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A draft pick and an international signing are the next two player profiles. Both played for other teams in 2012, but for Duran that meant a loan down to Atlanta while for Sivebaek it meant a trip back home for a league where he was a better fit.
Player Name: Andrew Duran SaH Nickname: Noonan National Affiliation: United States
Age: 23 Years Pro: 1 Years Sounder: 1
Position: Defender Role: Centerback, Right Back, Left Back
Community Rank: 31
MLS (Playoff) Stats: 0 (0)
Non-League Stats: 0
Reserve League Stats: 0
After leading the best college defense of 2011 Duran’s stock was not very high due to injury and lack of standout skill set. Seattle drafted him 15th overall. During the season he was loaned to the Atlanta Silverbacks of the NASL.
Skills on offense: Good passer for a back. Not particularly fast or bulky, his passing and vision make him suitable as a fullback. Being two-footed helps him play on the left as well. Not an aerial threat to score.
Skills on defense: Strong positional play and awareness. Defends through guile more than speed and strength. Still learning the game. Can be beaten by speedy players.
Best Case 2013: Injury free and becomes a 3rd/4th centerback and fill-in at both left and right back.
Player Name: Christian Sivebaek National Affiliation: Denmark
Age: 24 Years Pro: 7 Years Sounder: 1
Position: Midfielder Role: Right Mid, Right Back, Left Mid, Withdrawn Forward
Community Rank: 30
MLS (Playoff) Stats: 1 Start, 2 Subs for 88 Minutes | 0 Goals, 0 Assists
Non-League Stats: 1 Sub for 13 minutes | 0 Goals, 0 Assists
Reserve League Stats: 4 Starts for 344 minutes | 0 Goals, 0 Assists
Brought in to add speed to the right side as a depth player Sivebaek did not make the transition for MLS as quickly as needed. On June 20th the team waived him so he could pursue soccer back in his homeland. There he is again seeing time as a right back.
Skills on offense: Fast and tall with strong on ball skills and a great pedigree everything about Sivebaek said he would be a good MLS player. Except for the fact that he was not particularly strong and was knocked off the ball easily. Wasn’t a great passer of any sort and preferred to go one-on-one.
Skills on defense: Either unwilling or unable to defend on the ball his positional defense was thrown off by consistent pushing too high.
Best Case 2013: Learns to play a more team oriented game and capture his raw athleticism in places where it can succeed.