Jesús Ferreira: ‘It’s time for me to get a goal’

RENTON, Wash. — Jesús Ferreira hears the chatter. He knows people are talking about the fact that he’s still scoreless through 14 games, that some of the more hyperbolic commentators are throwing around terms like “bust.”

Ferreira clearly doesn’t love any of that, admits that it does have an effect on him and acknowledges that “it’s kind of time for me to get a goal.” But he also says he feels supported by coaches and teammates, who have been keen to remind him of what he has been doing well.

They’ve pointed out to him that he’s been very good defensively, that he’s been helpful in link-up play, that his playmaking has been good. That he continues to play significant minutes because they believe in his talent and see the effort.

“Who I care about and who’s important to me are my teammates and coaches,” Ferreira told reporters following Friday’s training session. “Obviously I do want to prove it to the fans, but my priority is coaches and teammates who have my back on the field.

“Even though I’m a forward, I still try to help any other way that I can in any scenario that I can if it’s not scoring goals, then it’s running back and tracking back and or assisting.”

The numbers support all of that. Ferreira compares very favorably to other forwards in terms of playmaking and defending, even if the lack of scoring is a rather glaring area for improvement.

Sounders head coach Brian Schmetzer is doing his part to try to relieve Ferreira of feeling too much pressure, asking him to focus more on his positioning than on the results.

“I’m trying to encourage him to make sure that all of the good things that he does, he supplements that by getting just a little closer to goal,” Schmetzer said. “If he does that, if he’s inside the box more, he’s going to score.”

Danny Musovski suffered an undisclosed muscle strain in training this week and was given a cortisone shot; he seems unlikely to start even if he’s available. Ferreira is in line to start in his place. Although Ferreira struggled during his first few starts at the No. 9, Schmetzer is confident he’s better set up to succeed this time.

“Last time we were a little dysfunctional in certain ways,” Schmetzer said. “He’s surrounded by a bunch of good soccer players. They’re going to figure it out.”

It also shouldn’t hurt that the Sounders are facing FC Dallas on Saturday, the team where Ferreira came through the academy ranks and played for his first eight professional seasons.

This will be the second time Ferreira has faced Dallas, which he thinks might work in his favor.

“I think it’s always going to feel weird,” he said. “But I’m excited. I’m ready. I think it’s going to be an awesome time, especially here that I’m in front my friends.

“I think that I got those butterflies out of the way, got those nerves out of the way. That first game in Dallas, I was a little extra, I think.”

Notes

• Jackson Ragen is officially listed as questionable but Schmetzer said his centerback would likely miss the game. Ragen will instead focus on getting ready for the upcoming matches on Wednesday and Sunday.
• The FC Dallas match will kick off at noon, nearly eight hours earlier than normal. That seems to be due, at least in part, to a concert at T-Mobile Park later in the evening. As of Friday, hundreds of fans of the K-Pop band Stray Kids were already lined up outside.