This quote sheet is provided by the team.
2015 MLS SUPERDRAFT - SOUNDERS FC QUOTE SHEET
JANUARY 15, 2015
SOUNDERS FC GENERAL MANAGER AND PRESIDENT OF SOCCER GARTH LAGERWEY
On trading with Real Salt Lake to acquire Cristian Roldan: "Cristian Roldan was a little bit of an exercise - we were surprised he fell out of the top two [selections]. We were working, pick-by-pick, to try to get value for him to trade up .... Trades come down to trust sometimes, and I trust [Real Salt Lake] and they trust me, and I think that's why the deal gets done. We were able to get Cristian and gave up some money."
On Tyler Miller: "The second pick, Tyler Miller from Northwestern, is the goalkeeper we rated most highly. [He is a] big kid who we think has a bright future. He's in Germany right now, we'll see if he comes back. Given the need for a third keeper it was a worthwhile risk to take."
On the movement of picks: "We flipped picks with RSL in addition to giving them money, took Roldan, then flipped back up with New England. Again, if Miller is with us, as we think and hope he will be, then we think that is a fair exchange."
On the 2015 SuperDraft class: "Last we took Oniel Fisher from New Mexico at right back, which is a position of need for us having sold [DeAndre] Yedlin. You have Tyrone Mears, who is on his way in, but we wanted tohave another player at that position that could potentially be there full-time. We wanted to give him a run. You have some risk in [Tyler] Miller in terms of whether or not he comes back, but Ithink long-term it's a good investment. You hope everyone makes the team - clearly Roldan is on a guaranteed contract, so he will - Fisher is a good candidate for S2 if he doesn't make First Team. We are kind of building two teams here."
On working with the technical staff: "It's been really cool group. They've been very welcoming and we've worked well together. This is kind of a crucible - a good week to come together because you're around each other all day ,essentially 24/7 for eight days in a row. It's pretty grueling and exhausting and we were moving allover the board for the whole draft. I thought we communicated pretty well through the whole process, especially in a high-stress environment. I think that bodes very well for our future ofworking together in terms of our working relationship. I think we made good decisions collectively considering the different viewpoints. That was important to me coming in - that we were analytical and methodical in our thinking. We had a plan coming in and we followed it, but wewere able to tweak it to find value where we saw value. I really think we did a good job."
SOUNDERS FC HEAD COACH SIGI SCHMID
On the club's 2015 SuperDraft class: "We're happy to be able to get a deal done and get Cristian Roldan. He's a guy who we're familiar with from his body of work having played at the University of Washington, so I thought that was a big plus. We thought Tyler Miller was a very, very good young goalkeeper, and for him to still be on the board at that time we were very pleased with that. Oniel Fisher is another player I felt was probably the best outside back at the combine. I know a couple guys got picked ahead of him, and maybe him being an international hurt him a little bit there, but we liked him a lot and we think he's a guy who will be able to contribute to our club as we move forward."
On Cristian Roldan: "He's definitely a quality player. He's very good technically, he's got good vision and is a strong passer of the ball. He can play inside midfield and outside midfield. As you can tell, he's a very humble kid, very respectful. He knows our team inside and out and he can't wait to learn from our veteran players. He's not talking about competing with them - he wants to compete because that's just his nature, but he also wants to learn from those guys. I think his upside is huge."
On Tyler Miller and Oniel Fisher: "Miller is a guy that can certainly be part of our goalkeeper corps, especially with us losing Josh Ford, so we needed to find a third goalkeeper and I think he fulfills that. He's a young one that has great potential. Fisher is somebody who plays a position that we have a little bit of a need inright now in rightback, and gives us some depth.
SOUNDERS FC FIRST ROUND SUPERDRAFT SELECTION CRISTIAN ROLDAN
On being drafted by Seattle: "I didn't know what to expect. Knowing that I dropped and went to a team that could possibly end up in MLS Cup is a good feeling. You just never know what's going to happen. It was honestly worth it, dropping, because Seattle is one of the better cities in the country - it's a soccer city and Sounders FC is a championship-caliber team."
On waiting to be selected: "It was hectic. My heart was racing, I didn't know what to expect coming in, and you weigh out your options and you realize the more you drop, the better teams you'll be drafted to. I've been familiar with Seattle Sounders FC for two years now; I've practiced with the club and Seattle is my second home. It's a great feeling to know I can compete for a championship with the SeattleSounders."
On his First Team aspirations and thoughts on S2:" I think everybody wants to be with the First Team, and that's my goal. I know the midfield is extremely good and I've realized that, but that's what comes with being drafted to a championship-caliber team. If that's what it takes to get to the First Team, I'll do so. I am glad I don't have to travel across the country to play with their USL team - Seattle has done well with their organization"
On reuniting with current Sounders FC player and former Husky teammate Darwin Jones: "It's going to be a good feeling. I know a lot of the guys - not just Darwin Jones. It will be easy to make a transition with all the support being there. I've been to the locker room, I've been to Starfire, so it will be a pretty easy transition going forward."
On who he compares his style of play to: "I feel like I play [like] Iniesta offensively. Defensively, I try to have a different mindset. Players like Osvaldo Alonso, they are two-way players, and that's where you make your money - when you can be a two-way player."
On playing a physical game: "I have intentions on playing attacking football, but I'm also not afraid of getting down and dirt yand making some tackles. I think two-way players are very important in this league."