TUKWILA, Wash. – There’s been no shortage of positive vibes surrounding the Seattle Sounders as their 2017 preseason kicked off this week at Starfire Sports Complex, just six weeks after the club claimed its first-ever MLS Cup title.
But as the Sounders shift their focus to defending that MLS Cup, they’ll have to replace some of the most important cogs that helped deliver it. Right back Tyrone Mears, midfielders Andreas Ivanschitz and Erik Friberg and playoff hero Nelson Valdez all qualify as key contributors from last year’s title run that won’t be with the team this season.
“We had to part ways with a number of players that did really well for us,” Sounders general manager Garth Lagerwey told reporters after Seattle’s practice on Tuesday. “All those guys were great pros. We would not have won the title without those guys.”
The Sounders have already made some moves in order to offset those losses.
Seattle nabbed former Houston Dynamo forward Will Bruin in December, who figures to slot into a similar role as Valdez. Newly acquired midfielder Harry Shipp, meanwhile, will probably be tasked with filling some of the void left by the departure of Ivanschitz.
Throw in the additions the club has made through Homegrown signings and the 2017 MLS SuperDraft, combined with some of the players the club already has in-house, and Lagerwey says he feels as though his opening day roster is more or less starting to take shape.
“I think we’re getting there,” Lagerwey said. “We have, I would say, of the roster spots, more than 20 are settled. We expect to have 28 when it’s all said and done. To be clear, pretty much everybody who is in here is in here. You may see us still have one or two more signings but, for the most part, the guys that are going to complete for spots are out here.”
The Sounders are also banking on the development of some younger faces in order to shore up their depth.
Seattle’s new arrivals this offseason are an average of 5.5 years younger than the departures, with Homegrown signees Seyi Adekoya (UCLA) and Henry Wingo (University of Washington, pictured above) standing out as two faces that could compete for first-team minutes sooner rather than later.
Adekoya in particular has already started to turn heads this preseason due to his blistering speed, an attribute that the three-time All-Pac-12 forward also pointed to as a strong suit speaking with reporters on Wednesday.
“I’m very fast,” Adekoya said. “I like going at players on the wing or up top and I like making runs behind. So I guess you could say I’m kind of a direct player but I feel like at UCLA I was trained to do more combining and playing with the team than playing direct.
“I think everyone’s goal that’s here is to get first-team minutes,” he added. “I would say right now I’m just focusing on working hard in training, working on the little things and making plays, as well as jelling with my teammates and getting to know people.”
