The Seattle Sounders are set for the new season with a mostly unchanged lineup from last year.
However, this month, La Liga’s Atletico Madrid made an offer for 20-year-old midfielder Obed Vargas that the Sounders accepted.
The Sounders (15-9-10, 55 points last season) will still feature key players like Jordan Morris and Cristian Roldan when they start the MLS season against the Colorado Rapids (11-15-8, 41 points) on Sunday.
Roldan remarked, “The fun begins. We’re all excited for the real games to come.”
Seattle native Hassani Dotson, who recently played for Minnesota United, is expected to step in for Vargas in central midfield.
In goal, Andrew Thomas is likely to replace 39-year-old Stefan Frei. Thomas helped the Sounders win the Leagues Cup last year, earning accolades for his performance against Lionel Messi and Inter Miami in the final.
Last season, the Sounders finished fifth in the Western Conference but lost in penalty shootouts on the road against Minnesota, missing the conference semifinals for only the third time in 17 years.
The Rapids did not qualify for the playoffs last year and have hired Matt Wells, an assistant from Tottenham Hotspur, as their new coach.
Wells expressed his enthusiasm for the opportunity, stating that it felt like a good fit with the team’s ambitions.
The Rapids traded midfielder Cole Bassett to the Portland Timbers, but still have players like Paxten Aaronson, Sam Vines, Reggie Cannon, and goalkeeper Zack Steffen on their roster.
Rafael Navarro is the Rapids’ top returning scorer, having netted 12 goals and provided five assists last season.
Wells aims for the Rapids to “win everything except the Fair Play Award.”