RENTON — Jesús Ferreira’s season has not quite gone how either he or the Seattle Sounders had hoped.
After arriving as their most notable offseason acquisition, the Sounders believed he could be a player who both added to their offensive depth and raised their ceiling.
Heading into Week 8 of the MLS regular season to face FC Dallas — Ferreira’s former team — it has been much more of a mixed bag.
Although he has three assists, Ferreira has yet to score for his new team. Even more frustratingly, the Sounders are just 1-3-3 and come into this game winless in four straight league games.
“We know this is not the start we would want,” Ferreira told reporters following Wednesday’s training session. “But I think it’s part of the process.
“We’re learning about each other and it’s going to come in time. But we’re also realizing that time is now. We have to flip that switch at some point and it has to be soon.”
When the Sounders acquired Ferreira, they were well aware that he was not a classic No. 9. In fact, that was supposed to be more of a feature, not a bug. The thinking was that he could play with a variety of different players, fill various different roles and work as both a playmaker and a goalscorer.
When Jordan Morris went out with a hamstring injury several weeks ago, the hope was that Ferreira could slide into his spot. In about 200 minutes at the No. 9, Ferreira hasn’t scored and has only managed one shot.
Despite the struggles, Ferreira says he still feels supported.
“The coaches have had my back, the players have my back and that’s all that matters,” Ferreira said. “I think that goals and assists will come.”
Andy Rose, one of the Sounders assistant coaches, shares that confidence.
“He’s incredibly talented,” Rose said. “I think we’ve already seen a lot of intelligent moments from him. You can focus on the negatives. Especially with attackers, you want something instant. But it’s a new team, a new locker room, a new house, figuring out everything outside of the game isn’t always easy.
“I’ve really enjoyed working with him. He’s really respectful, always trying to learn, wants to figure out how we can get the best out of him. I feel like it’s coming.”
Perhaps, returning home, seeing family for the first time since the offseason trade and facing his old team will be just the spark he needs.
“It doesn’t seem real,” Ferreira said about facing the team where he had played since joining their academy as a young boy. “I have love for Dallas. But we’re going to go there and try to dominate. That’s what we need to flip our season.”
Notes
- Ryan Kent was not at training on Wednesday, which likely means he was in Vancouver finalizing his P-1 visa. Assuming he gets it in time to train with the team in Dallas on Friday, he should be available for selection on Saturday.
