TUKWILA, Wash. — Seattle Sounders fans love seeing Osvaldo Alonso patrol Qwest Field. And now they'll be able to see him for another few years. The 25-year-old midfielder signed a contract extension through the 2014 season, the club announced Thursday.
“It’s obviously very important to stay in Seattle,” Alonso said through a translator.
By most measures, it’s difficult to overstate Alonso’s value to the team. His teammates voted him the team MVP in 2010, when he started 21 games. Nine of Seattle’s 11 shutouts came with Alonso patrolling the middle.
The team’s struggles without him offer further indication of his value. Alonso missed almost two months after sustaining a quadriceps injury on May 8 and re-aggravating it in a friendly against Boca Juniors May 26. That two month stretch from May to July was Seattle’s worst of the season. The club went just 2-5 without Alonso. After his return, they went 9-2-2.
“I think Ozzie is probably one of the more underrated players in our league,” said head coach Sigi Schmid. “When I look at, for example, the Soccer America rankings of defensive midfielders, it’s a little bit surprising who some people hold ahead of Ozzie.
“I think anybody who watches his game day in and day out would really appreciate what he can do. A lot of fans in the country, I guess, don’t have that opportunity.”
Alonso confirmed that serious negotiations had been taking place for a month prior to Thursday’s announcement. Still young, the Cuban native was noncommittal about his future plans, including possible moves to other leagues.
“I’m only thinking about Seattle,” he said. “If an opportunity presents itself in the future, maybe I will cross that bridge when I come to it. Right now, it’s all about Seattle and MLS.”
