Seattle to Unveil Freddie Ljungberg at Press Conference this Tuesday

[canadian_bhoy]

From one of their supporters sites:

Emerald City Supporters members have been invited to attend the special announcement Seattle Sounders FC are making on Tuesday October 28th. The announcement starts at 5pm sharp and the club has extended complimentary parking in the Qwest garage south of the stadium on Brougham. There will be attendants there that will direct attendees to the 5th floor of the lot which also has the entrance to the Qwest Stadium West Lounge where the announcement takes places. Please be there no later than 4:30 pm.
For those that are interested in getting together before the announcement there will be ECS members meeting at FX McCrory’s for a quick roundup beginning at 3:15. However, we will have to be out of there by 4:15 to get over to Qwest so try to be there on time.
Regards of when you show up please wear ECS or SSFC gear to ensure that you will be admitted to the event. This will surely be a historic event which should not be missed.

Article on Freddie

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/htm...ounders25.html
RENTON — Seattle Sounders FC is poised to sign Swedish midfielder Freddie Ljungberg as its designated player, according to a report that was to run in Sweden's Expressen newspaper Saturday.
Ljungberg, 31, was recently in Seattle to meet with Sounders FC officials, a reporter with the newspaper said, then departed and is now scheduled to return to Seattle.


I'm happy to forget all the reasons and excuses as to why we don't have a DP - but TFC needs to sign a DP for the 09 season. No Excuses.

[Roogsy]

^ I was calling for one in our first year. Not having a DP isn't just about the team, marketing-wise we are selling ourselves short.

And this year, being in the playoffs could've been attributed to not having that quality player. I have a real problems with the delay in bringing in a DP.

And not having one by the first game of the season will be inexcusable.

[canadian_bhoy]

Seattle:
Quest Field - Field Turf
Not NYC or LA
Not proven as a strong profitable MLS franchise
No SSS

Yet they manage to get it done - good on them I say.

[Roogsy]

14 teams means 14 marketable stars. Most teams in MLS need that marketing power and yet most have not tapped it. I just don't get it.

Not to mention actually bringing in some quality instead of journeymen into the league.

[wzhxvy]

Lets see what you can do MO...big boy...no talk this time...Just Do it Baby

[Kickit09]

thats how you do it Mo

this just proves how full of shit Mo and MLSE are. all those excuses about first year team, field turf, salary cap, blah blah blah. seattle and san jose are putting MLSE to shame.

MLSE get so much credit and praise from garber and MLS when its really the supporters that make TFC what it is, something MLSE has no control over.

[ensco]

This is depressing on a number of levels. The facts of life are..

1) There are a whole bunch of cities in MLS that millionaires would rather live in.
2) We have corporate owners who don't need to do this.

[King Tut]

The only thing Mo is good at is sniffing his coke! Fuck you Mo Johnston...(if you're reading this)

Next year there will be alot more anti-Mo banners, chants and so on coming out of 127. That's for sure.

[Beach_Red]

I'm happy to forget all the reasons and excuses as to why we don't have a DP - but TFC needs to sign a DP for the 09 season. No Excuses.

Why? Does the team that wins the MLS Cup every year always have a DP? Is it some kind of automatic route to success?

Or, can it just as often be a distraction and work against a team playing as a team? (which is already a problem here)

Sure, if the right guy with the right attitude is available and wants to come to Toronto, sign him, but don't just go signing someone for the sake of having a 'name,' we don't need that here.

[Ossington Mental Youth]

Why? Does the team that wins the MLS Cup every year always have a DP? Is it some kind of automatic route to success?

Or, can it just as often be a distraction and work against a team playing as a team? (which is already a problem here)

Sure, if the right guy with the right attitude is available and wants to come to Toronto, sign him, but don't just go signing someone for the sake of having a 'name,' we don't need that here.

thank you. exactly.

[Ossington Mental Youth]

i bet Ljungberg spends half his season injured too

[King Tut]

Ljungberg is going to merk this league!

Too bad we can't sign someone half of Ljungberg. Our DP will be Bangladesh's Player of the Year!

[Roogsy]

Why? Does the team that wins the MLS Cup every year always have a DP? Is it some kind of automatic route to success?

Or, can it just as often be a distraction and work against a team playing as a team? (which is already a problem here)

Sure, if the right guy with the right attitude is available and wants to come to Toronto, sign him, but don't just go signing someone for the sake of having a 'name,' we don't need that here.

That excuse of winning teams not having a DP was debunked long ago. Unless you are willing to wait 6 or 7 years of mediocrity, a DP is necessary.

[SanStarko]

So they're signing an injury prone player who's had numerous problems with his hamstring and he's going to be playing on artificial turf.

Surely I'm not the only one who can spot the slight problem there.

Signing the right DP is all well and good. Signing an injury prone DP just for the sake of it is hardly the sort of thing we should be looking to do.

[Beach_Red]

That excuse of winning teams not having a DP was debunked long ago. Unless you are willing to wait 6 or 7 years of mediocrity, a DP is necessary.

I just think, looking at all the problems this team has, a DP is a low priority. It's too often just a publicity stunt. We can't get the guys who are already here to play together as a team, so bringing in one "special designated player" into the mix doesn't seem like it would work. Will Guevara and Robinson suddenly agree on who's running the midfield with the addition of a DP striker?

6 or 7 years seems too long, but it looks like it's going to take 3 or 4 to actually build up a decent core group that the addition of a DP would really help.

So maybe next year should be the year. Do you think we have that core group now?

[wzhxvy]

How about we have a DP now and a DP in six years from now...at the end of the day, the DP is one high end player that will be part of the team. We need to have a team around the DP no question...but we need a DP.

And the rumour about Dero irks me...sure would love to have him play here but please do not make him a DP when he is not one today...

[Nuvinho]

Seattle so far have made some very good signings. The 4 players they have provide a great foundation for the team. If they pick well in the expansion draft, I don't think they will finish last......that spot is kept for the Galaxy again!!!

[King Tut]

Personally, I think a DP is one of our highest priorities.

[Ossington Mental Youth]

How about we have a DP now and a DP in six years from now...at the end of the day, the DP is one high end player that will be part of the team. We need to have a team around the DP no question...but we need a DP.

And the rumour about Dero irks me...sure would love to have him play here but please do not make him a DP when he is not one today...

I wouldnt worry about that rumor at all, theres no substance to it adn its basically just a bunch of people hoping itll come true.
We have no need for an attacking midfielder, we have one and dude is not leaving houston anytime soon

[Ossington Mental Youth]

i think a DP couldnt hurt (prob contribute) but i dont think its a priority, i think some stable players (including a commanding CB) is more of a priority.

[canadian_bhoy]

Personally, I think a DP is one of our highest priorities.

I agree. The goal of the team should be to create the most talented team possible - if you have the ability and resources to spend a significant amount of money on a top level player then you should do it ASAP.

Imagine what a 15 goal scorer would have done for our team this season.

[Roogsy]

^ Boggles the mind. It is so fundamental, I can't understand the justification for NOT bringing someone in. I understand the whole "bringing in the right guy" but that surely doesn't take 2 years to figure out.

[OneLoveOneEric]

Most people here have such a hard time believing that big time athletes just don't want to play in Toronto. It's not the league, it's not the turf. They're not interested in Canada, and we have little we can do to remedy that other than by throwing money at them.

[Dirk Diggler]

Ljungberg is going to merk this league!

Too bad we can't sign someone half of Ljungberg. Our DP will be Bangladesh's Player of the Year!

Don't get your hopes up man.

[King Tut]

I agree. The goal of the team should be to create the most talented team possible - if you have the ability and resources to spend a significant amount of money on a top level player then you should do it ASAP.

Imagine what a 15 goal scorer would have done for our team this season.

100% agree on everything you said. I was expecting a signing for the second season, but if we don't get that designated player (that you were promised on the second deck of BMO Field during the RPB interview), the supporters need to take a stand of some sort. Even though I'm very pessimistic that MLSE will bring us anything more than a DP from Bangladesh, I still want to remind them that we're not looking for just any designated player, but a "World XI player that was/is one of the best in the world" like it was reported. Call me crazy or whatever, but if they said World XI, then I'm expecting someone big, not a second rate somewhat known player. he World XI players (considering it would be a striker/attack minded player) I have in mind are people like Crespo, Requelme, Ronaldo, Thiery Henry since he was rumored to MLS and so on. If MLSE plans to bring in a second rate fucker, then they should not have got our expectations up and told us this "World XI" stuff. Anything less than a "big name and worthy DP" will be a disappointed for me.


How will MLSE bring in someone respectable and worthy? DISH OUT MONEY! Make a $10 million offer and you'll get some responses to choose from!

[King Tut]

Don't get your hopes up man.

You're probably right. I should expect someone a bit lower. Maybe a DP from Guam?

[Dirk Diggler]

Most people here have such a hard time believing that big time athletes just don't want to play in Toronto. It's not the league, it's not the turf. They're not interested in Canada, and we have little we can do to remedy that other than by throwing money at them.

Hence the concept of "designated player".

And thats a very bull crap excuse ... maybe you've bought into what every Toronto sports club GM has uttered to save his ass over the years. Its nothing but a excuse. Toronto is well reputated throughout the world. Obviously it may not be as popular a destination as NY, LA or even Chicago but it is not looked down upon, thats for sure. Anyone who thinks Seattle is more popular than Toronto is just smoking some good shit.

[Chevy]

That excuse of winning teams not having a DP was debunked long ago. Unless you are willing to wait 6 or 7 years of mediocrity, a DP is necessary.

For the most part I agree, with the exception that a DP is not needed for a first year team.

Unless you're gonna bring in Messi who could score 50 playing with my grandmother, the Seattle DP will sell some tickets and probably not much more.

[Jack]

You can't really make the argument as to whether the DP will bring a team success or not, as it's too new of an implementation in the league.

My feeling is, if you add a very good player to a team, it should make the team better.

There are always mitigating circumstances, but if we had a poacher out there on the end of some of the chances we had during our slump this season, I think we'd be gearing up for the playoffs right now with some hope, shoddy defence or no.

Imagine Juan Pablo Angel instead of Cunny.

If we can get a player like that as our DP, I think we would have been good for 3 or 4 more wins this season and a solid playoff berth.

This doesn't take away from the fact that we absolutely need to shore up the backline and make sure Robbo and Ricketts, as well as Danny D, stick around.

The thing I've seen with our team is, when Dichio is healthy and playing well, our whole team plays better, including the D, because we are more balanced.

[Roogsy]

For the most part I agree, with the exception that a DP is not needed for a first year team.

Unless you're gonna bring in Messi who could score 50 playing with my grandmother, the Seattle DP will sell some tickets and probably not much more.

Like it has been said many times before, we are victims of our own success.

But can you imagine had it been a real poacher up front instead of Cunny all season?

I guarantee you we'd be getting geared up for playoff action.