Seattle Sounders: 5 takeaways from third week of preseason

By Paul Taylor | Feb 3, 2020

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL - OCTOBER 16: Joao Paulo of Botafogo controls the ball during a match between Vasco da Gama and Botafogo as part of Brasileirao Series A 2019 at Sao Januario Stadium on October 16, 2019 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. (Photo by Buda Mendes/Getty Images) /

4 of 5

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – OCTOBER 16: Joao Paulo of Botafogo controls the ball during a match between Vasco da Gama and Botafogo as part of Brasileirao Series A 2019 at Sao Januario Stadium on October 16, 2019 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. (Photo by Buda Mendes/Getty Images) /

2. Sounders sign Joao Paulo

The Seattle Sounders finally made their long-anticipated significant signing of the offseason on Friday with the addition of Joao Paulo. As reported by Tom Bogert of mlssoccer.com, Paulo will be the club’s third designated player after they bought down Xavier Arreaga’s budget charge with Targeted Allocation Money.

So what do we know about Paulo? He lines up in central midfield and is equally comfortable playing in a defensive or offensive position. To date, the 28-year-old has played his entire club football career in Brazil — mostly at the top level — with more than 300 appearances in total (including just under 200 league games). Last season, he played 49 games for Botafogo and scored four times, the second-most of his career behind the six goals he had during his 2016 campaign with Santa Cruz.

One of the most interesting aspects of the signing is how it will impact the rest of the line-up, with some people predicting Roldan could be moved out to the wing. With this in mind, while Paulo is an intriguing signing, it remains to be seen if his addition will solidify or unsettle the cohesion of the starting XI.

Home/Seattle Sounders