Who’s starting? Who’s new? A look at the Seattle Sounders FC roster for the 2019 season
Seattle Sounders FC 2019
Coach: Brian Schmetzer. Assistant coaches: Tom Dutra (goalkeepers), Gonzalo Pineda (forwards, midfielders), Preki, and Djimi Traore (defenders)
2018 record: 18-11-5, 2nd in Western Conference. Lost to Portland Timbers in Western Conference Semifinals
Players listed in alphabetical order. Projected starters in bold
Goalkeepers
No. NAME Height/weight
24 Stefan Frei 6-3/195
35 Bryan Meredith 6-2/193
1 Trey Muse Ht: 6-4/195
The skinny: Stefan Frei started 33 out of the 34 games in 2018 and once again played at top form, finishing in the top five in saves, wins and minutes played. Brian Meredith returns for a third season as the backup and would be a serviceable replacement should the need arise. A new edition is Trey Muse, who signed with the Sounders on Jan. 15. He’s the 11th homegrown player to sign with the the team since entering MLS in 2009.
Defenders
No. NAME Height/weight
12 Saad Abdul-Salaam 6-4/185
2 Jonathan Campbell 6-2/188
20 Kim Kee-hee 6-2/175
18 Kevin Leerdam 5-8/154
14 Chad Marshall 6-4/190
11 Brad Smith 5-10/155
5 Nouhou 5-10/175
29 Roman Torres 6-2/195
Analysis
The skinny: Seattle added much needed depth to the back line in the offseason with the signing Saad Abdul-Salaam just days before the season’s opening match and a trade that brought former first round pick Jonathan Campbell from Chicago. Chad Marshall returns from a season-ending knee injury and would help bolster a veteran line of Kim Kee-Hee, Kevin Leerdam, and Brad Smith. If the injury bug does bite the Sounders again, look for Nouhou and Roman Torres to emerge as the next men up.
Midfielders
No. NAME Height/weight
70 Handwalla Bwana 5-10/145
21 Jordy Delem 5-11/156
10 Nico Lodeiro 5-7/150
8 Victor Rodriguez 5-7/154
7 Cristian Roldan 5-7/165
16 Alex Roldan 5-10/155
19 Harry Shipp 5-9/145
4 Gustav Svensson 6-0/170
23 Henry Wingo 6-0/170
The skinny: Injuries in the midfield were also apart of the 2018 Sounders story. Because of absences by the expected starters several younger players gained valuable experience, giving the team depth for the 2019. Handwalla Bwana, Alex Roldan, and Harry Shipp all saw valuable minutes last season. On Thursday, the team announced Nico Lodeiro as the team captain, replacing Ozzie Alonso. Alonso, who was with the team since joining the MLS, left as a free agent and signed with Minnesota. While Lodeiro can fill the captain’s role, more importantly is filling the defensive role that Alonso performed.
Forwards
No. NAME Height/weight
17 Will Bruin 6-2/194
13 Jordan Morris 6-0/185
9 Raul Ruidiaz 5-7/145
The skinny: A healthy Jordan Morris paired with Raul Ruidiaz could form one of the more dangerous scoring duos in the MLS. Ruidiaz was one of the biggest factors in the Sounders’ second half surge. In 14 games, Ruidiaz scored 10 goals. All eyes will be on Morris, who missed all of his third MLS season after tearing his ACL last February. In his first two years, he recorded 15 goals and five assists.
