February brought questions, March brought answers (and more questions). Who is our starting striker? Who is the seventh centerback on the depth chart? Which of four relatively unproven midfielders will pair with Cristian Roldan in midfield? These were all questions asked of the Sounders, and most still demand concrete answers. What we do know is that this team is much better at defending leads and set pieces than last year, and that the Tacoma Defiance pipeline keeps churning out useful pieces. After about a thousand different players featuring and two thousand injuries over the course of the month, lets check on the vibes of the roster going into yet another congested month of fixtures.
Goalkeepers
Andrew Thomas: His watch has begun (Hey, you! Yeah, you! Have you bought your copy of IV - the Sounder at Heart magazine yet? You should!). Four shutouts in five games overall (all three in March shutouts), a record of 3-1-1 and all but one of those games on the road… that’s pretty good for a first-year starting keeper behind a backline that is constantly shifting. Making saves like this and this, you’d be crazy to not have confidence in him. Well, if you forget the rare exception… Stefan Frei certainly wasn’t perfect in his first year as a starter in Seattle, either, though. Plenty of time to iron out the kinks.
Panic Level: Eight uninterrupted hours of sleep.
Stefan Frei: Brian Schmetzer said he has “two No. 1 level keepers” at the start of the season. To most, if you have two No. 1s, you don’t actually have a No. 1. That’s just not the case at all, here. Given Concacaf Champions Cup, Frei got a little bit of playing time — keeping not only Andrew Thomas, but himself fresh, too. That might be the key to maintaining an elite level for a keeper turning 40 next month — putting in two of his best performances in recent years back-to-back against Vancouver.
Panic Level: Both sides of a pillow, cool to the touch.
Max Anchor - Welcome to the bench, Max Anchor. Not much has changed here.
Panic Level: A calm night on the Salish Sea, boat stationary, winds light.
Widebacks
Semantics, semantics, semantics — Wingbacks, fullbacks, or elbowbacks — they're just going here.
Nouhou: A man possessed, Nouhou has been the epitome of consistency. It shocks me to write as much, but something about him has changed this year. Calm, cool and collected, he continues to have more clarity in when to push forward, have a better idea of where on the field he needs to be, and has stripped the rashness from his game almost entirely. Maybe it’s the responsibility of captaining his nation, or the Sounders for the first time against San Jose. Maybe he just found his new favorite teriyaki place this offseason. We’ll never know.
Panic Level: To paraphrase a phone call I overheard about 8 years ago at a local diner/lunch counter:
“Hello? Yep, that’s us.”
“Uh huh. Uh huh. 600?”
“SIX HUNDRED?! I mean, you probably should’ve called ahead if you wanted 600 [chicken teriyakis]. When ya need them by?”
“By 5pm? TODAY? Woahhhh boy it’s gonna cost ya.“
“No - no, we don’t normally make 600 [chicken teriyakis] in a normal day, ya off your rocker?“
“Jesus F(erreira) C(rosses), we can try.”
“Oi, Jimmy — finish your lunch and get the grill goin’ — we’re in for a world of hurt this afternoon.”
Jimmy told me the following week they got it done. (editor’s note: Nice!)
Kalani Kossa-Rienzi: Well, it didn’t take long for Kalani to find minutes. (Last month: “...it feels like he might not reach higher heights this year unless Alex Roldan makes a permanent move to centerback”) Oops. While Alex’s move wasn’t permanent, Yeimar’s injury in the first game of the month dominoed into plenty of minutes for the right back. He immediately stepped up, scoring the game winner against St Louis City after being called on early and providing consistent two-way play the rest of the month. His performances continue to prove why Sounders fans shouldn’t fret if Alex Roldan continues to spend more time at centerback.
Panic Level: From a distant park, cheers and joy soak the air. Walking near, you find a party. Wade Webber sidles up, offering a slice of cake with a wink. The icing is photo-printed with the MLS logo.
Wade walks over to a picnic table to join Paulo Nagamura and João Paulo, watching over a small group of children as they laugh maniacally, stabbing knives into the cake with vigor enough to chill your blood. João Paulo cracks a slow smile.
In the bounce house several paces away, children do backflips, trying to best each other for hang time. You look down at your plate, rotating it to see the cake’s center beneath the mangled frosting: It’s dyed Rave Green.
Cody Baker: Locking down former German international Timo Werner is a pretty good way to show your value to the Sounders. Baker is a good guy to have around — not quite spectacular at anything, but consistently solid at most things. The Bulldog remains the embodiment of the Next Man Up mentality. I’d agree with Brian Schmetzer, too, saying to Albert Rusnak “I hope you f------ feel bad” after he was a football field’s length offside on Cody’s goal.
Panic Level: “You lucky my friend’s holding me! You lucky, ‘cause I’ll tear your head off! Don’t hold me back, dude, don’t hold me back!”
-Cody Baker to the Quakes’ left-hand side, probably.
Centerbacks
Jackson Ragen: Another month, another several centerback partners. This time around, Ragen has been paired with Yeimar, Alex Roldan and Tino Lopez —continuing to shine. The man has leveled up and continues to show it with his passing and with his defensive prowess. Any time the ball enters the box, you can be sure that he’ll be there to head it away.
The stats speak for themselves, though: He currently leads the team in passes attempted (303), completed (270), clearances (14) and is second in aerial duels (23) behind only Osaze De Rosario (24) with a whopping 69% of those won. If he continues at this rate — anchoring a back line constantly shifting around him to the tune of 0.4 goals per game — he’ll be in the race for Defender of the Year, and maybe just maybe demand a phone call from a certain national organization with its headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia.
Panic Level: The second coming of Gautama Buddha. I mean, they’re both around the same height. No Princess Bride stretching apparatus needed. God, imagine if Ragen was taller. How would he ever earn a foul ever again? Is there a height where a player is deemed too tall and begins to earn more fouls than if they were shorter? That’s a question I’d like to see answered. Just, like, not by inhumane stretching methods.
Alex Roldan: The Swiss Army Knife continued spectacular form through March. Called into action as both a right back and a centerback throughout the month, Alex Roldan hardly put a foot wrong. Combining wonderfully with not only Jackson Ragen but also rookie Tino Lopez, he stepped up at every opportunity. It’s hard to feel more confident about a player than him. Despite a first-half injury against Minnesota, Alex got a full week off during the international break and might not miss a game.
Panic Level: The frigid sensation of sipping a soft drink through a metal straw on a hot summer day.
Yeimar: Featuring just 24 minutes in March, Yeimar’s stock has uh… not exactly raised. After going down against St Louis City on March 7th with a hamstring injury (and giving the ball away a couple different times even then), he has remained out and will continue to maintain that status until early May. One potentially positive (long term) thing is that after a medium term injury and a few not-so-great appearances, he might be willing to accept a more team-friendly deal to help him stick around for seasons to come. Best wishes on a speedy recovery and a return to form, Yeimar!
Panic Level: Fire trucks whirring down the street only to show up at a house for a faulty smoke detector.
Kim Kee-Hee: Remains out.
Panic Level: Where! in the world! is! Kim Kee-Heediego?
Ryan Sailor: As far as Sounders fans are concerned, Ryan Sailor’s existence as an entity could only be confirmed by his visit to the White House with… Inter Miami?
Panic Level: Craig Waibel: I’m going to ask you this one time. Where is Ryan Sailor?
Brian Schmetzer: Yeah, I’ll do you one better. Who’s Ryan Sailor?!
Ryan Sailor [from some far-off infirmary bed out of sight]: I’ll do YOU one better. WHY is Ryan Sailor?!
Craig Waibel: Tell me where Ryan is or I swear to god I’m going to [not sign] this little freak (Peter Kingston).
Brian Schmetzer: Let’s do it, you don’t sign [Peter Kingston] and I’ll bench him [forever], let’s go!
Ryan Sailor [still from some far-off location, confusing the hell out of Craig and Brian as they look around, searching for the disembodied voice]: Do it, Craig, I can take it!
Chris Cornish: No, he can’t take it!
Stuart Hawkins: Still too injured to make a matchday squad, it seemed all bad news for young Stuart Hawkins in March. Don’t count your chickens before they hatch, though — or, I guess, your months before they end? Anyway — a bit of luck went his way as the centerback managed to participate in training for the first time since preseason, and will rejoin full training shortly —and boy, does the depth chart tell us he’s needed!
Panic Level: Your stomach growls. You’ve had nothing but coconut water and the Sweet Tart-like taste of ants. Your bonfire is dying down, rain beginning to pit-pat the ground.
Your ears hear Zstttttt as the smokey fire begins to hiss and die. You fall to your knees, not knowing what to do.
You miss your family. You miss your life. From the distance: “nyeeeeerrrrrrrrrrrrrmmmmmmmm”. Rotors hum from somewhere, approaching. Hope bubbles in your soul.
Antino Lopez: It shouldn’t be surprising at this point that a guy from the Defiance can just step into the back line and provide a man-of-the-match level performance. Hell, if I had a nickel for every time it’s happened this month alone, I’d have two nickels. Which isn’t a lot, but it’s weird that it’s happened twice. Not only was he quite good against the Quakes in his first MLS start, he also looked entirely comfortable anchoring the defense against Minnesota in place of Jackson Ragen (until, of course, an injury to Alex Roldan forced a substitute). That’s not normal. Frankly, I don’t even know what else to say other than to go watch his goal line clearance again. Congrats on the first team contract, Tino.
Panic Level:
*A man in several coats and a scarf walks into Longacres*
“Ooh, a Tacoma Defiance product.”
“Ooh, a Tacoma Defiance product.”
“Ooh, a Tacoma Defiance product.”
“Ooh, a Tacoma Defiance product.”
“Ooh, a Tacoma Defiance product.”
*box traps man as he struggles to get out*
“Man, I hope that’s Padraig Smith, because if it’s me under there again I’m gonna be really pissed off” says Craig Waibel, in an eerie parody of Family Guy.
(Spoiler: It was, in fact, Craig Waibel)
Central Midfielders
Cristian Roldan: Not exactly the best of months for Cristian Roldan. While no appearance was quite as bad as his Leg 1 showing vs the Whitecaps (especially in the first half), Cristian did not exactly shine. A bit of a rest week where he played limited minutes for the USMNT might have provided him with a refresh and reset needed to make sure that March was just a blip. If anyone on this roster has earned the benefit of the doubt, it’s him.
Panic Level: Take a deep breath. Go watch some Olympic National Park - Stunning Footage, Scenic Relaxation Film with Calming Music.
Hassani Dotson: A very start-stop month for Hassani, who missed much of it through concussion protocol. Through limited minutes, its seemed as though he might be a bit more of a direct Cristian Roldan replacement under this current roster construction than expected: In Minnesota, he was more of a rangey attacking minded eight who had a bit of defensive chops. It wouldn’t be the first time a player came into the Sounders system and ended up in a different role than initially expected (see: Jesus Ferreira). Hassani will look to return to action against the Dynamo in April.
Panic Level: Waking up in the middle of the night in a frenzied panic, thinking you overslept but in actuality its 2:09 AM and you’re actually fine. You still wake up in the morning with a headache and go about your day in mild fear of something just being off.
Snyder Brunell: After starting off the season with a pair of substitute appearances, Snyder really grabbed his chance with two hands and thrust it in his pocket. What was a likelihood that Dotson would start became — through no fault of Hassani — an inevitability that Brunell would play heavy minutes. Announcing himself with more cool than his 18 years should allow, transitioning defense to offense and generally being the best player on the field across two legs in a series that had Thomas Muller playing in it meant that he'll feature just as much in matches to come. Maybe Cristian Roldan will even get to rest occasionally.
Panic Level: Rural Brian Schmetzer steps out onto his porch in the wee hours of the morning. Overhead light on, moon full above, glimmering off the shiny buttons of his green over-alls (worn with just one strap fastened over his shoulder).
The grass is shorter than he remembers — manicured, even. Peering over at the barn, he notices something. The lock is missing, barn doors flung WIDE open.
A couple of bleats startle him from the field — the G.O.A.T. is loose. And he won’t be contained.
Nikola Petković: Coming under heavy scrutiny after his loan to Seattle, Petković did a bit to help his case after a rough preseason and just one minute plus stoppage time in February. Earning a few substitute cameos and two rotational starts, the man on loan from Charlotte showed a knack for hitting a through ball and ball circulation. You could see flashes of why Sir Minty shelled out 3 million for him a few years ago — and also how his relative lack of physicality prevented him from earning many minutes. He certainly isn’t not trying, but there’s some development that needs to happen to make him worth a transfer fee for future seasons in Rave Green.
That outcome is looking less likely, though, with him going down with an ACL tear. We’ll likely have to wait until 2027 to find out whether the injury and his, uh… desire to “play more football [than at Charlotte]” changes the arithmetic on his deal.
Panic Level: A pot of stew boils at the center of a cave, somewhere underneath Longacres. It’s a putrid shade of brown, bubbles popping cartoonishly loudly. Several men shrouded in flannel bedsheets surround the pot. One — on crutches — lowers their sheet to their shoulders, revealing Nikola Petković. He holds an object in each hand. In one, a bloody looking piece of anatomy. In the other, a small metal tin — the lid engraved with a medallion with an “M” in the center.
Hobbling forward, Petković opens the lid, pouring small mints into the pot. The stew turns a hellish shade of cyan. Murmurs are heard throughout the small crowd — unintelligible.
Dramatically, he holds up the other object. The murmurs grow louder, then he drops the ceremonial piece of ACL into the pot.
The murmurs grow louder.
“One of us. ONE OF US. ONE OF US!” the crowd chants. The stew turns green. The boiling grows louder. The cave’s oil lanterns grow brighter. Above, a new medical table appears in the treatment room. In a dark corner, Jordan Morris — with an outstretched arm — points at the pot, whispering “Sounder.” The stew boils over.
Sebastian Gomez: As an off-roster homegrown, Sebas Gomez just isn’t really going to feature much this year. None so far in March, but with Petković and Minoungou out to injury and trade respectively, he might have a better chance to see the field once or twice of his allowed six during the regular season.
Panic Level: A piece of paper, fresh off the cutter — blank, pulpy and ready for future prophecies to be impressed upon it.
Peter Kingston: A serviceable showing against San Jose in a heavily rotated lineup and making a real difference by providing two assists playing out of position off the bench against one of the best teams on the continent will get you some positive press real quick. With Petkovic’s injury, a reality where Kingston signs a first-team deal may be fast approaching.
Panic Level: The 1965 hit song by The Who and also the title of their documentary.
Attacking Midfielders
Albert Rusnák: What? You expected any of the Seattle Sounders’ DPs to be firing on all cylinders? If Jordan Morris and Pedro de la Vega were out injured, you thought Albert Rusnák would step up, carry the load? Hmph. Albert’s shoulders are tired. Jokes aside, this was a month to forget for the Slovak. Multiple biffed open chances, generally invisible play, and actively ruled off a Cody Baker goal by being about an aircraft carrier’s length offside. Though it looked like he might have started the year off well with a goal against his former club, he’s only managed a single goal and a lone assist through seven games.
Though he looked closer to his former self in the final game of the month vs Minnesota, he’ll need to find form if the Sounders will continue to not only compete but succeed on multiple fronts in April.
Panic Level: Staring at the pot on the stove, filled with butter and a thin layer of kernels, waiting for the first one to pop.
“Did I forget to turn the stove on?”
“Is the burner too hot?”
“Is there too much butter?”
“This is taking awhile.”
These are all questions you ask yourself. Moreover, you’re just hungry. Smartfood would’ve been quicker.
Yu Tsukanome: There’s been a lot of discourse lately that essentially amounts to whether Yu is the 25th man on the roster or the 28th. That says something positive about the general mood of the fanbase when we have the luxury of debating players that haven’t seen the field once this year.
Panic Level: A ladybug lazily sitting on the muntin of a windowsill, occasionally fluttering its wings to explore the bit of window on the opposite end of the mullion.
Wingers
Pedro de la Vega: This team is already very good. With Pedro, it could be great. And we’re getting closer and closer to that each day.
Panic Level: It’s 2 PM and you ate a breakfast of champions (half an orange and a coffee) at sunrise.
Jesús Ferreira: 1.11 goal contributions per 90, a team high 11 key passes and featuring in every game so far this season. Is his 0.11xG leaving something to be desired? You can totally argue that! There’s also an argument that this year’s system emphasizes Jesus’s role as a facilitator in order to generate more dangerous chances for the three central midfielders. This could be a fair tradeoff, but we’ll have to see how the season balances out. Either way — just like last year, we’re a damn lucky team to have him on the field playing with his hair on fire, especially when two of three DPs are out, and the third is in a rough run of form.
Panic Level: Panic! At the Disco! Except the disco is like, 1% panic, 99% disco. Maybe Jesus’ hair might be feeding into the disco vibes a bit.
Paul Arriola: What, you thought Paul — frankly, any Paul — would just go meekly? BAM. BAM. That’s the sound the Vancouver Whitecaps heard when he screamed the announcement of his return. Arriola looks everything as advertised from his fingers-worth (if you had an extra) of appearances in 2025: Explosive, a defensive pressing monster, clean passing and clarity of ideas. He’s not going to wow you with dribbles, but every appearance seems to verify that he hasn’t lost a single step. With the departure of Georgi Minoungou, that’s a good thing as he’ll be called on to soak a few extra minutes now as fixture congestion continues into April.
Panic Level: Hitting a high five with a friend so cleanly you have to pause what you’re doing for a second and just stare at your hand.
Paul Rothrock: I’d like to borrow a line from Realio, which I think exemplifies Mr. Sir Paulie of Primetime this month: “You can’t teach someone to be a Paul. They just are.”
Panic Level: The friend you high fived with, also staring at their hand.
Georgi Minoungou: Though he did earn a couple of starts, Georgi was unable to make much of an impact this month, which likely put him in a spot where when the Rapids’ called for his services, the Sounders’ weren’t in a place to say no. After all, $2 million is a godfather offer for a guy who - when everyone is healthy - is likely at best 5th on your winger depth chart. Okay, maybe godfather is a bit strong for that price tag. Step-godfather? Uncle offer? Sure. An Uncle offer. Anyway - losing Georgi is a shame, but as Ari Liljenwall pointed out on Lobbing Scorchers - the Sounders got to essentially have a full preseason and several real games to test-run Paul Arriola. After he showed that he’s still a major difference maker in his position, you now have the luxury of listening to sales pitches for guys lower down the depth chart. His joy and skillset will be missed, but hopefully Colorado provides a place where he can get the minutes he needs to find consistency and level up his performances. Sky’s the limit, and best of luck!
Panic Level: So long, farewell, Auf Wiederseh’n goodbye. I leave, and heave a sigh and say goodbye. Goodbye!
Strikers
Jordan Morris: After playing just eight minutes in February, Jordan Morris returned to the field for the Sounders just in time for them to get rid of a little more depth at the end of the transfer window. Despite ample opportunity, Osaze and Moose failed to grasp the carrot in front of them — scoring just one goal between them over the course of the nascent season. Morris will likely reclaim the center forward position by showing just a *little bit* of something.
Panic Level: Nervously popping bubble wrap, one bubble at a time. It’s fun, but each one is a little jarring. Your dog isn’t particularly happy with you.
Osaze De Rosario: March was more of the same for Osaze De Rosario, with a bit more of a bruising. High work rate, low service provided, and plenty of decent holdup mixed with several moments where he’d nearly single-handedly break down an opponent for a goal, but the play would fizzle out via one reason or another. It’s tough to have gotten most of the starts but have no goals to show for it, and he’s taken plenty of criticism.
It’s not necessarily warranted — his ability to be a connective tissue and drag opposing centerbacks out wide has been essential in creating multiple goals so far this season, and he really had been given the task of “get beat up” — his team-leading 24 aerial duels engaged and third-best 6 fouls suffered illustrate exactly that. If Jordan Morris weren’t back from injury, he might have more run to find form. However, he’ll likely need to do that in a reduced role — either as a substitute or as a rotational starter.
Panic Level: Osaze slams his shoulders to the door at his back, locking it on his way into the closet. His heart races. Pupils dilated. Footsteps pound closer.
BOOM. Boom. BOOM. Boom. BOOM. Boom.
You begin to quake in your boots.
The door shakes as what lies beyond begins to beat at the door. Much lower to the ground, he hears scratching. And sniffing? He tilts his head on a diagonal, momentarily forgetting his situation.
The door is strong, but what lies behind is terrifying. It’s hungry. And it’s heavily one foot dominant.
Danny Musovski: Finally, a center forward scored a goal for the Seattle Sounders! Danny Musovski continued to do what he does best — be in the right spots at the right time to score goals, but also continued to do less than required to claim a starting spot in the XI. His defensive work rate (or rather, lack thereof) will continue to hamper his minutes for better or worse. Oh, and a first appearance for North Macedonia is pretty cool!
Panic Level: Slightly damp socks at an outdoor concert. Mildly inconvenient after having stepped in a puddle, but they’ll still do the job until you have time to go home and change into a warm and dry pair.
