Life after Sigi Schmid has started off well thus far for Seattle Sounders FC. Interim head coach Brian Schmetzer has the team riding a three-game unbeaten streak (2-1-0) since taking over managing duties in July.
Forwards Clint Dempsey and Jordan Morris have begun to link up well with new Designated Player Nicolas Lodeiro and the attack looks more effective than it has at any other point in 2016.
Sigi Schmid parted ways with Seattle after their worst start to a campaign since they joined MLS in 2009. The sale of star forward Obafemi Martins to Chinese Super League side Shanghai Greenland Shenhua a month before the season opener left a void at the top of the lineup that was impossible to fill immediately.
In his eighth season leading the team, even the man with the most wins in MLS history may have found his speeches and messages hitting deaf ears. Both Schmid and Seattle recognized the need for a change, and Brian Schmetzer may just be the right change the Sounders are looking for.
Seattle currently sit five points behind Cascadia rival Portland Timbers for the final playoff spot in the Western Conference, with two games in hand. A nationally televised matchup with the Timbers looms on Sunday night and the game will have major playoff implications for both clubs.
We look at why Seattle should make Brian Schmetzer the full time head coach for 2016 and beyond.
Seattle Sounders Lifer
Few in the professional game are as knowledgeable and in-tune with soccer in the Pacific Northwest as Brian Schmetzer. Having played for the original NASL Seattle Sounders in the early 1980’s and the A-League incarnation of the early 1990’s, Schmetzer went on to successfully manage the team in the USL from 2002-2008.
Proving his coaching abilities with a consistently competitive squad throughout his time in charge, Schmetzer and the Sounders captured two USL titles (2005 & 2007) and he was a leading candidate to make the jump to MLS with them in 2009.
Ultimately, Sigi Schmid was chosen to take over and Schmetzer stayed on as his top assistant. This type of experience with one organization is an invaluable resource.
Fan Favorite
Schmetzer is one of the most popular individuals within the Sounder family. His appointment since Schmid departed the head coaching position has galvanized both the team and the fanbase.
During the course of his duties as an assistant, Schmetzer compiled three wins and one loss when filling in as head coach during Schmid’s occasional absences, showcasing his abilities at the MLS level and building trust.
Moving forward, his tenure and loyalty to the city will help guide him through any rough patches in the future with supporters, media and ownership.
Improvements on Offense
Now it should be noted that the addition of Nicolas Lodeiro and a Clint Dempsey hat-trick against Orlando City help this point, but the offense under Schmetzer during his three games in charge has looked fantastic.
Lodeiro’s speed and passing ability has opened up the attack, with the Uruguayan midfielder finding one goal and three assists already in three games with the Sounders. Jordan Morris has been coming into his own and Clint Dempsey appears fully fit after the Copa America Centenario. Seattle should be able to find more and more goals down the stretch.
Schmetzer’s teams have never been short on offensive flair and, with the current group, Seattle could be ready for a charge up the Western Conference standings.
