There’s an interesting thing happening as Waibel & Co. build the 2025 Seattle Sounders. The current rumors seem to build a team without obvious holes, much better than the past two seasons and it has space to get even better.
But, the most fanatic of fans are still disappointed.
Two big internal moves done cheaply plus the retention of one or two internal free-agents isn’t exciting. These aren’t the moves that get people to go to airports, or show up to stalk training sessions, or use OSINT to figure out what hotel they’re staying at.
Taken as a whole these are the moves that put Seattle back in contention for winning the West and to play well in the many knockout tournaments they earned by being one of the best clubs in the league over the last several years.
Jesús Ferreira, Paul Arriola, Albert Rusnák, and João Paulo would extend the depth and peak of the roster. If everything goes in Craig Waibel's favor they would eat a single DP slot and a bunch of TAM.
He says he has budget and those moves aren’t really budget busting.
If you want shiny things that’s great news.
Seattle still has assets available for something shiny, something exciting. Something to help those miserable early-season doldrums that help convince your friends that it isn’t worth going to games because the team sucks (even late into the summer when it doesn’t).
What assets would be available?
- Unnamed transfer budget. Considering the Arriola and Ferreira rumors have minimal raw dollar, xAM and cap numbers the budget would have some space.
"We have a transfer budget laid out. Now it’s a matter of going out and really applying it within the cap.” - DP slot. If all four players are signed only two DP slots would be taken, at least theoretically. The current expectation is that Rusnák signs as a DP. The club could choose to sign a Young DP for cap space or a full DP at some point in the season.
- U22 slots. The club could potentially flex into a 2/4 system like LAFC did, leaving them with two U22s open. That would maximize the available cap space, which is likely necessary with so many high TAM players on the roster. A 3/3 split would only leave one U22 slot open and if Ferreira or Morris is a DP until the exceptional transfer window the club would also have cap space nearly like a 2/4.
- Three transfer windows. Here’s a list of MLS teams that have three transfer windows in 2025 – Inter Messi and the Seattle Sounders Football Club. Earning their way to the Club World Cup includes a small window for specific types of transfers that would join the team before the CWC. Waibel could take advantage of this to grab a summer signing that helps the late season surge, but months earlier.
Those that want shiny things may have to be patient, which is hard. Youve been patient for a long time. The last shiny thing came in slightly damaged and didn’t get repaired until we all forgot that it was actually a big shiny thing.
Other massive signings were so long ago the world felt different.
Seattle Sounders are positioned to not merely improve their W-L-D record and win trophies, but to inject excitement into their community right when they need it most – the eyes of the world will be on us for two weeks.
A measured winter could mean an exceptional start with a new toy coming in June or August.
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Catching up on Sounder at Heart
Here's what you missed on the site this week.
Sounders
Next match: Concacaf Champions Cup in Antigua, Guatemala on Feb. 19. The Sounders will play between 42 and 68 games (assuming they make the championship in every knockout tournament except the CWC with Open Cup and Leagues Cup existing in similar formats to 2024 in 2025).
- MLS free agency opens: A guide for Sounders fans
- Nos Audietis mailbag: Let’s talk about the Jesus Ferreira and Paul Arriola rumors!!!
- Key takeaways from Sounders’ end-of-season press conference
- Craig Waibel shares some of Sounders offseason plans
- Paul Arriola, too? Sounders continue active offseason
- Sounders in advanced talks to acquire Jesus Ferreira
- Obed Vargas unlikely to move this winter
- Sounders make two first-team signings
- Depth Chart updated for 2024-25 offseason
- Winter transfer window wish list
- Sounders learn Concacaf Champions Cup dates
- Lobbing Scorchers: We Won MLS Cup?
- Realio’s Ratings: A season in a moment
- Raúl Ruidíaz built a singular legacy in Seattle
- Push To Failure
Reign
Next match: The NWSL typically starts play in March.
Defiance
Next match: MLS Next Pro typically starts play in March.
Spokane
Zephyr are at the Tampa Bay Sun today at 4 pm PT on Peacock+. Spokane is 8th of 8 teams, but rarely gets blown out.
Velocity are off until the USL League One season starts. They will also participate in the expanded Jagermeister Cup that includes USL Championship teams. Spokane's group includes the California pro USL teams plus Las Vegas.
Looking back at the news
Everything else you need to know
Sounders HGP signing Leo Burney made the All-NCAA 2nd team.
The Whitecaps are up for sale, as two of their primary financiers are in the estate planning portion of their lives. Hopefully they can find an owner that honors their legacy and Cascadia doesn't lose a member.
Visit Seattle expects the Men’s World Cup 2026 to inject nearly a billion dollars into the local economy. A large part of that is because roughly 50% of the million visitors who will come that summer for the tournament will be here to spend money even though they aren’t going to games. The metro area was the fastest growing major metro in the US from 2022-2023.
FIFA bent their own rules to give the 2034 Men’s World Cup to Saudi Arabia.
Every time Jess Fishlock talks about Wales making the Euros I’ll share a link.
Attacking Third breaks down Reign’s needs for 2025. The answer isn’t everything.
No one watched MLS Cup on Fox. And MLS isn’t thinking of dramatic changes to roster structures. Do you understand GAM and TAM? What if there was also just pure cash money? MLS is considering adding normal cash to things that can be traded. They may shift calendars.
NBC and FOX are bidding for the Women’s World Cups.
Will the 2029 Men’s Club World Cup also be in the US? Maybe.
Philly hates the draft. They aren't participating for a couple of years.
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