players. Many of which are out for a longer while.  

 We have yet to see Nico, our DP #10,  all season due to knee issues, JMO out for the season after picking up another torn ACL in Swansea, Delem out with an ACL tear, and now Frei out for the foreseeable future due to complications with his knee injury. All such key components to the team. 

For most teams, when you lose important players like that, your form has a tendency to take a big dip. That has to be exactly what they were thinking when the season started. That is why the Sounders were second on the list. No one knew what to expect, including Sounders fans. 

Thankfully, the team has stepped up so immensely in the absence of these players. Brian Schmetzler has changed the formation up and the team is performing. Playing a 5-3-2 has paid off immensely. Every single player has stepped into new roles and are playing with a tenacity I have not seen in a while. 

Image via Seattle Sounders FC Twitter

Even without Nico and JMO, the team is still creating plenty of chances and scoring goals. The new emergence of the kids is paying off as they look like they have been part of the team for years. I am excited to see how the team plays when Nico comes back, but for now fans can sleep comfortably knowing the team will still perform. 

As we speak, the Sounders are now getting the best odds in the league at +400 to win the MLS Cup, according to Sports Betting Dime. That’s higher than what LAFC had at the start of the season! 

Things can only get better from here for the Sounders. If they stay on this path, then there is no reason to believe that they won’t win the cup. They’ll also break some league records along the way. Let’s hope the bookies agree with us.

The Sounders now head into the upcoming FIFA international break, with the club pausing from league duty until Saturday, June 19 when they play LA Galaxy (6:00 p.m. PT / JOEtv, Prime Video, ESPN +)

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Seattle Sounders

Sounders gain three points, lose two players

by Taylor Bartle
written by Taylor Bartle

The Sounders left PayPal Park the way they came in, at the top of the table. However, they had to limp out after losing two key players.

Seattle was 3-1-0 when they kicked off against the San Jose Earthquakes on Wednesday. The Quakes were right on their tail at 3-0-1. The Sounders interestingly deployed a 3-4-3 formation, with young players Danny Leyva and Ethan Dobelaare getting their first starts of the season.

In just the fourth minute, defender Jordy Delem went down hard and immediately clutched his knee. Delem, who was playing in the backline instead of his usual midfield position due to a short break between games, had to be helped off the field and was immediately subbed out for Shane O’Neill. While there has been no official word from the team on the severity of the injury, Delem’s tweet from yesterday doesn’t sound promising.

In the 17th minute, it looked like the Sounders may be looking at another penalty kick given when referee Baldomero Toledo called a handball in the box on Yeimar Gomez Andrade. However, after a video review, it appeared the ball hit Yeimar… well let’s just saw slightly lower than the hand, and the penalty was waved off. It didn’t take long for the Sounders to fire back, as in the 18th minute, Seattle had a decent shot on goal that was halted by San Jose but cleared very poorly directly to Christian Roldan. Roldan took one touch and fired a rocket that whizzed past goalkeeper JT Marcinkowski and found the back of the net.

This would ultimately be the only goal on the night, but it was enough to give Seattle the win and three more points. However, it wasn’t all sunshine in the Golden State. The Earthquakes had several near misses, including a clever shot by 17 year-old Cade Cowell that forced Stefan Frei into a diving save. There was also a bad giveaway by Yeimar right in front of goal that Frei luckily was sent over the bar.

Speaking of Frei, the biggest news of the night came in the 91st minute when Shane O’Neill collided with the veteran keeper, causing his leg to contort and keep Frei down for several minutes. He had to be helped off the pitch and didn’t appear to be able to put much weight on the injured leg. Due to the early substitution of Delem, the Sounders had already used their three sub windows and thus, Alex Roldan was forced into goal. While the Rave Green faithful chewed at their cuticles, Roldan was never truly tested but did come up with an almost immediate diving save (one which was the defender collide into him and not get called but we’ll talk more about Toledo in a moment). He then had two other saves that came directly into his arms.

As far as Frei, it sounds like his injury may not be as bad as feared (or as Delem’s), but he is most likely going to miss a few weeks. Backup keeper Stefan Cleveland is expected to step between the sticks in Frei’s absence. The Sounders also have Seattle native Spencer Richey available, who was Frei’s backup on Wednesday.

This game was a head-scratcher at times. There were many long spells of little to nothing happening and the two teams just kicking the ball around the midfield. There were also some very questionable decisions made by both defenses, particularly on clearances. Then there was the officiating.

Baldomero Toledo was wildly inconsistent with his calls. At one point, Joao Paulo had his jersey tugged and then his arms yanked backwards, as if the defender was actually trying to get called for a foul to stop the play, and there was no whistle. On the other hand, there were yellows given to Raul Ruidiaz on his first foul, Nouhou on a typical Nouhou-like play, and Frei for timewasting with no warning preceding it. At one point I thought Toledo may have lost his whistle completely because there were blatant calls on both teams going unchecked. As usually happens with refereeing like that, the game got a little chippy at the end but thankfully when the final whistle blew, cooler heads prevailed and so did the Seattle Sounders.

The Sounders next play LAFC at Lumen Field on Sunday.

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Portland TimbersSeattle Sounders

Timbers suffer brutal 2-1 loss to Seattle in Providence Park

by Charlie Folkestad
written by Charlie Folkestad

After a disappointing week that saw the Timbers concede four times to FC Dallas and thrice to Club América, Portland returned home to Providence Park for a date with their bitter rivals, the Seattle Sounders. 

Portland missed chance after chance, including two from the penalty spot, before Seattle put two second-half goals in. Bill Tuiloma’s late free-kick made it close, but not close enough to threaten a result. The match would end 2-1 to the Sounders. 

Match Recap

Portland were without regular starting goalkeeper Steve Clark, as well as would-be starters Sebastián Blanco and Jarosław Niezgoda. Forward Jeremy Ebobisse made his return to the starting XI but would be replaced by Felipe Mora after an hour. Playmaker Nicolas Lodeiro was out for the Sounders, though it hadn’t meant much so far this season. 

Portland were on the front foot in the first half, but missed a series of chances in the 30th to 42nd minutes—and by a “series” I mean four or five half-chances and three more legitimate ones. The worst miss came from Ebobisse in the 40′, slipping as he fired a left-footed shot wide. 

The first major moment of the match came in the 55′ as Ebobisse was brought down by Shane O’Neil in the box for a penalty. Valeri stepped up and had his attempt saved by Frei, but was awarded a second chance after Nouhou encroached and Frei came off his line. 

Valeri’s second attempt offered no added joy for Timbers fans. His penalty smacked off the post and while his rebound went in, it would have required Frei touching it to count. Valeri was immediately subbed off for Dairon Asprilla, and the match continued at 0-0. 

Ebobisse was also replaced by Felipe Mora in the exchange, and Andy Polo would replace Marvin Loría shortly after. 

Portland’s attack struggled mightily without Valeri. His creativity and oversight of attacking combinations usually out Portland in successful positions, but post-60′ the Timbers resorted to getting the ball wide before stalling and losing it. 

Few minutes passed before the deadlock was broken. Ruidiaz stumbled over Tuiloma and Attinella on the other end, culminating in a penalty for the Sounders. Ruidiaz took the pen and slid it to Jeff’s right, opening the scoring in the 62′. 

Not a minute after the ensuing kickoff, disaster would strike once more for Portland. Attinella went down with a non-contact injury after playing the ball with his left foot and needed to be replaced by 19-year-old Hunter Sulte. 

“How many times do you see three goalkeepers going down at the start of the season?” lamented Giovanni Savarese post-match. While he praised Sulte’s performance (one save, 3/5 accurate passes) he also noted that it was an exceptionally tough spot to be put in. 

Ruidiaz nearly drew another penalty in the 76′ and Williamson couldn’t get on the end of a cross at the other end. It would be punished in due time. 

A Seattle free kick from the right side of Portland’s defense found the head of a barely-onside Fredy Montero, who beat Sulte to give Seattle a 2-0 lead in the 79′. 

Halfway through the six minutes of added time, Bill Tuiloma (of all people) blasted a beautiful curling free kick past Stefan Frei. Tuiloma’s fourth goal for the club was his most impressive, but the Timbers couldn’t muster another one. The match ended 2-1 to the visitors in a match that looked like it was Portland’s to lose. 

“You don’t get some things in your favor that you’re supposed to get,” said Gio. “Unfortunately, the score doesn’t show what we gave to the game today.” 

Other Notes

  • Joao Paulo was showing his quality in the middle of the field for Seattle, stopping numerous attacks with well-timed challenges and springing the Sounders forward in the same role Diego Chará has historically played for the Timbers. 
  • Nouhou Tolo and Diego Chará were locked in a battle during the first half, with Chará getting the better of the always-unpredictable Nouhou early. A caution was issued to Nouhou after taking down Diego as he broke away down the right. 
  • Portland’s overall passing play was amazing, building up and transitioning well from defense-to-attack. Now the focus shifts back to finishing chances, a la 2019 pre-Brian Fernández. 

Follow @doublepostpod for total coverage of tonight’s match (and every match!), including our postgame reaction podcast later this evening.

As always, RCTID!

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Seattle SoundersVancouver Whitecaps

Fredy Heads Back Home: What this means for Whitecaps and Sounders

by Michael Martinez
written by Michael Martinez

Here we go!! Freddy Montero is officially signing for his former team, the Seattle Sounders. He will be signing a one year contract with options for 2022 and 2023. He will be joining in on preseason training after the mandatory quarantine and testing protocols. There had been rumors circulating his move to Seattle once contract talks stalled for the Whitecaps late last year. 

Everything about the move just makes sense for him. The Sounders were the first team in MLS to give him a platform to build on, scoring 60 goals in his time there. He has his coffee business, which to be fair it’s pretty damn good. Then lastly, his family. They love it in Seattle and can frequently be found residing there during the offseason. 

This tweet just says it all…

Sounders Head Coach Brian Schmetzler on Fredy coming back, 

I have a lot of fond memories of Fredy Montero in a Sounders jersey, and I’m pleased to welcome him back to the club,

He has always been a dynamic attacker with a strong finishing touch. I’m always happy to have players that can score goals and am looking forward to getting him on the training pitch as our 2021 preparations ramp up.

Montero spent the last 3 seasons in Vancouver tallying 24 goals and 14 assists in all competitions. While his second stint at the club did not go as well as the first, his contribution to the team will not be forgotten. He was arguably the most creative player this last season and helped get that spark back in the team.

What does this mean for the Whitecaps?

In case you guys can’t tell by my writing, I am a HUGE fan of Fredy Montero, so this move away from the Whitecaps does sting a little bit. It just means I can’t write about him anymore… But beyond that, depending on who is making their way to Vancouver, this could be detrimental to the team.  

While the numbers don’t speak for themselves, Fredy did a lot for the Whitecaps, especially in this last season. In the absence of a #10, he would be the creative outlet up top to help create space for Cavallini to get a shot on net. He would also drop in deeper to start the run of play. Whenever he was on the pitch, the team just played that much better. 

Like I said above, this all depends on how the Whitecaps spend and where they spend it. They have made some good signings thus far and some solid rumors have come through, but nothing is concrete. If they they don’t find a #10 to replace what Fredy brought, then it will be another disappointing season for the Whitecaps.

How about for the Sounders? 

This move could mean a lot for the Sounders. Montero is going to Seattle on a free transfer; because of this, there is still plenty of cap room for other marquee signings. It is a very low transfer and they are bringing in a player with some excellent experience. He is also a club legend and it is always fun seeing players come back to former clubs. He will be fighting for a place as the second striker behind Ruidiaz. 

Fredy Montero is still a goal scoring threat. He can easily create something out of nothing. With the Sounders he will not have to worry about that though. They are one of the most creative teams in the league in front of goal. This still doesn’t answer the question, what does Fredy coming home for the Sounders? It’s quite simple. 

Not only is he getting the chance to potentially retire with the club that started it all, but he is bringing that much needed experience in the team. He is also bringing some excellent depth into a title chasing team. Fredy is a natural leader and combine that with everything else, there is no reason but to expect him to make an immediate impact. 

The Sounders have blessed us with a little goal compilation via twitter so have at it!

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Seattle Sounders

How Will The Sounders Look Without Morris?

by Kevin Nesgoda
written by Kevin Nesgoda

Welp there it is. The inevitable has happened, Jordan Morris has left Seattle after 5 years with the club. He has gone across the pond to English Championship side Swansea City AFC on loan for the remainder of the season. There is also an option to buy in there as well. The rumored amount is $5-$7 million, but that has yet to be disclosed. All this depends on the Welsh side getting promoted to the Premier League. They are in second place, so it is very likely that they will make their way back to the top flight. 

Now enough with the boring details of the transfer. It’s time to talk about the Sounders. Jordan Morris was a key component in the attack for 5 years. Especially once he made his move out on the left wing. His explosive speed and finishing will definitely be missed this next season. He had 43 goals and 21 assists across 131 matches. Finding a possible replacement will be tough to say the least. But the question is… What does this mean for the Sounders?  How will they look without him? 

Here’s what I think. We already know based on comments from boss man Garth Lagerwey that there won’t be any super exciting announcements regarding transfers. There is just not enough in the budget to do so. 2020 hit MLS, as a whole, HARD financially. Almost every club is going to struggle. But come on, this is the Sounders. They always have a plan and we know that they will deliver results. I do have a feeling the lineup will look a little different going forward though. 


lineup (2).png

Normally, Schmetz likes to stick to his 4-2-3-1 and does not stray from it unless truly necessary. But without any true winger depth, it might be time to bring the formation in a bit more and make it narrow. I’m thinking 4-3-1-2. The team plays with a much more possession style anyway, so might as well amp it up. With the official signings of Rowe and JP, this will be the perfect way to bring them both into the starting lineup. For those of you who have been watching football for a long while, surely you would remember the great AC Milan team from the early 2000’s. I could see the Sounders playing in a similar style. With the players they have at their disposal at this current moment, it makes the most sense. 

Another thing I think we can expect to see is the youth movement. The Sounders have some incredible youth players coming through the first team. The main ones to look out for are Leyva, the strong midfielder who can pick a pass and has some good defensive awareness for his age. This last season did not go as planned due to his injuries, but 2020 will be his year. I’m calling it now. 

Attencio is another young midfielder to look out for. He reminds of another Goose type player. A traditional #6 with an eye for a pass. He has impressed in his starts with the Defiance this season so it’s safe to assume he’ll make the jump as well. 

The last player I’ll mention is Ocampo-Chavez. While his numbers are not the best in terms of MLS level striker, he is still a top prospect for the academy. He has trained plenty with the first team and has even made the bench. In a two striker formation, it’s not out of the realm of possibility to see him getting some playing time. Once he learns from Raul and Bruin, he can be a solid MLS level striker. 

There are definitely some positives to take away from this move for the Sounders. Those are probably more obvious for Jordan but that’s okay. He plays well, Swansea get promoted, and then he’s playing in the Premier League or earns a move to an even bigger club in Europe. The positives are a bit harder to see in the short term for the Sounders, but doing right by our hometown hero is not something that should go unnoticed. We also can’t forget about the possibility of a potentially massive payday at the end of this, something that could be used to set up the Sounders for years to come.

This Sounders team is definitely going to look very different this season. With the departures of so many key players, mostly Morris and Goose, and the inability to make marquee signings, it’s going to be rough to start. One thing is for certain though, we will figure it out without Jordan. It might take a bit, but the team will be okay. We are still one of the best teams in the league and we will continue to be. That is without a doubt.

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Seattle Sounders

Report: Brian Schmetzer returns as Sounders head coach

by Kevin Nesgoda
written by Kevin Nesgoda


Lindsey Wasson / Sounders FC Communications

Lindsey Wasson / Sounders FC Communications

Two-time MLS Cup Champion Head Coach Brian Schmetzer is returning to the team that he led to those titles, according to SBI Soccer’s Ives Galarcep. Galarcep, citing sources, says Schmetzer has signed a new contract to stay at the helm of the Sounders. No financial terms were disclosed.

Re-signing Schmetzer was a priority for the team after he led them to four MLS Cup Finals, including the aforementioned two Cup victories, in five seasons.

Schmetzer, 58, was born and raised in Seattle, played for the original iteration of the Sounders for most of his twelve year career, and joined the team as an assistant coach in 2008. He was named head coach after the Sounders parted ways with Sigi Schmid in 2016, where he turned around a struggling team and put them on course for one of the biggest midseason turnarounds in MLS history, including leading the team to its first Cup victory that year.

With Schmetzer’s new contract now in place, the team can turn its attention to finalizing Joao Paulo’s transfer, and negotiating new contracts for defender Kelvin Leerdam and midfielder Gustav Svensson as they look to return to the MLS Cup yet again.

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Seattle Sounders

Nicolas Lodeiro signs extensions as several others out of contract

by Kevin Nesgoda
written by Kevin Nesgoda


Jane Gershovich / Sounders FC Communications

Jane Gershovich / Sounders FC Communications

Nicolas Lodeiro has unquestionably been the motor that has fueled the Seattle Sounders since his arrival in 2016, and now it appears the captain will be sticking with the Rave Green for a few more years.

According to a new report at mlssoccer.com, Lodeiro and the Sounders have agreed to a contract extension through the 2023 season. There had been rumors that Saudi Arabian side Al-Hilal was interested in the 32 year old Uruguayan, who made $2.5 million last year.

Lodeiro was an immediate success when he joined the team from Boca Juniors on a $6 million transfer fee. He has been the captain for all four of the Sounders MLS Cup appearances in the last five years, including two title victories. This season, he was named to the MLS Best XI and was a finalist for the Landon Donovan MVP award.

Meanwhile, João Paulo, Gustav Svensson, Kelvin Leerdam, Roman Torres, Stefan Cleveland, Jimmy Medranda, and Joevin Jones, are all currently out of contract. João Paulo is the most notable player on that list as a Designated Player. A Sounders spokesperson has said that they hope to bring the Brazilian back, potentially on a TAM deal. Torres and Jones would qualify for free agency, whereas Leerdam and Svensson would have to go through the Re-Entry Draft.

“While it wasn’t the ending we were all hoping for, we had good season despite all that the club was faced with. I’d like to thank our players for their hard work, as well as our staff for keeping everyone safe amidst a global heath pandemic,” said General Manager & President of Soccer Garth Lagerwey. “As always, we will strive to get better this offseason and come back stronger in 2021.”

Will Bruin, Stefan Frei, Shandon Hopeau, Nouhou, Shane O’Neill, and Alex Roldan all had their options picked up by the club, while Jones, Justin Dhillon, and Miguel Ibarra’s were declined. Conversations are ongoing about some players returning the club, although no specifics were given.

The Sounders will look to bounce back after Saturday’s disappointing showing in MLS Cup and may have to do so with a new look roster. Here is the current lineup:

GOALKEEPERS (2): Stefan Frei, Trey Muse

DEFENDERS (6): Yeimar Gómez Andrade, Xavier Arreaga, Nouhou, Shane O’Neill, Alex Roldan, Brad Smith

MIDFIELDERS (7): Josh Atencio, Jordy Delem, Ethan Dobbelaere, Shandon Hopeau, Danny Leyva, Nicolás Lodeiro, Cristian Roldan

FORWARDS (4): Will Bruin, Jordan Morris, Alfonso Ocampo-Chavez, Raúl Ruidíaz

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