The Day After

The fallout in Sounder Nation after what was arguably the worst game in the 14 months or so since kicking its first ball as a MLS franchise is everywhere. Even my friends in Louisiana that follow MLS were in on the ribbing. My favorite was this from my friend from England who lives here now:

"Seattle gets beat down by the LA Beckhams!!!!"

Yes, he's aware Beckham is out injured, but him being a Liverpool fan, he likes to take shots at Goldenballs as much as possible. General Manager Adrian Hanauer was so upset with the performance, he's taken a bold step. He and the owners decided a refund to season ticket holders was in order. Next year, those seat holders will get one free game in light of the teams performance in the 4-0 loss to the Galaxy. Hanauer had a few interesting quotes to go with the decision when talking to Joshua Mayers of the Seattle Times:

"I've been on the phone with Joe Roth and Tod Leiweke this morning, and Gary Wright, and some of the people that I run the business with. And that performance last night wasn't good enough. The effort wasn't good enough. The execution wasn't good enough. The heart wasn't good enough. The passion wasn't good enough. The only thing that was good enough was our fans. So we decided that we're going to give our fans their money back for that game. Our season ticket holders. The people who were with us from the beginning, and will be with us in the future. We're in this for the long haul. We need them to be in it for the long haul. That wasn't Sounders soccer. And it was quite frankly embarrassing, humiliating, and they don't deserve that."

I must say this is a pretty interesting step for the front office. The argument on the message boards asks "Is this really necessary?" or "Are they going to give refunds for the next bad home loss?" I, myself, don't think the refund was for the Galaxy match alone. The last few games have all been hard on us, be it our lack of finishing or last second goals that take points away or times we've just been whipped like yesterday, the play has not been good. Hanauer also made comments to Mayers about possible roster changes coming in July post World Cup:

"Maybe losing a guy with a little more talent and gaining a guy with a little more passion and heart is going to be worth the trade. I know that our fans care about heart and passion and results, and again possession is certainly part of the game. And I'm a big fan of the beautiful, but the beautiful game ain't so beautiful for the home team if they're losing. Especially if they're losing like that. I guess the rest of the answer is the July transfer window feels like it's forever from now, but I guess a better way of putting it is the June World Cup break and then the subsequent July transfer window is to some degree around the corner. And that is an opportunity for us to make some changes. If it was easy everyone would be in first place. There are going to be first-place teams and there are going to be last-place teams. This organization just doesn't intend on being a last-place team. And the fact that it's not easy can not be an obstacle. We need to be smarter, work harder, be more creative, scrap, claw, figure out what's going to get us that edge."

I think its safe to say the man does not like his boys in green to be at the bottom of the standings.

With an already long season made longer by the upcoming U.S. Open Cup (of which the Sounders are of course defending champions) and the qualifying and hopefully group stages of the CONCACAF Champions League, squad depth is a must. With the number of players per team capped, its key to make sure those roster moves count. There still seems to be confusion on if Blaise Nkufo will count as the Sounders 2nd designated player (players whose entire salary doesn't count towards the cap) or not. There's also no word on if the Sounders will seek to buy a 3rd DP spot. Not all Sounders fans agree on what positions need the most help, but in my opinion an attacking midfielder is a must. With Nkufo on the way, and youngster Miguel Montano surely to get more playing time, the forward position should be fine. If, however, you look at the central midfield, just where is the creativity? Ozzie Alonso is a holding player, while Brad Evans isn't much of a scoring threat. Ljungberg spends most of his time on the wing, and Pat Noonan is more of a utility player. I'm thinking the best way to solve the problem could be a trade with another MLS club, but have no idea who that is at the moment.

Time will tell if post World Cup what Hanauer decides to do, but something must change. The tone of this blog needs some positivity and it needs it quickly. If Fatman was dropped on Qwest Field Saturday, hopefully Little Boy isn't waiting for us at Red Bull Arena.