Loss Bring a Lot of Questions

As I watched the Sounders get dismantled in every way last night, I tried to think what I was going to write. I mean, there was no way I could get a whole post out of the performance. Simply put, LA was the better team. Our defense got dominated. Our midfield was absent and our forwards were simply just out of it. It was a terrible way to end a good year.

So instead of recapping the game and discussing the season, I want to take this opportunity to raise a few questions. I am unsure what the guys at gosounders and Sounder at Heart have planned, but these are my concerns as I wake up this Monday morning.

• First, I can't but think whether we are letting golden opportunities slip by. Winning MLS Cup is only going to get tougher as more teams come into the league. I'm not saying that Portland and Vancouver will instantly be contenders, but with 18 teams in the league, more teams will now be missing the playoffs than making them. Can we sustain the momentum we have or did we just see the high point?
• Obviously whether we continue being successful will depend on the team we field. This is where a lot of the questions begin. The most pressing concern is the Expansion Draft, where it is highly likely that the Sounders will lose two players to Portland and Vancouver. I will save my thoughts on who will get protected and instead say that the Front Office has their work cut out for them. With the recent signings, Portland has indicated that they are going to be looking for Midfield and Defensive depth in the draft, while it is no secret that Vancouver likes to develop young. Both of these suggest that someone like Keller or Jaqua won't be selected if left unprotected, but is the FO willing to make that gamble? WE'll have to see.
• Regardless of what happens in the Expansion Draft I think we need to cut our ties with certain players. First and foremost, Tyrone Marshall and Pete Vagenas. I know Sigi loves that he count on their veteran presence, but at $169k and $117k respectively, we cannot afford to keep them on the roster. They have to move on.
• I wanted to put Jaqua on the list too, but I think the team may need to hold on to him (at one point I thought he was a lock to go to Portland, but I feel less so these days)simply because we don't know what is going to happen to Fredy and Blaise. Fredy sure hasn't done himself many favors with how he has performed down the stretch in both '09 and '10. For all the talk that Hanauer was thinking of locking him up as a DP (and the fact that he got his green card and bought a house in Seattle) had he continued his torrid pace from August, there was a strong possibility that he might move to Europe. I have to wonder if his recent form will lead to another year in Seattle. As for Blaise, I'm not really sure what we will get out of him. I continue to be a big supporter, but have to ask where he was in the playoffs.
• Another question is what will happen with Keller. His contract is officially up, but he has consistently talked about coming back for one more year so he can play against Portland and Vancouver. I know the club and Keller have to come to terms, but what if they don't???
  
• Finally, how are we going to address our midfield? Sturgis has been serviceable in the center of the pitch with Ozzie, but at the end of the day I have to wonder if we are missing out on a great opportunity to have someone more offensively talented. I get giddy thinking about someone like David Ferreira or Schelotto in front of Ozzie as they would NEVER have to get back on defense. I don't think I ever felt overly excited with Sturgis even though I was comfortable with him starting. Is Fernandez the answer there? Or will he continue to fight for playing time with Sanna Nyassi? Either way, Sounders need to come up with a solution.
• Oh, and one more finally...it may be blasphemous to say, but does Sigi need to take any blame for what happened against LA? Right now, I am not convinced that he is, but would love to hear from others on this one.

I was not ready for the season to come to an end. Now that it is I can fully concentrate on the Devils and Nets until Spring Training starts for both the Sounders and Mets. Unfortunately neither of those teams will make the playoffs, which means it is going to be a long offseason.