2025 SOUNDERS FC SEASON PREVIEW & PREDICTIONS

2025 SOUNDERS FC SEASON PREVIEW & PREDICTIONS

In the name of acknowledging the elephant in the room, before I begin a banal analysis of domestic football whilst the world burns, does any of this seem familiar? Try replacing the word ‘Soviet’ in the next paragraph with ‘American’, and ‘the 80s’ with ‘2025’.

“…in the 80s everyone from the top to the bottom of Soviet society knew that it wasn’t working, knew that it was corrupt, knew that the bosses were looting the system, knew that the politicians had no alternative vision. And they knew that the bosses knew that they knew that. Everyone knew it was fake, but because no one had any alternative vision for a different kind of society, they just accepted this sense of total fakeness as normal. And this historian, Alexei Yurchak, coined the phrase “HyperNormalisation” to describe that feeling.”

– Adam Curtis, Director of the BBC Documentary HyperNormalisation

Greetings to my brothers and sisters in Green. With pre-season over in Marbella, Sounders FC return home to The Evergreen. Only one training match remains to be played, against Louisville City, at Longacres on 12 February. Then only a week until the season begins with a CONCACAF Champions Cup tie (at least that’s the name of the tournament before they decide to change it again) at Antigua FC of Guatemala on 19 February. Here’s my 50p on how things might shake out this season.

The Good News

Although we have lost Raul Ruidiaz and Leo Chu, we have added Jesus Ferreira and  Paul Arriola to a team that finished seventh in the league, conceded the fewest goals in the league, made the Semi-Finals of both the US Open Cup and MLS Cup, and made the Quarter-Finals of Leagues Cup. Although Ruidiaz was one of the greatest Sounders to wear the shirt, he had lost a step, wasn’t getting any younger, and was often injured. Leo Chu was never going to prosper in Manager Brian Schmetzer’s rigidly defensive system, and is likely better off in the Dallas. In Ferreira, we get a 24 year-old false-9 who scored 53 goals in 163 appearances with the Dallas, and has 23 caps and 15 goals with the Yanks. In Arriola, we get a 30 year-old forward who scored 41 goals in 256 appearances with Tijuana, DC United, and FC Dallas, including two appearances on loan at Swansea City. Arriola also has 50 caps and 10 goals for the Yanks. Pedro de la Vega and Jordan Morris round out the attack with Paul Rothrock as cover.

Our midfield benefits from re-signing Albert Rusnak and Joao Paulo, provided they can play at the same level as they did last season. Rusnak provided 10 goals and 12 assists, and Joao Paulo was an exemplary holding midfielder and one of the best passers in the league. Cristian Roldan helps to hold and has become a talisman for the side. Obed Vargas played his way into being selected as a Mexico international last season, and has become indispensable. Josh Atencio and Danny Leyva provide cover when called upon.

Our league-best defence from last season returns goalkeeper Stefan Frei, ably backed by his understudy, Andrew Thomas. Also returning are first-choice defenders Yeimar Gomez Andrade, Nouhou Tolo, Jackson Ragen, and Alex Roldan, with Cody Baker, Reed Baker-Whiting, newly re-acquired Kim Kee-hee, and Jonathan Bell providing cover.

Our coaching staff remains the same. Brian Schmetzer as Manager, Predrag “Preki” Radosavljevic, Freddy Juarez, and Andy Rose as Coaches, along with Goalkeeper Coach Tom Dutra. We can fuss about what we might like and don’t like about this group, but in the nine seasons under Schmetzer’s management, we’ve only finished below 7th place in the league once (21st in 2022, the season we won CONCACAF, and only 13 players in the squad had 1000+ minutes), and won two MLS Cups and a CONCACAF Champions League title. It is difficult to argue with results.

Ownership are keeping the lights on, and delivered the club’s new training ground and headquarters at Longacres. We are still tenants at Royal Brougham Park and must share the ground with the NFL’s Seahawks. US Open Cup matches are still played at Starfire. I imagine ticket sales and merchandising are going ahead full steam.

I don’t know what the future holds, but I’m going to take an educated guess.

Anyone care to roll the bones for a peek into the future?

The Bad News

We are getting older and slower. If it’s Frei, Nouhou, Ragen, Gomez Andrade, Alex, Joao Paulo, Cristian, Arriola, Rusnak, Morris, and Ferriera in the team most matches, the average age will be 29.7 years old. As most of this lot will play at least 1000 minutes, possibly 2000, and a handful will play 3000 minutes, you can see the potential for injury. I would like to make one exception to this point. I saw some film of Stefan Frei from training matches in Marbella, and he looks awfully quick and spry for a 38 year-old. Our players in their early 20s are not getting in the team for league matches. This places too much wear on our veteran players and hinders our efforts to win titles.

Schmetzer will likely rotate the crap out of 13-14 players until the season is over or they should become injured. Last season, in the league, LAFC had 15 players with 1000+ minutes, nine players with 2000+ minutes, and zero players with 3000+ minutes, and Columbus had 16 players with 1000+ minutes, seven players with 2000+ minutes, and zero players with 3000+ minutes. Last season Sounders FC had 13 players with 1000+ minutes, nine players with 2000+ minutes, and three players with 3000+ minutes. These minute totals do not include tournaments outside MLS league matches. Do you see the problem?

Are we better than last season? Yes…and no. Ferreira will score goals and will allow Morris to reprise his role at left-forward. However, Ferreira is a false-9, replacing Ruidiaz, who was also a false-9. This wouldn’t be a problem, except for the entire Sounders attack is predicated on launching crosses into the box from the “primary assist zone”. So a proper centre-forward would be useful in this tactical setup. Morris tried to fill that role last season and had a decent amount of success at it. That said, I prefer Morris attacking on the left, and only deputising at centre-forward when necessary or to change things up a bit. Rather than allow 18 year-old Yanks youth international Stuart Hawkins more minutes at centre-half as cover for Gomez Andrade, the club purchased former Sounder Kim Kee-hee who is 35 years-old. Our midfield will go as far as Rusnak, Joao Paulo, and Cristian Roldan can carry it, provided they remain fit and avoid injury.

In a massive nod to stupidity, MLS has decided that Reserve teams will represent their clubs in the US Open Cup if that club is playing in either the CONCACAF Champions Cup or Canadian Championship, with Atlanta United refusing to compete at all. Sounders FC have enough depth to participate in all five competitions this season, but our coaching staff is unwilling to distribute enough minutes to our younger players, who are perfectly capable of performing at a high enough level. If there is a conflict between an MLS league match for the Sounders FC, and the Sounders FC Reserves (a/k/a Tacoma Defiance) playing in US Open Cup, I’ll be watching the Reserves. This shit only happens in America.

We are developing young talent in our Academy system and Reserve team, and then releasing those players without fully realizing their potential or identifying their talent. How can we see what we have in the cupboard if younger players don’t get a proper run-out? You can only see so much from a five- to ten-minute cameo appearance as a substitute.

Sounders FC are under more corporate control than it has ever been. Although this provides funds to theoretically improve the team and eventually facilities as well, it also robs the soul of the club and puts our supporters diametrically opposite the ideology of ownership and management.

Predictions

MLS League Championship:

Sounders FC will grind their way to another Top-10 finish. Miami, Columbus, LAFC, and arguably LA Galaxy (in addition to lesser known sticky wickets, such as San Jose) currently provide too stiff a challenge for our club as currently configured.

US Open Cup:

Sounders FC are taking their ball and going home and not participating, because the corpo goons at MLS said so. The Reserves will take their place. We’ll see how it goes. I have faith in our lads, but they may be overmatched should they reach the later stages of the competition. So Sounders FC - eliminated before they even start. Reserves…we’ll know more in late March when they face Washington Athletic Club. I predict the Reserves will struggle to make it further than the Fourth Round (Round of 32).

FIFA Club World Cup

Against Paris Saint-Germain and Atletico Madrid we will be completely outclassed. A draw might be possible against Botafogo…maybe. Expect that we will be eliminated in the Group Stage.

Leagues Cup:

Ah, the Leagues Cup, the tournament that exists only because of greed and confirms MLS hypocrisy regarding concern for fixture clutter. Ownership and management like this tournament, so I expect we will again make it to the Quarter-Final stage, but likely no further.

MLS Cup:

All things being equal, Sounders FC have just as much chance as anyone to win the MLS Cup. However, all things are decidedly not equal, therefore I expect an exit in the Quarter-Final stage.

Conclusion

Expect another Top 10 finish in the league. We may even finish with the best defence in the league again. I don’t think we are currently good enough, or well-managed enough, to win a trophy this season. We will compete in all the Cups, and perhaps even reach the late stages, but I don’t think we have the firepower to win. As far as the FIFA Club World Cup, the goal will be to avoid humiliation against Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico Madrid, and Botafogo.

Intangibles

Political instability, economic instability, overworked players, a summer that is guaranteed to be more miserably hot than the last, and the weight of high expectations resting heavily on the Sounders FC every year may all factor into our results for the season.

General notes on personnel

Sounders FC transfers IN:

Ferreira (FC Dallas) up to €2.2M + sell on pct. + Leo Chu + international roster slot

Kim Kee-hee (Ulsan HD) free

Burney (Ballard FC) free

Arriola (FC Dallas) up to €289,000 +1st Round 2026 draft pick

Sousa - reserves

Minoungou - reserves

Rusnak - re-signed

Joao Paulo - re-signed

Sounders FC transfers OUT:
Leo Chu (FC Dallas) sell on percentage + Jesus Ferreira

Kitahara - released

Nathan - released

Ruidiaz - out of contract

Teves - released

Braudilio Rodrigues - released

Bowen (Huntsville City FC) free

Miglietti (Huntsville City FC) free

Daroma (El Paso Locomotive FC) free

Karalkovas - released

Fahling - released

Pedro Rodrigues - released

Bettache (FC Tulsa) undisclosed

Aguilar (Lanus) end of loan

O’Malley (MLS Pool) end of loan

This Is Your Team

GOALKEEPERS

Stefan Frei, 38

Estimated Transfer Value: €300,000

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stefan_Frei

Andrew Thomas, 26

Estimated Transfer Value: €200,000

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andrew_Thomas_(footballer,_born_1998)

Jacob Castro, 25

Estimated Transfer Value: €75,000

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jacob_Castro_(soccer)

DEFENCE
Nouhou, 27

Estimated Transfer Value: €4.5M

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nouhou_Tolo

Alex Roldan, 28

Estimated Transfer Value: €4M

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alex_Rold%C3%A1n

Yeimar Gomez Andrade, 32

Estimated Transfer Value: €2.5M

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yeimar_G%C3%B3mez

Jonathan Bell, 27

Estimated Transfer Value: €300,000

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jon_Bell

Jackson Ragen, 26

Estimated Transfer Value: €3M

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jackson_Ragen

Cody Baker, 21

Estimated Transfer Value: €600,000

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cody_Baker

Stuart Hawkins, 18

Estimated Transfer Value: €75,000

https://us.soccerway.com/players/stuart-hawkins/731947/

Travian Sousa, 23

Estimated Transfer Value: unknown

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Travian_Sousa

Leo Burney, 23

Estimated Transfer Value: unknown

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leo_Burney

Kim Kee-hee, 35

Estimated Transfer Value: €350,000

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kim_Kee-hee

MIDFIELD
Cristian Roldan, 29

Estimated Transfer Value: €4M

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cristian_Roldan

Albert Rusnak, 30

Estimated Transfer Value: €3.5M

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albert_Rusn%C3%A1k_(footballer,_born_1994)

Danny Leyva, 21

Estimated Transfer Value: €1.2M

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Danny_Leyva

Joao Paulo, 33

Estimated Transfer Value: €1.2M

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jo%C3%A3o_Paulo_(footballer,_born_1991)

Josh Atencio, 23

Estimated Transfer Value: €1.5M

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Josh_Atencio

Reed Baker-Whiting, 19

Estimated Transfer Value: €1M

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reed_Baker-Whiting

Obed Vargas, 19

Estimated Transfer Value: €3.5M

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Obed_Vargas

FORWARD

Jesus Ferreira, 24

Estimated Transfer Value: €5M

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jes%C3%BAs_Ferreira

Paul Arriola, 30

Estimated Transfer Value: €4M

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Arriola

Jordan Morris, 30

Estimated Transfer Value: €4.5M

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jordan_Morris

Pedro de la Vega, 23

Estimated Transfer Value: €6M

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pedro_de_la_Vega

Georgi Minoungou, 22

Estimated Transfer Value: €400,000

https://us.soccerway.com/players/georgi-minoungou/825736/

Danny Musovski, 29

Estimated Transfer Value: €600,000

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Danny_Musovski

Paul Rothrock, 26

Estimated Transfer Value: €800,000

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Rothrock

This Is Your Reserves Team

GOALKEEPERS

Lars Helleren, 26

Estimated Transfer Value: unknown

https://us.soccerway.com/players/lars-helleren/483371/

Mohammed Shour, 17

Estimated Transfer Value: unknown

https://us.soccerway.com/players/mohammed-shour/799942/

Trevor Wilson, 18

Estimated Transfer Value: unknown

https://us.soccerway.com/players/trevor-wilson/732773/

DEFENCE

Birame Diaw, 21

Estimated Transfer Value: €150,000

https://us.soccerway.com/players/birame-diaw/606407/

Elias Katsaros, 23

Estimated Transfer Value: unknown

https://us.soccerway.com/players/elias-katsaros/510089/

Antino Lopez, 22

Estimated Transfer Value: unknown

https://us.soccerway.com/players/antino-lopez/512640/

Gallatin Sandnes, 16

Estimated Transfer Value: unknown

https://us.soccerway.com/players/sandnes-gallatin/879049/

Kaito Yamada, 18

Estimated Transfer Value: unknown

https://us.soccerway.com/players/kaito-yamada/963957/

MIDFIELD

Chris Aquino, 18

Estimated Transfer Value: not yet listed

https://us.soccerway.com/players/christopher-aquino/731952/

Kelvin-Luis Brito, 16

Estimated Transfer Value: unknown

https://us.soccerway.com/players/kelvin-luis-brito/799941/

Shaun Andre Brun, 17

Estimated Transfer Value: unknown

https://us.soccerway.com/players/shaun-brun/799956/

Snyder Brunell, 17

Estimated Transfer Value: unknown

https://us.soccerway.com/players/snyder-brunell/799947/

Sebastian Gomez, 18

Estimated Transfer Value: unknown

https://us.soccerway.com/players/sebastian-gomez/732783/

Antonio Herrera, 20

Estimated Transfer Value: unknown

https://us.soccerway.com/players/antnonio-herrera/707174/

Kalani Kossa-Rienzi, 22

Estimated Transfer Value: unknown

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kalani_Kossa-Rienzi

Rafferty Pedder, 22

Estimated Transfer Value: unknown

https://us.soccerway.com/players/rafferty-pedder/562013/

Daniel Robles, 23

Estimated Transfer Value: €125,000

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Danny_Robles

FORWARD

Osaze De Rosario, 23

Estimated Transfer Value: €250,000

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Osaze_De_Rosario

Omar Hassan, 15

Estimated Transfer Value: unknown

https://us.soccerway.com/players/omar-hassan/866296/

Jackson Khoury, 22

Estimated Transfer Value: €125,000

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jackson_Khoury

Yu Tsukanome, 23

Estimated Transfer Value: not yet listed

https://www.soundersfc.com/tacoma-defiance/2023-roster/yu-tsukanome

Etienne Veillard, 17

Estimated Transfer Value: not yet listed

https://us.soccerway.com/players/etienne-veillard/732774/