The Seattle Sounders regular season opener is fast approaching. The first game is March 6th against Sporting Kansas City. When the game finally kicks off there will be one very notable absence from the Sounders starting 11 and another exciting addition. The departure is star forward Obafemi Martins who has left town and headed for a big payday with the Shanghai Greenland Shenua. The addition is young and talented Jordan Morris who chose to play in the MLS rather than head to Germany.
The Obafemi Martins move came as a surprise to many in the soccer world. Martins was still under contract with the Sounders and was set to be a key part of what is expected to be a high scoring and dynamic Seattle offensive attack. He was also a fan favorite and appeared to get along well with his teammates. There was little to hint that a move might be coming. However, a $3 million raise to play this year in China was just too much for Martins to turn down.
I am ensured by my international soccer loving friends that moves like this are common place in the sport. Soccer contracts dont hold the kind of staying power that other American professional sports contract do. It is unthinkable for say a baseball player in MLB or basketball player the NBA to decide they would prefer to play for another club, while still under contract, and their current team to just let them walk. Sure players demand trades or hold out, but those tactics backfire more than they work. The other American professional sports leagues would usually rather a player languish unhappy and unused on the bench than let a rival have their talents.
I suppose the big difference between soccer and the other professional leagues we Americans are used to is the demand for players is international and that our countries league isn't the undisputed top destination in the world. With rich and prominent leagues all over the world, players are bound to be pulled this way and that. Enforcing an agreement signed in one country is going to be difficult if the players decides to head to another nation.
There is definitely an air of mystery and confusion around the Obafemi Martins deal, but one thing is for sure, his goal scoring prowess will be missed in Seattle. It isn't easy to replace a guy that averaged 0.75 goals per 90 minutes played and led the league in percentage of shots on goal. The Sounders offense could easily and excusably be expected to take a step or two backwards this year. However, there is reason to hope.
The other big news of the offseason was the Sounders signing of local talent Jordan Morris, who spent last year playing collegiately at Standford. At Standford Morris led his team to a national championship and he won the Hermann Trophy for beginning the best player. Morris also earned several caps by playing with the US Mens National Team. Morris is a player with limitless potentially. The fact that the Sounders get him for at least one year is a major coup for the team.
The signing became even more important with the sudden departure of Obafemi Martins. Although he is still young and unproven in the MLS, having Morris on the team should greatly lessen the impact Martins leaving. Hopefully Morris can build at least close to some of the chemistry that Martins had with Clint Dempsey. If Seattle hits a jack pot with Morris, and he reaches the level of play that some are predicting for him, the team's offense might surpass the heights that Martins took them too. As the jack pot metaphor illustrates this is unlikely, but, even without that luck, having Morris on the team looks to be a boon for the teams goal scoring.
The offseason between another disappointing playoff loss in 2015 and the beginning of 2016 brought two very big changes to the Seattle Sounders. In Obafemi Martins they lost probably their most important and best player from last years campaign. The loss of his talent will leave a big hole to fill. However, with the arrival of Jordan Morris the team mitigated some of the issues caused by Martins departure. The Sounders also improved their teams chances for continued success in the future. Although some of the names may be different the 2016 season looks to be another exciting one.
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