RENTON — The biggest and most expensive acquisition the Seattle Sounders made this past offseason was the trade for Jesús Ferreira.
The hope was that the 24-year-old would provide an offensive boost to a team that had allowed the fewest goals in each of the past two seasons but was basically mid-table in terms of goal-scoring.
On paper, Ferreira seemed like a great addition. Not only was he the youngest player to score 50 goals in MLS history, but he was also a creative passer who could play either as a 9 or a 10.
With Jordan Morris out with a hamstring injury, Ferreira has gotten his first extended time as a No. 9 in the past two games. It hasn’t gone as smoothly as hoped.
In his first start, Ferreira was limited to just one shot in 64 minutes. A week later, he had zero shots in 90 minutes. The Sounders were shut out in both games.
“He’s still a new piece, he’s still understanding the way we play,” Sounders midfielder João Paulo said following Tuesday’s training session. “A lot of times with Jordan we like to play him in behind. But we have to understand that Jesús is a different player, he likes to play with his feet and connect, and have guys to connect passes close to the 18. We’re not giving him service in that area. We’re trying to get everybody on the same page.”
Although Ferreira doesn’t yet have a goal for his new team, he does have three assists and has shown some playmaking ability the Sounders haven’t had from the forward position.
“He’s put himself in some good spots and players haven’t found him, and I think that’s a little bit of residual of him as a No. 9 and it takes some time,” Sounders head coach Brian Schmetzer said. “Is he inside the penalty area enough? We’ll address that. I think he needs to get in the penalty box a little more, that will help.
“But he’s also an unselfish player. Some of the passes he’s had throughout his time here have been very good, the right pass at the right moment that haven’t led to him scoring.”
At full fitness, the Sounders have looked much improved over last year offensively. Through their first six matches across all competitions, they had scored 13 goals, with multiple goals in four of them.
But the hope was that with a player like Ferreira, they could weather injuries more effectively.
“We worked all preseason on attacking,” Schmetzer said. “Some of our games have been good, but not consistently. We need to keep working on that. We’ve worked hard. Do I have confidence in this team? Of course. We’ve been doing it a long time.”
Health updates
Kim Kee-Hee and Reed Baker-Whiting were both in full training and are expected to be available for Saturday’s match against the San Jose Earthquakes. Pedro de la Vega and Jordan Morris have continued to train on the side, with both likely still 2-3 weeks away from returning.
Obed Vargas is expected to return from the Mexico U20 national team on Wednesday, while Nouhou should be back from playing for Cameroon by Thursday. Both are expected to be available for selection on Saturday.
