Gonzalo Pineda joins Seattle Sounders' coaching staff

Gonzalo Pineda - Seattle Sounders - celebration

Former Seattle Sounders midfielder Gonzalo Pineda returned to the organization on Friday, joining the coaching ranks as an assistant to Brian Schmetzer.


Pineda, who featured in the 2006 World Cup for Mexico, spent the last two years of his career in Seattle before retiring after the 2015 season. He spent 2016 as an analyst for Univision Deportes.


"It's fantastic to bring in a guy who not only has a wealth of knowledge about the game, but also knows our club culture and the city of Seattle," Sounders GM Garth Lagerwey said in the club statement announcing Pineda's hiring. "Gonzalo was a great player and a consummate pro, so I have no doubt that our guys can learn a lot from him."