Sounders still waiting for Sigi Schmid

As the Columbus Crew march along towards a possible MLS Cup Final, Sounders fans and most likely also the front office are torn about taking sides.

In one sense it would be great to have the Crew tumble out in time for Schmid to be hired and get in there for the expansion draft on November 26th.

In another sense, how would it look and sound for Seattle to hire the most-recent MLS Cup-winning coach? Pretty good, I'd think.

I've heard nothing from the rumor mill or the Sounders that can even slightly point towards Schmid as their top choice. It only takes a few dots, when connected, to see how he might be, though.



The dots: Schmid coached Sounders' Technical Director Chris Henderson when he played at UCLA. Schmid is an "LA soccer guy" just like Seattle majority owner Joe Roth, who knows him well. Sigi's wife still lives in LA, and the two now have a 'commuter relationship.' The Sounders are dragging out the head coach naming process, while the Columbus Crew have refused to give Seattle permission to talk to Schmid during the season. Sigi's contract runs out in Columbus at the end of this campaign, and the Crew seem to be hesitant to spend the money it is going to take to re-sign him.

Connect them, and Sigi is pick number one for the Sounders.

Now, the debate becomes whether we should cheer for Columbus to finish #1 in the league or not.

(Note: Paul Mariner's New England Revolution are done, so that rumored candidate is now 'available.' Same for Preki, whose Chivas USA side fell to Real Salt Lake. Update: OK, now Houston are out after Red Bulls upset them, so the season is over for Dominic Kinnear and John Spencer. Not sure about their current contracts.)