Sounders Key Player Injuries, Youth Opportunity

Following some inspiring performances over the last few matches from key players highlighted in a previous post such as Jordan Morris, Paul Arriola, Pedro de la Vega, and Albert Rusnák, the outlook on the next month of the season has become grim for Sounders fans as news has been released pertaining to injuries within the squad.

The most devastating news comes from Paul Arriola (above) suffering a torn ACL on March 11th in a match against Cruz Azul and likely missing the remainder of the season. Early into his time in Seattle he established himself as a starter, capping two goals in the CONCACAF Champions Cup and causing excitement on the pitch in his limited minutes of MLS play. It’s unfortunate to see the potential that this signing brought to the squad go to waste for the season, but our depth is more than capable of making up for this loss.

In better news, the other injuries the squad is currently ailing are much less severe and will likely only impact the next month of the season. Also in the match against Cruz Azul, all-time Sounders top goal scorer Jordan Morris strained his hamstring, a recurring injury throughout his career. He is expected to miss 3-5 more weeks of play. Pedro de la Vega strained his quadricep battling against LAFC in a dominant win on March 8th. While Pedro has been seen in training, he is likely to continue his recovery for 2-4 more weeks. While having two of our highest-paid players absent for up to 4 matches is not ideal, it provides an opportunity for other players to demonstrate their skill and what they add to the squad.

Young players like Kalani Kossa-Rienzi (above), Paul Rothrock, and Georgi Minoungou have had productive beginnings to their seasons. Kossa-Rienzi earned himself a first team contract after scoring in the match against LAFC, but he has tough competition on the right side in Alex Roldan who has long held that spot. Rothrock and Minoungou have made good use of their frequent appearances notching a goal and three assists combined. I think this upcoming stretch of matches is their opportunity to cement themselves as starters. From this Saturday to April 12th, the Sounders face three easier opponents: Houston, San Jose, and Dallas. Strong individual offensive performances can shine in these environments, and I hope to see Rothrock and Minoungou take advantage of these opportunities. They are likely to join Christian Roldan and Albert Rusnák in the attack this weekend, two players who have been in excellent form as the squad looks for another strong home performance this Saturday against Houston Dynamo. Thanks for reading, and please share your comments in discuss below!