The Seattle Sounders should fire Sigi Schmid. Today. Well, to be frank, they probably should have fired him at the start of the summer transfer window, but one can excuse them for hoping that he could guide them to one more U.S. Open Cup and maybe get their playoff hopes back on track. Now, with the Sounders eliminated from the Open Cup, sitting second to last in the Western Conference, and having lost seven of their last ten games, it is time for Sigi to go.
Sounders Should Avoid Mistakes of 2015
It was about this time in 2015 that the Sounders went on a similar run, losing eight of ten games from the end of June through mid-August. In that span, which overlapped with the summer transfer window, Seattle made a series of signings that were very much “win-now” signings. They brought in three players, Nelson Valdez, Román Torres, and Andreas Ivanschitz who smacked of “we need a (insert position here) today, who can we get?” Ivanschitz has been between average and good, Torres has been injured for most of his time in Seattle, and Valdez, the designated player, has played in 19 MLS regular season games and has a grand total of one goal and one assist.
The Sounders made the decision in 2015 that they needed to address a couple of positions as quickly as possible to help them make a run at the playoffs and an MLS Cup. Given the age of their squad, that may have been the right call, results aside.
Now, in 2016, rather than make that same choice again, it’s time for Seattle to start planning for 2017, and that starts with the head coach. There’s almost no chance Sigi Schmid will be the Sounders head coach in 2017. Sigi has done a lot of good for the Sounders, winning four U.S. Open Cup trophies, making Seattle a playoff regular, and winning a Supporters’ Shield. That said, Sounders fans have been growing frustrated at their lack of ability to win in the playoffs, and it has seemed for a couple years now that Schmid needed to take that next step or risk losing the faith of the Seattle faithful.
Should this be Sigi Schmid’s last season as head coach of the #Sounders? #MLS #LAvSEA #SSFC
— Matt Pollard (@LWOSMattPollard) July 21, 2016
No U.S. Open Cup, and likely no playoffs in 2016 will be the final straw. He’s got a team built on aging stars, and the story of Sigi Schmid in Seattle, though a mostly very good story, seems to have run its course.
It’s Time to Fire Sigi Schmid
Knowing that, it only makes sense to start planning for 2017 as early as possible, which means the Seattle Sounders should fire Sigi Schmid today. The summer MLS transfer window closes August 3. That gives the Sounders two weeks to make some moves that might not help them win in 2016 (who knows though, this team is pretty bad right now), but can help free up some salary cap space, maybe bring in a player or two who can contribute in 2017 and going forward, and get start the rebuild now.
If they’re lucky enough to be interested in a coach who they could get to start now, they can also get the new coach growing pains out of the way in 2016, and be ready to hit the ground running in 2017. Prior to Jason Kreis getting the Orlando job, it seemed that might have been a good fit. Now, the question is more up in the air.
Seattle can start planning for 2017 even if they don’t fire Sigi Schmid, but it likely won’t be with a full commitment to the future. Even with an eye on next year and a future probably without Sigi, the Sounders will want to give Sigi a positive send-off, and despite the terrible year they’re having, they’re still only nine points out of a playoff spot, and as the Portland Timbers proved last year, all you have to do in MLS is get in the playoffs to have a reasonable chance at winning MLS Cup.
That said, look at the Sounders right now. It would take something incredible for this team to go on a cup run. Can it happen? Sure, this is MLS. But, the more practical approach would be to fire Sigi Schmid and start planning for 2017 right now.
