Fans anxiously awaiting Sounders player news

Welcome to Friday January 9, 2009...twelve days before the start of Sounders FC training camp, a camp that anticipates 30-35 players with a Sounders roster that officially still stands at fifteen. Will the tempting twenty please step forward...soon?

Seattle Sounders FC fans are anxiously awaiting announcements about more players. The current fifteen listed on the club website include a few who could be traded or packaged with SuperDraft choices, and a big not-yet-signed central defender, Jeff Parke. Then we've got rumors: Costa Rican defender Roy Miller (see photo) seems a certainty to come over on loan from Norway's Rosenborg. The Freddy Montero chase has been reduced to occasional whispers, which means we could be close to knowing. The rest, such as garnering aging former-stars like Fernando Morientes of Valencia, seem more like fanciful fodder to pass the time.

We are in a transfer open window and the Sounders are active with multiple clubs in Europe and South America trying to increase the talent on the roster while managing the salary cap. Back home in Seattle we have local guys from the former Sounders who are waiting on other offers as they hope to impress at training camp. GM Adrian Hanauer is orchestrating the efforts to snag talent. Head Coach Sigi Schmid and Assistant Brian Schmetzer are watching a lot of film but will take a break to see live players this weekend in Florida at the MLS Combine.

It all seems to be coming to a head around the SuperDraft, which will take place next Thursday January 15th in St. Louis and live on ESPN2 at 11:00 AM Seattle time. Are Seattle holding their player announcements in order to keep their fellow MLS draft adversaries in the dark? Are they quiet because they are already dealing with other clubs for draft rights and players? Is Steve Zakuani our #1 pick? What about all of those other tempting underclassmen who are coming out early?

Sounders fans are anxious to find out. Right now it is a good anxious, full of anticipation. Give us another week or two without news, and there could be some hair loss.

SuperSearch: The first segment of the Sounders SuperSearch aired last night. I am always up for Seattle soccer features on TV, rare as they are. The show was just OK, I think failing to be informative about the players and also lacking presenting fans with their actual skills. It was more of a 'teaser' for the Feb. 1st live show. You can watch it online here.

One of the boys who made the finals from the Tukwila tryouts, Gareth Waite, is featured here in his hometown paper.

More coaches: If player announcements have run dry, it is being posted that coaching news is close at hand. Jose Romero has details in his Seattle Times Sounders Blog.