Seattle Sounders: 5 takeaways from third week of preseason

3. Brad Smith loaned out to Cardiff City

Still on the subject of the defense, the Seattle Sounders made some key decision during this offseason, which included declining the club option for Roman Torres. In addition, Brad Smith returned to AFC Bournemouth after the completion of his loan spell in Seattle.

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There is no doubt that Smith was a huge success during his time with the Rave Green, which included starting all four of their playoff games on the way to winning the MLS Cup. In respect, there was still some hope he would return to the club this year, but if this is still going to be the case, everyone will have to wait.

As confirmed by Cardiff City, the 25-year-old has joined the club on loan from AFC Bournemouth for the remainder of the season. In theory, this means the 25-year-old could still rejoin the Sounders this summer; in reality, though, fans shouldn’t get too excited.

There would be several factors to overcome, including Smith’s financial compensation. How much can the club afford and how much does he actually want to return to Seattle? Only expect this option to be given serious consideration if the Sounders’ defense struggles in the early months of the 2020 season.