Seattle Sounders: Avoiding Nicolas Lodeiro dependence progress

Nicolas Lodeiro has been immensely important to the Seattle Sounders’ recent success. But moving away from sole dependence on the midfielder is progress for the team and the future.

Nicolas Lodeiro is one of the greatest players in Major League Soccer. Many would view him as one of the greatest Seattle Sounders in history, if not number one on an illustrious list. The Uruguayan has consistently been an elite creative, attacking force in the Pacific Northwest.

He arrived in 2016 and immediately set about establishing himself as the heartbeat of one of the most successful periods in MLS history. The creative hub in midfield, a leader in the dressing room, and now the captain, Lodeiro is the Seattle Sounders best and most influential player. They are very lucky to have him.

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And the stats illustrate as much. Since the start of the 2016 season, Seattle have been markedly better with Lodeiro than without him — this, incidentally, should not and will not be a surprise to anyone. Funnily enough, the team is better with your best player than without them.

Most generally, the Seattle Sounders win percentage jumps from 41.2% without Lodeiro to 52.5% with Lodeiro. Quite simply, they win more games with their midfield general in tow. This, of course, equates to a higher points-per-game. Draws will obviously dictate the difference, but in general, if you win more games, you gain more points. The Sounders gain 1.8 points per game with Loderio and only 1.4 without him.

To put those numbers into context, Seattle’s 1.8 points per game with Lodeiro was bettered by only two teams, New York City FC and a historic Los Angeles FC. In contrast, their 1.4 points per game without Lodeirio was bettered by 13 teams, exactly half the league.

Perhaps most tellingly, it is in the goals department that the Sounders benefit from Lodeiro’s presence: 1.6 goals per 90 minutes with and only 0.9 goals per 90 minutes, a little over half.

This is not that revolutionary. And I am sure that if you took Carlos Vela out of LAFC or Alejandro Pozuelo out of Toronto or Josef Martinez out of Atlanta United you would see very similar patterns. It is the nature of having or not having your best player on the pitch.

Nevertheless, it does go to show the dependence that Seattle have on Lodeiro. And it helps to illustrate where the club can progress in the coming years as they look to build on two MLS Cup victories and three appearances in four years, all of which have come since Lodeiro arrived.

The arrival of Joao Paulo as the third Designated Player will help Seattle in this aspect. He is an all-around midfielder and not quite as creative as Lodeiro in the final third, but he has experience of playing in the number 10 position and will offer versatility in central midfield. Cristian Roldan also showed more attacking spirit in 2019, while Jordan Morris is a true creative presence from out wide thanks to his speed, dribbling ability, and much-improved crossing.

The Sounders, then, are brilliant because of Lodeiro. But they can still progress. A 31-year-old who suffered tendinitis in the offseason is not reliable. Relieving themselves of their dependence on the Uruguayan will only further the Sounders elite qualities.