One thing our region is great at is setting its hooks into visitors and reeling them here for a time or for life. Back when Clint Dempsey and the USMNT visited he fell in love with the soccer atmosphere here. When he decided to return to MLS, Seattle was on the list not because of big tech companies, nor Hollywood, but because of your voice echoing through the canyons of the stadium.
It’s almost a tradition, one that crosses sport. In soccer its our legends who visited from the globe and stayed forever. Renton still houses Doug Baldwin, who retired and become a civic leader improving the community. The number of Seahawks who stay in the little SE corner of Lake Washington could fill a column.
Several baseball players moved on throughout their careers, but their homes are here. NBA players retired and stayed here, Bill Russell being the most influential in that realm. These stories could continue forever – Rapinoe, Bird, Edgar, Holmgren, Zorn, Montero, Hurtado.
Puget Sound is a gravity well for talent.
Our sports fandom punches well above the weight for a region of several million people and a couple dozen massive companies.
That may be what is most exciting about hosting Club World Cup matches with the legendary teams facing the Seattle Sounders. The wins might not come on the field of play. PSG, Atletico and Botafogo are global giants.
They also have players familiar with the region.
Oscar Romero was once pitched on playing in Seattle. His club at the time was offered $10 million for the transfer. He’s now older, an assisting winger who plays solid defense. If Seattle thinks their window is open for two more years he might deserve a look. He’s not Botafogo’s only talent already familiar with the region (and this one has a Waibel connection). Jefferson Savarino remains an effective winger/forward who profiles like several potent MLS stars.
Seattle isn’t limited to selling itself to stars from the Brazilian club.
Griezmann is already a fan of the region and the baseball team, and has indicated that he wants to come to MLS. Yes, LAFC is connected for money and Hollywood reasons. But he’s playing here in a few months and as Freddie Ljungberg can attest, there’s a lifestyle difference that certain types enjoy.
See you soon, @AntoGriezmann! 👋 https://t.co/mCwoufJW9r
— Seattle Mariners (@Mariners) December 5, 2024
Sure, it would be nice for the Sounders to steal a couple of points in the CWC Group of Death.
It would be nicer to steal a couple of hearts and build a team that gets Seattle back to another Club World Cup.
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Catching up on Sounder at Heart
Here's what you missed on the site this week.
Sounders
The 2025 MLS season starts on Feb. 22 or 23 with a San Diego FC at LAFC. An abbreviated version of MLS off-season dates is that the Expansion Draft is Dec. 11, Free Agency starts Dec. 12 with the waiver process beginning. The Re-Entry Draft process starts Dec. 13. The SuperDraft is Dec. 20. The transfer window for men's leagues in the US is currently unannounced, though relevant to Seattle and Miami is the exceptional window that is opened just prior to the Club World Cup.
- Sounders announce year-end roster decisions
- Sounders roster has a solid foundation, room to grow
- Offseason road map: How Sounders can build on 2024
- Pick who you think Sounders should protect in Expansion Draft
- Sounders drawn into Club World Cup’s ‘Group of Death’
- A season that fell just short of obvious success
- Out of gas: Sounders fall on late goal to Galaxy
- Lobbing Scorchers: Season of Almost (Feat. Jeremiah Oshan)
- Postgame Pontifications: Not quite enough
- Yeimar named to MLS Best XI
- Local UPSL match abandoned after referee chased off field
Reign
The 2025 NWSL season start isn't announced yet. 2024 started March 13. The Free Agency period is already underway with Reign signing one player so far. There are no drafts. The relevant transfer window is Jan. 25 to March 25, as the women's leagues under USSF control chose an 8/8 split under the new rules for windows.
Defiance
Their season is expected to start roughly 3 weeks after the MLS regular season begins.
Spokane
Zephyr are in middle of their winter road trip/off-season journey. They play at Ft. Lauderdale on Saturday December 7 at 4:30 pm PT on Peacock+. Spokane is currently 7th of 8 teams with 12 points in 12 played.
Velocity are off until March 2025 (if the season starts when it did in 2024).
Looking back at the news
Everything else you need to know
“I can’t put it into words. This is 20 years in the making. I wouldn’t change a second of it. The ups and downs are part of the process and the journey. It all led to this moment with this group of girls. This is by far the proudest moment of my life. My hamstrings are shot but that doesn’t matter right now.” – Jess Fishlock after Wales qualified for the Euros
According to John Ourand FOX and NBC are the US bidders for the next two Women’s World Cups. NBC has the streaming strength plus experience with the Olympics. FOX has their World Cup legacy that started in 2015.
The NWSL didn’t respond to the attacks against Barbra Banda. Banda is the BBC Women’s Footballer of the Year and was an MVP finalist in the league. The Athletic sounds the call for the league to speak up for their players.
Jill Ellis failed upward last week. After leading a bad team to a bad record while undergoing accusations of mistreatment and abuse, Ellis took on a leadership role with FIFA.
Have you heard the conspiracy that MLS, via PRO, is influencing referee decisions? Let actual referees explain that it might be true. There are indications that non-matchday officials are instructing the VAR booth as to what to do.
Former Sounder Terry Boss is taking over in Lexington as they move up to the USL Championship.
Your MLS player availability shopping list includes a few talents that could help the Seattle Sounders – Jackson Yueill, Jeremy Ebobisse and Ariel Lassiter are ones that make sense to me.
Supposedly six Brazilian clubs are interested in Léo Chú. This rumor didn’t merit a story because there’s no sourcing attributed and seems to be a recycling of old rumors not current news.
Mycah Kraushaar started coaching her state title contenders when they were in middle school and she was living in a van. Now, several years later, Lopez Island's team took second in the state with Kraushaar as coach of the same group she started with years ago.
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