The Seattle Sounders are coming off of another disappointing end to an MLS season. For the seventh straight year, the Sounders exit the MLS Playoffs short of their goal of bring an MLS Cup to the Emerald City.
For at least the third straight season, some (majority?) fans in Seattle are calling for Head Coach Sigi Schmid’s head. Regardless of four Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup trophies, two Cascadia Cups and one Supporters’ Shield, fans in Seattle want him gone and bring in new blood. Part of the writer agrees, but also disagrees.
It also highly possible that Sigi decided to step away even though he stated he would like to be back. He missed a few games this season due to health related issues and that has to be a concern for the Sounders front office and more importantly to Sigi and his family.
It would be hard to part with a coach that has led you to numerous trophies in seven years. If you bring in a new coach, you have to worry about the team gelling and there is a high probability that the team wouldn’t make the playoffs (highly unlikely as 60% of the league makes it). Some have said they would be fine missing playoffs for a year if the Sounders front office brought in new blood, but realistically, would you happy? No, you wouldn’t. You would be mad and be asking for the new coaches head.
Quite a few people in Seattle would like to see Jason Kreis become the teams newest head coach. Personally, this writer thinks that would be a bad move. Look at how it turned out in New York with New York City FC. Kreis left Real Salt Lake at the end of the 2013 MLS season to “learn the ways of Manchester City”. How’d that work out for him? Obviously, it didn’t work out that good if he is no longer the man in charge at NYCFC.
Yes, there were many flaws in New York for Kreis such as Frank Lampard’s arrival being delayed time after time. New York City has David Villa and Andrea Pirlo as well, but the three big names never seemed to mesh. There are plenty reasons why, but that is not for this article.
Personally, if this writer had a choice, the Sounders front office should bring in Mike Petke. You know that guy that was suddenly fired as head coach of New York Red Bulls in early January of this season for no real reason at all. Luckily for the Red Bulls front office it didn’t backfire and they claimed their second Supporters’ Shield in two years.
Petke would be a perfect fit for the Sounders. Look what he did in New York. He took a very talented team in New York and did what Hans Backe couldn’t do in three years with virtually the same talent. Sure, Petke brought in a few core guys, but a majority of the team from 2012 remained in 2013.
If the Sounders must make a change at the head coaching position, do the right thing and bring in Mike Petke over Jason Kreis. Sure, Kreis and current Sounders General Manager Garth Lagerwey have history together as they were in Salt Lake for six years (2007-2013), but it would be the wrong move. It would send the Sounders in the wrong direction and have fans clamoring for a new coach in a year or two.
However, this could all be for naught as Schmid may not be going anywhere anyway and this article was just a big waste of time.