TUKWILA, Wash. — Some were surprised when the Seattle Sounders selected Nathan Sturgis from Real Salt Lake in the 2008 expansion draft. After all, the US youth national team veteran had suffered a serious hamstring injury that ruled him out of the Beijing Olympics and most of the 2008 MLS season.
The injury was so severe that it would likely limit him for most of the 2009 season, as well.
Nevertheless, Seattle took a gamble, based partly on technical director Chris Henderson's own experiences. When he was a player, Henderson overcame similar muscular injuries in the early part of his career to become a long-serving player with a handful of MLS teams.
“It was a situation of feeling that if he gets over his hamstring and his issues there that he could be a valuable contributor to the team,” head coach Sigi Schmid said. “He's got quick feet, he strikes a good ball with both feet, he can open the game up.”
Now that Sturgis has established himself as a starter on arguably the hottest team in the league, it’s fair to say the gamble has paid off. Sturgis has patience—both his own and the organization’s—to thank for his current position.
Focused on healing the injury, Sturgis played sparingly in 2009.
During the first few months of 2010, the midfielder was used often as a late-game substitute. When Brad Evans’ knee injuries kept him on the sideline in 2010, Sturgis was afforded the opportunity to start alongside Osvaldo Alonso in the middle.
“Last year was kinda my first year back from my hamstring [injury], so it took me another year to completely get fit and get confidence back in my hamstring, that it would hold up in games,” Sturgis said.
Sturgis has been a key figure in Seattle’s 9-1-3 run. He began starting regularly on July 11 against FC Dallas and has been a mainstay ever since. He’s earned 14 starts on the season and scored a penalty-kick goal in the 4-0 rout of the Columbus Crew at Crew Stadium.
WATCH: Sturgis buries PK vs. Columbus
The pairing with Alonso has been successful. Sturgis’ ball skills and awareness have helped facilitate Seattle’s offense. Having dynamic presences on the wing and up front have allowed Sturgis to play deeper, focusing on spreading the ball to the wide players and strikers.
Sturgis is a steady player. Between him and Alonso, neither of whom generally take advanced positions, the middle of the field is covered defensively, which keeps opposing counterattacks at bay. Unlike Evans or Mike Seamon, Sturgis rarely makes a run into the opponent’s penalty area.
With Sturgis in the lineup, Seattle are clicking. Since July 11, the Sounders have outscored opponents 20-9 in 14 games.
The 23-year-old, whose younger brother Caleb is the place kicker at the University of Florida's football team, has now completely shaken the hamstring injury. Schmid and Sturgis both credit Sturgis’ strict adherence to his exercise regimen as being key to minimizing the chance of injury.
“Sometimes a player has an injury like that that's more of a long-term type of thing,” Schmid said. “If you can deal with it and heal it, and he's been very conscientious about staying with is exercise program to make sure he doesn't fall back into it.”
“He's turned out to be a real positive."
