Seattle Sounders 2016 season thread

[Glasgow Seahawk]

I'm worried we are going to struggle to score without Dempsey. We struggled a ton for goals without Martins and it took a coach and Lodeiro to get the best out of Dempsey and Morris. With no timeline for his return we've got to get someone. We're still close but I don't want to go in to these tough games with just Valdez and/or Gomez to partner/support Morris. Both look finished in my opinion.

I agree, the good teams will be able to get numbers on Lodeiro to corral him without Dempsey also causing problems.

Obviously wish the best for Clint, but damn if this wasn't making it's way to being one of the more exciting seasons up until the bad news.

I feel bad for Dempsey especially in this situation which he has no control over but it always feels like he is injured or playing for the national team when we need him most. SO frustrating.

If we were smart, surely we could get a decent striker on loan in the next few days since they are on cheap wages and most parent clubs would pay it. Are there any good youngsters in the Premiership reserve/youth squads that need experience and games for 6 months as they can't quite get in the first team yet? Man City and Chelsea always seem to have some (as they stock pile the best young players but can't develop them due to the stars in the first team) but guessing the City players would end up at NYCFC. Doesn't even need to be as high a level as the EPL, just some promising player that we can loan till we get out of this current jam and then we can fix our DP situation in the off season.

If we were smart? The MLS window is closed, we cannot add any more players.

Crap

 

[knownone]

I've been trying to find time to update my models to project the team without Clint. I haven't tweaked everything yet, but I have the Sounder finishing the season in 6th place (playoffs!). Currently, I'm replacing Clint with a combination of Valdez and Gomez. The team projects to score 1.3 GF and .96 GA, this puts Seattle in the middle of the pack for MLS and is a far cry from the Sounders projections with Clint.

For those looking for a bit of optimism, Seattle is currently sitting with a roughly 30% chance to make the playoffs, a win against San Jose bumps them into the 50% range.

 

[Sgt. Largent]

For those looking for a bit of optimism, Seattle is currently sitting with a roughly 30% chance to make the playoffs, a win against San Jose bumps them into the 50% range.

I have 0% faith that Valdez and/or Gomez can score at all, let along pick up even 50% of Dempsey's slack.

Even if we sneak into the playoffs, the MLS playoffs is about who's on form momentum wise and healthy...........and without Dempsey we'll be neither.

 

[Glasgow Seahawk]

What was the latest news on Dempsey? Have they given an estimate on how many weeks or is it one of those things where we hear radio silence then he announces retirement. He is healthy otherwise and can play if he gets the green light, surely it's more an okay from a doctors tests if he can play again or not, would like to know asap.

 

[Smurf]

What was the latest news on Dempsey? Have they given an estimate on how many weeks or is it one of those things where we hear radio silence then he announces retirement. He is healthy otherwise and can play if he gets the green light, surely it's more an okay from a doctors tests if he can play again or not, would like to know asap.

Brian Schmetzer said the other day: "That's not my story to tell."

 

[Glasgow Seahawk]

That sounds bleak

 

[knownone]

For those looking for a bit of optimism, Seattle is currently sitting with a roughly 30% chance to make the playoffs, a win against San Jose bumps them into the 50% range.

I have 0% faith that Valdez and/or Gomez can score at all, let along pick up even 50% of Dempsey's slack.

Even if we sneak into the playoffs, the MLS playoffs is about who's on form momentum wise and healthy...........and without Dempsey we'll be neither.

The silver lining is that we're not looking for Valdez or Gomez to score. They just need to make forward runs and stay up top to take pressure off Morris. We saw this in the last game. Gomez came on at the half, and his runs opened up space for Morris to score the header. Flaco wasn't making those runs, which is why our offense was so anemic in the first half.

Looking at the other teams in MLS, If they sneak in, I like their chances. I made it clear with Dempsey on the field this is the best team in MLS. Without Dempsey, you still have an above average defense which will only get better, an offense that is league average, and IMO the depth to make tactical adjustments to win in the playoffs.

My biggest question remains with Schmetzer, is he capable of making the correct adjustments? For me, it's hard to say. He took responsibility for the first half against Portland but failed to acknowledge that it was largely his system that led to the goals. He did make the correct adjustments at halftime when he inserted Gomez, which to me shows he knows his stuff, now whether he can apply it before the fact, instead of after the fact, remains to be seen.

 

[SeatownJay]

Forbes.com names Seattle Sounders FC the most valuable franchise in MLS.

http://www.forbes.com/sites/forbespr/20 ... 2ad904ad17

 

[Glasgow Seahawk]

Feel this weekend really is make or break. Need to come out and win and pick up momentum otherwise a loss and last weeks crushing may be the straw that breaks the camels back.

 

[knownone]

Hmm... I feel like I'm repeating myself. You can't have Morris up top alone... This is embarrassing.

 

[knownone]

I really do not understand what Schmetzer is trying to accomplish. You can't expect to replace Clint Dempsey's role by playing guys who do not make forward runs, and aren't natural attacking players. We need someone else up top, someone capable of making a run in the box. Roldan is not that guy. He's great in a box to box role, but he can't hold the ball up, and he's not making runs or even staying high when Morris is trying to hold the ball up. This is bad coaching, or at the very least players who don't understand what their roles actually are.

I'm incredibly disappointed that most of our struggles are self-inflicted, caused by an overzealous attempt to shoehorn certain players into the system, rather than playing guys who actually fit those roles.

 

[Smurf]

I really do not understand what Schmetzer is trying to accomplish. You can't expect to replace Clint Dempsey's role by playing guys who do not make forward runs, and aren't natural attacking players. We need someone else up top, someone capable of making a run in the box. Roldan is not that guy. He's great in a box to box role, but he can't hold the ball up, and he's not making runs or even staying high when Morris is trying to hold the ball up. This is bad coaching, or at the very least players who don't understand what their roles actually are.

I'm incredibly disappointed that most of our struggles are self-inflicted, caused by an overzealous attempt to shoehorn certain players into the system, rather than playing guys who actually fit those roles.

I disagree.

 

[knownone]

I really do not understand what Schmetzer is trying to accomplish. You can't expect to replace Clint Dempsey's role by playing guys who do not make forward runs, and aren't natural attacking players. We need someone else up top, someone capable of making a run in the box. Roldan is not that guy. He's great in a box to box role, but he can't hold the ball up, and he's not making runs or even staying high when Morris is trying to hold the ball up. This is bad coaching, or at the very least players who don't understand what their roles actually are.

I'm incredibly disappointed that most of our struggles are self-inflicted, caused by an overzealous attempt to shoehorn certain players into the system, rather than playing guys who actually fit those roles.

I disagree.

Disagree with what exactly?

 

[Smurf]

I really do not understand what Schmetzer is trying to accomplish. You can't expect to replace Clint Dempsey's role by playing guys who do not make forward runs, and aren't natural attacking players. We need someone else up top, someone capable of making a run in the box. Roldan is not that guy. He's great in a box to box role, but he can't hold the ball up, and he's not making runs or even staying high when Morris is trying to hold the ball up. This is bad coaching, or at the very least players who don't understand what their roles actually are.

I'm incredibly disappointed that most of our struggles are self-inflicted, caused by an overzealous attempt to shoehorn certain players into the system, rather than playing guys who actually fit those roles.

I disagree.

Disagree with what exactly?

Pretty much all of it.

 

[Glasgow Seahawk]

Think we still look a bit lost without Dempsey. Portland drawing savedus a bit but we are running out of games.

 

[JSeahawks]

Think we still look a bit lost without Dempsey. Portland drawing savedus a bit but we are running out of games.

Portland won this weekend.

 

[knownone]

I really do not understand what Schmetzer is trying to accomplish. You can't expect to replace Clint Dempsey's role by playing guys who do not make forward runs, and aren't natural attacking players. We need someone else up top, someone capable of making a run in the box. Roldan is not that guy. He's great in a box to box role, but he can't hold the ball up, and he's not making runs or even staying high when Morris is trying to hold the ball up. This is bad coaching, or at the very least players who don't understand what their roles actually are.

I'm incredibly disappointed that most of our struggles are self-inflicted, caused by an overzealous attempt to shoehorn certain players into the system, rather than playing guys who actually fit those roles.

I disagree.

Disagree with what exactly?

Pretty much all of it.

Care to give a reason? or is this just a hipster form of trolling?

 

[Glasgow Seahawk]

Think we still look a bit lost without Dempsey. Portland drawing savedus a bit but we are running out of games.

Portland won this weekend.

This post just pissed all over any positivity I had left.

 

[Smurf]

I really do not understand what Schmetzer is trying to accomplish. You can't expect to replace Clint Dempsey's role by playing guys who do not make forward runs, and aren't natural attacking players. We need someone else up top, someone capable of making a run in the box. Roldan is not that guy. He's great in a box to box role, but he can't hold the ball up, and he's not making runs or even staying high when Morris is trying to hold the ball up. This is bad coaching, or at the very least players who don't understand what their roles actually are.

I'm incredibly disappointed that most of our struggles are self-inflicted, caused by an overzealous attempt to shoehorn certain players into the system, rather than playing guys who actually fit those roles.

Roldan and Friberg represent members of the best 11 players Schmetzer had available. Roldan is absolutely a player capable of attacking play, its one of the reasons we drafted him. His play in college backs this up. He's also a good header of the ball given his stature.


I would rather start 5 solid midfielders and 1 striker than I would 4 solid midfielders, 1 strikers, and a heaping pile of crap.

The game was win-able....and if it wasn't for a player tilting off the face of the earth, it had a good chance to be 3 points.

The coaching isn't bad. The players understand their roles.

The self inflicted wounds stem from 1 player, and that is #4....He is more of a defensive liability than Joevin Jones has been...and its been that way all season.

If it wasn't for Evan's back injury, #4 wouldn't have seen the field, and we might have all 3 points.


Schmetzer isn't the problem. The roster is the problem. It has been since last season. We were a team designed to play 1 way, and that way decided to leave the club. We had no back up option...and the roster doesn't make sense without it.


Sigi tried to make it work...and looked like a robot running into a wall.

Schmetzer is trying to make it work, and you know what, it hasn't been that bad. Nico has helped a lot for sure, but the other 9 around him have played better. Just take a look at Ivanschitz. Horrible under sigi, serviceable under Schmetzer.

 

[Sgt. Largent]

I really do not understand what Schmetzer is trying to accomplish. You can't expect to replace Clint Dempsey's role by playing guys who do not make forward runs, and aren't natural attacking players. We need someone else up top, someone capable of making a run in the box. Roldan is not that guy. He's great in a box to box role, but he can't hold the ball up, and he's not making runs or even staying high when Morris is trying to hold the ball up. This is bad coaching, or at the very least players who don't understand what their roles actually are.

I'm incredibly disappointed that most of our struggles are self-inflicted, caused by an overzealous attempt to shoehorn certain players into the system, rather than playing guys who actually fit those roles.

You're blaming Schmetzer and saying our struggles are self inflicted like we have other amazing forward options.

We don't, that's MLS, super thin rosters due to a highly restrictive salary cap. When one of your stars goes down, you struggle, it's as simple as that.

If you're handing out blame, blame Lagerwey and ownership for giving 1.2 Million to a has been brittle target forward instead of trying to find a better replacement for Oba's departure last off season.