My weekly Sounders chat is live from an Ivar's branch in Tukwila. Happy Good Friday
All has been quiet on that front. I get the impression that they're giving the Brad Evans experiment a few months before deciding whether to upgrade the defense. This summer could be more active
It appears as though it's designed to open up room for a future move. I haven't heard anything about the Sounders bumping against the top of the cap, even if the new one isn't as high as some expected. Kevin Parsemain was let go with a similar reason in mind -- to free up an international roster slot.
I think Alonso is still a week away. Here is Schmid following training yesterday at CenturyLink: “Injury-wise, he’s over that. Now it’s just a matter of building his fitness.”
I think Marshall is the surest bet to go. He cleared all this head injury protocol earlier this week and should return to the center of the defense. And I think every team in is MLS is extra cautious this time of year. The last thing teams want to do is rush players into long-term injuries this early in the campaign
Eventually, I would assume. But I don't sense any urgency to get them filled ASAP. Flexibility is a good thing
Important note to remember: It's much harder for Sounders to jump down to S2 than vice versa. So should Seattle want to move up, say, Pablo Rossi midseason, there have to be free roster spots and an MLS contract
Defensive depth is still the most glaring need, in my opinion. Particularly if the Sounders rate Roldan as a viable option on the outside and Victor Mansaray keeps up his current form
Well, the clearer path to first-team minutes at the moment is clearly at winger, even with Cooper now out of the picture. And that's the role that Mansaray has played with aplomb with both teams in recent weeks. He could've had another assist to Andy Rose against Dallas with a very similar ball to the one he played to Roldan. Given his youth and lack of professional minutes, though, it's best to be cautious before penciling Mansaray
in as a potential MLS difference-maker.
Should be, yes. Went through full training for most of this week
Alright folks, questions are drying up so we're going to call it early today. Thanks for tuning in and come back tomorrow as the Sounders host the Dynamo at CenturyLink Field. Kickoff slated for 7 p.m. PST.
