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Sammy Ochoa started the season as Seattle Sounders FC's only back-up target forward. Over 2013 the tactics shifted and Ochoa wasn't scoring, so his release mid-season was not a surprise.
| #29 Sammy Ochoa | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Nat'l Affil | USA | Age | 27 |
| Years Pro | 7 | Years Sounder | 3 |
| Pos/Role | Target Forward | ||
| MLS (+Playoff) Stats | CCL/USOC Stats | Reserve Stats | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apps | 4 | 4 | 5 |
| Starts | 2 | 2 | 4 |
| Mins | 175 | 216 | 343 |
| G | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| A | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| PP/90 | -- | -- | -- |
| Advanced Stats | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Off Pass % | Net Shot Rate | Net Duel Rate | |
| Total | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Team Rank | -- | -- | -- |
#29 Sammy Ochoa
Acquired through Allocation Order/Ranking Ochoa cost the team a 3rd round pick. His couple of years with Seattle were marked by a large frame, a clear role and one of the most beautiful misses ever.
Offense: Ochoa has fairly soft feet, receiving passes well in heavy traffic. For a large body he is not a major threat on set-pieces and not the best for crosses. This may be a case of a player type-cast by body type and not soccer skills. Passing in tight places fairly strong. Middle and long range passes are wasteful. Not a great shot taker for a forward. Able to score goals in poached situations are quick interchanges.
Defense: Ochoa occasionally pesters backlines, but is not a ball winner. Can be dribbled past by many MLS defenders. Good on dead balls to defend a tertiary target or clog a running lane.
Physique: One of the slower Sounders the overweight critique was fair in his early days in Seattle, but not in 2013. He is not very agile.
Best Case 2014: He uses his time with CF LOBOS DE LA BUAP to show that he's a better ball-control forward than target man while scoring a couple goals. Sammy has fringe level MLS talent, and playing with Cuauhtémoc Blanco can only help that improve. Sammy still tweets his love for the Sounders.
* advanced stats will be listed for players meeting a minimum amount of minutes played. Thanks to sidereal for the assist on formatting and data collection.