RENTON – Brian Schemtzer confirmed that he talked to Nicolás Lodeiro on two separate occasions and that the Seattle Sounders had multiple internal conversations about bringing back the two-time MLS Cup winner before ultimately deciding to decline a reunion.
“I thought about it long and hard, about re-signing him for this particular season,” Schmetzer said during a press conference on Friday. “It was a choice that was challenging in some ways, but because of roster space, future plans, just the way the team is set up this year, it just didn’t happen.”
Pushing back against a report in Sounder at Heart that suggested the Sounders “showed no interest” in bringing back Lodeiro before he ultimately signed with the Houston Dynamo, Schmetzer framed the discussions as considerably more amicable.
“We left the door open,” Schmetzer said. “Nico and I ended it on a very good note and I’m hoping the best for him in Houston, except for when he plays against us.”
The Sounders host the Dynamo on March 22.
Kim Kee-Hee trains
Nearly five weeks after finalizing terms on Kim Kee-Hee’s return, the centerback was finally able to do some limited training. It will likely be at least a couple more weeks before he sees any game action. Kim’s initial fitness scores “aren’t quite up to what we want,” Schmetzer said, and he’ll need to regain the fitness he lost over the last couple of months since he last played.
No timeline
Although Reed Baker-Whiting was able to do some ball drills, he remains far enough away from returning to the field that Schmetzer declined to offer any kind of timeline. Baker-Whiting suffered a hamstring injury on Feb. 4.
